House conservatives tank progress on appropriations bill after Johnson advances clean CR

Hard-line House conservatives tanked progress on Republicans’ spending plans on Wednesday in an act of retribution toward Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) after lawmakers advanced a clean continuing resolution under suspended rules the day before.

Advancement of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill was halted after 19 Republicans voted with all Democrats to oppose the rule, a procedural motion to begin consideration of the legislation, leaving the House unable to consider the must-pass appropriations bill as well as a vote on an Iranian sanction legislation. The failed vote dealt a blow to Johnson’s initial plan to advance at least two appropriations bills this week, prompting the speaker to cancel votes for the rest of the week and send lawmakers home until Nov. 28.

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This is the fourth rule to fail this Congress. Prior to this year, a rule hadn’t failed in over two decades.

Leading the charge was Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who was upset after Johnson’s decision to pass a stopgap funding measure with no spending cuts or conservative policy riders attached under suspension of the rules. Johnson was seen talking to Roy and several other conservatives on the floor ahead of the vote, such as Reps. Tim Burchett (R-TN), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and Ralph Norman (R-SC), who all voted against the rule.

Roy and other conservatives previously vowed to vote against the rule on the continuing resolution earlier this week, but those plans were scrapped after Johnson brought the spending package to the floor under suspension, allowing him to skate around the procedural motion with the requirement of a two-thirds vote to pass. In doing so, Johnson placed the fate of the legislation into Democrats’ hands because it would require the opposing party’s support to pass.

The continuing resolution passed Tuesday in a 336-95 vote, with more Democrats backing the measure than Republicans, repeating the exact scenario that played out when the House passed its continuing resolution in September and ultimately led to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) losing the speaker’s gavel.

However, the Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy said they wouldn’t punish Johnson in the same way, noting the newly elected speaker had only three weeks to clean up the mess they say was left by his predecessor.

“The prior administration, they had since January,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), one of eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy in October. “[Johnson] is trying to do something. He knows he’s in a bind. CRs were created for emergency situations, and that’s what this is.”

But the passage of the resolution left many Republicans frustrated, prompting them to explore other ways to send Johnson a message.

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The failed vote on the appropriations bill deals a blow to Johnson’s initial plans to get all 12 of the must-pass spending bills through the lower chamber before lawmakers adjourn for the Thanksgiving holiday, teeing up a busy agenda for when they return.

The tanked rules vote also killed action on the No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act, a bill that would direct the Biden administration to sanction any foreign entity that facilitates the transfer of roughly $6 billion in Iranian assets currently being held in a Qatar bank. Those funds were previously released as part of the Biden administration’s hostage release deal in October. The legislation would bar that money from being transferred to the Iranian regime.