House Rejects Temporary Funding Bill as Government Shutdown Deadline Approaches

A continuing resolution proposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) failed on Wednesday night, with 199 Republicans and three Democrats in favor, but 14 Republicans and 206 Democrats opposed. The House and Senate must pass a bill by October 1st to avoid a government shutdown.

The Details: Johnson's rejected proposal, which would have funded the government for six months, included a rider called the SAVE Act that would require voters to prove their citizenship; Senate Democrats have made clear they would block any bill that includes it. Some GOP members refused to fund the government with a continuing resolution, while others disagreed with the SAVE Act. On Thursday evening, The Hill (Center bias) reported Johnson was preparing a new three-month continuing resolution without the SAVE Act.

Key Quotes:

• Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump posted, "If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form."
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded, "How does anyone expect Donald Trump to be a president when he has such little understanding of the legislative process? He's daring the Congress to shut down."

For Context: A government shutdown could still be ongoing on Election Day if no resolution is reached, affecting services for voters.

How The Media Covered It: CNN (Lean Left) featured Schumer taking steps to prepare the Senate for a swift vote after the House passes a resolution, while Daily Kos (Left) highlighted the intra-party discord in the GOP. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right) criticized Trump's statement, pointing out that the SAVE Act would not actually affect the 2024 election if passed.