House Republicans bail on another spending bill as their summer funding ambitions fizzle

House Republicans pulled their funding bill for federal energy and water projects from the floor on Tuesday after hours of debate, another failure in their push to pass a dozen funding measures before the August recess.

The setback comes after Republicans were forced to yank two other funding bills from the floor on Monday amid serious whipping issues, including GOP divisions over language regarding abortion and contraceptive protections. Republicans' $7 billion measure to fund the legislative branch also suffered a surprising defeat earlier this month , when 10 GOP members joined with Democrats to oppose the measure.

Republicans’ inability to coalesce around their own fiscal 2025 funding bills, a number of which are normally noncontroversial, once again underscores the conference's divisions over spending, with conservatives and vulnerable moderates warring over proposed cuts and policy provisions. While GOP leaders have managed to pass four appropriations bills — including measures to fund the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland, the State Department and Veterans Affairs — lawmakers are beginning to doubt that any more measures can make it across the floor, fueling calls for an early departure for the August recess.

Many conservatives were upset that their amendments didn’t make it into the energy and water funding bill, while GOP members from Georgia protested a lack of funding related to the Port of Savannah.

The $59 billion bill would undo the Department of Energy's pause on new permits for exporting liquified natural gas and cut funding for efficiency and renewable energy programs, along with revoking $8 billion in funds from the department's loan office.

The measure's failure casts doubt on another package the House is slated to take up this week, a $38.4 billion package funding the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. That bill would cut the EPA's budget by 20 percent, demonstrating Republican opposition to the Biden administration's climate and environmental agenda. It advanced out of committee on a party-line vote earlier this month after Democrats unsuccessfully tried to strip it of a litany of policy riders targeting regulations.

The White House threatened to veto both measures on Monday evening, arguing that “House Republicans are again wasting time with partisan bills that would result in deep cuts” to key programs.

House Republican leaders acknowledge that the most controversial parts of both bills are expected to be rejected in negotiations with the Democratic-controlled Senate. Government funding runs out on Sept. 30, but final bipartisan negotiations won't begin until after Election Day.

Annie Snider and Kelsey Tamborrino contributed to this report.