House Conservatives Block Spending Bill in Setback for Johnson

This is the third spending bill the new speaker has been unable to pass since taking office on Oct. 25 as intra-party wrangling continues in the GOP.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaks during a news conference after a weekly Republican conference meeting in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Nov. 14, 2023. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

House Republicans handed Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) a legislative loss on Nov. 15 by blocking consideration of a spending bill just one day after approving a stopgap funding measure to keep the government open into next year.

Eighteen Republicans joined 207 Democrats in torpedoing a procedural vote on legislation that would fund the Commerce and Justice departments and other agencies for fiscal year 2024.