Hard-line conservatives freeze House action in revolt of Johnson’s spending deal

Hard-line conservatives tanked a procedural rule vote in revolt against Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) top-line spending deal, effectively leaving the House at a standstill just nine days ahead of a government shutdown deadline.

The House met for its first votes of the year on Wednesday afternoon, hoping to advance a slate of bills on a number of legislative topics. However, a group of hard-line conservatives voted against beginning debate on the legislation, tanking a key procedural vote in retaliation for Johnson’s government budget deal brokered with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) over the weekend.

“We’re making a statement that what the deal as has been announced that doesn’t secure the border, and that doesn’t cut our spending — and it’s going to be passed, apparently, under suspension of the rules by predominantly Democrat votes — is unacceptable,” Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-VA) said. “My hope is to persuade the speaker and the leadership and our entire Republican conference to not follow through with the deal as it’s been announced.”

The failed rule vote effectively leaves the House at a standstill as GOP leadership is blocked from bringing any legislation to the floor unless it has already been noticed on the suspension calendar.

Thirteen Republicans voted to tank the rule, using the key procedural vote to stall action amid outrage over the $1.59 trillion top-line deal that was announced on Sunday. Conservatives have come out against the deal, arguing it doesn’t go far enough to cut government spending or include substantial policy changes to address the crisis at the southern border.

Several of the Republicans who voted against the rule belong to the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which issued an official stance over the weekend denouncing the Johnson-Schumer spending deal as an “absolute failure.”

“We have leverage as a House majority,” Good said. “Even though our majority is narrow and it’s tight, we can pass everything that we want to with a simple-vote majority. [The Senate] can’t force anything upon us. And that leverage has to be utilized.”

Shortly after the vote failed, Johnson met with conservative Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who described the spending deal as “unacceptable.” However, it appears unlikely Johnson will make changes to the deal he made with Schumer, telling Fox News on Wednesday Republicans “have to work with the numbers we have.”

Despite the revolt, Johnson expressed confidence that House Republicans would not introduce a motion to vacate against him, the fate suffered by his predecessor former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

“It’s not something I walk around and think about,” said Johnson. “What I’m thinking about is governing and trying to do well by the people.”

Advancing a rule is a procedural move that is typically voted on along party lines and rarely fails on the House floor. However, House conservatives have weaponized the procedure several times over the last year, voting to stall action on the floor whenever they disagree with GOP leadership.

House Republicans helped to sink four rule votes in 2023 under McCarthy, marking the most ever to happen in a single year.

“I hope that this is one more additional effort to try to get the attention of leadership to let them know that we mean it,” Good said. “We mean what we say. I think there’s a number of us who’ve demonstrated we mean what we say.”

It’s not clear whether conservatives plan to continue sinking procedural votes unless Johnson agrees to another top-line spending deal, but some lawmakers left the door open to the idea.

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“I don’t know, we’ll have to see,” said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who voted against the rule.

The House adjourned for recess shortly after the rules vote failed, with leadership canceling its scheduled votes for Wednesday evening. It’s not yet clear when lawmakers will reconvene.

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