It’s getting ugly for Congressional Republican’s….
Will the’Never Kevin’ crazies try to actually hold things up in the next Congress?
Would some Republican’s be forced to vote WITH Democrats to get important legislation passed?
Or is this just a powewr play dance about Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy getting the Speaker job?
A group of 13 House Republicans released a letter to their Senate GOP counterparts vowing to oppose any legislation next Congress pushed by Republicans who ultimately support the massive government spending package this week.
“We are obliged to inform you that if any omnibus passes in the remaining days of this Congress, we will oppose and whip opposition to any legislative priority of those senators who vote for this bill — including the Republican leader.”
— Letter from 13 House Republicans
How would they do that? The lawmakers said they would oppose “any rule, any consent request, suspension voice vote, or roll call vote of any such Senate bill, and will otherwise do everything in our power to thwart even the smallest legislative and policy efforts of these senators.”
With the Senate run by Democrats, it’s unlikely much marquee GOP senator-led legislation would make it to the House next year anyways, but this means that even bills renaming post offices or similar small-ball efforts could be derailed.
Who’s behind this? Four of the signatories — Reps. Matt Rosendale (Mont.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Ralph Norman (S.C.) and Bob Good (Va.) — are members of the “Never Kevin” caucus opposed to Kevin McCarthy’s speakership bid. Seven others sent a letter outlining specific demands to getting their votes. They were joined by Rep. Byron Donalds (Fla.) and Rep-elect Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.).
It isn’t just McCarthy — it is clear from warnings like this that this bloc of House Republicans is prepared to use its collective weight in the narrow 222-seat majority to also push back against GOP votes on policies in the Senate.
McCarthy tweeted he “agreed” and the bills would be “dead on arrival” when Republicans retake control of the chamber…
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But retiring Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), top Republican on the Appropriations Committee and one of the key deal negotiators, brushed off the threat: “He’s running for Speaker. If I were in his shoes, I’d be focused on trying to get to be speaker. … Whatever it took, to a point.”