House Republicans, Stalled on Spending, Weaponize the Power of the Purse

Just before hard-right House Republicans staged a floor mutiny over spending on Wednesday that sent lawmakers home early for their Thanksgiving break, they managed one final vote, on a measure to reduce the salary of an obscure Biden administration official to $1.

It was the 25th time in the three weeks since Speaker Mike Johnson was elected to the top post — and at least the 31st time this year — that Republicans have spent time on the House floor using a spending bill to try to strip the salary of a member of President Biden’s team.

On Wednesday, the would-be victims included Xavier Becerra, the health secretary, and Vincent J. Munster, a virus scientist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Last week, it was Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary. Those efforts all failed when dozens of Republicans refused to back them. But others,