Former President Donald Trump is urging Republicans to shut the federal government down if they do not pass a noncitizen voting bill that is complicating funding talks in Congress.
The uncertainty ahead of a Sept. 30 budget deadline has put frontline candidates in the spotlight. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine’s 2nd District, has already backed the noncitizen voting bill. His opponent, state Rep. Austin Theriault, R-Fort Kent, who is endorsed by Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, has left one key question unanswered so far.
What’s the context: Johnson scheduled a Wednesday vote on a short-term spending deal including the SAVE Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. Noncitizen voting is already illegal in federal elections, and there’s no evidence it is widespread.
But Johnson postponed the Wednesday vote, likely because Republicans who narrowly control the House did not yet have the numbers to pass it. Congress must pass a stopgap funding measure before Oct. 1 to avoid a government shutdown just weeks before the Nov. 5 election.
Trump threw a wrench into things on Tuesday, when he posted online that his party should not accept a funding deal without “absolute assurances” on immigration. Several Republicans criticized him anonymously for that, saying a shutdown would hamper their electoral chances.
What they’re saying: There are a range of responses to this. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she backs the noncitizen voting provision while wanting to avoid a government shutdown. Golden, one of five House Democrats to support the SAVE Act in July, said: “Why would I vote to shut down government for something that I’ve already voted for and agree with?”
Theriault’s campaign manager, Shawn Roderick, said the Republican “agrees with Susan Collins that we can both fund our government and pass common-sense legislation to ensure that only American citizens are voting in our elections.”
The campaign did not answer a question about whether Republicans should follow Trump’s plea to shut down the government if the noncitizen voting legislation is not included.
What’s really happening: Theriault is essentially agreeing with Collins and Golden on the dueling issues while trying to separate himself from his opponent by hitting Golden for past votes in the Maine Legislature against Republican voter identification bills that failed to pass.
Golden voted against his party more than any other House Democrat in 2023, winning three elections so far in a district Trump twice carried behind swing support. Theriault is trying to unite his party’s voters behind him but is still defining himself, putting him in a trickier position on the funding issues as a Trump-endorsed candidate in a Trump-friendly district.
