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A group of House Republicans, angry at House SpeakerKevin McCarthy’s recent deal with PresidentJoe Bidento raise the debt ceiling, joined their political rivals to vote against conservative legislation that would defend the “freedoms” of those who own gas stoves.
Across the country, some state and local governments have begun placing restrictions on gas-fueled stoves, as a means of limited fossil fuel emissions. But it’s an issue that’s become partisan, with Republicans arguing against the regulations.
Some of those Republicans who oppose the banning of gas stoves are the same ones who voted against taking up measures that could protect them. And they did it, they admitted, as a way to show how angry they are overMcCarthy’s debt ceiling deal.
Eleven disgruntled House Republicans sided with Democrats on Tuesday to block floor votes on the pair of GOP-backed bills that wouldprotect gas stoves, NBC News reports.
Florida Republican Rep.Matt Gaetztold reporters that Republicans are “frustrated at the way this place is operating,” adding: “We’re concerned that the fundamental commitments that allowed Kevin McCarthy to assume the speakership have been violated as a consequence of the debt limit deal."
As NBC News reports, the efforts to make a stand are so far largely inconsequential as the gas stove bills in question were unlikely to pass in the Senate even if they had moved forward.
Late last month, McCarthy and Biden reached a deal on raising the debt ceiling for two years, offering hope of avertingthe economic catastrophe that would come with a default.
Republicans had said previously that they would reject any short-term increase of the debt ceiling without negotiating government spending cuts (on things like immigration and changes to food stamp programs) to help turn the debt cycle around. But some cuts were seen as unacceptable to Democrats, with even Biden himself signaling that negotiations had stalled for a while, calling Republicans' early proposals “simply, quite frankly, unacceptable.”
Prior to the deal, the treasury secretary had warned Congress that the U.S. was on track to default on its debts as early as June 1 if they could not reach an agreement to raise the borrowing limit, meaning the federal government would run out of money to spend on vital programs. Anyone receiving any sort of payment from the federal government — Social Security payments, military and veterans benefits, food stamp payments, etc. — would no longer receive those benefits in that case.
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The Republican infighting between far-right House members and McCarthy began months before the debt ceiling negotiations and was highlighted during McCarthy’shistorically contentiousvote to become House Speaker.
McCarthy was ultimately elected to the role in January, after 15 consecutive rounds of voting. The historic election marked thefirst time since 1923that nobody won the first go-around.
source: people.com
