Is a government shutdown avoidable? Congress has to clear this contentious hurdle first.

WASHINGTON – When Congress returns from its summer break on Monday, lawmakers will have three short weeks to figure out how to keep the government's doors open before funding expires on Sept. 30, staving off a looming shutdown.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has a plan: Extend current funding through next March, avoiding a Christmas-time standoff or a messy spending fight ahead of a contentious election.

But to get to that, Johnson is also proposing Congress pass a bill that would require people to prove they're citizens in order to register to vote. It's a proposal that President Joe Biden has vowed to veto, arguing it's already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections and that the proposal would make it harder for Americans to register.

That bill passed the House in July with the support of 216 Republicans and five Democrats.

“Now the question is will we attach it to a funding mechanism in September?” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who sponsored the bill, on the War Room podcast earlier this week. “I believe we should, President Trump believes we should, Mike Johnson appears ready and willing to do it.”

Have lawmakers agreed on how to fund the government?

Not so fast. It’s not clear that the dual funding-and-voting bill could even pass the House, which Republicans control by a razor-thin margin. Some Republicans have already been hesitant about supporting the strategy, and it's surely dead on arrival in the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.

“Demanding outrageous partisan poison pills is a nonstarter,” Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement. “We’ve seen this movie before and we know how it ends.”

Democrats aren't the only ones putting up hurdles. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s staff has also reportedly been pushing House Republicans not to attach the voting legislation to spending efforts. That's over concerns it would complicate the funding deadline and encourage Democrats to push for their own voting-related policy that Republicans don't necessarily want to fight over during an election year.

So how does it end? After all, neither side would benefit from a government shutdown just weeks before Election Day.

Acknowledging these political dynamics, Rep. Nick LaLota, a vulnerable Republican from New York who faces a tough election this fall, reportedly asked what would happen if the Senate refuses to play ball – but Johnson said he wouldn’t publicize a plan.

It’s been a common pattern in the bitterly divided Congress. Hardline Republicans in the House insist on policy changes that are sure to fail in the Senate and the White House, flirting with government funding deadlines before eventually succumbing to an extension that avoids catastrophe. Congress missed its own funding deadline in 2023 by months after passing what's known as continuing resolutions, legislative moves that can kick the can down the road for lawmakers.

But this year, the election is putting added pressure on everyone – leaving lawmakers with eyes out for the least dramatic way forward.

What happens during a government shutdown?

If lawmakers are unable to fund the government by the end of this month, all federal agencies except those that are "essential" – including U.S. Postal Service, Medicare and Social Security – will stop work.

Even Capitol Hill is not spared: While lawmakers continue to work and receive pay through a government shutdown, tens of thousands of congressional staff will go without a paycheck for the duration.

Other consequences of a total government shutdown include furloughs for federal employees, delayed government food assistance benefits and national park closures.

Air traffic controllers will continue working during a shutdown, along with customs and border agents. Passport applications may be halted, though. And without pay for working controllers or training for new FAA employees, the airline industry and travelers could still feel the impact.

Contributing: Savannah Kuchar

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Potential government shutdown depends on Congress clearing this hurdle