U.S. Government Faces Shutdown Amid Voter ID Verification Standoff
2min read With the U.S. election approaching its final month countdown, another problem now approaches the U.S. government.
The government's fiscal year is about to end on September 30, but until now, Congress has not yet passed the spending bill for the new fiscal year. If the current deadlock continues, from October 1, many federal agencies, national parks, and millions of civil servants in the United States will enter an indefinite period of leave.
Although U.S. government shutdowns are not uncommon, this time there is a seasonal reason—the members of Congress cannot reach a consensus on whether to verify voters' identities before voting in the U.S. election.
Shutdown on the Horizon
Since most members of Congress also participate in elections that affect their livelihoods, according to the schedule, the U.S. Congress will adjourn after work next Friday (September 27) and will not reconvene until early November after the election. As for what the legislative landscape will look like after the election, that will have to wait until November.
For the potential government shutdown, the current solution in both the Senate and the House of Representatives is to pass a temporary spending bill for several months at the current spending level, which is also the standard solution for dealing with such issues in the past.
However, this year, under Trump's strong demand, the U.S. government's financial funds are in jeopardy due to the dispute over whether identity verification is required before voting. The Republican side demands that the spending bill include the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) requiring voters to present any type of identity document before registering to vote to verify their status as U.S. citizens.
Trump also posted on Wednesday that if the SAVE Act cannot be fully passed, Republicans should not allow any resolution to pass. The former president claimed that Democrats are registering illegal voters by the tens of thousands. He emphasized that the vote on the SAVE Act must be completed before the election, not after, as it would be too late then.
It should be noted that in addition to the Democrats not supporting this legislation, there are also dissatisfied voices within the Republican Party.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Johnson brought a proposal that included the SAVE Act and an extension of government spending for six months to a full House vote. The bill was rejected with 202 votes in favor and 220 against, with two abstentions. In the vote, 14 Republican members voted against it, and three Democratic members voted in favor.
Johnson has not disclosed further arrangements. On Thursday, when facing the media, he said that he would meet with Trump later, but would not disclose the conversation between the two.
What's Next?
Although there is Trump's strong demand, the latest developments show that Congress is unlikely to extend the session to after October to meet the needs of the former president—many swing state lawmakers are also busy with their campaigns.
Several well-known figures have revealed that the Republican leadership is considering introducing a bill to extend spending until December, which will not include the SAVE Act. Johnson is still weighing his options, but Wednesday's vote shows that he has no leverage left. Many Republicans in swing districts have already made it clear to him that they do not want to see a government shutdown in the last few weeks before the election.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman and Republican Tom Cole said on Thursday afternoon that he expected bipartisan negotiations to continue throughout the weekend.
If negotiations fail to make progress, the Senate also has plans to take action. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to hold a procedural vote as early as next Monday. Democrats have also made it clear that they will support a temporary funding bill that lasts until December.