Zinke Signals GOP Unity on Funding Bill Despite Narrow Vote Margin

By Brian Freeman | Tuesday, 03 February 2026 10:34 AM EST

Republicans will hold together and pass a government funding measure despite a narrow margin for defections, Zinke told reporters on Tuesday, emphasizing the need to separate spending negotiations from policy disputes.

The Montana Republican said on “Wake Up America” that “there is no greater whip than President Donald J. Trump. You got to separate policy from spending. I think it will go through. And a shutdown doesn’t work for anybody. We saw that last time.”

Zinke added that the last shutdown “hurt a lot of innocent people.” He said, “I think we’ll do our constitutional duty. We’ll fund the government.”

House Republicans can afford only a single defection to pass the funding legislation, placing heightened pressure on party unity as lawmakers seek to avoid a potential government shutdown.

Zinke stressed the need to keep spending negotiations separate from policy goals, arguing that while Republicans continue pushing for conservative policy goals, funding the government remains a core responsibility.

Zinke voiced strong support for including the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act in broader legislative efforts, calling it a commonsense measure to ensure only U.S. citizens participate in federal elections. The proposal has become a major flashpoint between Republicans and Democrats, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and other Democrats sharply opposing the legislation and describing it as voter suppression.

Zinke dismissed those criticisms as politically motivated and defended voter identification requirements. “U.S. citizens should be the only ones voting,” Zinke said. “Your vote counts, my vote counts, but it should only count once, and we should be eligible to vote.”

The congressman also rejected Democrat concerns that the legislation could disenfranchise voters, arguing identification requirements are standard in many everyday activities. “You have an ID to go into Costco,” Zinke said. “You don’t think you should have an ID to go vote for the most important election, which is our democracy? It is common sense.”

Beyond election security, Zinke tied the spending debate to broader law enforcement and immigration enforcement priorities, praising former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan and backing Trump administration efforts to target criminal migrants. “We need to protect our law enforcement,” Zinke said. “Make sure we target the bad guys that are out there, and there are a lot.”

Zinke also addressed the political landscape heading into the midterm elections, outlining economic improvements as the GOP’s central focus. He said Republicans must prioritize lowering interest rates, stabilizing trade relationships, and expanding domestic energy production to improve voters’ financial outlook. “It’s the economy,” Zinke said. “Tariffs need to go to trade deals for stability, and interest rates need to come down.”