House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) yanked a critical government funding bill just hours before it was scheduled for a vote.
This bill, backed by former President Donald Trump and aimed at addressing voter fraud through the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, was poised to be a major victory for conservatives pushing for election integrity.
President Donald Trump made it clear that he stands firmly behind the SAVE Act, urging Congress to include the provision in any government funding bill. Trump has called for a government shutdown if the act is not included, prioritizing electoral integrity over the continuous funding of a bloated federal government.
“”If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don’t get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Speaking on Monica Crowley’s podcast, Trump said, “I would shut down the government in a heartbeat if they don’t get it in the bill… If it’s not in the bill, you ought to close it up.”
But, as always, the weak establishment Republicans, led by Johnson, crumbled under pressure from the RINOs and Democrats.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), one of the few voices still willing to speak truth to power, blasted Johnson and GOP leadership on Tuesday for orchestrating what she called a “fake fight” in Washington.
Greene rightly pointed out that the RINOs had no real intention of seeing this bill through and were more interested in appeasing their left-wing colleagues than standing up for the American people.
“The worst thing that Republicans in the House can do is create a fake fight that the base knows they’re lying about and frustrate our voters going in on November fifth,” Greene said. “That’s how you lose the House of Representatives,” Greene said.
“Just be honest. If [Johnson] already aligned himself with the Democrats back in May, did a two-part omnibus, just be honest and do what he’s going to do. But don’t have Conservatives like me that actually care about reducing our spending, that actually care about making changes, that actually care about doing the right thing for the American people, don’t make people like me go out and pretend like we’re fighting for something, because I’m not going to have any part of it.”
Despite the clear urgency from Trump and his supporters, Johnson pulled his six-month stopgap funding plan after it became clear that opposition from both Democrats and a handful of spineless Republicans would derail the bill. At least eight House Republicans have already come out against the bill, all but ensuring its failure, according to CNN.
“No vote today,” Johnson told reporters, signaling yet another defeat for conservatives hoping for real change in Washington.
“We are having thoughtful conversations, family conversations within the Republican Conference and I believe we will get there,” he added.
“I want any member of Congress in either party to explain to the American people why we should not ensure that only US citizens are voting in US elections … It’s the most pressing issue right now, and we’re going to get this job done.”
But the reality is that Johnson and his ilk have no intention of “getting there.”
Instead, they are content with playing politics and continuing the endless cycle of appeasement that has defined the GOP establishment for far too long.
