Democrats game out Mike Johnson attack plan
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House Speaker Mike Johnson at the Capitol on Sept. 10, 2024. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images.
House Democrats hammered out a clear strategy for taking down Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) short-term spending proposal during their closed-door meeting Tuesday morning.
Why it matters: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and other Democratic leaders pressed their members to deny Republicans the help they need to make up their vote shortfall on the bill, according to multiple senior House Democrats.
- The message: "Stay focused" on attacking the bill and avoid internal divisions, one lawmaker told Axios.
State of play: Johnson is trying to keep the government funded through March at current levels and has attached a measure that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
- By Axios' count, Johnson is currently well short of the Republican votes he needs to pass the bill, barring an unlikely mass Democratic defection.
What we're hearing: On Tuesday, Jeffries, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) laid out two basic arguments against the bill, according to four members who were present.
- The non-citizen voting measure, known as the SAVE Act, is a partisan poison pill that does not belong in a bill to keep the government funded.
- A six-month CR would make it harder to quickly provide additional funds for the VA, Social Security and other hugely popular federal programs.
Zoom in: Clark has told colleagues she's whipping hard against the bill, with Democratic sources telling Axios that effort is likely to include the five House Democrats who previously voted for the SAVE Act as a standalone bill.
- But at least a few of those Democrats were not present at Tuesday's meeting, including Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), who is absent this week.
What they're saying: Democrats, buoyed by past wins in spending fights this Congress, are confident Republicans' strategy will ultimately self-implode.
- Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) told Axios: "We have seen this play out again and again, and they're trying the exact same thing expecting different results."
- "It's going to be a real 'F around and find out' situation because we're pretty unified," Scholten added.
The bottom line: Senate and House Democratic leaders are plotting with the White House to try to force Republicans to instead accept a short-term spending bill that would fund the government through mid-December.
- Government funding is set to expire Sept. 30.
