Four House Republicans broke from the GOP on Wednesday to oppose a bill that would require inflation estimates for certain executive orders signed by President Biden, a measure that Republican leadership brought to the floor in reaction to rising costs — which the party has blamed the White House for.
The measure, dubbed the Reduce Exacerbated Inflation Negatively Impacting the Nation (REIN IN) Act, cleared the chamber in a bipartisan 272-148 vote.
Four Republicans — Reps. Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Bob Good (Va.), Matt Rosendale (Mont.) and Chip Roy (Texas) — voted against the measure, while 59 Democrats supported the bill.
The measure specifically directs the director of the Office of Management and Budget and the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers to prepare reports on the inflationary impacts of executive orders that are projected to have an annual gross budgetary effect of at least $1 billion.
It would, however, exempt emergency assistance or relief requested by state and local governments, as well as measures that are “necessary for the national security or the ratification or implementation of international treaty obligations.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Roy railed against the conference for the “’emergency’ orders” exception.
“Leave it to House Republicans to pass a 3 page bill requiring the Executive branch to report on the inflationary impact of executive orders – but exempt “emergency” orders that are some of the primary drivers of inflation. I could not vote for final passage and allow the continuation of the games too often played in this town,” he wrote. “Republicans must do better.”
Roy proposed an amendment that would have struck the exceptions for emergency assistance, national security international treaty requirements from the bill, but the chamber rejected it in a 199-226 vote.
It remains unclear why Biggs, Good and Rosendale voted against the measure. The three were among the GOP lawmakers who never threw their support bring Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) during the race for the gavel. The trio did, however, move to vote “present” on the 15th ballot, ultimately allowing McCarthy to win the Speakership.
The Hill reached out to the three Republicans for comment on their votes.