House Republicans privately worry about political fallout of government shutdown

Some House Republicans are already privately worrying about how a partial government shutdown would affect their electoral chances in November.

"If we shut down, we lose," one lawmaker told Fox News Digital.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., unveiled his plan to avoid a partial shutdown in a private call with House GOP lawmakers on Wednesday morning, four sources told Fox News Digital.

It involves a six-month extension of fiscal 2024's federal funding levels known as a "continuing resolution" (CR) – to buy House and Senate negotiators more time to hash out next year's spending priorities – and would be linked to a bill adding a proof of citizenship requirement to the voter registration process.

CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION

But with both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the White House publicly opposing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, it's highly likely Johnson's plan would be dead on arrival if it passed the House.

"My problem isn't with the policy, which I support. My problem isn't with the messaging, which I think is strong. My problem is that I just don't think Chuck Schumer is going to agree to it," a second House Republican said of their concerns about the plan.

If the Senate and House don't agree on a way forward by Oct. 1, the country could be wracked by a partial government shutdown roughly a month before Election Day.

Past government shutdowns like those seen under the Obama and Trump administrations in 2013 and 2019, respectively, have traditionally seen Americans blame the GOP.

JOHNSON UNVEILS TRUMP-BACKED HOUSE GOP PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, SETS UP BATTLE WITH SCHUMER

"In general, the voters seem to have a strong bias for