Johnson stated that he thinks Trump 'gets' The House GOP lacks the necessary votes to approve the SAVE Act.
After the two men met in private on Thursday night, House Speaker Mike Johnson feels that former President Donald Trump is aware that House Republicans lack the necessary votes to enact the SAVE Act.
The former president has publicly urged Republicans to shut down the government if they are unable to tie the contentious bill that prohibits noncitizen voting to federal support.
"Let's get back to the play, but first, let me assure you that President Trump is completely aware of the situation, our margins, and my disappointment that the original play did not achieve that.," Johnson stated. However, we refer back to the playbook, have a backup plan, and are having deliberate discussions to develop that. It will come together during the weekend, I'm sure of it.
Even though it is now unlawful for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, the GOP-led SAVE Act is a bill that cleared the House in July on its own and would demand documentary proof of US citizenship in order to register to vote. The contentious bill was part of a six-month GOP government financing plan that the House failed to approve on Wednesday.
In response to a direct question about whether Trump would rather that Johnson close the government over this issue, Johnson said, "Look, President Trump understands our dilemma." He shares my desire for election security. We will exert pressure on that using every available avenue, tool, and platform.
Johnson added that he had "a lot of time" to spend with Trump.
The end of the month is when government financing is expected to run out.
According to a GOP leadership aide, the House Republican leadership wants to unveil the text of the three-month stopgap funding bill by Sunday midday. This would set up a possible House vote early the next week.
According to CNN, the plan would not include the SAVE Act and is anticipated to finance the government through December. Rather than increasing government spending, the plan would maintain current levels of funding for issues such as disaster relief and other urgent needs. Senate Democrats have been requesting this.
Johnson responded, "We certainly hope that is true," to a question on Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe's announcement that the agency is entering its accountability phase in its probe into Sunday's most apparent assassination attempt on the former president. We will exert every effort to ensure that it is.
When asked if he believed that the Secret Service could hold people accountable, the speaker said, "We'll wait and see."
"I really hope so," Johnson remarked. "Donald Trump needs the same kind of protection that we would provide an incumbent president."
