WASHINGTON — A band of 11 House conservative rabble-rousers on Tuesday took the rare step of joining all Democrats to block a pair of GOP bills to protect gas stoves to express their anger over the debt deal cut by Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden.
The procedural vote was rejected, 206 to 220, stunning longtime lawmakers and reporters who have not seen a rule vote — a procedural measure typically widely supported by the majority party — go down in decades.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus, along with a conservative ally, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., gathered on the steps of the Capitol after voting to rail at how McCarthy and his leadership team handled negotiations to lift the debt ceiling.
May 30, 202301:39
Hard-right lawmakers specifically accused GOP leaders of retaliating against one of their own, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga. They said Clyde was told by leadership that his bill to protect pistol stabilizing braces would not come to the floor this week because he voted against the rule on the debt deal last week.
“Today we took down the rule because we’re frustrated at the way this place is operating. We took a stand in January to end the era of the imperial speakership,” Gaetz said, flanked by his far-right allies.
“We’re concerned that the fundamental commitments that allowed Kevin McCarthy to assume the speakership have been violated as a consequence of the debt limit deal,” he added. “The answer for us is to reassert house conservatives as the appropriate coalition partner for our leadership, instead of them making common cause with Democrats.”
The 11 Republicans who voted against the rule are: Gaetz, Reps. Chip Roy of Texas; Matt Rosendale of Montana; Rob Bishop of North Carolina; Ken Buck of Colorado; Eli Crane and Andy Biggs, both of Arizona; Tim Burchett of Tennessee; Ralph Norman of South Carolina; Bob Good of Virginia; and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.
A 12th Republican, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., also voted no, a procedural step that would allow leaders to bring the rule to the floor at a later date.
The gas stove bills set to be voted on this week were largely messaging bills and are unlikely to pass the Senate.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
