Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., turned back a rebellion within his own party on Tuesday, clearing the way for the House to advance a resolution condemning socialism after a group of conservative Republicans had threatened to block the procedural vote needed to move it forward.
The vote in question was a “rule vote,” a routine procedural step that unlocks floor debate on a slate of bills GOP leaders wanted the House to take up this week. Rule votes usually pass along party lines without controversy, but a bloc of conservative members had signaled they would join Democrats in voting it down.
Their objection had nothing to do with the anti-socialism resolution itself or the other bills tied to the rule. Instead, it was a protest over how party leaders handled a separate measure to keep the government funded, a short-term spending bill known as a continuing resolution, or CR, just weeks before the midterm elections.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, made his opposition clear on social media, writing: “NO ON CR. NO ON RULE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW US TO AMEND AND FIX THE CR: The House of Representatives will be voting for a government funding continuing resolution TODAY that FAILS to deliver on common-sense policies for the American people.”
House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., also told reporters he planned to vote against the rule as a protest over the spending bill.
At issue for several Republicans were changes the Senate made to a CR the House had already passed. Those changes included an unrelated 30-day delay of a congressionally approved ban on certain hemp products and a provision limiting the Trump administration’s control over federal grants.
“The Senate did violence to our bill,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. “Hemp and the grants are the two big ones…and frankly, I just don’t think CRs ought to be on suspension…when you put it on suspension, you’re not asking for my vote, okay, you’re going to get Democrats.”
Roy also faulted the bill for not cutting off funding to sanctuary jurisdictions or abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.
What the CR does
A continuing resolution extends current federal funding levels on a short-term basis, typically to give Congress more time to negotiate a full-year budget for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. The version up for a vote Tuesday would push the shutdown deadline to Dec. 11.
Because the CR itself was being voted on separately under a fast-track process known as “suspension,” which requires a two-thirds majority instead of a simple majority, the outcome of the rule vote did not directly determine whether the CR would pass or fail.
A newer form of protest
Rule votes have historically been considered a formality, with lawmakers rarely breaking from their own party to help defeat one. In recent years, however, conservative members of the House have increasingly used the threat of tanking a rule vote as leverage to pressure leadership on unrelated priorities.
Despite the threatened rebellion, Johnson secured enough support to advance the rule Tuesday, allowing the House to move ahead with debate on the resolution condemning socialism along with the other bills tied to the vote.
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