Republican rebels BLOCK Pentagon funding bill in gut punch to Kevin McCarthy: Five hardliners including Marjorie Taylor Greene sink vote with just nine days until a shutdown

The House of Representatives failed to advance the 2024 defense spending bill for the second time on Thursday, in a stunning blow to Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his team of leaders.

The usually very popular bill was packed with conservative riders that turned away from Democrats and were intended to attract right-wing Republicans.

The House voted against the rule to begin debate on Defense Appropriations Bills 216 through 212. It was the second time this week that a vote on the rule for the defense spending bill failed and the third time a vote on the rule failed this Congress.

Six Republicans voted with Democrats to oppose the rule. Reps. Dan Bishop (N.C.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Matt Rosendale (Mont.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Eli Crane (Ariz.) opposed the rule and Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.) voted against alone so he could bring it up again later according to house rules.

Greene, usually a McCarthy ally, and Crane had previously voted for the defense rule and reversed their vote Thursday

Greene, usually a McCarthy ally, and Crane had previously voted for the defense rule and reversed their vote Thursday.

Normally, a member of the majority party votes in favor of the rule even if they oppose the legislation: before this Congress, no vote on the rule has failed since November 2002.

“We are very dysfunctional right now,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, who voted for the rule but said he would oppose the defense appropriations bill. “They clearly can’t count,” he said of the GOP leadership.

The failed vote came after a two-hour conference meeting that gave those opposed to the spending legislation a chance to air their grievances.

Opponents voted against the rule in protest, calling for steeper cuts and demanding top marks for all 12 appropriations bills.

The failure of the defense bill could mean an inordinate amount of trouble as we try to push through a Continuing Resolution (CR), a stopgap bill to keep the government open after September 30 while they work on twelve separate appropriations bills, one to fund each government agency.

McCarthy presented a new CR idea to members Wednesday night — one that would set the topline number of discretionary spending at $1.471 trillion for one month, as hardliners have demanded, and then set appropriations bills at $1.52 trillion after Oct. 30 dollars.

The deal would also include Republicans’ border legislation and would likely have no chance of a vote in the Senate. But Republicans believe it would provide a starting point for negotiations with the Democratic-led Senate

Republican negotiators have introduced a number of proposals to allow hardliners to vote on a CR that would move the deadline to October 30. But some hardliners, apparently unafraid of the shutdown looming in ten days, say they oppose any CR and the House of Representatives. must proceed with the twelve separate appropriations bills.

“We say, ‘let’s pass this CR so we don’t have to pass another CR. Well, that’s like telling a heroin addict we’re going to give you some heroin so you don’t use heroin anymore,'” Burchett explained.

The Tennessee Republican predicted that passing a short-term CR could lead to it ending up in a comprehensive spending bill, one that rolls up all spending priorities into one big bill.

“We are very dysfunctional right now,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, who voted for the rule but said he would oppose the defense appropriations bill. “They clearly can’t count,” he said of the GOP leadership

‘Oh, well, let’s do a 30-day CR, now let’s do another 30-day CR and then pass an omnibus… I just think it’s a capitulation of our duties, that we’re the only what we really swore to do is pass a budget, and we’re not doing that.’

Moderate Republicans, on the other hand, are fed up with so much attention being paid to a handful of stubborn hardliners — all for a bill that won’t pass the Senate.

“A CR that has no chance of passing is probably a bad idea,” Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, to DailyMail.com.

Asked if it’s time to start working on a deal that could bring together a majority through Democratic and Republican votes, he said, “I’d like to see more leadership in Congress, period.”

Democrats have floated the idea of ​​forcing a vote on a CR through a discharge petition. Their CR would continue funding at the 2023 level established under Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

They would need a handful of Republicans to join in, and several have already said they would do so to avoid a shutdown.

“It’s absolutely an option,” said New York Republican Marc Molinaro.