Congress Reconvenes To Confront The Imminent Possibility Of A Government Shutdown.

Lawmakers are set to reconvene in Washington on September 9th, facing mounting pressure to prevent a government shutdown as both parties gear up for a spending battle in the midst of election season.

Having been away from the capital for a full month, lawmakers now have a tight 21-day window to reach an agreement and keep the government operational before the funding deadline on September 30th. Failure to find common ground would result in either a full or partial shutdown, commencing at 12 a.m. ET on October 1st.

Recently, Representative Clay Higgins (R-La.) introduced a bill with the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) that proposes funding the government until March 2025. However, certain provisions within this proposal have already been deemed unacceptable by many Democrats.

It is not uncommon for spending standoffs to occur in Washington during this time of year, as the House and Senate wrangle over 12 spending bills.

Presently, Congress is far from achieving unity: while the Republican-controlled House has passed five standalone spending bills, these include provisions on divisive cultural issues that render them unlikely to be approved by the Democrat-controlled Senate, which has not passed any such bills.

Traditionally, September funding deadlines have been met by implementing a continuing resolution (CR), a temporary funding measure that allows the government to continue operating at the previous year’s funding levels.

This year, the budget battle may deviate from the norm due to the fact that the 2024 presidential election is only 57 days away. The looming election is expected to cast a shadow over all of Congress’s activities in the next two months, as both parties try to sway more voters to their side.

The Republican proposal includes a six-month funding extension, ensuring government operations until early 2025.

However, this proposal also incorporates the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, aimed at strengthening measures to prevent voting by illegal immigrants – a provision that Democrats oppose.

Republicans argue that the bill would establish vital safeguards to ensure that only citizens are eligible to vote. If enacted, it would address a loophole resulting from a 2013 Supreme Court decision, which stated that federal law supersedes state laws requiring documentary proof for voting, effectively prohibiting states from verifying citizenship.

Democrats have criticized the SAVE bill, raising concerns about potential voter suppression, as some citizens in rural or underserved areas, as well as those from disadvantaged communities, may find it financially burdensome to obtain government identification. Some state lawmakers have suggested offering free photo IDs to disadvantaged individuals as a step toward addressing this challenge.

Regarding the CR proposal, House Speaker Johnson remarked, “House Republicans are taking a critically important step to keep the federal government funded and to secure our federal election process. Congress has a responsibility to do both, and we must ensure that only American citizens can decide American elections.”

Former President Donald Trump expressed his support for the legislation, stating that Republicans must pass the SAVE Act.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, however, criticized the House GOP funding plan, stating in a September 6th post that avoiding a shutdown requires bipartisan cooperation, accusing Speaker Johnson of repeating the same mistakes as former Speaker McCarthy by catering to the far-right.

Schumer warned that if Speaker Johnson continues down this path, a shutdown will become inevitable.

Instead, Schumer indicated in a letter to his Senate colleagues that Democrats will focus on legislation related to rail safety, as well as efforts to reduce the cost of insulin and other prescription drugs upon their return.

Furthermore, Schumer emphasized Democrats’ support for the passage of a CR to keep the government functioning.

“As I have said before, the only way to get things done is in a bipartisan way,” wrote Schumer. “That is how we’ve handled every funding bill in the past, and this time should be no exception.”