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The GOP is in the middle of an inter-party confrontation over a nearly $1.7 trillion government funding bill.
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Kevin McCarthy even vowed to block the House’s consideration of bills sponsored by GOP senators who voted for it.
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But a slew of GOP senators voted for it anyway, including 4 to retire and 14 to stay.
The Senate on Thursday passed a nearly $1.7 trillion “omnibus” spending bill to fund the government for most of next year, with 18 Republican senators along with all Democrats sending the bill to the House, where it is expected to pass Friday. will be approved.
It came amid a confrontation among Republicans over the sweeping legislation, which also includes reforms to the Electoral Count Act, aimed, among other things, at ensuring that a vice president cannot unilaterally decide on presidential elections. It also includes tens of billions of dollars in new financing for Ukraine.
Conservatives, particularly in the House of Representatives, opposed the bill because of the size of the spending. They also complained that the bill denies House Republicans significant leverage to force President Joe Biden’s administration to bend to their will or refuse to fund the administration. Former President Donald Trump also voiced his opposition to the bill in a video posted to Truth Social on Thursday.
The rhetoric escalated even further earlier this week, with current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy — still trying to secure enough Republican votes to become Speaker of the House next year — promise to block all bills sponsored by Republican senators who voted in favor of the bill.
In the Senate, McCarthy’s threat was largely met with a shrug.
“Kevin is in a difficult position,” said Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, a former House Republican and an opponent of the omnibus himself. told CNN’s Manu Raju. “Statements like that…is precisely why some Senate Republicans feel they should probably spare them the burden of governing.”
In addition, four Republican senators who voted in favor of the bill are retiring, making the threat meaningless to them.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted in favor of the bill, argued prior to its passage that it represented a Conservative victory.
Whether McCarthy can live up to his promise — the 14 returning senators who voted for the omnibus include conservative lawmakers like Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn — remains to be seen.
In addition, the Senate will remain in Democratic hands for the next two years, reducing the likelihood that Senate legislation that McCarthy and House Republicans tend to support will make it to their side of the roundabout anyway.
Here are the 14 Republican senators who voted in favor of the bill and remain in office:
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Mitch McConnell from Kentucky
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Susan Collins from Maine
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Mitt Romney of Utah
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Lindsey Graham from South Carolina
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Lisa Murkowski from Alaska
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John Cornyn from Texas
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John Thune from South Dakota
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Tom Cotton of Arkansas
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Indiana’s Todd Young
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Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
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John Boozman of Arkansas
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Jerry Moran from Kansas
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Mike Rounds from South Dakota
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Roger Wicker from Mississippi
And here are the four who voted for it and are retiring:
Read the original article on Business Insider
