(TheRedAlertNews.com) – In an unpleasant case of GOP infighting, House Speaker Mike Johnson has had to raise the white flag and cancel a vote on a temporary funding bill designed to keep the government operational for the next six months, as a significant number of Republicans withdrew their support.
The vote had been planned for Wednesday, CNBC informs in a report.
“We’re going to work through the weekend on that,” Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, announced less than five hours before the vote was scheduled to occur.
“No vote today because we’re in the consensus-building business here in Congress with small majorities,” he explained.
If Congress does not pass a funding agreement, the US government will face a partial shutdown starting at 12:01 a.m. on October 1.
This critical deadline looms just over a month before the November elections, which will determine control of both congressional chambers and the presidency.
Originally, Johnson and other leaders from the Republican party anticipated up to 15 members might defect on the vote if it were held as planned on Wednesday, according to NBC News.
As of Monday, only two Republicans had formally stated they would oppose the bill.
With only a narrow majority in the House, Johnson can afford to lose no more than four Republican votes, assuming full attendance.
Further complicating matters, Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina was hospitalized in Washington DC on Tuesday evening after collapsing at an event, likely rendering him unavailable for Wednesday’s vote.
His son reported via social media that doctors were treating Wilson for “stroke-like symptoms.”
Johnson’s efforts to secure enough votes are also being challenged by former President Donald Trump, who insists that the so-called SAVE Act be included in any spending plan.
This act would mandate proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Democrats in Congress have declared they will reject any funding plan that includes the SAVE Act, ensuring its failure in the Democrat-majority Senate.
“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 WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET,” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday.
“THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO ‘STUFF’ VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN – CLOSE IT DOWN!!!” he further added.
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