It’s Unhappy Hour in Washington, D.C.. Kevin McCarthy left the House before 5:00 p.m. according to Politico, after a chaotic scene and shouts of “regular order!” rang through the air. It’s still stalemate time, because Tuesday, a small faction of ultraconservatives blocked consideration of a GOP defense spending bill, having the effect of inching the country yet closer to a government shutdown.
Yes, it’s political theater, but in the real world it’s displays such as these which caused the nation’s credit rating to be reduced from AAA to AA+ a few months ago. These antics may enthrall MAGA, and get right-wing congressmembers booked on TV, but they make serious financial people nervous.
It was the second stumble in a day for Republican leaders who are struggling mightily to find the votes to pass their short-term funding plan – one they had hoped to tout as a consensus pact between conservatives and more centrist members.
But the purported deal still has at least a dozen no votes. Which brings us to the question of the day: How many of those no votes are actually flippable for GOP leadership?
The defense spending vote gives us some important clues to that. So it’s time for a breakdown of the House GOP holdouts, who fall into three broad categories.
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The Maybe-Gettables: Certain House Republicans have either a record of relenting when arm-twisted or a disinclination to stay on the bad side of their leaders. This doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to give in and ultimately back the deal – just that they may be persuadable. Think Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), a public critic of the spending deal who tangled with McCarthy this week but ultimately voted yes on the defense bill. And Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), who’s also currently a no on the spending deal but delivered the speaker a crucial vote during January’s brutal race for the gavel.
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The Wild Cards: Reps. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), both of whom voted to tank the defense bill on Tuesday, fall into this camp. Norman is a member of the Rules Committee, which makes his support something of a bellwether if McCarthy has any hopes of resuscitating the spending deal. Which the speaker made clear he wants to do before he left the building on Tuesday with possible plans to return. Also in this camp – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a frequent ally of McCarthy who looks far less movable on a short-term spending deal.
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The Never-Kevins: Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) Eli Crane (R-Texas) and Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) all voted “present” rather than support McCarthy for speaker back in January. And all are, perhaps predictably, now withholding their support for the spending deal. Gaetz and Crane voted for the defense bill rule (they both have strong military ties), while Biggs and Rosendale voted against it – but they’re all still in the hardest group of conservatives for GOP leaders to convert.Add Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) to this list, too, even though he ultimately came around to McCarthy’s side during the speakership race. He later became the first conservative to openly talk about forcing a vote to oust the speaker.
The majority of House Republicans are only getting angrier as the holdouts dig in.
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), a top appropriator, lamented that “we’re being dragged around by five people, when 200 of us are in agreement.” (It’s more like 10-12 people doing the dragging right now, but we take his point.)
Once again, the obvious is made manifest, that Kevin McCarthy has no control over his caucus. He has the title of Speaker but none of the power that title confers. That is the reason for the ongoing charade. Now things are at the level where even a procedural vote can’t succeed. That was the last business of the day. A House vote on a procedural rule that would have allowed amendments and debate on the defense appropriations bill failed, 212-214. So they can’t even agree to disagree or even talk these days.
Now this next tidbit is comical. Bob Good, (R-VA-05) is blaming McCarthy for not delivering on his promise to see all the spending cuts.
“Many of us have been telling the speaker he needs to show us the entire puzzle and his commitment to getting to the pre-COVID spending levels,” Good said. “We wanted to see that commitment for the entire package. If he would have done that, that would have passed. It’s the speaker’s failure.”
Do you love it? The man thinks that McCarthy has a “puzzle” to show them, and the puzzle has pieces that fit together and there’s really a plan.
If Mr. Good doesn’t know that McCarthy talks out his ass and has no answers, and no plan, then I am not going to be the one to tell him. The Messenger:
Other Republicans left the floor fuming after the defense spending bill failed.
“I’m disappointed. I’m pissed off,” Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., told reporters, holding court with other GOP military veterans in Congress who shared in that sentiment.
While noting his respect for his colleagues who cast votes in opposition, Garcia added, “They just handed a win to the China Communist Party.”
And they’re belly laughing in Beijing, Moscow, and Pyongyang, make no mistake about that. They love this. And they’ll be tuning into Fox News and Tucker’s podcast to see more.
Finally, Idaho Republican Mike Simpson has a plan to get back at the hardliners when the government inevitably shuts down, as is their plan right now.
“I’m probably going to do a press release and name every one of them,” Simpson warned. “It’s time somebody called them out.”
A press release. That will bring them to heel, yessiree. Let’s do a press release. Here, let me help. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Ken Buck of Colorado, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Matt Rosendale of Montana, are the main hardliners and then there are people like Matt Gaetz who votes “present” (although today he voted) and Lauren Boebert who misses key votes and then lies that she did it on purpose. But by all means, call them out. We do it every day but maybe it will be different coming from you, Mr. Simpson.
Some of them want to see the “whole puzzle?” What makes these stupid to the point of STOOPID a$$hats think they can figure out a puzzle? I’m surprised they can find their way to the House Chamber.
I think it’s a puzzle to them because they have no clue how to do appropriations. I can just see the quizzical look in their eyes.
DO these antics really make financial people nervous? I wonder about that since they invariably fund ‘pube candidates who are the problem when it comes to funding the government.