Earlier this month, a group of hard-right Republicans hijacked the floor of the House of Representatives in protest against Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The mutiny, staged by nearly a dozen members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, raised questions about whether the speaker could continue to govern his slim and fractious majority.

Annie Karni, a congressional correspondent for The Times, explains how and why this small group of members made the chamber ungovernable.

Guest: Annie Karni, a congressional correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading:

In early June, members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus refused to surrender control of the floor, forcing Republican leaders to scrap votes for the week and leaving speaker Kevin McCarthy facing what he conceded was “chaos.”
The group effectively shut down the House floor, calling the speaker’s fiscal compromise with President Biden a betrayal.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Climate Solutions with Molly Wood, Trying To Get Pregnant, and Alcohol