| Republicans are tire of McCarthy caving into the Democrats. |
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is keeping his sense of humor roughly 24 before a government shutdown.
In the aftermath of yet another failed vote on a stopgap bill to fund the government by hardliners in his own party, McCarthy was asked by a reporter what he had in his back pocket, figuratively speaking, as a "what's next" to fund the government.
"Nothing right now. I'm broke," he quipped with a smile.
Just prior to that, McCarthy said the logical next step is to "keep working and make sure we solve this problem."
What McCarthy didn't answer was a follow-up question about whether he was going to have a conversation with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on the bipartisan bill that's due out of the Senate in the coming days.
Jeffries held a press conference after McCarthy's 11th-hour effort was shot down, touting the Senate continuing resolution as "the only way forward."
"The Senate bipartisan continuing resolution will emerge in that institution in the next few days and be sent over to the House of Representatives," Jeffries said. "The only way forward is for House Republicans to put the bipartisan continuing resolution that emerges from the Senate on the House floor for an up-or-down vote."
"If House Republicans were to do that, we can avoid a catastrophic, extreme MAGA Republican government shutdown," he added. "It's not that complicated."
The Senate continuing resolution could get passed in the House, with the backing of 213 Democrats committed to voting for it and a handful of moderate Republicans.
However, in addition to funding the government at current levels through Nov. 17, it includes $6.15 billion in supplemental funding for Ukraine, a no-go for House GOP hardliners.
McCarthy said Friday night he might be able to get the bill through the House if the Ukraine funding were removed.
"I'm working through maybe being able to do that," McCarthy told reporters after a three-hour closed-door meeting with House Republicans, which reportedly again grew heated.
"We're all over the map," Steve Womack, R-Ark., told reporters.
Meanwhile, House leaders canceled a planned two-week recess and will instead keep working on some of the 12 spending bills next week. They have passed four thus far.
politicspresumptuous.com
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