Just four days out from a government shutdown, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has declared a bipartisan Senate stopgap measure dead on arrival.

Senators, having apparently lost faith in McCarthy’s ability to stave off a shutdown, negotiated a bill late Tuesday night that funds the government until Nov. 17 and includes $12 billion in aid and disaster relief for Ukraine. It’s expected to be voted on by the end of the week before being sent over to the House, and is intended to buy lawmakers more time to hash out a longer-term deal, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.

But, according to Punchbowl News, McCarthy said in a closed-door meeting on Wednesday morning that he wouldn’t take up a bill that includes Ukraine funding but no border security measures. “I don’t see the support in the House,” he reportedly said.

Aid for Ukraine has been one of several sticking points for ultraconservative hardliners in the House who have repeatedly sabotaged McCarthy’s efforts to get spending bills passed.

  • @gastationsushi
    link
    21 year ago

    In short, blame partisan primaries. Bipartisanship is seen as aiding the manifestation of evil here on Earth. And that can cost any GOPer the race, even to a no name challenger.

    This holds true even for Biden district Republicans, because their most active voters either subscribe to a cult of Reagan or cult of Trump world view. These cult voters dominate low turnout primaries, even when their overall numbers aren’t very large.

    We could reform elections and have non partisan primaries or even RCV. But that would sap power away from political parties and cultists. Where is the fun in that?