Former President Donald Trump called several hard-line House Republicans in recent days trying to secure a last-minute change to Speaker Mike Johnson’s short-term government funding plan but failed to sway them, according to multiple House sources.
Trump floated the idea of including undisclosed so-called “election integrity” measures into the legislation — a request House Republican leaders did not accommodate.
The House passed a measure to avert a shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 20, on Wednesday afternoon. All Democrats voted for the bill while 82 Republicans opposed it.
Trump’s attempt to change the bill stands in direct contradiction to Johnson’s comment to ABC News on Tuesday that there was “no daylight” between him and Trump on the issue.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to attendees during a campaign rally at the Johnny Mercer Theatre in Savannah, Ga., Sept. 24, 2024.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
“Look, President Trump fully understands the situation, he understands our margins and he’s frustrated as I am that we couldn’t get that done in the original play, but we go back to the play,” Johnson had said.
He went on to say he was “not defying President Trump.”
The story was first reported by The Hill.
Trump had previously called on congressional Republicans to let government funding expire and force a shutdown if they did not get the voting requirements passed as well.
The SAVE Act, a measure that creates voter ID requirements for federal elections, was previously included in Johnson’s government funding plan. The bill failed last week because it did not receive enough support from hardline Republicans and Democrats.
After that defeat, Johnson repeatedly said his current funding plan (which excludes the SAVE Act) was the best option to secure the votes needed to avert a government shutdown by the end of the month.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks with reporters as he walks from his office to the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, Sept. 25, 2024.
Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told ABC News he has spoken with Trump in recent days but wouldn’t discuss the nature of the calls.
Multiple other Republicans told ABC News they have receive similar calls from Trump. And one House leadership source said they were aware Trump was making the rounds to change the legislation.
“[Trump] asked for language that would allow election integrity to be immediately implemented,” Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., told reporters.
“I think [Trump] believes that we ought to be fighting on the SAVE Act,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told ABC News ahead of the vote.
On the eve of a crucial government funding deadline, President Donald Trump made a last-minute attempt to persuade House Republicans to make a significant change to the funding plan. However, his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, leaving the government facing a potential shutdown.
The proposed change that Trump was advocating for was to include funding for his long-promised border wall in the spending bill. The president has been adamant about securing funding for the wall, which has been a central promise of his administration since the 2016 campaign.
Despite Trump’s efforts to rally support among House Republicans, many lawmakers were hesitant to make such a drastic change to the funding plan at the eleventh hour. Some expressed concerns about the potential backlash from voters, while others questioned the feasibility of including funding for the border wall in the bill.
In the end, House Republicans decided to stick with the original funding plan, which did not include money for the border wall. This decision was seen as a rebuke to Trump’s last-minute push and a sign of growing frustration within the party over the president’s handling of the funding negotiations.
The failure of Trump’s attempt to persuade House Republicans to make a last-minute change in the government funding plan has raised concerns about the possibility of a government shutdown. Without a funding agreement in place, federal agencies could be forced to shut down, leaving thousands of government employees without pay and disrupting essential services.
As the deadline looms, lawmakers are scrambling to reach a compromise that will keep the government funded and avoid a shutdown. The situation remains fluid, with negotiations ongoing and tensions running high. It remains to be seen whether a deal can be reached before the deadline passes.
In conclusion, Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to persuade House Republicans to make a last-minute change in the government funding plan highlights the challenges facing lawmakers as they work to keep the government funded and avoid a shutdown. The situation is fluid and uncertain, with the fate of thousands of federal employees and essential services hanging in the balance.
