The Speaker of the House of Representatives in the US Congress – Republican Mike Johnson – proposed a three-month temporary government funding bill on Sunday that does not contain an immigration-related measure that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is pushing for, Reuters reported, citing BTA.
Congress is looking for a solution to avoid a shutdown of the federal government at the end of the month.
Johnson's proposal came in a letter to his colleagues released eight days before the current $1.2 trillion in discretionary funding expires on September 30.
According to a source familiar with the matter, the House of Commons aims to vote on the proposal on Wednesday. If funding is not secured, thousands of federal employees will be furloughed and a wide range of government activities will be shut down weeks before the Nov. 5 presidential election.
The proposal, which rules out Trump's request to require citizens to show proof of citizenship to vote, is in line with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's push to extend government funding through Dec. 20.< /p>
„As history has taught us and current polls confirm, shutting down the government less than 40 days before a crucial election would be an act of political irresponsibility, Johnson's letter said.
The House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a slim 220-211 majority, on Wednesday rejected Johnson's previous proposal for a six-month funding extension along with the voter registration measure. Democrats and pro-democracy advocates called the proposal redundant because it is still illegal for non-US citizens to vote in federal elections.
Congress faces an even more crucial deadline on Jan. 1, when members must raise the national debt ceiling or risk default on the $35 trillion federal government debt.