Speaker Mike Johnson Reportedly Considering Three-Month Spending Bill Without SAVE Act

According to Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman, “House Republicans have begun to prepare a clean-ish stopgap that will fund government through Dec. 13 or Dec. 20. The CR does NOT include the SAVE Act. But it will include anomalies that both parties agree on.”

“Who could have predicted this?! A clean bill that funds all of government without the SAVE Act and no cuts to spending?” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) stated.

Who could have predicted this?!

A clean bill that funds all of government without the SAVE Act and no cuts to spending? https://t.co/7ImSl0eZ0c pic.twitter.com/R5DeWvb6W3

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 19, 2024

“That means GOP leadership would be ignoring a demand from former President Donald Trump to shut down the government unless Republicans get their non-citizen voting bill, also known as the SAVE Act,” POLITICO noted.

Breaking news: House Republicans are beginning to draft a short-term CR lasting until mid December that doesn’t include the SAVE Act, according to the top House Republican appropriator.

House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said there has been no decision on…

— Grace Chong (@gc22gc) September 19, 2024

From POLITICO:

The Republicans familiar said their expectation is that the December funding bill will be on the House floor by mid-week — though they stressed that they hadn’t heard that from Johnson directly. Still, there is a growing consensus that Johnson is headed that way, with some predicting that the speaker wanted to put distance between Wednesday’s floor vote failure and announcing the new plan.

One of those Republicans, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, predicted that the House would vote on a short-term government funding measure into December by the middle of next week, adding: “I can’t see a scenario where shutting the government down makes any sense whatsoever — functionally or politically.”

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Appropriators in both chambers have floated Dec. 13 as a possible end date for the bipartisan funding patch, which would set up yet another pre-holiday standoff over government funding, although no final decisions have been made.

There are already signs that bipartisan talks are underway, setting up the type of short-term funding deal that would avoid a government shutdown.

House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said Thursday afternoon that he expects bipartisan negotiations throughout the weekend.

“The House failed to pass the CR with the attached SAVE Act on Wednesday to fund the federal government,” 100 Percent Fed Up reported.

“The House vote was 202 to 220, with 14 Republicans voting against it, two Republicans voting present and three Democrats voting for it,” CNN noted.

BREAKING: 14 Republicans join with Democrats to block spending bill that contained SAVE Act to ensure illegal aliens don’t vote in U.S. elections pic.twitter.com/1UpKdwYD0v

— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) September 18, 2024

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who voted present, has criticized Johnson for setting up a fake fight that’s nothing more than political theater.

“I refuse to be a thespian in the Speaker’s failure theater. The 6 month continuing resolution with the SAVE Act attached is an insult to Americans’ intelligence. The CR doesn’t cut spending, and the shiny object attached to it will be dropped like a hot potato before passage,” Massie said last week.

WATCH:

I refuse to be a thespian in the Speaker’s failure theater.

The 6 month continuing resolution with the SAVE Act attached is an insult to Americans’ intelligence.

The CR doesn’t cut spending, and the shiny object attached to it will be dropped like a hot potato before passage. pic.twitter.com/0FdHRYTm1q

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 9, 2024

The Hill reports:

Top appropriators have already launched bipartisan talks in both chambers, and senior lawmakers said they expect the continuing resolution (CR) will extend 2024 funding into December while excluding the more stringent voter-eligibility rules demanded by former President Trump.

“The aim here is to be pretty minimal, as close to a clean CR as we can do. Have anomalies that both sides can agree on,” House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said.

“Everybody wants to wait and see what happens in the election, and we’re pretty serious about trying to get something done by the end of the year.”

The timing of the bill’s release remains unclear. Negotiators still have a number of details to determine, including questions surrounding so-called anomalies — a reference to any changes to the current-year spending bills — and whether Congress will address emergency aid for natural disasters as part of the package.

But congressional aides say they expect Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his allies on the House Appropriations Committee to post the text of CR on Sunday. And some House GOP appropriators said they want to move quickly out of concern that the price tag will grow significantly if the Senate moves first.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.