Democrats will push to retake vote on funding government after chaos on the floor

Democrats will seek a revote on a measure to reopen the government after a Thursday vote devolved into an argument on the House floor.

Chaos broke out after Republicans blasted Democrats for passing a stopgap spending measure to reopen the government through voice vote. The vote will be postponed after Republicans called foul on their request for a roll call vote not being granted.

{mosads}The Democratic bill, which would fund the government through Feb. 28, was expected to be approved but will be dead on arrival in the Senate.

Democrats will request to vacate the vote and take it up again next week, according to a Democratic leadership aide.

Democrats have been attempting to pressure GOP lawmakers into breaking with President Trump’s request for wall funding in any government spending bill by bringing a series of clean continuing resolutions to the floor.

On Thursday, House Democrats were expected to pass a continuing resolution, but Republicans pushed back on the method of vote.

Republicans argued they had called for a roll call vote on the measure, with Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) having made the request, which was ignored or not heard by Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), who was presiding over the floor during the vote. Sources on the floor said the request was made too late.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) then called for a motion to vacate the vote and call members back to vote again on the measure.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said while he “feels badly” about the request not being heard — telling Scalise he will listen to the tape — members had already left to return to their districts and he “can’t subject his members to missing that vote.”

“We’ll come back into session today and Hoyer will ask for [unanimous consent] to vacate the vote. A quorum isn’t present, so it’ll be postponed and we’ll ask UC to postpone it to Wednesday,” a Democratic leadership aide told The Hill.

“This is their mistake and they need to own it. Rep. Butterfield waited for nearly 30 seconds — plenty of time for them to call for a vote. This is on them.”

Tensions between the two sides intensified with members yelling across the chamber, casting blame for the government shutdown.

“Go back to Puerto Rico,” one GOP member yelled at Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.), apparently in reference to a Democrat’s recent retreat on the island. Trump has also criticized Democrats for leaving Washington, D.C., while the government isn’t funded. 

Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), a member of GOP leadership, who was the one chastening Democrats for their trip to Puerto Rico, said he was not targeting a specific individual with his heated remark on the floor.

“Simply not true,” Smith told The Hill. “Was speaking to all the Democrats who were down vacationing in Puerto Rico last weekend during the shutdown, not any individual member.”

Trump’s call for $5.7 billion for border security, including a physical barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, triggered the ongoing partial government shutdown that is nearing a month long. GOP leadership remains confident the party will remain unified in supporting the administration. 

The vote on the continuing resolution followed a separate vote on a GOP measure offered as an alternative. The House rejected in a 222-195 vote that measure, which would pay furloughed workers but keep the government closed.

Scott Wong contributed to this post which was updated at 3:35 p.m.