Democrats again help House Republicans avoid another government shutdown
Democrats on Wednesday again helped Republicans get a short-term government funding bill over the finish line to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
The bill passed by a 341-82 margin, with 209 Democrats voting for it. While 82 Republicans voted against the bill, 132 voted with Speaker Mike Johnson, who saw his funding plan voted down last week as Democrats rejected inclusion of the controversial SAVE Act.
The SAVE Act, pushed by Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, would have required proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. Democrats said that measure was unnecessary because it's already a crime for noncitizens to vote.
Former President Donald Trump had called on congressional Republicans to allow the government to shut down over the SAVE Act before Johnson dropped the provision over the weekend. Although Johnson said he was "not defying" Trump when asked if the former president approved of the new funding bill, Trump called several hardline House Republicans in recent days, trying to get a last-minute change to the plan.
The measure is largely an extension of current funding levels but includes $231 million in additional aid to the Secret Service to help protect presidential candidates during the election.
Later Wednesday, the Senate passed the bill by a 78-18 margin and sent it to President Joe Biden for his signature.
Before the House vote, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pointed out that House Democrats have repeatedly helped Republicans avoid shutdowns during the current Congress.
"Can anyone name a single thing that extreme MAGA Republicans in the House have been able to do on their own to make life better for the American people? A single thing? Just one," he asked. "Can the American people name a single thing that extreme MAGA Republicans have done to make their lives better? Zip, zero. So that is the track record that will be presented to the American people," he said.
Johnson asserted Trump "understands the current dilemma" with House Republicans and said, "there's no daylight between us."
The White House and congressional Democrats all slammed Johnson's attempt to tie the voter eligibility legislation to government funding, noting that it's already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.
The "clean" short-term measure to avert a shutdown was praised by Democratic leaders and the Biden administration.
"Americans can breathe easy that because both sides have chosen bipartisanship, Congress is getting the job done," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. "We will keep the government open. We will prevent vital government services from needlessly coming to a halt. We will give appropriators more time to fully fund the government before the end of the year. And I'm especially pleased we're getting the job done with some time to spare."
In addition to funding the government through Dec. 20, the bill includes funds to replenish FEMA and $231 million for the U.S. Secret Service in the wake a second apparent assassination attempt against Trump.
ABC News' Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.
