The House votes against and the specter of a strike returns to haunt the US government.

The specter of a U.S. government shutdown is haunting us. With just 12 days left until the potential “shutdown,” and a lack of available resources that could shut down many federal agencies and departments, the chamber failed Wednesday in its attempt to approve a 30-day funding extension through Sept.

The US House of Representatives saw the proposal, introduced by Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, defeated by a vote of 220 to 202. The inclusion of a controversial provision, which would have required people to provide proof of citizenship to vote, contradicted the text.

The legislation has been widely criticized by Democrats, who say that non-citizens would no longer be able to vote in federal elections, so it would be a move that would simply appease Donald Trump and his allies. Critics have also argued that such a law could make it harder for millions of Americans who don’t have easy access to their citizenship documents to vote.

Experts believe the package voted on in the House of Representatives will already be doomed to fail in the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.

After the vote, Johnson told reporters he would seek a solution to the impasse. “Congress has an obligation to fund the government, and Congress has an obligation to ensure that our elections are secure, fair and free. This vote tonight would have done both,” he said, adding that he was “deeply disappointed” by the rejection.

The Hill highlights that 14 Republicans, including Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (Alabama) and Senate candidate Rep. Jim Banks (Indiana), voted against the plan.

However, three Democrats — Don Davis (North Carolina), Jared Golden (Maine), and Mary Glosenkamp Perez (Washington) — supported the measure.