WASHINGTON, Jan 9 (Reuters) – The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives on Monday adopted an internal bill giving far-right powers over newly elected Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Lawmakers voted 220-213 to approve the legislation. Another Republican, Representative Tony Gonzales, joined all 212 Democrats in voting against the legislation. One Republican did not vote.
The legislation, which will govern the operation of the House for the next two years, represented the first test of McCarthy’s ability to keep his caucus together, after the embarrassment of 14 failed votes last week before he was elected speaker on Saturday.
The law includes key concessions sought by hardliners and McCarthy conceded in his pursuit of the speaker’s gavel. The changes include allowing a single lawmaker to call for his removal at any time. Other changes would impose new restrictions on federal spending, limiting McCarthy’s ability to negotiate federal spending packages with President Joe Biden, whose Democrats control the Senate.
Democrats have criticized the law as a “MAGA extremist” law that would favor wealthy corporations over workers, undermine congressional ethics and lead to further restrictions on abortion services. “These laws are not a serious attempt at governance. They are the most important redemption for America from the extreme right,” Representative Jim McGovern said.
Gonzales, the only Republican to oppose the legislation, said he was opposed to limits that could be used in US defense during tensions with Russia and China.
His vote came despite earlier warnings from the grassroots group FreeWorks, which said on Twitter: “If Tony is ‘NO’ on the House Rules Package he should not be accepted into the 119th Congress.”
Republicans have a narrow 222-212 majority in the House, after winning fewer seats than expected in November’s midterm elections. This increased the power of the hardliners and raised questions about how a divided Congress would fare.
Lawmakers face tough tasks in the coming year that include fixing the $31.4 trillion federal debt. Failure to do so, or a long delay, could shake the economy of the whole country.
Other changes include a 72-hour waiting period between when a bill is introduced and when it can be voted on, a cap on government spending at 2022 levels, and the creation of a committee to review the Department of Justice.
Reporting by David Morgan and Moira Warburton in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone, Alistair Bell, Aurora Ellis and Leslie Adler
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