Mutiny in the Congress
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson cancelled scheduled votes for the entire week yesterday afternoon, after nine Republicans rebelled on what is normally a rather mundane procedural vote.
Among the casualties of all this—two pieces of legislation House leadership had been pushing hard, in concert with the Trump Administration.
The vote in question merely would have allowed debate and floor consideration of a bill to limit federal district judges’ ability to issue rulings with national injunctive effect, and to mandate proof of citizenship to vote in elections.
Both bills on the surface seem to be in the GOP wheelhouse. But that’s where—as is often the case—unrelated issues come into the mix.
Specifically, some members are not happy with how the rules were being interpreted regarding fast-tracking these two bills. Others were upset that Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna was pushing a bill to allow new parents who are members of Congress to vote remotely for 12 weeks surrounding the birth of their child. The only time remote voting was ever allowed in the House was pushed by Democrats during COVID.
Rep. Luna was using a procedure to avoid having to go through House leadership, but the rules package for the other bills would have blocked her move—even though it had been done in accordance with all the other rules.
So enough Republicans voted with Democrats against the fast-track rules package, leaving members with nothing to do. Sure, they could have had a rules committee meeting to change things, but one lawmaker said there are “lots of torn up feelings” over how this went down…so it “might be better to press pause for a couple of days” before any more damage is done to the fragile GOP majority.
That news was bad enough for Republicans in Congress. Depending how certain elections turned out yesterday…the headache might be getting worse.
