Five House Democrats to watch in the fight over government funding

The fight over government funding is officially underway — and all eyes will be on five Democrats in tight races who supported a controversial GOP proposal over the summer that is now attached to a stopgap meant to avert a shutdown.

The gambit from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) pairs a six-month continuing resolution with a bill to require proof of citizenship to register to vote, titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a strategy favored by hardline conservatives and former President Trump.

Johnson has vowed to put the measure on the floor “as soon as possible” and is working to corral his conference around the plan.

The House approved the SAVE Act as a standalone bill in July, clearing the legislation in a 221-198 vote with all Republicans and five Democrats backing the measure.

That quintet of moderate Democrats, most of whom are in close re-election races, is now coming under intense focus, as Republicans put pressure on the group to vote for the legislation again — this time when it is attached to a stopgap that top Democrats are bashing.

Johnson can only afford to lose four Republican votes, and two members of his conference have already come out against the CR, so a defection from one or more Democrats would give him more breathing room.

“Recall – the ‘SAVE’ Act (I introduced it – HR8281) passed with 5 Democrats voting for it (and others privately wanting to). If they vote ‘no’ with it attached to a funding bill that funds government to March – it’s pure politics,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), the lead sponsor of the SAVE Act, wrote on X last week.

Here are the five House Democrats to watch in the debate over government funding.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas)

Cuellar has had an independent streak in the House for years, frequently breaking from the rest of the Democratic Caucus on messaging bills that come up for a vote in the House. That track record was on full display during the vote on the SAVE Act in July.

Cuellar did not comment on his vote in July, and his office did not respond to questions from The Hill about his stance. His office also did not respond to requests for comment on how he plans to vote on the CR-plus-SAVE Act.

But the pressure on him comes as the 10-term incumbent is facing a challenge from Republican Navy veteran Jay Furman, who won a GOP primary runoff in May. Cuellar has beaten back re-election challenges in the past, but this year’s comes under a unique backdrop: the Congressman and his wife were charged with bribery and acting as a foreign agent in May, allegations that the couple pleaded not guilty to.

Cook Political Report says the race is “likely Democrat.”

Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.)

Davis, a first-term lawmaker, supported the GOP’s version of the annual defense bill — which included a number of conservative amendments — last July, he broke with the Democratic Party to denounce Biden’s “open-border policies” in January, and earlier this year, the congressman voted for the SAVE Act, a moderate streak that is reflective of his highly competitive race this fall.

The North Carolina Democrat is facing off against Republican Laurie Buckhout, a retired Army colonel, and Libertarian candidate Tim Bailey in November. The race, which Cook Political Report rates a toss-up, has been dubbed by some as the most competitive congressional election in the Tar Heel state this cycle.

The race comes at a crucial moment for North Carolina Democrats. Because of redistricting, Republicans are poised to pick up at least three, and maybe four, seats in the 14-member delegation this fall, a dynamic that makes Davis’s re-election bid all that more important.

Davis’s office did not respond to questions about his vote on the SAVE Act in July or how he plans to vote on the CR-plus-SAVE Act measure.

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine)

Golden is no stranger being at odds with his Democratic colleagues in the House — including on votes regarding gun safety, weapons shipments to Israel and when he voted for the SAVE Act in July.

More recently, Golden has refused to endorse Vice President Harris as the party’s nominee, opting to remain on the sidelines as the election heads into the final stretch. In a statement in July, Golden said Harris has to earn his support.

“I expect to have to work to earn Mainers’ votes and our candidates for president should expect the same,” Golden said in a statement. “Kamala Harris has been a candidate for president for less than a week and I look forward to learning more what kind of leader she would be.”

The moderate stance comes as Golden is facing off against Maine state Rep. Austin Theriault (R) in the 2nd Congressional District, a race that Cook Political Report rates a toss-up. Theriault is backed by former President Trump.

Golden’s office declined to comment when asked by The Hill about the congressman’s July vote for the SAVE Act and how he plans to vote on the CR-plus-SAVE Act effort.

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas)

Gonzalez, who has served in the House since 2017, has supported a handful of GOP-led measures this Congress, including a resolution condemning attacks on anti-abortion facilities, groups, and churches; a resolution dinging Biden for his administration’s “open-border policies;” and the SAVE Act.

That moderate run comes as Gonzales is facing a re-match against former Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas), whom the incumbent beat in 2022. Flores had a short stint in Congress, winning the seat in a special election for Texas’s 34th Congressional District to replace former Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas). Gonzalez moved from the 15th to the 24th congressional district after redistricting.

In April, The Texas Tribune reported that Flores was outraising Gonzalez by more than 2-to-1. Cook Political Report rates the seat a “lean Democrat.”

Gonzalez’s office did not respond to several requests from The Hill for comment on the Congressman’s vote for the SAVE Act in July, or his thoughts on the CR-plus-SAVE Act that Johnson plans to put on the floor this month.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.)

Perez, who was first elected to the House in 2022, represents Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, which has a checkered political history. The district has been represented by Democrats and Republicans in the past two decades, and it broke for both former presidents Obama and Trump.

That purple flair has influenced Perez’s voting record in the House, where she has frequently taken stances against the party — including siding with Republicans in support of the SAVE Act. And it could place pressure on her to support the CR-plus-SAVE Act when it hits the floor later this month.

Perez is now staring down a competitive election in November, with Republican Joe Kent making another attempt at ousting the Washington Democrat from her seat.

Kent defeated then-Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) in the GOP primary in 2022, removing a Republican who voted to impeach former President Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. But Perez, a former co-owner of an auto repair shop, beat Kent in the general election by less than one percentage point, moving the district from Republican to Democratic hands.

Perez’s office did not respond to repeated request for comment on her vote in favor or the SAVE Act in July, or her thoughts on the CR-plus-SAVE Act package.