Has Chaos in the House Unified the Senate?

Rep.-elect Matt Gaetz (R-FL) defends his position against McCarthy to fellow members-elect during the second day of elections for Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 04, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/via Getty Images)

Despite the enormous failure that was the process of Republicans attempting to unify to elect Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker last week, conservative US Senators appear to be breathing an ongoing sigh of relief for their December success in passing the omnibus bill that will fund the 2023 Fiscal Year. Considering how procedure and decorum devolved so significantly when House Republicans held themselves hostage, Senate Republicans are attempting to elevate their own inner-turmoil in an attempt to ignore the embarrassment of Congress.

In December, the US Senate was able to move past previously unyielding gridlock for a brief moment in order to pass a massive $1.7 trillion government spending bill that funded critical government operations, and avert a shutdown. Despite the concessions that allowed the Senate to move forward a month ago, more looming deadlines for legislation that include government funding and raising the debt ceiling are approaching.

From left, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) attend the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. (Photo by Bill Clark/via Getty Images)

The slim minority for Republicans in the Senate, combined with the ongoing chaos from certain Conservative Members in the House, make the all-important prospect for the GOP of passing immigration and border legislation, a much more difficult task. New deadlines now loom for Senate Republicans, who must work with Democrats to pass legislation that funds the government and raises the debt ceiling.

The many concessions made by Speaker McCarthy, in order to pass the initial, basic hurdle of getting elected, means that Senate Republicans know they can’t look to their counterparts in the House to deliver on what was previously promised. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) acknowledged the disfunction in the House while confirming the GOP’s limited opportunity to politically maneuver.