Senate Republicans are increasingly alarmed that the ongoing dysfunction within the House GOP conference is damaging the party's broader brand just months before the midterm elections. They warn that if Congress cannot break through legislative gridlock, Republican candidates will face severe political consequences in November.
GOP senators expressed bewilderment at their House colleagues' initial refusal to pass a Homeland Security appropriations bill that had already cleared the Senate and received President Trump's backing. The bill, which funds critical agencies like the Transportation Security Administration, was eventually approved by the House last week after weeks of delay.
Now, senators are bracing for another showdown between Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) over must-pass legislation, including a long-term extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's (FISA) enhanced surveillance authorities and the farm bill. These are two items the GOP is counting on to show voters they can govern ahead of the midterms.
Republican senators across the political spectrum fear that Speaker Johnson has lost control of his conference, making it nearly impossible to pass legislation before Election Day. Many believe it's crucial to rack up accomplishments now, but the House's internal battles are undermining that effort.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) warned that the infighting is hurting the GOP brand, echoing concerns from other senators who predict Democrats could win back the House and possibly flip the Senate. “It’s not like these things are hard. The Senate has teed things up fairly easily for them, even to the point where if they don’t like it, they can blame us. And they still haven’t taken the opportunity to actually govern, and I do think it’s hurting the brand,” Cramer said, adding, “The House is rowdy.”
After weeks of bashing the Senate-passed DHS funding bill for zeroing out ICE and Border Patrol funding, House conservatives finally allowed it to pass by voice vote. This left Senate Republicans wondering what the month of protests was about. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who is retiring at the end of this Congress, delivered a blunt message: “My colleagues over there need to start playing team ball. Their behavior is being noticed by people. We can’t blame Democrats for the dysfunction that’s going on over there right now, and it’s a really bad look for people going into at-risk districts going into November.” Tillis warned, “Set aside whatever your 5 percent disagreement is and play team ball between now and November, or they’re going to live to regret it.”
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,014 registered voters found that voters prefer Democratic control of Congress by 41 percent to 37 percent. The House ended the week with a burst of activity, passing the Homeland Security funding bill, a 3.5-year extension of FISA's enhanced surveillance authority, and a five-year farm bill. However, Thune declared the long-term FISA extension “dead on arrival” in the Senate because House Republicans added language to prohibit the Federal Reserve from establishing a central bank digital currency—a nonstarter for many Senate Democrats. The two chambers had to scramble for a 45-day extension just hours before the powers expired.
One anonymous Republican senator described the House situation as “like a wreck over there,” noting that mainstream GOP colleagues share their frustration. “They don’t know if they’re coming or going. Everybody is fighting,” the senator said. Senate Republicans are now discussing strategies to deal with the dysfunction, including a plan to “jam” the House by passing more bipartisan bills with Democrats and pressuring Johnson to bring them to a vote.
In a sign of the discord, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), policy chair of the Freedom Caucus, was seen storming out of a meeting with the Speaker, slamming the door and yelling, “We had an agreement today and then you changed it!!” Roy, however, blamed Senate Republicans for the gridlock, citing their refusal to eliminate the filibuster, which gives Democrats veto power over most bills. He argued that the Senate GOP is “killing itself” by adhering to a 60-vote threshold that Democrats would readily abandon. This internal finger-pointing underscores the deep divisions threatening the party's midterm prospects, especially as the Supreme Court's redistricting rulings and rising cost-of-living concerns add to the political pressure.
