House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has resolved an impasse with some of the more conservative members of his caucus who had brought the chamber to a standstill over their demands for more time to review bills before voting on them.
The agreement, announced on Monday, will allow the House to move forward on several bipartisan bills that had been stalled for weeks. The deal also includes a commitment from McCarthy to hold regular meetings with the conservative Freedom Caucus and other groups to discuss the legislative agenda and address their concerns.
The standoff began in May, when some conservatives started objecting to the suspension of the rules, a procedure that allows bills to pass with a simple majority and no amendments. The conservatives argued that they needed more time to read and scrutinize the bills, many of which they said were wasteful or unnecessary. They also accused McCarthy of not consulting them enough on the House’s priorities.
The objections slowed down the House’s work and frustrated many lawmakers from both parties who wanted to pass legislation on issues such as veterans’ health care, water infrastructure, and combating anti-Asian hate crimes. Some Democrats accused the conservatives of obstructionism and trying to sabotage President Joe Biden’s agenda.
McCarthy said he understood the conservatives’ frustration and agreed to work with them to improve the process. He said he hoped the deal would restore trust and cooperation among Republicans and help them present a unified front against the Democrats.
‘I think this is a good step forward,’ McCarthy said. ‘I think it shows that we can work together and we can get things done.’
