House Freedom Caucus Delivers Political Blow to Speaker McCarthy, Government Shutdown Set to Take Effect Saturday at 12:01 a.m.

On Friday, a band of conservative rebels led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., blocked House Republicans’ short-term funding bill to keep the government open, delivering a political blow to Speaker Kevin McCarthy and likely leading to a government shutdown. The rebels, known as the House Freedom Caucus (HFC), voted against the 30-day funding bill and are pushing for the House to pass all 12 appropriations bills with steep spending cuts.

The HFC is a group of around four dozen members who control the great majority of the Republican caucus. They have a symbiotic relationship with the nominally mainstream Republican Speaker, and their influence has grown since President Donald Trump took office.

The rebels are unconcerned if the government shuts down, as it appears likely to do at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. The vote on the short-term funding bill failed 198-232.

The HFC’s influence has been a major factor in the current government shutdown, as they have been pushing for steep spending cuts and are unwilling to negotiate. This has left Republicans without a game plan to avert the shutdown.

The government shutdown is set to take effect on Saturday at 12:01 a.m. unless a compromise can be reached between the House Freedom Caucus and the Republican leadership. It remains to be seen how long the shutdown will last and what the consequences will be.