After lengthy discussions, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Joe Biden successfully raised the United States’ debt limit, averting a default on the country’s obligations. The Republican succeeded in having the President sign on to some of the Right’s preferred initiatives. Not everyone was satisfied with that, though.
This deal has infuriated the Freedom Caucus, the most conservative group in the House. It has been suggested that the lawmakers have been conspiring against the speaker.
Conservative Lawmakers Get Revenge
The House of Representatives voted on H.Res. 463 on June 6 to establish procedural rules for the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act. This bill would have prevented the Consumer Product Safety Commission from using federal funds to enforce product safety standards that prohibit the sale of gas stoves or cause a substantial price increase. In addition, the bill forbade lawmakers from using the money to outlaw the appliances. H.Res. 463 also established rules for The Save Our Stoves Act, which seeks to ban the US Department of Energy from issuing standards for appliances like gas stoves. The Freedom Caucus derailed what should have been an easy victory for McCarthy’s bills.
Eleven Republican senators voted with the Democrats, sinking the bill. The vote was 206-220, and the resolution was defeated. The following Representatives from the Republican Party sided with the Democrats:
- Chip Roy (TX)
- Matt Gaetz (FL)
- Dan Bishop (NC)
- Matt Rosendale (MT)
- Ken Buck (CO)
- Lauren Boebert (CO)
- Eli Crane (AZ)
- Tim Burchett (TN)
- Bob Good (VA)
- Ralph Norman (SC)
- Andy Biggs (AZ)
It was the first unsuccessful procedural vote in over 20 years, dating back to 2002.
More Bad News
The legislators felt ignored because McCarthy and Biden reached an agreement on the debt ceiling without consulting them first. Following Tuesday’s vote, Freedom Caucus member Jason Roy told reporters that they had urged leadership to “not to cut that deal without coming down and sitting down to talk us.”
Associated Press reporter Farnoush Amiri tweeted that ten Republican representatives have declared their intention to vote against any measure that is considered in the House. When McCarthy was elected speaker in January, he made good on a promise to the far right that they would have a voice in the House. The Conservatives want to go back to that arrangement.
In a press conference, McCarthy stated that he intended to listen to the Freedom Caucus and “solve this, just like every time we go through here.” He downplayed the strife, saying Republicans have a “small majority,” and that has led to “a little chaos.”
