Bruising shutdown battle shows House Republicans’ willingness to eat each other alive: report

Earlier this year, the U.S. economy dodged a major bullet when President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) reached a debt ceiling agreement and the country avoided defaulting on its debt obligations.

But the U.S. is now facing another economic battle as McCarthy struggles to work out a funding agreement with members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus. A government shutdown appears likely.

In a biting report published on September 20, The New Republic's Grace Segers stresses that talks between McCarthy and far-right House Republicans have hardly been a friendly debate. And they show, according to Segers, how quick the GOP's extremists are to turn on more "mainstream" or "pragmatic" conservatives.

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The New Republic interviewed some of the Republicans Segers describes as "pragmatists," and they are clearly frustrated with the "hardliners."

Rep. Steve Womack (R-Arkansas) told The New Republic, "This is beginning to appear to be more than just a fight about doing 12 appropriations bills, or what the top-line number is. It's more about angling for a fight with the speaker — and nobody wins."

GOP consultant Liam Donovan told The New Republic that for far-right House Republicans, "All hell breaking loose is their happy place."

Similarly, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) told The New Republic, "I just don't think it serves the conference well to do the same things that they're doing. We want to be team players and sit at the table and make the best deal."

READ MORE: Republicans in disarray as government shutdown fight looms: report

The New Republic's full report is available at this link.