In a significant blow to Speaker Mike Johnson, the House of Representatives blocked his revived funding bill on September 18, Wednesday with 14 Republicans siding with Democrats to derail the continuing resolution (CR). The vote of 202-220 reflected deep internal divisions within the GOP and ongoing disagreements over the direction of government spending and election integrity measures, particularly the controversial inclusion of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Johnson’s effort to keep the federal government funded for six more months has exposed the fractures within his party, setting the stage for a potential government shutdown.

The CR, originally slated for a vote the previous week, had been pulled at the last minute after Johnson faced substantial pushback from Republican colleagues. Their concerns stemmed from fiscal conservatism, with many arguing that the bill did not adequately address the party’s priorities on government spending cuts and reforms. Despite Johnson’s efforts to “build consensus,” the revived bill faced similar opposition when reintroduced on September 18.

Many Republicans have increasingly voiced their frustration with continuing resolutions, arguing they serve as a tool for postponing difficult decisions rather than confronting fiscal challenges head-on. Republican Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas expressed this sentiment in an op-ed for the Daily Caller News Foundation: “Too often, continuing resolutions are just an excuse to kick the can down the road.” This view encapsulates the sentiment among conservative hardliners within the GOP, who are pushing for more stringent fiscal measures and less reliance on temporary funding mechanisms.

However, Johnson and his allies argue that the CR is a more favorable option compared to an omnibus spending bill, which they fear could include provisions unfavorable to a future Trump presidency. “We choose the path that best preserves our ability to fight for conservative principles and policies,” Cloud added. This dilemma over short-term funding solutions versus comprehensive spending packages has been a persistent challenge for Republicans, particularly as they navigate intra-party disputes.

A major point of contention in Johnson’s bill was the inclusion of the SAVE Act, a measure aimed at tightening election security by requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration in federal elections. The act had already passed the House earlier this year, with a few Democratic defectors joining Republicans to support it. Nonetheless, attaching it to the funding bill reignited the debate over election integrity, a critical issue for the GOP, especially in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.

Johnson defended the inclusion of the SAVE Act, framing it as a common-sense measure that reflects the will of the American people. “I want any member of Congress, in either party, to explain to the American people why we should not ensure that only US citizens are voting in the US,” Johnson said during a press conference. The move to include the act was seen as an effort to satisfy the GOP base, which remains concerned about voter fraud and the integrity of elections following the contentious 2020 presidential race.

However, not all Republicans were on board with this strategy. Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, who opposed the bill, argued that attaching the SAVE Act to the CR was redundant. “The SAVE Act has already come through the House,” Rosendale told the Daily Caller News Foundation. He expressed frustration that the GOP was rehashing an issue that had already been settled, rather than focusing on pressing fiscal reforms. This sentiment was echoed by other fiscal conservatives, who viewed the CR as a missed opportunity to address out-of-control government spending.

The failure of the CR also highlighted deeper ideological divides within the GOP. Some Republicans, like Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, attributed the bill’s collapse to what he described as the party’s “surrender caucus”-members who he claimed are either unwilling to fight for anything or only willing to support “perfect” bills. “You’ve got a kind of what I sort of informally call the surrender caucus,” Davidson told Fox News. “It’s a combination of bedwetter[s] who won’t fight for anything and purists who won’t fight for anything unless it’s perfect.”

Davidson’s remarks illustrate the frustration among more pragmatic Republicans, who see some of their colleagues as unwilling to compromise in order to pass meaningful legislation. In contrast, hardline conservatives argue that the GOP leadership has too often capitulated to Democrats, resulting in spending bills that are bloated and fail to reflect conservative values.

Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, another staunch conservative, voiced his opposition to the bill in a post on X (formerly Twitter), calling it an “insult to Americans’ intelligence.” Massie, along with other members of the House Freedom Caucus, argued that the CR did not do enough to cut spending, and that the SAVE Act was a “shiny object” being used to distract from the broader issue of fiscal responsibility. “I refuse to be a thespian in the Speaker’s failure theater,” Massie declared.

Democrats were largely united in their opposition to Johnson’s CR, particularly because of the inclusion of the SAVE Act. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed the bill as “unserious and unacceptable,” signaling that Democrats would not support any funding measure that includes what they see as unnecessary voter restrictions. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed these sentiments, criticizing the bill as a partisan effort that puts essential government programs at risk.

“The only way to get things done is in a bipartisan way,” Schumer said in a letter earlier this month. “We will not let poison pills or Republican extremism put funding for critical programs at risk.” Democrats have made it clear that they are willing to risk a government shutdown rather than pass a CR with the attached SAVE Act, viewing it as an unnecessary and politically motivated restriction on voting rights.

Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has taken the opposite stance, calling on Republicans to shut down the government if the CR fails. “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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. His endorsement of a shutdown has emboldened hardliners within the GOP, who are more willing to take drastic measures to secure election integrity concessions.

At the heart of the debate over the SAVE Act is a broader concern about non-citizens being registered to vote in federal elections. A recent report from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA), exclusively provided to The Federalist, outlined numerous “integrity cracks” in the U.S election system, urging Congress to pass the SAVE Act and clean up voter rolls before the 2024 election.

According to Paige Terryberry, a senior research fellow at the FGA, there are currently “no federal enforcement mechanisms” to prevent non-citizens from being registered to vote. “Right now, the Biden-Harris administration is using welfare offices, DMVs, Public housing, [and] Healthcare.gov to register voters, and they aren’t verifying citizenship,” Terryberry said in the report.

The FGA report further claimed that millions of non-citizens could potentially end up on voter rolls, exacerbated by the Biden administration’s lax immigration policies. The report criticized what it called a “vote-buying scheme,” where federal programs are allegedly used to mobilize left-leaning voters, including non-citizens.

As the House prepares to take up yet another CR in the coming weeks, the Republican Party remains deeply divided over how to move forward. While Speaker Mike Johnson attempts to navigate the competing factions within his party, the likelihood of a government shutdown looms large. The inclusion of the SAVE Act in the funding bill has reignited debates over election integrity, a topic that continues to polarize both parties.

For Republicans, the path forward is fraught with challenges. Hardline conservatives remain steadfast in their demands for fiscal responsibility and stronger election security measures, while moderates fear that pushing too hard could lead to electoral backlash. Meanwhile, Democrats are preparing to block any measure that includes the SAVE Act, framing the fight as one over voting rights.

With the government’s funding set to expire soon, the question now is whether Republicans can overcome their internal divisions and strike a deal, or whether the standoff will lead to a shutdown that could have significant political and economic consequences.

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