Conference fails to approve procedural motion to take up defense spending bill as government shutdown looms
The House Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy, was dealt his second humiliating defeat of the week on Thursday, when his conference again failed to approve a procedural motion as members continued to clash over government spending levels with just days left to avert a federal shutdown.
With no clear path forward in Republicans’ negotiations, the House concluded its work on Thursday without any stated plan to reconvene on Friday.
“Discussions related to [fiscal year 2024] appropriations are ongoing,” Congressman Tom Emmer, the House Republican whip, said in a statement. “Members are advised that ample notice will be given ahead of any potential votes tomorrow or this weekend.”
McCarthy: “hard-right Republicans want to burn the whole place down!”
Moderate Democrats: “so you’ll work with us instead, to pass legislation that keeps the lights on, and addresses some of the problems we both agree exist?”
McCarthy: “No. Fuck you. Die in a fire.”
Exactly. The path forward is clear. Work with moderate Democrats to craft a bipartisan spending bill that most Democrats and Republicans can agree upon. Well either side get everything it wants? No, but that’s how compromise works.
Of course the Freedom Caucus will be angry, but let’s face it - they’re always angry. (Hulk Smash makes for a good movie, but not for good politics.) If McCarthy works with Democrats and the saner Republicans, though, the power of the Freedom Caucus will be blunted. They can file to remove McCarthy all they like, but part of the deal with the Democrats could be that they’ll vote to keep McCarthy.
Instead, McCarthy will complain while hoping that the Freedom Caucus members suddenly become reasonable.
Pretty much.
Whine as he may. The effect is still the same.
Still all one big family even if some of them say the quiet parts out loud.
He is completely beholden to the far right. The approval votes by the far right were what got him just about enough votes to get him into Speakership. If they turn on him, he’ll be kicked out for sure.
Not if he can get Democrat votes. He can work with them and gain their votes to keep his position.
If he tries that, even the moderate republicans will pull their votes for him.
Also, even if that somehow did work, the Democrats will likely then pull their votes because they want a Democrat as speaker. The Democrats might not be Republicans, but they sure as hell are not above this kind of partisanship
If he does that he’ll be removed as speaker.
Uhhh, isn’t that kind of what McCarthy actually did? He worked closely with President Biden to put this budget together and it seems to be a big reason why the Freedom Caucus morons are pitching a fit.
Not at all. McCarthy got the deal he thought he could sell to his team.
McCarthy working with the Democrats in Congress would mean getting a deal way more Democrat friendly, and forgetting about even trying to appease the freedom Caucus.