Amid a convergence of challenges this week, House Republicans have become “the epitome of discord and dysfunction” as a major priority appears “destined to fail,” Punchbowl News reported Wednesday, making the House GOP “look like amateurs” and putting them in a particularly difficult spot.
“There’s constant grumbling inside House Republican leadership circles as people snipe at one another,” Punchbowl News reported Wednesday. “Senate Republicans are furious with their House GOP counterparts. The White House seems fed up with the chaotic House GOP conference too. Plus, the stakes couldn’t be higher, politically and policy-wise.”
That priority was the House Rules Committee’s procedural rule, a resolution that dictates the parameters for how bills will be debated.
House Republicans on the committee failed Tuesday morning to reach an agreement on a procedural rule due to internal disagreements, and a GOP-drafted procedural rule, according to Punchbowl News, doesn’t appear to have the support to move forward, “another potentially devastating misstep for [House Speaker Mike] Johnson (R-LA) and his top lieutenants,” the outlet wrote.
“And then what? Will Johnson keep the House in over the weekend? Will Johnson cancel the upcoming week-long May recess? Will Johnson have to punt to the Senate to ensure that the nation’s most critical foreign surveillance program doesn’t expire?” Punchbowl News’ report reads.
“House Republicans want to portray themselves as the ‘grownups’ in Washington ahead of what’s expected to be a difficult midterm election. But at this point, they look like amateurs – and their majority is in deep trouble.”
The procedural rule is required for lawmakers to be able to take up several key bills on the House floor this week, including a bill that would extend a government surveillance program set to expire on Thursday, and a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with temporary funding measures for DHS set to run out on Thursday.