Republican rebels BLOCK Pentagon funding bill in gut punch to Kevin McCarthy: Five
The House failed to advance the 2024 defense spending bill for the second time on Thursday in a stunning blow to Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his team of leaders.
The typically widely popular bill had been loaded up with conservative riders that turned off Democrats and was meant to attract right wing Republicans.
The House voted against the rule to begin debate on the defense appropriations bill 216 to 212. It was the second time this week a vote on the rule for the defense spending bill failed and the third time a rule vote has failed this Congress.
Six Republicans voted with Democrats to oppose the rule. Rep. Dan Bishop (N.C.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Matt Rosendale (Mont.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Eli Crane (Ariz.) opposed the rule and Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.) voted against it only so he could bring it up again later under House rules.
The House failed to advance the 2024 defense spending bill for the second time on Thursday in a stunning blow to Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his team of leaders
Greene, typically a McCarthy ally, and Crane had previously voted for the rule for defense and flipped their vote on Thursday
Greene, typically a McCarthy ally, and Crane had previously voted for the rule for defense and flipped their vote on Thursday.
Typically a member of the majority party votes for the rule even if they oppose the legislation: before this Congress, no rule vote has failed since November 2002.
‘We’re very dysfunctional right now,’ said Rep. Tim Burchett, who voted for the rule but said he would oppose the defense appropriations bill. ‘They obviously can’t count,’ he said of GOP leadership.
The failed vote came after a two-hour all-conference meeting where those who opposed spending legislation had a chance to air their grievances.
The opposers voted against the rule in protest as they called for steeper spending cuts and demanded they receive top line figures for all 12 appropriations bills.
Failure of the rule of the defense bill could spell an inordinate amount of trouble for trying to push through a continuing resolution (CR), a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open past September 30 while they work on 12 separate appropriations bills, one to fund each agency of government.
McCarthy pitched a new CR idea to members Wednesday night – one that would set the topline number of discretionary spending at $1.471 trillion, as hardliners have demanded, for one month, then would draw up appropriations bills at $1.52 trillion after October 30.
The deal would also include Republicans’ border legislation and would likely have no chance of a vote in the Senate. But Republicans believe it would offer a starting point for negotiations with the Democratic-led upper chamber
GOP negotiators have thrown out a number of proposals to court hardliner votes on a CR that would punt the deadline to October 30. But a number of hardliners, seemingly unafraid of the shutdown that looms 10 days away, say they oppose any CR and the House must press forward with the 12 separate appropriations bills.
‘We say “let’s pass this CR so we don’t have to pass another CR. Well, that’s like saying to a heroin addict we’ll give you some heroin so you don’t take heroin anymore,’ Burchett explained.
The Tennessee Republican predicted passing a short term CR could lead to being jammed into an omnibus spending bill, one that cobbles together all spending priorities into one massive bill.
‘We’re very dysfunctional right now,’ said Rep. Tim Burchett, who voted for the rule but said he would oppose the defense appropriations bill. ‘They obviously can’t count,’ he said of GOP leadership
‘Oh, well, let’s do a 30 day CR now let’s do another 30 day CR and then let’s pass an omnibus … I just think it’s a capitulation of our duties that we’re the only thing we’re really sworn to do is to pass a budget, and we don’t do it.’
Moderate Republicans on the other side are fed up with the amount of focus being directed to a handful of obstinate hardliners – all for a bill that won’t pass the Senate.
‘A CR that has no chance of passing is probably a bad idea,’ Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, told DailyMail.com.
Asked if it was time to start working up a deal that could cobble together a majority through Democrat and Republican votes, he said: ‘I’d like to see more leadership in Congress, period.’
Democrats have floated the idea of forcing a vote on a CR by a discharge petition. Their CR would continue funding at 2023 levels set under Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
They would need a handful of Republicans to get on board, and a number have already said they would do so to avoid a shutdown.
‘It is absolutely an option,’ said New York Republican Marc Molinaro.