House at a Standstill as Hard Right Rejects Debt Deal and Rebukes McCarthy

Members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus staged a protest vote against Speaker Kevin McCarthy's fiscal compromise with President Biden to suspend the debt limit, effectively shutting down the House floor for several hours. The move reflects the bitter acrimony lingering in the Republican ranks after the passage of the debt limit measure last week and underscores McCarthy's lack of control over his fractious conference. The protest vote weakened McCarthy substantially, undercutting his ability to pass bills in a chamber where they can normally afford to lose no more than a handful of votes.