Punchbowl News 9/13/2023

News: House Republicans have delayed a vote on the rule to consider the $886 billion Defense spending bill, another setback for Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The House Freedom Caucus was rebelling against the bill for a variety of reasons – spending levels, general discontent with McCarthy and a host of other dynamics that are a combination of real and imagined.

Republican leadership is not ruling out a vote later today, but we’re doubtful they’ll get there.

So think about it this way: The last thing House Republicans did before leaving for recess is pull the Agriculture spending bill. The first thing they’re doing when they get back – seven weeks later – is struggle with the Defense spending bill.

Inside the room: The House Republican Conference is in an extended state of confusion about how – and whether – rank-and-file GOP lawmakers rally around a funding plan in advance of the Sept. 30 funding deadline.

McCarthy told House Republicans in a closed party meeting this morning that it’s “three against one” right now because the White House, Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats are in agreement on funding.

Just as a reminder: McCarthy cut a deal with the White House on FY2024 spending as part of the debt-limit bill. McCarthy then proceeded to cut another $120 billion from the compromise, throwing funding into flux.

McCarthy has promised to avoid an omnibus spending bill, but at the same time, he has struggled to pass individual appropriations legislation. See their problems with the Defense bill above.

Furthermore, the House Freedom Caucushas said they’d vote against a short-term CR to keep the government open.

“If we can’t pass our bills, a CR and won’t do omni, what are we gonna do?” McCarthy asked House Republicans in the closed session.

The answer to that is Republicans seem to be barrelling into a government shutdown.

For his part, McCarthy pitched his conference on passing a “domestic security package” and coupling it with the $16 billion the Biden administration has requested for disaster relief. This domestic security package would be considered separately on the House floor and would include Pentagon spending, Homeland Security appropriations and MilCon-VA.

At this point, it seems as if McCarthy is throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Here’s how Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), an appropriations cardinal, summed up the situation: “We’re in a difficult spot. We got a big challenge ahead of us.”

Talk to House Freedom Caucus members, and you’ll see what Womack means. Leaving the conference meeting, we heard repeated acknowledgement from the right flank of the House GOP that a shutdown may be inevitable.

“The people back home in Oklahoma are asking for us to use the leverage they gave us to reset the government itself,” Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) told us.

Meanwhile, some pressure from Pennsylvania Ave.: The Biden administration released a SAP Wednesday saying they support the minibus that the Senate is currently debating. Here’s the statement.

— Jake Sherman and Max Cohen