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Jeffries Rejects GOP Spending Bill 09/10 06:18
Calling it "unserious and unacceptable," House Democratic leader Hakeem
Jeffries rejected on Monday a proposal from Speaker Mike Johnson that links
continued government funding for six months with a measure to require proof of
citizenship when registering to vote.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Calling it "unserious and unacceptable," House Democratic
leader Hakeem Jeffries rejected on Monday a proposal from Speaker Mike Johnson
that links continued government funding for six months with a measure to
require proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
The response frames the spending battle to come over the next weeks as
lawmakers work to reach consensus on a short-term spending bill that would
prevent a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Lawmakers hope to avoid a shutdown just weeks before voters go to the polls.
Johnson is punting the final decisions on full-year spending into next year
when a new president and Congress take over. He's doing so at the urging of
members within his conference who believe that Republicans will be in a better
position next year to secure the funding and policy priorities they want.
But Democrats said the appropriations process should be wrapped up by this
Congress, and the short-term measure should reflect that. It also needs to be
free of "partisan policy changes," Jeffries said.
"There is no other viable path forward that protects the health, safety and
economic well-being of hardworking American taxpayers," Jeffries wrote in a
letter to House Democrats released Monday.
Lawmakers are returning to Washington this week following a traditional
August recess spent mostly working in their home states and districts. They are
not close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that will
fund the agencies during the next fiscal year, so they'll need to approve a
stopgap measure.
Johnson's proposal is not only running into resistance from Democrats, but
it was clear Monday night that there are also some in the GOP conference who
won't vote for any stopgap bill, let alone one they say spends too much.
Johnson can afford to lose only four dissenters from within his conference if
Democrats are united in opposition.
"We need to stop spending at a level that is untenable for the American
people," said Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., who also predicted the bill would not
have the votes to pass.
The House bill including the proof of citizenship mandate for voter
registration complicates the effort. The voter registration measure is popular
with House Republicans and has already passed once before in that chamber. The
House Freedom Caucus, which generally includes the chamber's most conservative
members, called for it to be attached to the spending bill. But Democrats are
overwhelmingly opposed.
Republicans say that requiring proof of citizenship would ensure that U.S.
elections are only for American citizens, improving confidence in the nation's
federal election system, something that former President Donald Trump has
sought to undermine over the years.
Opponents say it is already against the law for noncitizens to vote in
federal elections and that the document requirements would disenfranchise
millions of Americans who do not have the necessary documents readily available
when they get a chance to register.
Trump and other Republicans have revved up their complaints about the issue
of noncitizens voting with the influx of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border
under President Joe Biden's administration. They are contending Democrats let
them in to add them to the voter rolls. But the available evidence shows that
noncitizen voting in federal elections is incredibly rare.
Johnson called the proof of citizenship mandate a "righteous fight" as he
entered the Capitol Monday afternoon. He said that even if a small percentage
of people who have entered the U.S. illegally end up registering to vote, "they
can throw the election. This is serious business."
Senate Democrats have also come out against Johnson's proposal. Senate
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the bill "pure partisan posturing."
"Speaker Johnson knows deep down that he needs to work with Democrats to get
anything done," Schumer said.
The White House said that if the bill reached Biden's desk he will veto it.
The veto threat said states already have effective safeguards in place to
verify voters' eligibility and maintain accurate voter rolls.
"Instead of working in a bipartisan manner to keep the Government open and
provide emergency funding for disaster needs, House Republicans have chosen
brinksmanship," the White House statement said.
The bill does provide an additional $10 billion for a disaster relief fund
administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But the White House
said it did not cover the full amount needed through other disaster relief
programs, such as for highways and bridges damaged by disasters in 38 states.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that long-term continuing resolutions,
such as the current one before the House this week, harm military readiness.
Austin said in a letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House and
Senate Appropriations Committees that, if passed, the bill would mark the
second year in a row and the seventh time in the past 15 years that the
department is delayed in moving forward with some critical priorities.
"These actions subject Service members and their families to unnecessary
stress, empower our adversaries, misalign billions of dollars, damage our
readiness, and impede our ability to react to emergent events," Austin wrote.
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