House to vote on GOP plan to fund the government with shutdown deadline on the horizon

Washington — The House is set to vote Wednesday on a measure to keep the government funded with less than two weeks before a possible government shutdown. But the measure, paired with what Democrats see as a poison pill on noncitizen voting, faces headwinds in the lower chamber. And even among Republicans, support may fall short. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Tuesday that the House would move forward with the vote, after delaying it days earlier in the face of opposition from members of his own party. With a razor-thin majority in the House, just a handful of Republicans can tank a partisan bill. And the House GOP's opening salvo in the funding fight has attracted plenty of opponents. 

The continuing resolution would keep the government funded through March 28. But it includes a measure aimed at targeting the practice of illegal voting that Democrats view as a nonstarter. The bill, known as the SAVE Act, would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. And despite the fact that only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections under current law, the House passed the measure earlier this year.