McConnell pushes back on Trump's encouragement to shut down the government if CR lacks SAVE Act

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday pushed back on former President Donald Trump's urging for congressional Republicans to allow a government shutdown if the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act fails to pass.

Trump encouraged the Republicans to drop support of House Speaker Mike Johnson's continuing resolution (CR) earlier Tuesday, if Democrats do not give them "absolute assurances" on election security. Six House Republicans have already vowed not to vote for the CR. 

McConnell, who did not specify whether he would support Johnson's CR, told reporters that a government shutdown is "always a bad idea." 

“I think we first have to see what the House sends us,” McConnell said of supporting the CR. “And, of course, how to handle that comes down to [Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer]. ... The first step ought to be what comes out of the House, and I think we don’t know right now."

If the resolution does pass the House, then a handful of Senate Republicans have agreed to support it and the SAVE Act. But Senate Democrats have claimed that the SAVE Act, which requires voters to prove their citizenship in the United States in order to vote in federal elections, is a "nonstarter." 

Other Senate Republicans have indicated support for attaching the SAVE Act, but are more hesitant on the timeline for the resolution. Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins has said she prefers that the CR continue through December, instead of March, according to The Hill.

The first hurdle for the resolution is the House, where Johnson can only afford to lose four Republican votes. It is expected to come up for a vote sometime this week. 

If the legislation fails to pass, Congress will have just three weeks to pass a total of 12 funding bills by Oct. 1, in order to avoid a government shutdown.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.