McCarthy's Real Problem

While flamboyant characters within the GOP continue to draw focus during McCarthy's desperate push to pass anything, moderates within the party make it clear-the real issue is abortion restrictions.

US House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) rubs his face during the fourth day of elections for Speaker of the House at the US Capitol Building on January 06, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/via Getty Images)

Republican leadership in the House postponed another vote on Wednesday afternoon to move forward on passing the Defense Spending Bill, a typically routine piece of legislation that tends to be the least controversial and easiest to pass. The $826 billion spending package was loaded with addendums to satiate the far right’s quest to continue the war on “woke.” In that form it would have never escaped the clutches of Senate Democrats or President Biden, including provisions to stop the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy, medical treatment for transgender troops and diversity programs.

In the midst of this crippling self-imposed freeze to spending — brought on by Republicans who are intent on taking their loosing battle of culture wars to the ballot box — certain members of the GOP have determined that this is the time for political theater, rather than working to negotiate any kind of ceasefire. While the outlandish moves of people like Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who are intent on holding McCarthy hostage to get their own way are hardly a new trick, the situation appears to be wearing thin on members of the Freedom Caucus, who are no closer to finding a solution that would appease the petulant Congressional Drama Club or fund the federal government.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) gives a thumbs down during President Joe Bides State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. (Photo by Tom Williams/via Getty Images)

The House has passed only one of 12 appropriations bills this year. At the center of the legislative congestion: the need for House GOP leaders to insert restrictive abortion policies into every major spending plan they can get their hands on, to help satiate other conservative members and influential outside groups that are pivotal to wining elections in conservative districts. But this plan has backfired spectacularly and forced many Republicans in moderate districts to actually draw the line and withdraw their support.

House Republicans hold a narrow majority and can afford to lose only a precious few votes, which gives every conservative member of Congress, who is willing to hold out, massive leverage within the caucus. At the other extreme of the party sit ultra-conservative members who have threatened to use the ouster of McCarthy as Speaker since he was barely able to clinch the title.

“Do these things or face a motion to vacate the chair,” threatened Matt Gaetz to Speaker McCarthy in a House floor speech, where he outlined a series of his demands, intending to hold the Speakership hostage. Do these things and lose the bulk of your support, echoed moderate Republicans who have seen the writing on the wall with regard to abortion restrictions, and who fear losing re-election more than a Gaetz tantrum.

Abortion has been on the ballot in seven states since that landmark court decision June 24, 2022 that brought the hammer down on decades of established abortion protections. In each election in red states and blue states, time after time, anti-abortion advocates have lost big. In some instances, voters have overwhelmingly enacted constitutional amendments protecting abortion rights. In others, they've rejected measures that would weaken protections or fail to protect abortion rights within the state constitution.