(DailyVantage.com) – President Joe Biden has announced his intention to veto the House GOP’s proposal to combine a short-term spending measure with the election integrity-focused Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The White House, through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), released a statement on Monday outlining its strong opposition to H.R. 9494. This bill would fund the federal government through March 28, 2024, while also instituting new voting requirements, including proof of citizenship to register for federal elections. Biden’s administration criticized the Republican approach as “brinkmanship” and claimed the SAVE Act is unnecessary because it’s already a federal crime for noncitizens to vote, and states have safeguards in place. The OMB also argued that the bill would make it harder for eligible Americans to register and could lead to voter roll purges.
House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, have championed the SAVE Act, citing concerns over potential noncitizen voting and a need for stronger election integrity measures. Johnson’s office has highlighted gaps in the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), warning that the Biden administration’s immigration policies could exacerbate risks to election integrity. Speaker Johnson has been a strong proponent of linking the funding bill with voting reforms, but the effort has sparked disagreement, even among some Republicans.
While the SAVE Act previously passed the House, it has faced challenges in the Democrat-controlled Senate. The current debate over tying it to a six-month funding bill has intensified as both parties seek to avoid a government shutdown. Democrats favor a shorter three-month continuing resolution to allow for another funding session post-election, while Johnson insists on pushing the election integrity reforms.
The OMB statement warned that a six-month continuing resolution could harm national security, degrade military readiness, and take Congress dangerously close to triggering automatic budget cuts next year under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. As negotiations continue, a potential government shutdown looms if no deal is reached by October. Speaker Johnson aims to build consensus amid growing opposition to avoid this scenario.
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