Trump lobbied House GOP for last-minute change in government funding plan but failed
By Arthur Jones IIJay O'BrienAlex Ederson,
23 days ago
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.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images - PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump speaks to attendees during a campaign rally at the Johnny Mercer Theatre in Savannah, Ga., Sept. 24, 2024.
"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."
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.
Kent Nishimura/Getty Images - PHOTO: 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.
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.
Comments / 136
Add a Comment
Octapril1700004
21d ago
This is not what a stateman should do to his country, but Trump is so selfish that he doesn't care if the whole country shots down as long as he achieved his purpose. He failed again, just like he failed, trying to use the Nebraska government/ governor to rig the election and failed because of the governor' integrity.
freedom
21d ago
To be accurate trumps condition is called frontal lobe dementia and we are witnessing in real time the affects of frontal lobe dementia and how it affects the cognitive ability in elderly patients . Unfortunately for our ex president no one in his family actually cares enough to get him treatment and the condition rapidly increases
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
