Speaker Johnson Faces Uphill Battle To Pass Government Funding Package

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) faces a difficult decision on how to approach his plan to fund the government, with an informal whip count indicating he doesn't have the votes to pass his six-month extension, paired with the SAVE Act bill - a Democrat-opposed bill that would compel Americans to present citizenship ID when registering to vote.

• The House Rules Committee discharged the package to the floor yesterday, potentially teeing up a House vote today, but frontline Republicans are unconvinced, favouring a 'clean' CR that doesn’t risk negative press coverage about a government shutdown so close to Election Day.
• If Democrats can successfully whip the handful of Democrat Reps who voted in favour of the SAVE Act in June, Johnson likely has two unappealing options: An embarrassing defeat on the floor or to search from an off-ramp with a compromise package.
• Trump yesterday urged the GOP to reject a funding deal without the SAVE Act, adding another layer of complexity to the plan with only 19 days until government funding expires.
• Semafor reports that Key senators reiterated they don’t have an appetite to escalate the fight. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell [R-KY] called a shutdown “a bad idea” as Senate leaders hinted a short-term funding patch is being drafted.
• Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) said: “We’re not going to introduce anything yet but we’re working and talking," suggesting that the Senate may seek to jam Johnson if he stumbles today.