The House has been back in town for a few hours, but GOP leaders may already be forced to send members home early.<\/p>\n

A handful of House Republicans are threatening to shut down floor business Tuesday over frustrations about legislation that would fund the government past the midterms.<\/p>\n

If GOP leaders can\u2019t adopt a rule to open up floor debate, there\u2019s little incentive to stay in town, especially so close to elections when members are eager to get back to their districts to campaign.<\/p>\n

Speaker Mike Johnson can only lose a handful of members with full attendance. A small group of hard-liners oppose a provision in the Senate-passed continuing resolution punting a hemp product ban deadline<\/a>. Others are angry about Johnson\u2019s decision to put the stopgap bill on a fast-tracked method requiring two-thirds majority to pass \u2014 as Democrats are likely to support it.<\/p>\n

To be clear: that suspension vote track also means the stopgap is poised to pass regardless of any subsequent GOP revolt that would gum up further floor business.<\/p>\n

House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris said he plans to vote against the rule Tuesday over the hemp language.<\/p>\n

And Rep. Chip Roy sent a letter<\/a> to Appropriations Chair Tom Cole and Budget Chair Jodey Arrington Monday night urging opposition to the CR. Roy, who voted against advancing the procedural step in a Rules panel meeting yesterday, said the spending bill does not prevent taxpayer funds from going to abortion services.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CR now before Congress does not renew that protection, allowing federal taxpayer dollars to once again flow to Planned Parenthood,\u201d Roy wrote in the letter, shared exclusively with Blue Light News, adding members \u201cshould be prepared to account for those votes accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other hardliners wouldn\u2019t say how they plan to vote on Monday night. Rep. Keith Self told Blue Light News, \u201cWe\u2019ll see if the rule comes up.\u201d<\/p>\n

But if the House does cut their September work period short \u2014 with the possibility of not returning until mid-November \u2014 that leaves little time this year for any other legislation, including the Senate-passed Russian sanctions bill, which is headed nowhere fast<\/a> in the House.<\/p>\n

GOP leaders omitted it from a list of bills to be voted on this week as the thin House Republican majority is split over intervening in Russia\u2019s war with Ukraine. Meanwhile, many Democrats are wary of handing Trump any new tariff powers.<\/p>\n

Asked whether the bill might pass through her committee on the way to the House floor, Rules Chair Virginia Foxx said, \u201cI have no idea. Nobody\u2019s talking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

What else we\u2019re watching:\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2014 REPUBLICANS POISED TO CENSURE EDWARDS: <\/b>The House will vote Tuesday on censuring Rep. Chuck Edwards \u2014 and GOP leaders aren\u2019t coming to his rescue. A critical mass of GOP members seem to be lining up behind the effort after an Ethics Committee report outlined a pattern of sexual harassment by Edwards toward two of his young female staffers. Edwards told Mia the probe was \u201can abysmal handled process.\u201d House GOP leaders don\u2019t appear to be swaying Republicans to vote against the measure.<\/p>\n

\u2014 GOP TRIES TO THREAD NEEDLE ON DATA CENTER SUPPORT: <\/b>Republicans found themselves walking a fine line on data centers Monday \u2014 and Democrats are eager to capitalize on the issue igniting voters across the country. House Republicans returning from August recess acknowledged growing concerns from constituents about data centers. But they also tried to support President Donald Trump, who Monday declared communities that reject centers will end up \u201cbackwards and poor<\/u><\/a>\u201d while China makes advances in the technology. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted Republicans<\/a> for being \u201cpro-data center without any restraints,\u201d making his strongest rebuke yet of the tech industry\u2019s massive infrastructure buildout.<\/p>\n

Riley Rogerson, Chris Marquette and Kelsey Brugger contributed to this report.<\/i>
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