Kevin McCarthy faces the wrath of right-wingers again as he tries to get Pentagon bill passed
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy risks the wrath of hardline conservatives yet again as he tries to clear the $886 billion bill through the House this week, Politico reported.
Hardline Republicans want the bill to address their pet issues that include culture war topics, but that would risk pushing away Democrats who would join Republicans in passing the National Defense Authorization Act.
“Extreme measures that push domestic culture wars” could threaten the bill’s passage, said Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee. “There could also be serious issues here depending on which amendments are made in order in the final bill.”
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The bill made it through the House Armed Services Committee in a 58-1 vote without its most contentious issues, like GOP efforts to block the Pentagon from reimbursing military members who travel to get abortions, limiting medical care for transgender troops, and rolling back climate policy.
If hardliners decide the bill does address their issues, "they could mutiny and tank a procedural vote before debate even begins on the bill — blocking it from consideration," Politico's report stated.
Last month, right-wing members of the house effectively shut it down in retribution for the passage of the bill that raised the nation's debt limit.
Read more at Politico.