US government faces shutdown as Congress grapples with funding bill
The US federal government is on the verge of a shutdown as Republicans in the House of Representatives struggle to agree on a funding bill. A new hurdle has emerged with former President Donald Trump pushing for voter ID requirements to be linked to the bill, further complicating negotiations ahead of a September 30 deadline.
A senior US House Republican said on Thursday that his party needs to begin talks with Democrats on funding the government past a Sept. 30 deadline, as Speaker Mike Johnson plotted his next move after pulling a controversial stopgap funding bill.
Representative Tom Cole, the Republican chair of the House Appropriations Committee, told reporters that he and others were "supportive of what he (Johnson) is trying to do," but pointed out that the deadline is rapidly approaching.
Johnson on Wednesday canceled a vote on a bill that would have extended government funding at current levels into March 2025 and implemented a controversial provision requiring people to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote because of opposition within his own party.
Republicans currently hold a 220-211 House majority, meaning they have repeatedly had to rely on Democrats to pass legislation.
But Democrats opposed the funding bill due to the voting measure, which they said was unnecessary given that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.
"We can't have a government shutdown five weeks before an election," Cole said.
(Reuters)
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