Political Turmoil: GOP Hardliners Deal Yet Another Blow to McCarthy Amid Looming Shutdown

House Republican leaders are facing limited options as conservative hardliners thwarted the advancement of a Pentagon bill on Thursday, leaving the future of the GOP's government funding efforts uncertain.

The failure of procedural votes is another setback for Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who is currently under pressure and facing threats of being removed from his leadership position. As Congress approaches a potential shutdown at the end of next week, this episode highlights how even typically non-controversial matters, like the defense funding bill, have become enmeshed in Republican internal conflicts.

Government funding is set to expire next week, and a group of far-right conservatives opposing the House GOP leadership agenda have been hindering progress. This opposition has the potential to cripple the House floor. On Thursday, a procedural measure to advance a Defense Department bill was voted down, with a final vote of 216-212.

The defeat underscored the disarray and tensions within the House Republican conference, which have been escalating as leadership works on a plan to prevent a shutdown and unite GOP House members. Separate from efforts to fund the government beyond September 30, specific legislation was at stake in this vote. It is the third instance where House Republicans have opposed McCarthy and GOP leadership in a rule vote, a step typically taken to advance legislation.

McCarthy expressed his frustration, visibly annoyed, as he left the House floor, which was completely at a standstill due to hardliners in the House rejecting another rule. He criticized the group, accusing them of solely desiring to "destroy everything."

"I find it frustrating because I fail to comprehend why anyone would vote against introducing an idea and engaging in a debate," McCarthy expressed to reporters.

Republican leadership has been facing opposition from hardliners, which has hindered their efforts to come together on a government funding plan. Despite a few apparent breakthroughs, McCarthy's Republican opponents have been quick to undermine progress and openly defy calls for unity. McCarthy's narrow margin in the chamber means that losing just four members without Democratic support could impact the outcome of most votes.

Late on Wednesday evening, McCarthy briefed his conference in a closed-door meeting about a new plan to keep the government open. The plan includes deeper spending cuts, new border security measures, and aims to win over hesitant members on his right flank. According to the speaker's outline, the plan would maintain government operations for 30 days at a spending level of $1.47 trillion. It also includes the establishment of a commission to address the debt and a border security package. Additionally, they agreed to proceed with year-long funding bills at a level of $1.53 trillion, slightly below the bipartisan agreement made with the White House to raise the national debt limit.

Republicans confirmed on Wednesday night that they possess enough votes to proceed with the yearlong Pentagon spending bill, which was previously blocked by conservative hardliners. Representatives Ralph Norman and Ken Buck have pledged to support the bill and vote in favor of advancing the Department of Defense bill on Thursday, following negotiations with Speaker. However, despite this development, five Republican representatives, Dan Bishop, Andy Biggs, Matt Rosendale, Eli Crane, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, voted against the bill on Thursday. Additionally, House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole reversed his vote to bring the bill up for reconsideration. The timing of the next vote remains uncertain.

Republican leadership has alerted House members they plan to stay in session Friday and Saturday amid the standoff.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNNs Melanie Zanona and Manu Raju contributed to this report.