A small group of House conservatives helped defeat a vote on a rule governing debate for a defense spending bill on Tuesday.
The blow to leadership came after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) postponed a procedural vote on a 30-day continuing resolution designed that would avert a government shutdown at the end of the month and allow negotiations to continue as only one of a dozen appropriations bills have made it out of the chamber.
In a 214-212 tally, Democrats were joined by five GOP members in voting against advancing the 2024 defense resolution for consideration: Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Matt Rosendale (R-MT).
“I took down the rule — as I vowed I would — because the Conference continues not to have moved twelve appropriations bills at the spending level agreed to in January. I assume leadership believes me now,” Bishop said in a statement, per a Punchbowl News reporter.
Some other GOP members expressed outrage at their opposition to advancing the defense appropriations bill that has a broad array of provisions ranging from pay raises, to border security, to blocking its funds being used for transgender procedures.
“They’re confused and they just handed a win to the Chinese Communist Party as a result of this vote,” Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) told reporters.
The chaos in the House reached a crescendo less than two weeks before the deadline to pass spending legislation to fund various federal agencies in the next fiscal year. Without a deal, a government shutdown could happen at the end of the month.
More than a dozen hardliners in the GOP conference have made demands on spending and transparency while expressing opposition to the 30-day continuing resolution that was set for a procedural vote on Tuesday until McCarthy pulled it.
“For months, I have made it clear that in order for me to support the appropriations bills, we need to see the total value for all 12 bills. Leadership has yet to provide us with that number, which is why I voted against the rule this afternoon! Why are they keeping it a secret?” Rosendale said in a post to X.
Whatever is passed by the GOP-led House has to contend with a Senate controlled by the Democrats and the White House. President Joe Biden criticized Republicans in a speech last week over their effort to secure cuts in spending and commitment to what he called “MAGAnomics.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said earlier on Tuesday that the House GOP’s continuing resolution was “slapdash, reckless, and cruel.” Over the weekend, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said House Republicans were engaged in a “civil war.”
McCarthy is dealing with the spending fracas after announcing an impeachment inquiry into Biden while facing threats from within his own party about a bid to oust him from the speakership. Last week, McCarthy said the “threats don’t matter” and that he would keep focusing on “what’s the right thing to do for the American people.”
In a preview of what is to come, McCarthy said the House will vote and debate on spending bills this weekend, according to Fox News reporter Chad Pergram. In addition, a top House Democrat advised members to “keep their schedules flexible” because of the potential for votes over the next several days.