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Trump pushes for a shutdown if lawmakers can’t pass bill targeting noncitizen voting

Trump pushes for a shutdown if lawmakers can’t pass bill targeting noncitizen voting
2 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago Wednesday, September 18 2024 Sep 18, 2024 September 18, 2024 3:23 PM September 18, 2024 in News - AP National
Source: CNN
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), surrounded by reporters and security guards, returns to the U.S. Capitol after a speaking engagement in Washington, D.C., Sept. 17. Francis Chung/POLITICO/AP via CNN Newsource
Originally Published: 18 SEP 24 06:00 ET
Updated: 18 SEP 24 16:10 ET

Washington (CNN) — GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump ramped up pressure on Republicans on Wednesday to shut down the government unless lawmakers can pass a controversial bill targeting non-citizen voting, a move that comes just hours before the House is expected to try, and fail, to pass a six-month funding plan that includes the voting measure.

“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,” Trump said on Truth Social.

Trump’s message to Republicans could make navigating the spending fight even more difficult for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has little margin for error with an extremely slim House majority.

The GOP proposal is viewed as a non-starter for Senate Democrats and a “clean” funding extension that does not include the voting measure is widely viewed on Capitol Hill as the only viable way to avert a shutdown.

Johnson pulled a vote on the legislation last week after enough House Republicans came out against the spending plan to sink it, but has been under pressure from conservatives and Trump to take action on election security as Trump continues to sow doubts over election integrity in the run-up to November.

Two GOP aides told CNN the plan to put the bill on the floor this week is aimed at demonstrating it will fail, which would allow the speaker to move on to a plan B, though it is unclear what that will be. Government funding runs out at the end of the month.

Johnson would not reveal on Wednesday ahead of the planned vote what he will do if the GOP government funding plan fails and said he has spoken to Trump “a lot” about government funding after the former president floated a government shutdown.

Trump had previously said that if Republicans don’t receive “absolute assurances” about election security, they should not pass a funding extension.

Asked by CNN’s Manu Raju if he would listen to Trump, Johnson said: “President Trump and I have talked a lot about this. We talked a lot about it with our colleagues who are building consensus on the plan.”

“We all believe that election security is of preeminent importance right now,” Johnson said.

“We do the right thing day by day, and we have a big playbook, of course, with all sorts of ideas in it. But when you’re on the field and you’re calling a play, you run the play,” he said.

Many Republicans are warning that Congress must avoid a shutdown ahead of the election.

“We’re going to have a vote, see what happens, and then ultimately, obviously, if it fails, then obviously the speaker is going to have to, have to recalibrate. But bottom line is, there’s not going to be a shutdown,” Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, told Raju. “We are 47 days away from an election. There’s not going to be a shutdown.”

Senate GOP Whip John Thune said, when asked for reaction to Trump’s post and if he is worried it will lead to a shutdown, “We’ll see how it plays out. Those are all hypotheticals. Let’s see what the House does today. But the one thing I will tell you is, I don’t think it’s anybody’s political benefit, you know, this far out from an election to have a government shutdown.”

The six-month funding plan from House Republicans would extend government funding until March 2025. The proposal includes the SAVE Act, a GOP-led bill that passed the House on a standalone basis in July and would require documentary proof of US citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, despite the fact that is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.

“Congress has an immediate obligation to do two things: responsibly fund the federal government and ensure the security of our elections,” Johnson said on Tuesday announcing the planned vote.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday of the speaker’s plan to hold a vote on the GOP funding proposal, “the only thing that will accomplish is make clear that he’s running into a dead end. We must have a bipartisan plan instead.”

Secret Service in the spotlight

In the wake of Sunday’s apparent assassination attempt at Trump’s Florida golf course, lawmakers are considering whether the Secret Service is underfunded or simply mismanaged, and many have questions about what meaningful security improvements can be made this close to the presidential election. Under the organization’s watch, two apparent assassination attempts have now occurred against the former president roughly 60 days apart.

Schumer said on Tuesday that he is open to including more money for the Secret Service in this month’s funding package, if they need it.

“Look, if the Secret Service believes they need more money, I would be very open to giving them that more money in this bill or the next bill, however quickly we can work it out and get bipartisan agreement,” Schumer said.

Separately, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters on Tuesday that they are making a few “minor” changes to a bill that would mandate that the two candidates for president – Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris – receive the same level of Secret Service protection that President Joe Biden receives, and are aiming to put it on the floor this week.

“Hopefully the presidential protection bill will be very bipartisan. … We’re working to get it on the floor,” Scalise told reporters. “There’s a few little, minor changes that are being made to fix a couple of things, and then the goal is to have it on the floor this week.”

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Ted Barrett, Danya Gainor, Annie Grayer and Michelle Shen contributed to this report.

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