United States: The House is likely to approve a funding bill on Wednesday to avoid a government shutdown next week, stripping the provision sought by Donald Trump that would require people across the country to present proof of their citizenship to register to vote.
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Republican House leaders expect some of their members to vote against the measure, and they say they expect to pass it with significant Democratic support.
If it does, then it will go to the Senate, which aims to pass it Wednesday night before the October 1 shutdown deadline. Thus, both chambers are to recess this week for an extended period until after the November 5 election, NBC News reported.
Funding to the government
The package reached with the help of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and the top Democrats will allow the government to be funded at the current level till December 20, that is before the winter holidays.
It would also add USD 231 million more for the Secret Service, including funds for presidential campaign operations after two apparently failed attempts on Trump’s life.
Trump has also publicly demanded that congressional Republicans close the government unless they can pass the proof of citizenship to vote law, SAVE Act, despite it being already a federal crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.
However, after the House voted down a bill that included both the funding bill and the presidentially endorsed SAVE Act last week, Johnson removed the Trump-backed election legislation and offered the cleanest spending legislation to the House.
In his or her defense, Johnson and other key Republicans have argued that a GOP-led shutdown 35 days before the general election would be “political malpractice.”
Moreover, Johnson dismissed the claims that he is “defying Trump” on the voting legislation, saying that they have been talking frequently over the funding issue, and both of them think that the SAVE Act is very important for election security.
What more has Johnson stated?
Johnson said, “I’m not defying President Trump. I’ve spoken with him at great length, and he is very frustrated about the situation. His concern is election security, and it is mine, as well. It is all of ours,” NBC News reported.
However, he did blame Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and alleged that Schumer failed to take up the SAVE Act as a stand-alone measure in the Senate.
Johnson mentioned, “We passed the SAVE Act in the summer, and it’s been sitting on Chuck Schumer’s desk collecting dust; that is maddening to us.”
“President Trump understands the current dilemma in the situation that we’re in, and so there’s no daylight between us,” he said.