In a move that has left conservative lawmakers feeling marginalized, House GOP leaders and their rank-and-file colleagues were excluded from a bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown. As a result, these lawmakers are now promising revenge against their party leaders.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a short-term government spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to extend federal funding from the previous year through early March. The purpose of this extension is to provide ample time for congressional negotiators to prioritize fiscal year 2024.

However, this decision has raised concerns among Republicans, with dozens of them expressing their opposition to another CR. With only a narrow two-seat majority, House leaders bypassed a normally partisan procedural vote by bringing the bill up under suspension of the rules. This meant that a two-thirds majority was required for passage.

Following the vote, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good from Virginia expressed his frustration, stating, "Once again, we passed a significant piece of legislation that keeps in place, with predominately Democrat votes, policies that were ran against and campaigned against." He further emphasized that if their votes were not valued for impactful legislation that funds the government, they would not offer their support for meaningless messaging bills.

Prior to the vote, Good had appealed to Speaker Mike Johnson from Louisiana to have the bill go through the House Rules Committee and be attached to a border security bill known as H.R.2, which is supported by most Republicans but seen as a nonstarter by Democrats. The refusal to consider this alternative has further ignited the dissatisfaction among conservative lawmakers.

The use of procedural votes, known as rule votes, to protest against House leadership has become a characteristic weapon for GOP hardliners. These votes, which are usually non-controversial, have now become a way for Republicans on the right flank, aligned with Johnson, to demonstrate their discontent.

There is speculation about whether House GOP leaders will continue to use suspension of the rules to pass their fiscal 2024 spending bills, thereby further alienating the rebellious faction within their party. Some lawmakers have expressed concerns about this approach, emphasizing the importance of not relying on Democratic support to advance bills.

As for potential consequences, there are discussions within the Freedom Caucus about staging more protest votes in response to their perceived sidelining. However, it remains to be seen how these discussions will unfold.

The new CR passed the House with a vote of 314 to 108, revealing a nearly even split among Republicans. Out of the 213 GOP representatives, 107 voted in favor, while 106 voted against the resolution.

The repercussions of excluding conservative lawmakers from the bipartisan deal are becoming increasingly apparent. Lawmakers are highlighting the pressing issue of the open border, describing it as a disastrous situation with incalculable consequences for the country and future generations.

In conclusion, the bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown has sparked discontent among conservative lawmakers who feel sidelined by House GOP leaders. As calls for revenge intensify, it remains uncertain how this rift within the party will be resolved.