Growing Number of GOP Defections Leads Speaker Mike Johnson to Pull Government Funding Bill

Speaker Mike Johnson postponed a vote on a government funding bill after disgruntled Republicans threatened to vote against it. Johnson had tied the six-month funding bill to the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote. If a deal is not struck by October 1, the government will shut down. House Republicans can only afford four defections, and several have already said they will not support the stopgap measure. Many are concerned about the country’s growing debt and the impact that a continuing resolution would have on defense funding. Despite this, former President Donald Trump has insisted that funding be tied to the SAVE Act. It is unclear what the next steps will be, but both parties are eager to avoid a government shutdown with the upcoming election. Democrats are calling on Republicans to negotiate a funding bill that will have bipartisan support. House leaders are continuing to work on finding common ground before the deadline.

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