WASHINGTON>> The House on Wednesday rejected Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposal that would have linked temporary funding for the federal government with a mandate that states require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.

Next steps on government funding are uncertain.

Lawmakers are not close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that will fund federal agencies during the next fiscal year, so they’ll need to approve a stopgap measure to prevent a partial shutdown when that budget year begins Oct. 1.

The vote was 220-202. Now, Johnson will likely pursue a Plan B to avoid a partial shutdown, though he was not ready before the vote to share details of such a proposal.

Johnson pulled the bill from consideration last week because it lacked the votes to pass.

He worked through the weekend to win support from fellow Republicans but was unable to overcome objections about spending levels from some members, while others said they don’t favor any continuing resolutions, insisting that Congress return to passing the dozen annual appropriations bills on time and one at a time.

Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the measure.

Requiring new voters to provide proof of citizenship has become a leading election-year priority for Republicans raising the specter of noncitizens voting in the U.S., even though it’s already illegal to do so and research has shown that such voting is rare.

Opponents also say that such a requirement would disenfranchise millions of Americans who do not have a birth certificate or passport readily available when they get a chance to register at their school, church or other venues when voter registration drives occur.

But Johnson said it is a serious problem because even if a tiny percentage of noncitizens do vote, it could determine the outcome of an extremely close race.

He noted that Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa won her seat back in 2020 by six votes.

“It’s very, very serious stuff and that’s why we’re going to do the right thing,” Johnson said. “We’re going to responsibly fund the government and we’re going to stop noncitizens voting in elections.”

Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump weighed in again just hours before the vote.

“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 said on the social media platform Truth Social.