As usual this time of year, the House majority is trying to rally its troops to pass 12 of the annual appropriations bills before the August break, scheduled to begin July 29.
Sources familiar with the process are skeptical that that much more than half of them will get that far, given House Democratic leaders have a slim margin for error on partisan bills.
House Democrats can lose at most four votes and still pass legislation without GOP support, and no Republican votes are expected on the spending bills judging from their party-line votes in committee. Divisions among House Democrats over defense spending levels, border security policies and law enforcement funding spell trouble for the Defense, Homeland Security and Commerce-Justice-Science bills in particular.
