Speaker Johnson Faces Key Test on Shutdown Funding Bill/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ House Speaker Mike Johnson is under pressure to secure GOP unity ahead of a crucial vote to end the partial government shutdown. With a razor-thin majority, Republican leaders are working to push through a funding bill backed by President Trump. Internal divisions and demands, including on voter ID laws, threaten to derail the effort.
Shutdown Vote GOP Strategy Quick Looks
- House to vote on bill ending partial shutdown; Speaker Johnson needs near-unanimous GOP support.
- Trump urges Republicans to support bill without changes, calling further shutdown “destructive.”
- Bill funds most of the government through Sept. 30 and DHS for two weeks.
- Some Republicans had threatened to vote no over issues like voter ID legislation.
- Trump described the approach as his own “play call” to lower the temperature.
- The Senate already passed the funding bill; Trump says he will sign it.
- Democrats won’t support the procedural rule due to unrelated GOP resolutions.
- GOP holds slim 218-214 majority after recent special election in Texas.
- Earlier shutdowns had different triggers, such as ACA subsidy disputes.
- SAVE Act push for voter ID laws nearly jeopardized vote but may be deferred.
Deep Look: GOP Leaders Scramble for Support Ahead of Pivotal Shutdown Vote
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are in a last-minute push to rally behind a government funding bill that would end the partial shutdown, as Speaker Mike Johnson navigates internal divisions and mounting pressure from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Set for a procedural vote on Tuesday, the legislation represents a critical test of Johnson’s leadership and his ability to deliver on a strategy designed by President Donald Trump. With only a slim 218-214 GOP majority in the House and near-total opposition expected from Democrats during initial steps, Johnson can afford to lose only one Republican vote.
“This is Trump’s play call,” Johnson said on Fox News Sunday, emphasizing the strategy originated with the president, who has sought to dial down tension and avoid long-term damage from another federal shutdown.
Trump reinforced his position Monday in a social media post, calling on Republicans to pass the bill without amendments. “We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised,” Trump wrote. “But we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive shutdown.”
The proposed legislation would fund the bulk of federal agencies through September 30, while extending funding for the Department of Homeland Security for two additional weeks to allow further immigration-related negotiations.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said efforts were still underway to firm up GOP support. “We always work till the midnight hour to get the votes,” he said, noting that major legislation rarely starts with full backing.
Although some Democrats are expected to vote for the final funding bill, they will not support the procedural vote required to open debate. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries made that clear, citing GOP efforts to tie the bill to unrelated measures, including a resolution to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress over the Epstein investigation.
“If Republicans have some massive mandate,” Jeffries said, “then go pass your rule, which includes toxic bills that we don’t support.”
Voter ID Legislation Nearly Derails Progress
One major sticking point was the SAVE Act, a Republican-backed measure to require proof of citizenship to vote. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) demanded the bill be attached to the funding package. However, late Monday she appeared to ease her stance, saying she had spoken with Trump and found a “pathway forward” to address the issue separately in the Senate.
Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have fiercely opposed the measure, describing it as a thinly veiled attempt at voter suppression. The Brennan Center for Justice estimates over 21 million eligible Americans lack immediate access to documents like passports or birth certificates.
“If House Republicans add the SAVE Act to the bipartisan appropriations package, it will lead to another prolonged Trump government shutdown,” Schumer warned.
Shutdown Context and Current Stakes
Unlike the previous shutdown in the fall — which stretched 43 days and centered on healthcare subsidies — the current impasse arose amid attempts to finalize the remaining annual appropriations bills. While six of twelve have already passed, covering programs like nutrition aid and national parks, the unresolved bills include massive spending priorities like the Department of Defense.
With the shutdown beginning on Saturday, federal employees and military personnel now face missed paychecks if the standoff persists. This adds urgency to Johnson’s task of securing passage and avoiding deeper economic fallout.
The GOP’s already fragile majority was further tested after the latest special election in Texas, reducing their margin and increasing the impact of any potential defection from party lines.
Trump has committed to signing the bill immediately if it reaches his desk, lending the effort a level of political cover. Still, internal GOP disputes over side priorities and the procedural vote have become the central challenge.
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