Speaker Johnson sets up vote on doomed funding plan as shutdown deadline looms

(CNN) — Speaker Mike Johnson is moving ahead with a vote on a six-month GOP government funding plan that is expected to fail, a move that will put Republican divisions on full display but could then allow the Louisiana Republican to pivot as the threat of a shutdown looms.

Johnson has announced that the House will vote Wednesday on the six-month funding extension, which includes a controversial measure that targets non-citizen voting.

The speaker pulled a vote on the legislation last week after enough House Republicans came out against the spending plan to sink it. But Johnson has been under pressure from conservatives and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to take action on election security as Trump continues to sow doubts over election integrity in the run-up to November.

Two GOP aides told CNN the plan to put the bill on the floor this week is aimed at demonstrating it will fail, which would allow the speaker to move on to a plan B, though it is unclear what that will be. Government funding runs out at the end of the month.

The GOP funding proposal is viewed as a non-starter for Senate Democrats and a “clean” funding extension that does not include the voting measure is widely viewed on Capitol Hill as the only viable way to avert a shutdown.

Johnson faces a major challenge in navigating the government funding fight as he presides over an extremely narrow majority and has little margin for error.

The six-month funding plan from House Republicans would extend government funding until March 2025. The proposal includes the SAVE Act, a GOP-led bill that passed the House on a standalone basis in July and would require documentary proof of US citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, despite the fact that is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.

Trump has said that if Republicans don’t receive “absolute assurances” on election security, they should not pass a funding extension.

“Congress has an immediate obligation to do two things: responsibly fund the federal government and ensure the security of our elections,” Johnson said on Tuesday announcing the planned vote.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday of the speaker’s plan to hold a vote on the GOP funding proposal, “the only thing that will accomplish is make clear that he’s running into a dead end. We must have a bipartisan plan instead.”

Johnson on Wednesday defended his inclusion of the SAVE Act as part of the funding plan and did not say what a plan B might look like to avert a shutdown.

“I’ve been traveling nonstop, campaign events around the country … everywhere I go, the first or second question in every public forum is, ‘Can we count on the security of the vote?’” Johnson said on “Fox and Friends.”

When asked about whether his Plan B would be to push a clean funding extension and work with Democrats, Johnson responded, “I don’t talk about Plan B. … I’m the quarterback on the field running the play, OK? I gotta focus on that down the field.”

Secret Service in the spotlight

In the wake of Sunday’s apparent assassination attempt at Trump’s Florida golf course, lawmakers are considering whether the Secret Service is underfunded or simply mismanaged, and many have questions about what meaningful security improvements can be made 48 days before the presidential election. Under the organization’s watch, two apparent assassination attempts have now occurred against the former president roughly 60 days apart.

Schumer said on Tuesday that he is open to including more money for the Secret Service in this month’s funding package, if they need it.

“Look, if the Secret Service believes they need more money, I would be very open to giving them that more money in this bill or the next bill, however quickly we can work it out and get bipartisan agreement,” Schumer said.

Separately, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters on Tuesday that they are making a few “minor” changes to a bill that would mandate that the two candidates for president – Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris – receive the same level of Secret Service protection that President Joe Biden receives, and are aiming to put it on the floor this week.

“Hopefully the presidential protection bill will be very bipartisan. … We’re working to get it on the floor,” Scalise told reporters. “There’s a few little, minor changes that are being made to fix a couple of things, and then the goal is to have it on the floor this week.”

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Danya Gainor, Annie Grayer, Michelle Shen and Manu Raju contributed to this report.

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