House GOP leaders on Tuesday narrowly gathered enough support to adopt a rule allowing their side’s bills to come to the floor, after concerns related to a stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded through the midterm elections nearly derailed the procedural resolution.

After resounding passage of the stopgap bill, the rule for debate on four other measures barely squeaked by with a 210-208 vote.

Provisions added to the continuing resolution by the Senate before that chamber left for August recess, as well as the manner of bringing the measure to the floor Tuesday, led to a mini-revolt on the Republican side.

In the end, five Republicans defected on the rule, not enough to sink it given the surprise addition of two Democratic yes votes: Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington and Jared Golden of Maine.

Golden and Perez, who represent GOP-leaning districts, typically vote with the Republicans on legislation. But rule votes are usually party-line affairs that rarely see any Democrats cross the aisle.

This time, Golden and Perez were the deciding votes to adopt the Republican-drafted rule, offsetting the five Republican defectors: Chip Roy and Pete Sessions of Texas, Andy Harris of Maryland, Clay Higgins of Louisiana and Ralph Norman of South Carolina.

The rule governs debate on four bills this week:

• Legislation that would stall lobster fishery regulations related to the conservation of North Atlantic right whales for another seven years beyond 2028. The bill from Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who faces a tough race in a swing district, has backing from commercial fishing industry groups who argue the regulation would hamper their business. Golden, who is retiring, is the lead co-sponsor.
• A bill from GOP Reps. Jefferson Shreve of Indiana and Blake D. Moore of Utah that would streamline permitting for mining and mineral processing projects and block a Biden-era rule that would narrow the definition of eligible mining projects. 
• A measure to bar federal aid for colleges and universities that boycott major strategic partners to the U.S., including Israel.
• And a Republican messaging resolution to denounce “socialism in all its forms,” including members of Democratic Socialists of America.

Both Golden and Perez have been staunch backers of Israel, even as that position has become increasingly unpopular on their side of the aisle. They have also critiqued socialist tendencies on the left flank of their party, with Golden telling reporters he planned to back the GOP messaging resolution, which is similar to measures he’s voted for in the past.

After the vote, Speaker Mike Johnson sought to quell speculation that Republicans would simply pack up and head home to campaign, given the CR cleared and took the threat of a partial government shutdown before the elections off the table.

“The rule has passed. Many of you thought that would not happen today,” Johnson, R-La., told reporters. “We passed the rule and continue business this week. Republicans are here to work. We have a lot more left to do, and we keep demonstrating the American people every day that their priorities are our priorities.”

CR concerns

Although conservative GOP critics generally supported the four unrelated measures that were part of the rule, opposing the rule was their only real chance to affect the CR outcome since that measure had more than enough backing on both sides of the aisle to clear under suspension of the rules.

GOP rebels cited a laundry list of provisions in the stopgap measure they would have liked the chance to try to amend. But Republican leaders brought the CR to the floor under suspension, which bars amendments but requires two-thirds of members present and voting to support a bill.

“NO ON CR. NO ON RULE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW US TO AMEND AND FIX THE CR,” Roy posted on X before the vote. 

A Senate-passed delay of new restrictions on sales of THC-infused hemp products, otherwise set to take effect Nov. 12, was a big topic of concern for several House Republicans, including Harris, the Freedom Caucus chairman.

[Related: Stopgap funding bill’s hemp troubles aren’t over]

Roy went on to list several other Senate-added changes that drew his ire in social media posts and a letter to colleagues.

They include an extension of surface transportation programs without blocking the 2021 infrastructure law’s “kill switch” rule from taking effect next year or barring funds for Flock cameras that record license plate numbers. Roy also cited continued funding for Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood now that a 2025 prohibition has lapsed, among other abortion-related concerns.

Aris Folley, Jacob Fulton, David Jordan and Aidan Quigley contributed to this report.