House GOP leadership thought a pair of bills to protect gas stoves would sail through a procedural vote but ended up suffering a rude surprise.
Eleven Republicans — most of whom are members of the House Freedom Caucus — joined Democrats in voting against the two gas-stove bills, airing their frustration with the debt-ceiling deal House Speaker McCarthy (R., Calif.) cut with President Joe Biden. In their view, the deal didn’t go far enough with respect to spending cuts.
The dust-up follows the speaker drama in January when McCarthy was elected to the House’s top post after 15 attempts.
House business could halt if conservative caucus members continue to hold McCarthy’s feet to the fire. The debt-ceiling deal was passed with bipartisan support, but much of the GOP’s priorities in the 118th Congress can only be pushed through if the caucus sticks together.
Democrats have expressed little desire to help the majority party, which sets the agenda, past procedural hurdles.
The dramatic turn of events led representative Steve Scalise (R., La.), the majority leader, to switch his vote at the last moment so that, under the rules of the House, the bills could be brought to a vote again in the future. The final vote was 206-220.
Two of the bills that failed to advance included the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, which would prevent the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves or implementing regulations that “substantially” increase their cost, and the Save Our Gas Stoves Act, which would block the Energy Department from finalizing a proposed rule on energy conservation standards for kitchen appliances.
“We’re frustrated at the way this place is operating,” explained Representative Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.), who rebelled against leadership, to reporters. “We took a stand in January to end the era of the imperial Speakership, and we’re concerned that the fundamental commitments that allowed Kevin McCarthy to assume the Speakership have been violated as a consequence of the debt limit deal.”
“And, you know, the answer for us is to reassert House conservatives as the appropriate coalition partner for our leadership instead of them making common cause with Democrats,” Gaetz added.
Other members of the caucus who joined Gaetz included representatives Dan Bishop (R., N.C.), Tim Burchett (R., Tenn.), Bob Good (R., Va.), and Matt Rosendale (R., Mont.).
Bishop told reporters that “there’s no decision” made yet by McCarthy on whether to force a vote on ousting the speaker, Politico reported. Members have considered the idea since the debt-ceiling deal was reached.
“The problem that has been precipitated entirely by the speaker’s approach to the debt ceiling is going to have to be dealt with,” Bishop added, though he wouldn’t commit to sinking future votes.
The GOP rebels also pointed to a dispute between Scalise and representative Andrew Clyde (R., Ga.), who wants to pass a bill regarding a pistol-stabilizing brace.
Clyde claimed that leadership wanted to prevent his bill from coming to a vote because he voted against advancing the debt-ceiling deal. The Republican leadership disagreed, saying it was concerned about Republican opposition to the measure.
“Let me be unequivocally clear, I was threatened that if I voted against the closed rule to the debt ceiling agreement, it would be very difficult to bring my pistol-stabilizing-brace bill to the House floor for a vote,” Clyde said.
While Clyde did not himself rebel against the vote on the gas-stove bills, those who did so seized upon the broader discord to justify their Tuesday dust-up with leadership.