As one observer put it, “Kevin McCarthy’s House Republicans are in a state of crisis.” Would anyone, in either party, seriously disagree?
For those who don’t follow Capitol Hill closely, I imagine phrases such as “procedural votes” and “adopting the rule” generate a lot of blank stares and shrugged shoulders. But there’s one key takeaway from the latest developments in the House, and it’s undeniable: Speaker Kevin McCarthy is failing in spectacular fashion.
Just so we’re all clear, this wasn’t a vote on a bill that would fund the Defense Department; it was a vote onThat’s what adopting a “rule” is all about: Before a bill can be voted on, members adopt a measure to establish ground rules for the length of the debate, how it can be amended, etc. In nearly every instance, it’s little more than a procedural speed bump, because members vote with their parties to begin the process, even if they’re skeptical of the underlying legislation.
In fact, up until very recently a House majority conference hadn’t lost a vote on adopting a rule in more than two decades.Last week, after House GOP leaders pulled a vote on getting the ball rolling on this Defense spending bill, a Politicoexplained, “To take a step back, this is a pretty dismal position for McCarthy to find himself in. He’s not stretching to pass a monumental piece of legislation.
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