Debt Limit Fallout: McCarthy's Standoff With Conservatives Continues

A standoff between conservative Republicans and GOP leadership, over concessions made in debt ceiling negotiations, have continued with no sign of a resolution heading into the week’s legislative business.

• McCarthy's critics allege that the Speaker reneged on pledges made to conservatives during January's Speaker ballots when striking a deal with the White House to suspend the federal debt ceiling.
• Members of the Republican House Freedom Caucus, last week, took the unusual step of voting down the rule and preventing Republican leadership bringing legislation to the floor, a sign that McCarthy's control over his caucus remains fragile despite his broadly well-received performance in debt limit talks.
• The House Rules Committee will meet at 16:00 ET 21:00 BST today to consider five bills, including the three bills which were blocked last week. The House Ways and Means Committee is also scheduled to mark up a key tax-cut bill this week and the Appropriations Committee will begin work on the first of its 12 annual spending bills.
• If the intra-party standoff isn’t resolved shortly then it may seriously undermine Republican messaging and apply more pressure on McCarthy's position.