"We cannot have a government shutdown," Mitch McConnell, said. "It would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election."

The House of Representatives voted down a six-month stopgap government funding bill paired with a GOP-backed voter registration measure on Wednesday amid bipartisan opposition — leaving lawmakers

The House voted to reject a bill that included legislation that would require proof of citizenship to vote and prevent a government shutdown.

Next steps on government funding are uncertain. Lawmakers are not close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that will fund federal agencies during the next fiscal year, so they'll need to approve a stopgap measure to prevent a partial shutdown when that budget year begins Oct.