Speaker of the House Mike Johnson says he'll likely pursue a plan B after the House rejected a bill to temporarily fund the government. But it's unclear exactly what that new plan would look like.
The funding bill that failed Wednesday was attached to a mandate that states require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.
14 Republicans and all but three Democrats voted against the bill. Members of Congress have until October 1st to approve new funding or face a partial government shutdown.
Most of Johnson's options likely involve compromise with Democratic objectives.
Democrats in the Senate and some in the House say Speaker Johnson has to quickly come to the negotiating table with Senate Democrats. They would need a bipartisan solution that can make it through the House of Representatives, through the Senate and to President Biden's desk to avert a shutdown just weeks ahead of the election.
"The bottom line is very, very simple. And that is you need a bipartisan agreement to get things done," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday morning. "And hopefully Speaker Johnson will learn that. By trying the partisan route, he's flopped."
"We have filed today and if the House can't get its act together, we're prepared to move forward," Schumer said of the Senate majority's plans.
RELATED STORY | House rejects temporary funding bill to avoid government shutdown
Some Republicans are reportedly trying to draft an alternative three-month bill to keep the government open and funded that may pass muster with some Democrats.
Former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Wednesday suggesting that Republicans should consider shutting down the government if they don't get the concessions they want out of the deal.
This includes the SAVE Act, a bill that would require voters to show physical proof of citizenship to register to vote in U.S. elections. It is already illegal to vote in federal elections as a non-citizen.
