It’s that time of the year again: the leaves are beginning to change colors, there’s a faint coolness in the air and Congress is in gridlock over its September federal funding bill. Congress has until September 30th to pass a funding bill or face a potential government shutdown. Although the upcoming presidential election means we expect at least a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government pass November, the election is also interjecting another level of politics that is hardening up the partisanship divide.

Will politics push us into a shutdown?

On Wednesday, the House voted and failed to pass a six-month funding extension. The bill failed because the Democrats and President Joe Biden rejected House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) proposal to pair a CR with legislation that would require voters to show proof of citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections – known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R. 8281). Note: This is a different SAVE Act than the workplace violence bill, the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act.

Former President Trump has urged Republicans to reject the bill if the voting provision is not included. “If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don’t get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD,” he stated. What will happen next remains to be seen but Congress only has 11 days to pass the legislation.