House Votes Down Rule On Pentagon Bill, Another Blow To Speaker McCarthy

The House of Representatives is again at gridlock, voting down the rule on a FY24 Pentagon spending bill which House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had hoped could revive his bid to avert a government shutdown on October 1.

• McCarthy yesterday believed he had cut a deal with conservative Republican reps who sunk the bill earlier in the week, telling reporters after a conference meeting: "We're going to be voting tomorrow. I think we made tremendous progress. I think we've got a plan to move forward."
• Jake Sherman at Punchbowl News writes on X: "Just to put this in context, republicans cannot even agree to debate the pentagon spending bill. This bill usually passes by big margins. It failed twice this week. Kevin McCarthys House Republicans are in a state of crisis."
• Failure to even clear a procedural hurdle on the Pentagon bill spells trouble for McCarthy's bid to pass a 30-day Continuing Resolution to fund the government. McCarthy made huge concessions to conservatives yesterday in order to bring something to the floor. That is in serious jeopardy now with 'plan B' of negotiating with Democrats looking the only route out of the showdown.