A closely-watched farm bill was rejected by the House 213-198 on Friday, as conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus joined Democrats in opposition as a protest of GOP leadership refusing to bring an immigration bill to a vote. "The vast majority of our members believe that we should have a vote on immigration before we have a vote on the farm bill," said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the leader of the caucus, despite the fact that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has promised to bring the conservative immigration legislation to the floor in June, The Hill reports.
The Freedom Caucus' defiance was a blow to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and McCarthy, who seemed to believe they had enough support to pass the bill when they went into the vote, says CBS News' Ed O'Keefe. The opposition on the floor reportedly broke out in cheers "when the results were announced."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 slow on the draw cartoons about Democrats' response to TrumpCartoons Artists take on taking a stand, staying still as a statue, and more
-
A road trip through ZimbabweThe Week Recommends The country is 'friendly and relaxed', with plenty to see for those who wish to explore
-
The assassination of Malcolm XThe Explainer The civil rights leader gave furious clarity to black anger in the 1960s, but like several of his contemporaries met with a violent end
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pausesSpeed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocksSpeed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor dealSpeed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US SteelSpeed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons mergerSpeed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battleSpeed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rallySpeed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
