House faces October 1 deadline to avoid government shutdown over voter eligibility bill

As the House of Representatives approaches an October 1 deadline to pass a spending bill and avoid a government shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to cancel a key vote has escalated tensions. The vote would have combined a temporary spending bill with the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a measure backed by former President Donald Trump but opposed by Democrats. The decision has created a standoff with significant implications for the upcoming elections.

The SAVE Act, which would require a passport or birth certificate to register to vote, has become a central point of contention. Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, argue that the act is necessary to restore faith in the electoral process. "There's a lot of lost faith in our elections, and something like this I think would give people more confidence," McCaul said in an interview with a CNBC affiliate.

This debate arises as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, continues to investigate claims of ballot harvesting and voter fraud. Between 2005 and 2023, Paxton's office successfully prosecuted 155 individuals for illegal voting. For context, the Texas Secretary of State's office reports that there are currently 17.9 million registered voters in the state.

Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas strongly opposes the SAVE Act, warning that the requirement would cause chaos and leave "all Americans without a passport scrambling to find their birth certificate" just weeks before the election. "It's been against federal law for a long time for non-citizens to vote, and it's not happening," Doggett said.

Meanwhile, Congress is grappling with how long any stopgap spending bill should last. Some Republicans favor a continuing resolution (CR) that extends until after the presidential inauguration in January, with the hope of adjusting priorities if Trump regains office. Others want the CR to expire before the holidays, creating pressure for a new deal.

Speaker Johnson's decision to cancel the vote reflects uncertainty over which version of a CR will move forward. Doggett expressed hope that the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority, would pass a clean resolution without the SAVE Act or other controversial attachments. He urged Johnson to bring such a resolution to the House for a vote.

McCaul, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, echoed concerns about a potential government shutdown, warning that it would harm the military. "A shutdown doesn't accomplish anything," he said, based on his experience in several previous shutdown standoffs.