House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was forced to delay a House-wide vote on his plan to avert a partial government shutdown on Wednesday after a slew of GOP defections put the bill on life support within days of its rollout.
Johnson told reporters there would be "no vote today" on the measure, a short-term extension of this year's government funding called a continuing resolution (CR), combined with a measure to mandate a proof of citizenship requirement in the voter registration process.
House leaders originally planned to hold the vote late on Wednesday afternoon, though as of earlier in the morning, at least eight Republican lawmakers signaled opposition.
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Conservative opponents on Johnson's right flank who were largely against CRs in general – believing them to be an extension of overbroad "omnibus" spending bills which they oppose – accused House GOP leaders of trying to appease them with a messaging bill that would not ultimately be signed into law.
Some GOP national security hawks were also wary of the bill's six-month spending extension over its impact on military and other defense funding, pushing instead for a shorter spending patch into December.
House and Senate leaders must reach an agreement on government funding by Sept. 30 to avert a partial government shutdown.
One source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that they anticipate Johnson holding the vote next week, something the speaker also alluded to in his comments.
"The American people demand and deserve that we do everything possible to secure the elections. That's what we've been saying consistently," Johnson said. "We're going to continue to work on this. The whip is going to do the hard work and build consensus. We're going to work through the weekend on that."
In a shot at the bill's opponents on both sides, Johnson said, "I want any member of Congress in either party to explain to the American people why we should not ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in U.S. elections."
Former President Donald Trump had advocated for the six-month CR attached to the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act last month, urging House Republicans to leverage a shutdown weeks before Election Day to get it passed.
He appeared to change his tune somewhat this week, urging GOP lawmakers to vote against a CR unless they were ensured of a noncitizen voting crackdown.
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"If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don’t get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET. THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO "STUFF" VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN - CLOSE IT DOWN!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social app.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a Johnson critic and a top Trump ally, told reporters of his post, "What he's talking about is, it's about Speaker Johnson. You see, all of us can go into battle voting for a CR plus the SAVE act, but none of it matters if the speaker of the House is unwilling to fight for it. And, so I think that Truth Social was pointed at one man, and that's where the pressure is."
