On Friday, September 6th, Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled the long-awaited temporary spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.
This 46-page bill will largely provide funding for the government at existing levels, supporting its operations until March 28, 2025. The bill also includes a proposal put forth by the Republicans that would require voters to provide proof of citizenship when casting ballots in federal elections.
Additionally, the bill allocates $10 billion in funds to bolster the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief assistance fund. With hurricanes hitting Texas and Florida, wildfires on the West Coast, and severe storms in the Midwest and Northeast, FEMA’s disaster relief fund has been depleted.
The bill also earmarks nearly $20 billion in funding for Navy submarines, meeting the total amount requested by the White House.
House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on Friday, “Today, House Republicans took a crucial step to ensure the federal government is funded and to secure the integrity of our federal election process. Congress has a responsibility to do both, and we must ensure that only American citizens have a say in American elections.”
Johnson aims to bring the bill to a full vote in the House next Wednesday, September 11th, to put pressure on the Democrats on the issue of non-citizen voting. It remains uncertain whether Johnson can secure enough votes in the House to pass the bill, but it is expected to face significant challenges in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray stated in a joint statement, “Avoiding a government shutdown requires bipartisan cooperation, not a one-party-drafted bill.”
“Speaker Johnson is repeating his predecessor McCarthy’s mistake from a year ago, wasting precious time pandering to the hardline MAGA faction. This strategy did not work last September and is unlikely to work this year. The House Republican appropriations proposal is a familiar ominous case,” Schumer and Murray said.
Democrats generally support measures to expand avenues for voting access, including absentee and mail-in voting—though concerns about potential fraud through methods like ballot boxes and mailing ballots remain.
On the other hand, Republicans prioritize the integrity of the voting process, often seeking legislative remedies to make ballots and polling places more secure. However, opponents argue that implementing identification requirements or shortening the time for returning mail-in ballots may make voting more challenging or deter people from participating in the electoral process.
When it comes to election issues, both Democrats and Republicans harbor suspicions about each other. Many Republicans claim that Democratic laws are designed to manipulate the counting process, allowing ineligible individuals to vote. Meanwhile, Democrats accuse Republicans of using security measures as covert means to restrict voting—especially in minority communities. The White House previously stated that the Republican bill would make it more difficult for eligible voters to register and increase the risk of “eligible voters being purged from the voter rolls.”
(References: The Hill, Politico, and the Associated Press)