The House failed to pass its annual spending bill to fund the Legislative branch, throwing a wrench into GOP leaders’ ambitious schedule to pass all 12 appropriations bills by the end of July.
Lawmakers voted 205-213 for the bill, falling short of the simple majority threshold needed to advance the measure. The legislation failed after 10 Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in rejecting the bill over disagreements with of its provisions.
The Republicans who voted against the bill include Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Bob Good (R-VA), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Matt Rosendale (R-MT), and Keith Self (R-TX).
“In one of the country’s most dangerous cities, that had 274 homicides last year, it is negligent that Capitol security protocol forces congressional staff to walk the streets unarmed," Rosendale said in a statement. "The failure to fix that issue, along with countless others that my Republican colleagues attempted to solve by making amendments to this legislation, led to this bill’s failure. The legislative process exists for a reason, if you don’t allow participation, you can’t expect positive results.”
The bill’s failure sets House Republicans back slightly as they push to finish all of their must-pass spending legislation by Aug. 1. The schedule, which was released in late May, is an aggressive outline for lawmakers to pass a budget for fiscal 2025 ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline — a feat Republicans were unable to do last year.
Up until this point, Republicans have adhered to the appropriations schedule and have passed five of the appropriations bills so far.
The ambitious timeline serves as a test for the House GOP as they look to prove their leadership ability to pass government funding bills despite not being able to do so last year until six months into fiscal 2024. The appropriations bills are also likely to reignite intraparty tensions over controversial policy proposals that plagued House Republicans last year.
Proposed policies, such as a ban on mail-delivery abortion pills and cuts to Democrats’ signature climate bill, have split GOP lawmakers, particularly those seeking reelection in competitive districts.
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The House Appropriations Committee unveiled its proposed funding limits in May, with the overall totals coming in under the top-line agreement that was set during negotiations last year. But that proposal is unlikely to make it far in the Senate where party leaders from both sides of the aisle have expressed a desire for higher allocations.
Even if the House does manage to pass all 12 of its appropriations bills before its annual August recess, it’s not clear whether the Senate will act with such haste. Senate leaders and the White House could seek to delay the process until after the November election when it’s more clear who will be president in 2025 and which party will be in control of the upper chamber.
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