House Republicans failed to pass a funding bill that would extend government funding for six months and require Americans to provide proof of citizenship when they vote, causing concerns about a possible government shutdown at the end of the month. Despite the support of President Donald Trump, the bill failed by a vote of 202-220, with Democrats mainly in opposition. House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to draft a new temporary spending bill to avoid a shutdown. However, Democrats opposed the bill due to the inclusion of the voting measure. Trump has made illegal immigration a focal point of his re-election campaign, falsely claiming that Democrats are registering illegal immigrants to vote. Senate Democrats refused to consider the Republican voting bill, citing concerns about disenfranchising legitimate voters. There is a looming deadline on January 1 to raise the nation’s debt ceiling or risk defaulting on over $35 trillion in federal government debt. Despite ongoing challenges, there is hope that a bipartisan solution can be reached to avert a potential government shutdown and address critical financial issues facing the country.
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