Enemy of the People

WASHINGTON — For the second time this week, House Republicans on Thursday failed to start debate on a key military funding bill after five conservative rebels blocked the measure over demands for additional spending cuts.

The defeat marked yet another public embarrassment for Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Republicans as Washington barrels toward a government shutdown. Then, they left town for the week.

"We are very dysfunctional right now," Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said, adding that the failure proves that GOP leaders "obviously can't count" votes, unlike Democrats. "Speaker Pelosi, love her or hate her, she put something out there and they'd rally around it."

Moderate Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who is facing a tough re-election bid next year, has been describing the GOP dysfunction as a "clown show" and warned that pragmatists would work with Democrats to keep the government funded.

"For my colleagues, they have to come to a realization: If they are unable or unwilling to govern, others will.

"It's frustrating in the sense that I don't understand how anyone votes against bringing the idea up and having the debate. This is a whole new concept of individuals that just want to burn the whole place down. That doesn't work."-Speaker Kevin McCarthy.


They’re the Taliban, they can’t govern, they can only lob terrorist strikes.