The House of Representatives recently voted down a six-month stopgap government funding bill paired with a GOP-backed voter registration measure, sparking concerns about an imminent partial shutdown. Failing 220-202, the bill would have funded the government at current levels until March 28, 2025, and mandated proof of citizenship nationwide when registering to vote. Fourteen Republicans joined 206 Democrats in opposing the measure, while just 199 Republicans and three Democratic renegades voted in favor of it. House Democratic leaders urged their conference to vote “no,” while some GOP lawmakers resistant to spending bills without cuts ultimately kept the bill from passing. The opposition came less than a month after members of the conservative Freedom Caucus pushed for the continuing resolution to authorize federal spending paired with the voter registration provisions. Now, lawmakers have fewer than 12 days to avert a partial shutdown.
