House GOP's High-Stakes Gamble: Tying Government Shutdown Avoidance to Voter Eligibility

As the deadline to avoid a government shutdown on September 30 looms, House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, are pushing a controversial strategy to tie the passage of a stopgap spending bill to the implementation of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. This act mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration, a move that has sparked a fierce battle with Democrats, particularly with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The GOP's plan, which is expected to face a vote this week, has been met with criticism from within its own ranks, with vulnerable Republicans expressing concerns over the electoral repercussions of a potential shutdown. Despite these internal divisions and the tight deadline, Johnson is rallying his party to move quickly on the six-month spending bill that includes the non-citizen voting crackdown, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown in Congress.