Libya Rebuke the Latest Bill Caught in GOP Tug of War

By Alan K. Ota, CQ Staff

Speaker John A. Boehner continues to test how far the House’s Republican majority will let him maneuver toward the center before it yanks him back.

And GOP conservatives continue to keep their leader on a short tether.

The June 24 defeat of a bill that would have rebuked President Obama’s policy in Libya — but without taking the unusual step of cutting off all funds in the middle of a military campaign — demonstrated again that a significant number of conservatives will not follow the Speaker if he steers toward the center-right.

The conservative defections have clear implications if Boehner hopes to strike a bargain with Obama and Senate Democrats on a package increasing the debt limit and reducing the budget deficit.

Eighty-nine Republicans joined 149 Democrats to defeat the bill (HR 2278) that would have used spending prohibitions to limit but not end U.S. military involvement in Libya. Several of the Republicans said they prefer a full cutoff of funding for U.S. participation in the NATO-led military mission. “I wanted to send a message,” South Carolina’s Trey Gowdy said.

It was not the first time conservatives have bucked Boehner. In April, 59 of them voted against the fiscal 2011 spending deal (PL 112-10) Boehner cut with Obama and the Democrats. Earlier, Republicans under pressure from conservative groups forced the leadership to scrap a draft bill that would have extended Trade Adjustment Assistance programs.

Boehner and his leadership team pushed only a partial cutoff of Libya funding because they did not want to undermine U.S. support for NATO’s intervention in Libya, and because they support efforts to oust Muammar el-Qaddafi, according to GOP aides. The leaders were also leery of discouraging support by NATO allies for the U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

So House members were offered a choice between the spending limitation bill and a resolution (H J Res 68) intended to authorize U.S. military action in Libya. The resolution was rejected by a lopsided margin, as House members effectively chose none of the above.

Boehner wanted to let Republicans and some Democrats express their anger with the White House for its refusal to seek congressional approval for the use of military forces in Libya. The leadership also hoped to prevent the fiscal 2012 Defense appropriations measure (HR 2219) from becoming bogged down over numerous amendments dealing with Libya.

The leadership did not whip the vote on the funding restriction measure, but Boehner called it a “responsible approach” and urged the House to pass it. The measure, the Speaker said, would allow U.S. forces to play a limited support role and not undermine NATO, but it would “exercise Congress’ constitutional power to provide some much-needed accountability.”

Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., voted for the bill, but some other conservatives were unhappy with the choices offered. “There was an opportunity today to limit funding to a Libyan operation, but I could not support it because it does not go far enough,” said Minnesota’s Michele Bachmann. “Funds must be fully cut off to the president’s involvement in Libya.”

Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California said the outcome was not a setback for the leadership. “We sent a message to the president on the first vote,” he said, referring to the defeat of the resolution supporting the Libya mission.