House of Representatives Unable to Pass Motion to Begin Debate on Military Funding Bill, Signaling GOP Divisions and Imminent Government Shutdown.

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives was unable to pass a motion to begin debate on a military funding bill. This was due to a small group of conservative rebels blocking the motion, resulting in a close vote of 212-214. The five GOP hardliners in the majority joining Democrats to sink the bill were Reps. Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, Ken Buck, Ralph Norman, and Matt Rosendale.

Ralph Norman, one of the five GOP hardliners, stated that a government shutdown is inevitable with only 11 days until the deadline. Speaker Kevin McCarthy is trying to convince House Republicans to come together and pass a conservative bill to keep the federal government open, but this is likely to fail in the Senate.

The inability of the House to pass the motion to begin debate on the military funding bill is a sign of the Republican divisions that have been paralyzing the House. This is further evidenced by the GOP leaders abandoning a separate vote to avert a shutdown at the end of the month.

The current situation is a difficult one for Speaker McCarthy, as he is trying to keep his job while also trying to prevent a federal shutdown. However, with the divisions in the House and the bill likely to fail in the Senate, it is unlikely that a shutdown can be avoided.