Congress kicks off budget battle with voting debate

The House of Representatives reconvened on Capitol Hill on Monday, staring down the possibility of a government shutdown on Sept. 30 unless Congress passes new funding legislation by then.

The most conservative Republicans in the House argue that increasing election security is as urgent as funding the government, and they want to tie together the two priorities in a single piece of legislation. Democrats in the House and Senate are likely to reject the effort, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is struggling to unite Republicans to pass the measure.

Last week, Johnson introduced a continuing resolution (CR), a temporary stopgap measure to extend current levels of government funding until March 2025. The resolution, which would punt a funding vote until after the November elections, includes revised voter registration requirements that were part of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Johnson unveiled the SAVE Act at a news conference in front of the Capitol in May. It would require voters to prove their citizenship before voting in federal elections. Johnson framed the legislation as a no-brainer.

“Some have noted that it’s already a crime for noncitizens to vote in a federal election, and that is true. But it’s [also] true that [there is] no current mechanism to ensure only those registering are actually citizens,” Johnson said. “If a nefarious actor wants to intervene in our elections, all they have to do is check a box on a form and sign their name. That’s it.”

Johnson was describing the current process for registering to vote under the Motor Voter Registration Act, also known as the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. The law requires states to give applicants the chance to register to vote when getting a driver’s license.

Those applications do not require documented proof of citizenship beyond a signed statement, creating a loophole that Republicans fear could be exploited.

But what Republicans see as a clear fix, opponents see as a partisan attack on voting rights. They argue the act could disenfranchise poor and minority citizens who do not have documented proof of their citizenship. With the inclusion of the SAVE act, Johnson’s CR faces steep opposition from Democrats.

“As I have said before, the only way to get things done is in a bipartisan way. Despite Republican bluster, that is how we’ve handled every funding bill in the past, and this time should be no exception,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement on Monday in response to the proposal. “We will not let poison pills or Republican extremism put funding for critical programs at risk.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, said Johnson had not discussed the CR with her.

“This was one corner of the four corners that made a decision to come forward,” DeLauro said, referencing the four party leadership teams in the Senate and House. “I haven’t been consulted about it. We were just presented with this six-month CR.”

In addition to opposing the voting security measures, DeLauro pointed out that new needs have arisen that will go unfunded by keeping spending in line with a CR.

“You’ve got veterans and their medical services just hanging out to dry, a $12 billion shortfall for veterans’ medical services. You’ve got FEMA, the Key Bridge—not a dime for the Key Bridge,” DeLauro said, referencing the collapsed bridge in Baltimore that has not received federal funding for reconstruction.

Although the SAVE Act attracted the support of five Democrats in the House when it came to the floor as a stand-alone bill in July, a handful of conservatives have voiced their opposition to it. Republicans hold a four-seat majority in the House, leaving little room for dissent when passing legislation. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., believes the continuing resolution does little to nothing to address what he sees as the real issue: deficits and government spending.

“Here’s the bottom line: The one thing that I can tell you is a great existential threat to America is our growing debt. Over 365 days we are going to spend $2.45 trillion,” Mills said. “With this CR we are going to have a continuation of spending at roughly $3 billion a day.”

Mills, an initial co-sponsor of the SAVE Act, also disagreed with including it in the spending fight.

“There is no implementation that can be made in the next 53 to 54 days that’s going to impact our federal election laws,” Mills said, referencing the upcoming November elections. “So, to say that this, as an attachment to the CR, is going to do something is a farce.”

Johnson on Tuesday morning came out in defense of the proposal. He said he doesn’t see a reason why Congress can’t pursue both an attempt to keep the government open and greater voter integrity measures.

“It is an exceedingly logical thing to require the states to request proof of citizenship before they sign somebody up to vote,” Johnson said. “We’re in an area of razor-thin election margins. It matters. The American people understand this.”

Johnson said he intends to bring the package to a vote on Wednesday.