'Dysfunction Caucus' effectively shuts down the House – and McCarthy was 'blindsided': report

Right-wing Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus plunged Congress into a stalemate to protest the debt limit deal brokered last week with Democrats and signed into law by President Joe Biden.

GOP leaders aren't sure what the 11 conservative lawmakers want, and some of them want different things – which two sources told the Washington Post made it difficult to address their concerns.

“I don’t blame the Freedom Caucus, as many of them rightfully oppose this defeatist behavior,” said one moderate GOP lawmaker. “This group is the Dysfunction Caucus.”

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) admits he was "blindsided" that House Freedom Caucus members had voted with Democrats to block progress on a variety of bills, making that the first such procedural vote to fail in nearly two decades.

“We have a very small majority, so four or five people can create a problem for the whole [caucus]," McCarthy said. “You got to be sure you come together as a family, otherwise we won’t be successful for the American people. So what it really takes is you take a step back [and ask], ‘Who are you here for? Are you here for yourself or are you here for the American public?’”

The far-right lawmakers vented their frustration with the debt deal by preventing GOP leadership from advancing four non-divisive bills, and one of them said the group wanted to punish McCarthy for breaking promises about "reckless spending."

“There are over a thousand unauthorized government programs that continue to be funded without oversight, Congressional hearings, or a reauthorization vote,” said Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO). “Promises were made earlier this year regarding spending; I expect those commitments to be kept.”