Trump backs Mike Johnson into a corner on shutdown
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Former President Trump addresses the Economic Club of New York on Sept. 5 in New York City. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Former President Trump on Tuesday pushed House Republicans not to accept any measure to avoid a government shutdown without legislation that he said would ensure "election security" ahead of November.
Why it matters: The ex-president's declaration makes it harder for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to reach a spending deal with Democrats in time to avert a government shutdown.
State of play: Johnson's preferred stopgap funding bill would keep the government funded at current levels until March and attaches a measure requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
- But Democrats are bitterly opposed to the non-citizen voting language, known as the SAVE Act, meaning the House bill would effectively be dead-on-arrival in Senate.
- And it's unclear if Johnson even has the votes to pass that out of the House.
What he's saying: "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 said on Truth Social.
- Trump said last month in a podcast interview that Republicans should "close [the government] up" if the SAVE Act is "not in the bill."
- Trump, who will take the stage later Tuesday for his debate with Vice President Harris, has made immigration a centerpiece of his 2024 campaign.
Between the lines: Johnson has repeatedly denied that he has a Plan B if his proposal fails, but some of his GOP colleagues privately predict he will push a compromise measure in the end.
- That will likely need to happen under a process that requires a two-thirds majority for it to pass, meaning a significant chunk of Republicans would join with Democrats to vote for it.
- Trump's post puts ramps up pressure on Republicans not to vote for any compromise measure, however, potentially putting the federal government closer to a shutdown after
- With current funding set to expire Sept. 30, 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.
Go deeper: GOP rebellion puts Mike Johnson's spending plan on notice
