House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s efforts to open debate on the defense appropriations bill failed Tuesday afternoon.
Five Republicans voted alongside every Democrat to sink their own bill to fund the Pentagon as the House GOP conference remains divided over a series of measures needed to finance the government through the next fiscal year.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has until the end of September to strike a deal between his party’s most conservative members and moderates representing Democratic-leaning congressional districts to pass 12 appropriations bills funding the federal government. Finding a consensus on these bills has been challenging, due to the GOP’s slim majority in the House of Representatives, which requires the speaker to keep nearly the entire conference together to pass any legislation, barring support from Democrats.
McCarthy sought to begin debate on the first of these appropriations bills, the legislation to fund the Department of Defense (DoD), typically viewed as one of the less controversial ones.
However, the House voted 214-212 against opening debate on the Department of Defense (DoD) bill, delivering a blow to McCarthy’s leadership. House conservatives have sought to ensure federal spending remained below $1.
