Republicans are divided over House Speaker Mike Johnson's government funding bill.

After three weeks of intense debate, the House elected Mike Johnson, R-La., as Speaker, following the ouster of Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and the failure of three other candidates.

What would be different with Johnson as Speaker of the House?

The response?

Different Speaker. Same members.

Nearly a year has passed since the annual gymnastics to prevent a government shutdown in October 1.

Johnson abandoned his plan to fund the government until late March and require citizenship proof for voting. Some lawmakers opposed the interim spending plan, while others objected to linking citizenship to the spending package. Johnson was 20-30 votes short of passing the measure. Congress has two-and-a-half weeks before the deadline.

This week, Congress failed to achieve any significant accomplishments, with the deep divisions among Republicans being further highlighted.

Different Speaker. Same members.

"Johnson stated on Wednesday that they would continue working on the bill, and he urged any Member of Congress from either party to explain to the American people why they should not ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in U.S. elections."

No vote this week, and it's uncertain whether Johnson can resolve the issue to pass the bill. Earlier in the week, Johnson expressed optimism that he could prevent a government shutdown, stating, "There is no fallback position. This is a righteous fight."

If Johnson had presented the bill to the Senate on Wednesday, it would have been defeated. However, there was no alternative plan. The Senate may have given Johnson a temporary bill that runs until November or December. Johnson would have no leverage. By postponing the confrontation, Johnson aims to demonstrate to his conservative base that he is fighting and to win the favor of former President Trump. On Tuesday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the GOP should "shut it down" unless they received "complete assurances on election security."

Some conservatives questioned Johnson's dedication to the bill that combines funding and proof of citizenship. Johnson's rival, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, typically opposes temporary spending plans, known as Continuing Resolutions or CRs.

"Greene questioned whether Speaker Johnson would fight for the issue and if not, why would anyone vote for it. If it's not worth fighting for, it's a waste of time, she stated."

Conservatives anticipated that Johnson would release a spending plan with a poison pill that would please the right and possibly even ex-President Trump. However, he faced defeat in the Senate. The question now is whether Johnson will be trapped by a "clean" bill from the Democrat-controlled Senate or will eventually collaborate with Democrats to pass a bill to prevent a government shutdown. These options are unacceptable to many on the right.

Some House Republicans are concerned about former President Trump's involvement in the conflict.

"Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., disagrees with President Trump on the government shutdown, stating that the House of Representatives has a very narrow margin and a shutdown could shift enough seats to lose the House. If the Democrats gain control of the House with a Democrat Speaker and President Trump as president, they would likely sabotage his presidency, according to Scott."

Republicans' struggles in running the House were highlighted by the Democrats, who saw the stumble as a symbol of their difficulties under Johnson or McCarthy's leadership.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., stated that the Republican majority has shown over the past two years that they are unable to govern effectively. They are unable to maintain party unity, hold power together, and even compromise amongst themselves, let alone with Democrats.

Early voting has already begun, and some Republicans see Johnson's strategy as a "show" vote with no real impact on this fall's elections.

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., fumed, stating that there is no implementation that could be made in the next 53, 54-plus days that would impact federal election laws. Therefore, attaching this to CR would be a farce.

The plan to freeze all spending until March was opposed by bipartisan defense hawks because it would negatively impact the Pentagon, which receives more than half of the annual budget.

The ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., stated that it is a terrible idea to put the Department of Defense (DoD) in a position where they cannot start or end programs.

Republicans are divided into different groups with varying opinions on the interim spending bill and the proof of citizenship provision. Some want a longer spending bill with the proof of citizenship provision attached, while others want a shorter spending bill with the proof of voting mandate. Defense hawks are concerned about the impact of a lengthy Band-Aid spending plan on the military. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers shares the same concerns as Adam Smith. Some believe the voting language is a smokescreen and not practical, while others see it as mere camouflage. Johnson is expected to buckle later. A small group of conservatives opposes any interim spending bill altogether.

So you see the challenge.

Although there is an impasse, Republicans can use "election security" as a campaign issue, which appeals to the MAGA base and former President Trump. Additionally, discussions about election security are a code for issues at the U.S. border, which resonates with certain Republican voters.

Democrats countered the assertion that persons illegally in the country were voting.

Rep. Nanette Barragan, D-Calif., stated that there have been five documented cases of the issue, but it is not a significant problem as it is a political issue.

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Penn, stated that noncitizen voting is extremely rare.

Johnson must wage a fight over this, as many Republicans and former President Trump insist, and if he doesn't, the phantasm of Kevin McCarthy lurks in the Congressional corridors.

To prevent a government shutdown on October 1, a bill must be passed that combines the views of Democrats and Republicans. This is widely known at the Capitol. However, doing so may not be beneficial for Johnson.

The House will not be able to leave session until September 27, despite Republicans' desire to campaign.

So what will happen?

The outcome of the math depends on the size of the group of Republicans who want to campaign versus those who want to fight over election security. The Speaker remains the same, but the members must make a choice.