The House of Representatives has rejected a short-term spending bill as the deadline to fund the government approaches. The measure was thwarted primarily due to Republican demands, including a controversial provision aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from voting, despite it already being illegal. This push was backed by former President Donald Trump, which added pressure to the House Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to present this version.
Congress has only a limited number of legislative days left before the funding deadline of September 30. Although there is a risk of a government shutdown, congressional leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, are keen to avoid this scenario, emphasizing that a shutdown would politically be detrimental for Republicans.
Johnson’s next steps remain unclear, but it is likely he will consider a bipartisan approach to appease Democrats, as the Republican Party is wary of being blamed if a shutdown occurs. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer highlighted McConnell’s concerns, reinforcing the need for cooperation across party lines.
While Washington is addressing numerous issues, including a recent assassination attempt on Trump, some members of Congress are discussing potential improvements for Secret Service operations. Conversations are ongoing regarding how to adapt the agency’s approach to security, potentially shifting to a “readiness model” that would involve more proactive measures rather than reactive responses. This could entail increasing personnel and resources allocated to security efforts, particularly at events linked to Trump.
Speaker Johnson has indicated that while funding could be provided, the timeline for hiring additional Secret Service agents would be challenging. Following the first assassination attempt, Trump’s security status has been raised to its highest level, although Republicans are advocating for him to receive protections equivalent to those of a sitting president. The complexities in addressing these security concerns mean further discussions and planning will be necessary.