Rep. Greg Pence, R-Indiana, discusses his priorities for the end of his term with the Daily Journal on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON — Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., voted in favor a proposal that would link temporary funding for the federal government with a mandate that states require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.
The proposal, however, failed to clear the House after 14 Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in voting against the measure. The legislation would have funded agencies generally at current levels through March 28 while lawmakers work out their differences on a full-year spending agreement.
The vote comes less than two weeks before the deadline for lawmakers to pass a stopgap bill to prevent a partial government shutdown on Oct. 1. Currently, next steps on government funding are uncertain.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who put forward the proposal, said after the vote he was “disappointed” and will likely pursue a Plan B to avoid a partial shutdown, though he was not yet ready to share details, The Associated Press reported.
“We’ll draw up another play and we’ll come up with a solution,” Johnson said. “I’m already talking to colleague about their many ideas. We have time to fix the situation and we’ll get right to it.”
All House Republicans representing Indiana voted in favor of the proposal except Rep. Jim Banks, who said in a statement that he voted against the measure because it “didn’t cut a single cent in federal spending” and “adds a trillion dollars to our debt,” among other reasons.
The two House Democrats representing Indiana — Reps. André Carson and Frank Mrvan — also voted against the proposal.
Johnson had pulled the bill from consideration last week because it lacked the votes to pass, according to wire reports. He worked through the weekend to win support from fellow Republicans but was unable to overcome objections about spending levels from some members, while others said they don’t favor any continuing resolutions, insisting that Congress return to passing the dozen annual appropriations bills on time and one at a time. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the measure.
Requiring new voters to provide proof of citizenship has become a leading election-year priority for Republicans raising the specter of noncitizens voting in the U.S., even though it’s already illegal to do so and research has shown that such voting is rare, according to the AP.
Opponents say that such a requirement would disenfranchise millions of Americans who do not have a birth certificate or passport readily available when they get a chance to register at their school, church or other venues when voter registration drives occur.
Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump weighed in again just hours before the vote, seemingly encouraging House Republicans to let a partial government shutdown begin at the end of the month unless they get the proof of citizenship mandate, referred to in the House as the SAVE Act, according to wire reports.
“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 the social media platform Truth Social.
House Democrats said the proof of citizenship mandate should not be part of a bill to keep the government funded and urged Johnson to work with them on a measure that can pass both chambers.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has predicted Johnson’s effort was doomed to fail.
“The only thing that will accomplish is make clear that he’s running into a dead end,” Schumer said. “We must have a bipartisan plan instead.”
While the proposal would have legislation would have fund agencies generally at current levels through March 28, Democrats, and some Republicans, are pushing for a shorter extension, according to wire reports.
A temporary fix would allow the current Congress to hammer out a final bill after the election and get it to Democratic President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
But Johnson and some of the more conservative members of his conference are pushing for a six-month extension in the hopes Trump will win and give them more leverage when crafting the full-year bill.
The House approved a bill with the proof of citizenship mandate back in July, according to wire reports. Some Republicans who view the issue as popular with their constituents have been pushing for another chance to show their support.
— The Associated Press contributed to this story.
