POLITICO: Wednesday night’s rank-and-file rebuke of GOP leadership — with 48 Republicans bolting on a temporary spending bill — underscored the fact that the House Republican majority is still struggling to find unity on major spending bills. It also showed they still need Democratic votes to help them govern.
The pressure from an angry Speaker John Boehner didn’t work — he even threatened to strip committee assignments. Four dozen Republicans —mostly conservatives — wanted more cuts, and they just said no, creating an uncomfortable scene on the House floor as the funding bill failed on a 195-230 vote. Democrats showed a rare moment of unity in overwhelmingly opposing the continuing resolution, which would keep the government funded through Nov. 18…
GOP lawmakers and aides – including Appropriations Chair Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) – blamed Democrats for defeating the bill. Democrats, including Appropriations Ranking Democrat Norm Dicks, said they’d support the bill, but reversed course because of pressure from Democrats opposed to an offset that cut a subsidy for automobile manufacturers… (more)
EDITOR: In a speech to auto dealers broadcast on POTUS, Boehner joked at the end that his experience working as a bartender in his grandfathers saloon had taught him how to get along with “jackasses.” How true!
