Global Courant
House conservatives on Tuesday blew up an attempt by the GOP leadership to advance several bills in a dramatic showdown on the House floor, the result of a rebellion against the debt limit deal signed by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Biden just days later. ago was lowered for.
Eleven Republicans — most of whom are members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus — voted with Democrats against a rule to advance four bills related to gas stoves and regulatory reform, enough opposition to undermine and overturn the rule. prevent the legislation from going to the floor.
Just before the vote closed, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) changed his vote to oppose the rule as well, a move that allows him to change the rule for another vote. to be discussed at a later date. The final vote was 206-220.
The uprising made for a dramatic scene on the House floor, where Scalise huddled with more than a dozen Conservatives in the back of the room in a tense effort to flip votes and send the bills to the floor.
The normally routine rule vote — scheduled to last just five minutes — lasted more than 50 minutes.
The uprising was also a reality check for McCarthy, who has been riding a victory lap after Congress passed and Biden signed a bill to suspend the debt limit that resulted from negotiations between House Republicans and the White House.
“We’re frustrated with the way this place works,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) – one of the conservatives who voted against the rule – to reporters while the vote was still in progress.
“We took a position in January to end the era of the Imperial Speakership, and we are concerned that the fundamental commitments that enabled Kevin McCarthy to assume the Speakership have been violated as a result of the debt limit agreement. And, you know, the answer for us is to reaffirm the House conservatives as the right coalition partner for our leadership instead of them making common cause with the Democrats,” he added.
Story continues
More congressional coverage from The Hill:
Republican Delegates Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Dan Bishop (NC), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Ken Buck (Colo.), Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Eli Crane (Ariz.), Bob Good (Va.), Ralph Norman (SC), Matt Rosendale (Mont.), and Chip Roy (Texas) joined Gaetz and Scalise in opposition.
Tuesday’s events could have far-reaching implications for GOP leaders in the weeks and months to come as they hope to push some of their priorities through the House, including energy policy and tax reform. While Democrats had crossed the aisle to help McCarthy pass the debt ceiling package rule, that vote was an anomaly, fueled by Biden’s endorsement of the package and the underlying urgency to avoid bankruptcy.
Democrats are sure to resist rules in the future, particularly over partisan GOP bills, giving only a handful of conservatives the power to indefinitely block the entire Republican agenda. Some suggested that they are willing to do just that.
“What we intend to do is to stand ready at any time, acting in good faith, to reforge the unity that was destroyed last week. And so what happens depends on what — leadership tends to reciprocate and move on,” Bishop told reporters.
“Everything here is about how we continue to move the priorities for the American people,” Roy said. “That is literally the question on the table. And what’s brought up next – is it tomorrow, later this week, next Monday, Tuesday – what line is put up and who decides? And we think we should do it the way we did it successfully for five months, and we think we need to fix that.
“But it will take a lot to rebuild our confidence that we can do that in light of what happened with the debt limit,” he added.
At the center of the collision was Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), who is involved in a back and forth with Scalise over the Georgia Republican legislation regarding a gun stabilizing brace.
Clyde claimed the leaders threatened to prevent his bill from being voted on the floor if he opposed the debt ceiling rule. Scalise said Tuesday morning he had a conversation with Clyde about issues the bill would face because of Republican opposition to the measure. However, he said the GOP leadership “worked hard” to get the legislation passed.
After that answer, Clyde doubled down.
“Let me be unequivocally clear, I was threatened that if I voted against the closed rule of the debt ceiling agreement, it would be very difficult to take my gun stabilizing bracket bill to the House floor to vote,” he said.
“Over the past few days I’ve had several positive conversations with leaders about getting my bill voted on next week, and my intention is to hold them to that commitment,” he added.
While Clyde voted for the rule on Tuesday, other Conservatives leaned on his clash with the leaders to justify their dramatic protest. During Tuesday’s vote, Gaetz said he was “very saddened by the punishment meted out to” Clyde.
“We are not going to live in a system where our members are subjected to these kinds of petty punishments, and we are not going to live in a system where our voters are let down by someone here in Congress,” he added. “And giving that kind of punishment is certain — it’s demeaning to the institution.”
However, it is unclear what the Conservatives are demanding to break their opposition. Some suggested a return from offering amendments to bills on the floor.
The compromise bill enraged the ideological corners of both pirates — a dynamic McCarthy has readily acknowledged — but the Speaker has also characterized that opposition as evidence of a successful deal in divided Washington.
“I think it just proves the bill was right,” McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol Monday night.
McCarthy has suggested that the debt ceiling debate would provide a template for the future bipartisan bills to be passed, including legislation to fund the government and prevent a government shutdown. Tuesday’s riot on the House floor raises new questions about whether he can tap into that strategy and maintain his speakership.
Updated at 3:53 PM
For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, visit The Hill.
