House postpones procedural vote on defense appropriations bill as GOP scrambles to secure support

September 13, 2023 12:15 PM

The House of Representatives postponed consideration of its annual defense appropriations bill, dealing a blow to GOP leaders who hoped to get the legislation through the lower chamber by the end of this week.

Lawmakers were scheduled to vote Wednesday afternoon to begin debate on the $826 billion spending legislation after the House Rules Committee advanced the bill to the floor the night before. However, House leaders decided to delay consideration, making it unclear when lawmakers will cast votes.

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GOP leaders did not specify why the vote was postponed, although some members had expressed concern earlier in the day that there was not enough support within the conference, Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) told the Washington Examiner. It’s not clear when the House will reconvene, although it’s possible lawmakers will meet again later Wednesday evening.

The postponement throws a wrench in lawmakers’ plans to get all 12 appropriations bills through Congress by the end of the month in order to avert a government shutdown. The House so far has only passed one of its appropriations bills, while the Senate is still working to get a spending bill on the floor for a vote.

GOP leaders have been working for weeks to shore up enough support for the defense appropriations bill, even agreeing to several culture war amendments that target Pentagon policies on abortion and LGBT rights to win key holdout votes. However, those efforts appeared to fall flat as some hard-line conservatives are looking to use their support as leverage in other areas.

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Members of the House Freedom Caucus have repeatedly issued an ultimatum to House leaders, vowing to vote against any spending legislation that is brought to the floor unless a slew of GOP priorities are included. That pledge involves a number of demands, such as a vote on border legislation and slashed funding for “woke policies” in the Pentagon, among other things.

Congress has until Sept. 30 to pass the budget for the next fiscal year, after which the government will run out of money and will shut down until a deal is made. By then, lawmakers must advance 12 appropriations bills in each chamber before sending their final product to the president’s desk for approval, setting the stage for an arduous process as House Republicans and Senate Democrats disagree on top-line spending numbers.

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