House Republicans have fallen into a state of paralyzed chaos on their second day back from recess, with no obvious exit ramp in a government spending fight of their own creation.
Why it matters: On the first night of the House speaker election — after hard-right rebels denied Kevin McCarthy the gavel on three consecutive ballots — we published a piece headlined, “The ungovernable House GOP.” Eight months later, that sentiment has never rung more true.
Consider these four developments:
The big picture: At the core of McCarthy’s concessions to conservative rebels was an agreement to vote on all 12 appropriations bills individually, rather than continue the tradition of passing a massive “omnibus” each year.
Between the lines: “The more dysfunctional the House is, the more it empowers the Senate to determine what becomes law,” tweeted Liam Donovan, a GOP consultant who closely tracks the House’s right-wing bomb-throwers.
The bottom line: Throughout his speakership, McCarthy has consistently defied skeptics by averting a catastrophic debt default, passing key messaging bills and keeping his right flank at bay with the promise of radical change.
