**House conservatives retaliate against Speaker McCarthy’s alleged debt ceiling surrender**
In an unexpected show of defiance, House conservatives blocked legislation to protect gas stoves, demonstrating their dissatisfaction with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s handling of the debt ceiling crisis. This surprise move comes after McCarthy reached an agreement with President Biden, raising concerns among conservatives that the power-sharing deal from January had been violated.
At the heart of the issue lies the accusation that McCarthy capitulated on the debt ceiling crisis by striking an agreement with President Biden, who signed it into law on Saturday. This move has angered members of the House Freedom Caucus, some of whom believe McCarthy broke the power-sharing pact made with conservatives to secure his position as speaker. In response, one member has even threatened to remove McCarthy from the chair.
Instead of formally attempting to oust McCarthy, House conservatives took an unpredictable approach by derailing legislation to protect gas stoves. Roughly a dozen conservatives teamed up to block voting on rules for the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act and the Save Our Stoves Act, despite generally supporting the measures.
Representative Matt Gaetz explained the decision, stating, “We took down the rule because we’re frustrated at the way this place is operating.” Gaetz further elaborated on the concerns surrounding McCarthy’s commitment to the conservative cause, particularly in relation to the debt limit deal.
Fellow representative Dan Bishop echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of enforcing January’s agreement which enabled McCarthy to assume the speakers
