By a vote of 219-203, the House just voted to pass a temporary funding bill that will keep the federal government in operation through November 18. Twenty-four Republicans voted nay and six Democrats voted aye.
Earlier today, Joan McCarter posted a good background primer on this vote, necessitated by a tea party revolt on John Boehner's right flank. A cadre of 50 of the most dystopian members of the GOP, who insisted (as they always do) that the stopgap spending bill did not cut enough, joined with Democrats to tank the legislation — much like a similar rebellion derailed Boehner's first gambit during the debt ceiling negotiations. Republicans didn't change much in this bill before the second vote, so it's not clear yet how Boehner managed to obtain a different result, but so he did.
And now we have another showdown with the Senate. Harry Reid:
"It fails to provide the relief that our fellow Americans need as they struggle to rebuild their lives in the wake of floods, wildfires and hurricanes, and it will be rejected by the Senate," said the Nevada Democrat, warning the Federal Emergency Management Agency could "run out of money as soon as Monday."
Here we go again.
Thu Sep 22, 2011 at 10:16 PM PT: Here is the full roll call.
Thu Sep 22, 2011 at 10:18 PM PT: Democrats voting "aye" were the same group that did so on Wednesday: Altmire, Holden, Kissell, McCarthy (NY), Michaud & Welch.
Thu Sep 22, 2011 at 10:32 PM PT: The 24 Republican nays all came from the same group of 48 that voted no on Wednesday: Amash, Austria, Broun (GA), DesJarlais, Duncan (SC), Flake, Franks (AZ), Gingrey (GA), Graves (GA), Huelskamp, Huizenga (MI), Hultgren, Jordan, King (IA), Lummis, Mack, McClintock, Mulvaney, Pearce, Poe (TX), Schweikert, Walsh (IL), Westmoreland & Wilson (SC).
Thu Sep 22, 2011 at 10:34 PM PT: So that finally brings us to the list of GOP switchers: Barletta, Bucshon, Burgess, Burton, Campbell, Canseco, Chaffetz, Fincher, Fleming, Gohmert, Gowdy, Johnson, Lamborn, Landry, Marchant, Miller, Neugebauer, Posey, Rohrabacher, Ross, Royce, Turner & Walberg.
Thu Sep 22, 2011 at 10:59 PM PT: Alright, last one. Do you want to know who the hardest-core dystopians are? The absolute wreckers? Boehner's biggest trouble-makers? Well, we've had several votes so far this year which have divided the GOP caucus — divided it between those who merely want to pillage the country for the sake of the oligarchs versus those who won't rest until all of America looks like a set from Mad Max. The votes I'm referring to are tonight's stopgap spending bill, a similar temporary funding bill from April, the second debt ceiling bill, and the absolute dead-ender Republican Study Committee budget resolution, also from April. A dozen Republicans voted against the first three (i.e., in favor of shutdown/default because of insufficient spending cuts) and for the final one (i.e., a vote that would make Humungus proud): Amash, Broun, Duncan, Graves, Huelskamp, Jordan, King, Mack, McClintock, Mulvaney, Walsh & Wilson.