House Freedom Caucus Stalls House Proceedings in Protest of Speaker McCarthy’s Compromise with President Biden

On Wednesday, members of the House Freedom Caucus, a far-right faction of the House of Representatives, stalled proceedings in the chamber in protest of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The group is upset with McCarthy for compromising with President Joe Biden on “debt ceiling” legislation last week, which would allow the federal government to borrow money to pay for previously authorized spending.

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) said that McCarthy “blew up the unity of the conference last week on the debt ceiling deal.” As a result, the group has blocked several bills backed by GOP leadership from moving forward. On Tuesday, 11 Republicans, including Bishop, voted against a procedural resolution bringing bills to the floor.

The House Freedom Caucus, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), has been a fierce critic of McCarthy and is now attempting to undermine his power. Gaetz has called for the House to “hold the floor” in protest of McCarthy’s actions.

The House Freedom Caucus’s actions have caused a disruption in the House of Representatives and have put the GOP majority in a difficult situation. It is unclear how long the group will continue to stall proceedings, or if McCarthy will be able to regain control of the chamber.