Conference fails to approve procedural motion to take up defense spending bill as government shutdown looms

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.”

  • TechyDad
    85•8 months ago

    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.

    • @HeismeEnglish
      36•8 months ago

      In an insane world it’s the sane that seem insane. This is the most logical solution to all of McCarthy’s problems but it will seem so crazy to him that he won’t go for it. Battle seat Republicans are already talking about working with Democrats to solve this problem. All of this use to be a nonissue because surprise surprise people in a long far away time once voted over party lines to get shit done, just as you said.

      • @[email protected]English
        10•8 months ago

        That was before the Republican Party adopted “owning the libs” as their only platform item.

        If McCarthy does anything with any Dems, it doesn’t seem crazy to him, he just knows it’ll result in a primary battle where his opponents will roll out his record of working with the enemy (which they’ve convinced a large portion of their voters, are pedos and election thieves).