Dysfunction Or Progress? Appropriations Bill Stalls The House

The ability of Republicans in the US House to govern is again coming into question.

For the second time this week conference leaders were forced to pull a major appropriations bill off the floor due to a lack of votes. 

What some may see as dysfunction, conservative republicans see real progress. The rank and file have a voice in the appropriations process.

Members are now able to offer amendments on the floor to appropriations bills, something the Freedom Caucus demanded, and got, during the first Speaker battle in January.

“We are seeing that, in a very broad way, a lot is being done by the more conservative side of the republican congress,” Rep. Kevin Hern said (R-OK).

Members like Oklahoma's Josh Brecheen, who insisted on what's known as an 'open amendment' process.

“I’m excited I had an amendment that just got added to the financial services general government bill,” Rep. Brecheen said.

Brecheen’s amendment was spurred by a recent report showing federal agencies have a significant amount of unused, but still paid for, office space.

“So what my amendment does is it returns the funding levels back to 2019 for that particular component,” Brecheen said.

Democrats didn’t contest the amendment, nor did other republicans.

But that's not the case with other amendments to the Financial Services appropriations bill, or with parts of the Transportation Housing and Urban Development bill. Republicans are fighting with each other over the inclusion of earmarks, while others want funding for Amtrak cut.

“So you’re losing a lot of the New Yorkers because they want even more funding. There is a lot of different factions that are having real issues,” Hern said.

Members are off Friday to observe Veterans Day, but they will resume their efforts Monday.