Pennsylvania GOP Lawmakers Oppose Bill to Prevent Shutdown

Bipartisan majorities in Congress voted on Sept. 25 to approve a three-month stopgap spending bill, averting a partial federal government shutdown. Dozens of Republican lawmakers opposed the bill after former President Donald Trump urged them to shut down the government unless Democrats agreed to changes in election laws that could prevent 13 million U.S. citizens from voting.

With federal government funding set to expire at the end of September, the House of Representatives approved a continuing resolution to keep it functioning until Dec. 20, increasing funding for the Secret Service by a vote of 341-82. The Senate followed, approving the bill by a vote of 78-18, sending it to President Joe Biden, who supported the move. All no votes were from Republicans.

For weeks, Trump pressured Republicans to block any continuing resolution unless it included the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which requires citizens to show specific IDs to vote and increase voter roll purges. Supporters claim the SAVE Act would prevent noncitizen voting, which is statistically rare and already illegal.

“If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form,” Trump posted on social media. “BE SMART, REPUBLICANS, YOU’VE BEEN PUSHED AROUND LONG ENOUGH BY THE DEMOCRATS. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN.”

The House Republican majority failed to gather enough votes to pass a six-month stopgap bill with the SAVE Act attached, failing on a 202-220 vote on Sept. 18.

Both Pennsylvania Democratic Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman voted in favor of the stopgap, as did most of the commonwealth’s House delegation; Republican Reps. John Joyce and Scott Perry voted no.

“Asking the American People to fund our government at Pelosi levels through a Continuing Resolution with no policy changes or wins for Citizens is a damned shame,” Perry posted on social media. “I reject the idea of being forced into a CR that merely extends the same failed spending and policies, which consistently favor the Left and – much more importantly – are economically crushing the American People and our Country.”

Perry faces a competitive November reelection race against Democratic nominee Janelle Stelson. 

According to Tri-State Alert, Joyce told reporters on Sept. 24: “I’ve talked to many different constituents throughout the district and Pennsylvania families cannot afford the continued reckless spending. I think that message resonates with me that is Biden/Harris administration policy and this continuing resolution, it continues that runaway spending that I have voted against in the past, and while you know, I respect Speaker Johnson, I’ve talked about that with you all before, this bill does not include the SAVE Act.“

Shutdowns have been shown to be damaging to the economy, hurt public servants, and leave Americans unable to access vital government services. 

Without operational funding, the federal government can only perform essential functions, and no federal workers receive pay. This means no food safety inspections, no processing of Social Security applications, and no services for veterans. 

Trump forced the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history in December 2018 and January 2019. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated it reduced the nation’s GDP by about $8 billion.

Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance did not show up to vote on the stopgap bill; according to the Washington Post, Vance has missed every vote in the Senate since Trump selected him as his running mate on July 15.