Republican leaders postponed a vote on a $1.1 trillion spending bill, as opposition from liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans mounted and a deadline neared.
The House concluded debate on the legislation at about 2 p.m. and then immediately recessed instead of voting on the measure, as had been planned.
A stopgap spending measure to fund the government expires at midnight Thursday.
Republican aides told the Washington Examiner the GOP leadership is trying to determine whether there are enough Democratic and Republican votes combined to win passage.
“Leadership teams are still talking to their respective members,” said Mike Long, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. “A vote is still planned for this afternoon.”
The prospects for passage have dimmed in the last 24 hours, after it appeared bipartisan support would push the bill over the finish line.
Republicans have long known they would lose dozens of conservatives, who are angry the bill does not block Obama’s recent directive to stem illegal immigrant deportations.
But they did not count on the rising anger from liberal House and Senate Democrats who oppose a provision to roll back a Wall Street reform measure.
Both Republican and Democratic leadership in both chambers signed off on the bill earlier this week.
Earlier this afternoon, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced her opposition to the bill because of the provision, which Democrats fought to pass while she was House speaker in 2010.
Pelosi said Republicans pushed to include the provision in the bill because it is a must-pass measure to keep the government operating.
“This is ransom, this is blackmail,” Pelosi said on the House floor. “You don’t get a bill unless Wall Street gets taxpayer coverage.”
