The House remains in a holding pattern triggered by 11 hardliners angry over Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s handling of his debt limit negotiations with President Joe Biden — and the deadlock may not be broken for a while. The indictment of former President Donald Trump may only add to internal GOP divisions and further complicate the path to a resolution.
“A number of House Republicans left Washington on Thursday warning the sides remain so far apart that it might require weeks — maybe longer — to get the House back to working order,” The Hill’s Emily Brooks, Mike Lillis and Mychael Schnell wrote Friday morning.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, a McCarthy ally and co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, indicated that this particular problem could last more than just a few days, suggesting that lawmakers should “give ‘em a few weeks to work it out,” The Hill notes.
Some Republicans are reportedly growing frustrated by the hardliners’ tactics, but it’s not clear how the standoff might be resolved or what the enraged 11 might demand to allow legislative action to resume. “My idea is that he broke it, he’s gotta fix it, and that it’s not up to me to come up with a solution,” Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, a former head of the Freedom Caucus, told reporters, speaking of McCarthy. “It’s up to him. So I’m waiting to see what he proposes.”
Roll Call’s Ryan Tarinelli and Michael Macagnone note that some of the hardliners who revolted against McCarthy are also among Trump’s most prominent defenders and McCarthy will now have to balance concerns about how to move legislation with pressure to respond to the criminal charges against the former president.
So far, only Republican messaging bills that can’t pass the Senate have been affected by the standoff, but McCarthy’s leadership position, which initially appeared to have been bolstered by his dealmaking, is once again in question. That uncertainty comes as lawmakers face some major deadlines on September 30, including the need to fund the government for the next fiscal year, pass a farm bill, reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration and more.
