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After a dramatic and prolonged series of votes for House Speaker, Kevin McCarthy was able to secure the gavel by brokering a deal to win over a block of conservative holdouts.
Part of that deal included changes to the House rules package, which heads to the floor for a vote Monday night. It also includes commitments to cut government spending, according to lawmakers involved in negotiations.
The full written agreement has not been made public. But it’s clear that key provisions could empower the conservative wing of the party and ultimately weaken the office of the speaker.
Among the key rules changes conservatives won are:The deal also makes a path for massive spending cuts
Rep. French Hill, a McCarthy ally who was involved in negotiations, told reporters that the framework sets an “aspirational goal for domestic discretionary at fiscal year 2022 levels,” but does not include specific budget caps. The FY22 budget was approximately $1.5 trillion.
Fiscal conservatives have long been pushing for spending restraint. But the agreement has raised concerns about cuts to the defense budget.
