House blocks vote on defense spending, again

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday tried to start a debate and vote on a defense appropriations bill. House representatives voted 216-212 against a procedural bill to begin the discussion. Five Republican lawmakers joined Democratic representatives to block the measure. A similar vote on Tuesday also failed to advance the defense spending bill. The vote came one day after House Republicans met for nearly three hours to discuss long- and short-term spending. Congress must pass either a full federal budget or a continuing resolution for short-term funding before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30. 

What else is happening on Capitol Hill? The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Air Force General Charles Q. Brown Jr. as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He will succeed Army General Mark Milley next month. Brown’s nomination was confirmed individually instead of alongside other positions as Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is blocking bulk officer promotions. Tuberville in March began blocking promotions to protest a Pentagon policy paying female service members to travel for abortions.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s explainer in The Stew about how government budgets use taxpayer money.