Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was forced to postpone a House-wide vote on his plan to prevent a partial government shutdown on Wednesday, after a series of GOP defections left the bill in jeopardy shortly after its introduction.
Johnson informed reporters that there would be “no vote today” on the proposal, which includes a short-term extension of current government funding through a continuing resolution (CR) and a provision requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration.
House leaders had initially scheduled the vote for Wednesday afternoon, but by that morning, at least eight Republican lawmakers had expressed opposition to the bill.
Conservative critics on Johnson’s right flank, who generally oppose continuing resolutions (CRs), argued that these measures are merely extensions of the sweeping “omnibus” spending bills they reject. They accused House GOP leaders of trying to placate them with a symbolic bill unlikely to become law.
Some GOP national security advocates were also concerned about the bill’s six-month spending extension, citing potential harm to military and defense funding. They pushed for a shorter-term spending measure through December.
House and Senate leaders face a deadline of Sept. 30 to reach a deal on government funding and avoid a partial shutdown.
A source familiar with the discussions told Fox News Digital that Johnson is expected to hold the vote next week, a timeline the speaker hinted at in his remarks.
“The American people demand and deserve that we do everything possible to secure the elections. That’s been our consistent message,” Johnson said. “We’re going to keep working on this. The whip will do the tough job of building consensus, and we’ll be working through the weekend.”
Taking aim at critics on both sides, Johnson added, “I challenge any member of Congress from either party to explain to the American people why we shouldn’t ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in U.S. elections.”
Former President Trump had initially backed the six-month CR tied to the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act last month, urging House Republicans to use a potential shutdown as leverage to pass it ahead of Election Day.
However, Trump appeared to soften his stance this week, advising GOP lawmakers to reject any CR unless it included a crackdown on noncitizen voting.
On his Truth Social app, Trump wrote, “If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don’t get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET. THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO ‘STUFF’ VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN – CLOSE IT DOWN!!!”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a vocal critic of Johnson and a close Trump ally, responded to the post, telling reporters, “What he’s talking about is Speaker Johnson. We can all back a CR and the SAVE Act, but it won’t matter if the speaker isn’t willing to fight for it. I believe that Truth Social post was directed at one man, and that’s where the pressure lies.”