Government funding lapses in less than 11 days, and a shutdown has never seemed so certain with challenges on both sides of the Capitol. Intraparty feuding between moderates and the hard-right lies at the heart of the GOP’s inability to reach a compromise and highlights the challenge before House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California). Both factions largely agree that federal spending should be reduced. But at least a dozen hard-right lawmakers have stymied efforts to pass a 30-day funding bill, angry over what they say is a lack of information on top-line budget numbers and assurances that the Senate will adhere to their fiscal demands. House GOP hardliners blocked debate on their party’s defense spending bill on Tuesday, making Pentagon funding the latest casualty of a civil war between embattled House Speaker McCarthy and his conservative critics. A group of conservative Republicans voted against the procedural vote, that would have opened debate on an $886 billion fiscal 2024 defense appropriations bill, delivering a stunning loss to McCarthy who’d sought to break an impasse over federal spending that forced leaders to pull the legislation last week. The final vote was 212-214 with five Republicans voting no: Representatives. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Ken Buck of Colorado, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Matt Rosendale of Montana.
The Senate just failed to pass a procedural vote on the spending measure funding the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and military construction for next year, after top Republicans voted against the measure in an effort to buy more time to try to strike a deal. The vote came down largely along party lines, with Republicans voting against limiting debate in an effort to change Senate rules to keep the minibus together, in an effort to get everyone on board with the process before moving forward with amendments. The vote to limit debate required 60 votes to pass and instead 49 senators voted yes and 48 voted no. The latest action in the Senate comes a day after Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) said he would drop his objection to combining the three appropriations bills if he is guaranteed a vote on legislation to stop government shutdowns during the amendment process. So far, an official deal has not emerged, although senators are still working to come to a resolution. Last week, Johnson demanded the Senate take up each appropriations bill one by one, which has held up the process, emphasizing that combining the bills could weaken the influence conservatives could have over the spending bills. In response to Johnson’s blockade, Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington), the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, moved to suspend Senate rules on Monday to bypass Johnson’s objections. If a potential compromise emerges, it would mean the Senate would not have to vote this week on suspending the rules, which would have required the unanimous consent of 67 senators in order to pass.
For today, the House is also considering the Democrat Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 2670, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 and will take up one postponed suspension vote, H.R. 1530 – Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023.
