Earlier this week, the previous head of state, Donald Trump, recommended the congressional Republicans to consider the possibility of a federal government shutdown in the autumn. However, his recommendation has a condition and that is only if they fail to secure approval for both a temporary fiscal policy and the implementation of amendments that would ensure the robustness of election processes.
Trump’s proposal comes with a particular interest as he aims to return to the Oval Office later this year. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, presently under the governance of the Republicans, is in the process of deliberating on a continuous resolution proposal. This is intended to finance the operations of the federal government for the following half-year period, a deadline of March 28, while promoting the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
The SAVE Act, which secured the House’s approval in July of this year as an independent statute due to a concurrence of some bipartisan support, however, did not receive attention in the Senate, now under the stewardship of the Democrats. This act is aimed at necessitating a proof of American citizenship for enrollment in the electoral process for federal positions. It also encourages states to dispense of non-citizen names from their lists of registered voters.
Despite the anticipated final vote on the six-month extension on the fiscal measures along with the SAVE Act in the House within this week, the endorsement of this proposal faces several limitations. Notable Democrats, and certain Republicans, have already expressed their reservations concerning this plan.
Adding another layer of complexity, even if this agenda manages to navigate the hurdle of approval from both the House and the Senate, currently headed by the Democrats, its path is not assured. The White House clarified on Monday that an outright veto is an option for the current President, Joe Biden, if this plan reaches his desk.
Congress now finds itself under pressure to secure consensus on a temporary spending measure. This is crucial if the representatives, soon to return to Washington, D.C., after their summer adjournment, fail to pass the budgetary legislation needed to fund various federal functions for the forthcoming fiscal year.
If a concise agreement is not reached soon, the likelihood of a Government shutdown is high, which could occur early in October. Furthermore, this stands to have significant implications given it is only a few weeks preceding the next presidential election.