Republicans in the House of Representatives are facing several absentees this week, potentially leaving them without a majority and unable to pass legislation.
Politics reported, “Republicans have a slim majority in the House of Representatives and will need every vote they can get. But McCarthy could face attendance issues. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma, and Rep. Chris Stewart’s (R-Utah) seat will be empty starting next week. And if Rep. George Santos (RN.Y.) ultimately pleads guilty to federal charges against him, it could mean his departure from the House of Representatives.”
Where this gets interesting is that the House of Representatives and Senate are racing to get government funding legislation passed, because the first chamber to approve a plan will have the upper hand in negotiations while Congress tries to impose a government shutdown to prevent. Democrats say the Senate appropriations bill likely won’t pass until early next week, but if McCarthy has attendance issues in his House majority, the House may not be able to pass anything this week.
Pressure is growing on Speaker McCarthy to make progress on Biden’s impeachment, but he may not have the votes to do much.
The Republican House majority is so small that even a few absentees open the door to potential chaos.
Kevin McCarthy is going to try to sell this because everything is fine, but if a few Republicans go MIA, he has a big problem that plays right into the hands of the Democrats.