In Thursday’s edition of On Base, we mentioned that House Republican leaders hoped to work into the weekend to pass a defense appropriations bill and a continuing resolution. By Thursday afternoon, they’d headed home for the weekend.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) “was forced to punt a procedural vote on a GOP-only stopgap plan and found sustained opposition even after proposing adjustments,” The Hill reported. “He watched a Pentagon spending bill go down on a procedural vote—submarined by his own members—twice in three days.”

McCarthy told reporters, “This is a whole new concept of individuals that just want to burn the whole place down” but added that he was determined to solve the “challenge,” according to The Hill.

McCarthy’s next move seems to be bringing up the stand-alone appropriations bills. It has already passed the bill that funds military construction and Veterans Affairs, but the other 11 have not yet made it to the floor and aren’t likely to be cleared by the end of the month when the fiscal year ends.

Senate Democratic leaders are working on a continuing resolution likely to include provisions House Republicans won’t agree to, including funding for continued Ukraine support. Senate Republicans voted against proceeding with a three-bill spending package.

CQ Roll Call photo by Bill Clark