House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, was forced to postpone a House vote on a plan to avert a partial government shutdown on Wednesday after the bill was put on life support by defections from Republican lawmakers within days of being introduced.
“There will be no vote today,” Johnson told reporters on the bill, known as a continuing resolution, which would provide a short-term extension of this year's government budget and require proof of citizenship in the voter registration process.
House leaders had initially planned to hold a vote late Wednesday afternoon, but by morning at least eight Republicans had indicated they opposed the measure.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks at a press conference. (Getty Images)
Johnson's conservative opponents to the right are largely opposed to the CR bill in general, believing it to be an extension of the overly broad “omnibus” spending bill they oppose, and have accused House Republican leadership of trying to appease them with a messaging bill that ultimately will not be signed into law.
Some Republican national security hawks are concerned about the impact the bill's six-month spending extension would have on military and other defense spending, and have instead argued for a shorter spending extension through December.
House and Senate leaders have until Sept. 30 to reach an agreement on the government budget to avoid a partial government shutdown.
A source familiar with the discussions told Fox News Digital that Johnson expects a vote to take place next week and that the Speaker had mentioned this in his comments.
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President Biden has threatened to veto the plan. (Olivier Douryery/AFP via Getty Images)
“The American people demand and have a right to do everything in their power to ensure that our elections proceed safely, and that's what we've been saying all along,” Johnson said. “We'll continue to work on this. Our leaders are working hard and trying to reach a consensus. We'll be working on this through the weekend.”
Johnson criticized both opponents of the bill, saying, “I want members of either party to explain to the American people why only American people should be able to vote in American elections.”
Former President Donald Trump last month proposed a six-month CR to accompany the Protect American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), urging House Republicans to take advantage of the shutdown to pass the bill in the weeks before Election Day.
He appeared to change his tune somewhat this week, urging Republicans to vote against CR unless there was a firm crackdown on foreign voters.
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Former President Donald Trump has also urged Republicans to take advantage of the government shutdown. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“Unless House and Senate Republicans can get absolute assurances about the security of our elections, they should not proceed with any form of continuing budget resolution. Democrats are trying to 'stuff' voter registrations with illegal aliens. Don't let them do that, stop them!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth social app.
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Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Johnson critic and Trump ally, told reporters about his post, “He's talking about Speaker Johnson. We can all fight to vote for the CR Act and the SAVE Act, but if the Speaker isn't willing to fight for it, it doesn't mean anything. So I think Truth Social is aimed at one person and that's where the pressure is.”
