Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a former Army Ranger, is among those critical of the House GOP this week as the chamber’s slim Republican majority fails to so far produce on the floor a key funding bill that covers the military.
“I’m in DC and today we were supposed to vote on a bill to fund our military. …But we’re not. Why? Because the House GOP is in chaos and can’t even agree on a bill to support our troops,” Crow said Thursday afternoon. The message, a caption, accompanied a brief video clip in which the Colorado Congressman shared much the same sentiment. The bill at issue is the key funding package for the military for the upcoming fiscal year, which is approaching fast.
A Wednesday report from POLITICO explained how Republican members of the House had begun engaging in an extensive debate implicating the bill but not actually directly involving its contents, which are expected to include in its eventually House-approved iteration a series of far-right demands. In other words, certain Republicans are trying to secure concessions amid broader questions of government funding that could shut down the federal government — again — if not resolved, and amid those disputes, key Republicans have also been refusing to move forward on the defense spending package as it stands. This bill itself is not expected to pass the Senate considering the far-right baggage set to be attached, meaning still further negotiations await as the GOP struggles with figuring out what exactly it even wants.
The military has now frequently become affected by Republican demands, considering the ongoing objections from Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to the confirmations of the picks for top posts across military leadership. Undertaking other legislative processes to secure these confirmations in which Tuberville’s objections couldn’t sink the endeavor may be simply unfeasible for the Senate at present because of the extensive time that would be necessary.
I’m in DC and today we were supposed to vote on a bill to fund our military.
…But we’re not. Why? Because the House GOP is in chaos and can’t even agree on a bill to support our troops. #GOPChaos pic.twitter.com/vSn02zK5Jx
— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) September 14, 2023
