Another year, another disappointing appropriations process. Congress seems incapable of responsibly executing its constitutional power of the purse.
Despite the efforts of House Republicans to tackle inflation by curbing spending and rejecting budget gimmicks, the Democrat-controlled Senate failed to bring a single fiscal 2025 appropriations bill to the floor.
The House has passed all 12 appropriations bills out of committee and passed five through the full chamber. The Senate has not cleared a single bill. Now we’re left staring down another continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown — something Democrats and their allies in the media would no doubt blame on Republicans.
But if conservatives in Congress can stay united, they can flip the script — and secure major victories before the election.
The way forward should be clear for conservatives: Pass a continuing resolution that extends government funding through March, or at least early 2025, and attach the SAVE Act to that bill. This is the strategy proposed by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) that should earn the support of every conservative in the House.
This legislative combination will save taxpayers money, avoid another outrageous Christmas omnibus and present an opportunity to protect our ballot boxes from the over 10 million illegal aliens that the Biden/Harris administration let into the country.
On the spending side, Democrats want a short-term continuing resolution now and an omnibus in December — because that would allow them to spend more money and tie the hands of a potential second Trump administration. Given the state of play, this would be the worst possible outcome for the American people.
If the November elections result in a new president and stronger GOP majorities in Congress, extending the continuing resolution into March would allow for appropriations bills drafted by more conservative lawmakers with input from a second Trump administration. This is the exact outcome Democrats are trying to avoid — and that Republicans should work to ensure.
Democrats are eager to push for a massive, wasteful spending bill this December, just as they did last year with millions for “LGBTQ Pride Centers” and a Michelle Obama Trail. Exhausted members of Congress will likely cave to avoid a holiday shutdown, leaving taxpayers shortchanged.
Beyond bad policy, a December omnibus would drive up spending far more than a continuing resolution through March. Senate Democrats have already ignored spending caps, and they’ll do it again. In contrast, a continuing resolution to March 2025 will save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.
Besides determining the duration of a continuing resolution, conservatives in Congress have another opportunity in front of them: to attach the SAVE Act to the spending bill and ensure that Americans’ voices at the ballot box are not diluted by the ballots of illegal aliens and other noncitizens. The right to vote in a free and fair election is fundamental to our democracy, yet Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats in Congress have inexplicably stood in opposition to a commonsense law to require proof of citizenship to register to vote in our country.
Democrats are quick to point out that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote. It’s also illegal to enter the U.S. illegally, yet more than 10 million aliens have done so under the Biden-Harris administration.
It is undeniable that the current voting system allows non-citizens to register and vote. Many states require no proof of identification when registering or voting. In Virginia alone, a state with a governor elected by just 63,000 votes in 2021, more than 10,000 aliens have been registered to vote over the past decade. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) just announced that 6,500 non-citizens have been removed from the voter rolls. Why Democrats continue to ignore this reality is a mystery.
The bipartisan-backed SAVE Act puts the entire issue to rest — and is especially necessary in light of the Biden-Harris unchecked border invasion.
The essence of our republic hinges on protecting the votes of American citizens and ensuring that those democratically elected set the policy agenda. The SAVE Act safeguards the integrity of our votes, and a continuing resolution lasting into 2025 is essential to ensure Americans have a say in how their tax dollars are spent.
Delivering both is ideal. Delivering one is a victory. Delivering neither is not an option. Americans are watching.
Kevin Roberts, Ph.D., is the president, and Ryan Walker is the executive vice president, of Heritage Action for America.
