GOP adopts House rules, its first legislative victory after messy start

House Republicans adopted a sweeping rules package Monday night, despite frustrations within the conference over private agreements GOP leadership made with the 20 conservatives.

Only one House Republican, Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, voted against the rules package released by Speaker Kevin McCarthy — a victory that allows the new House majority to officially begin organizing after a nearly week-long delay.

And it’s the kind of political win that McCarthy and his allies sorely needed after the messy roller-coaster of the past week. House Republicans have worked to pull themselves together this week, teeing up their first major legislative vote on a bill that would repeal the funding for 87,000 new IRS agents while also settling a handful of contested committee gavels. The party will name the final panel head, over the House Budget Committee, later Monday night.

GOP lawmakers were keen to move on from last week’s theatrics, which culminated in a 2 a.m. speaker vote on Saturday morning. But it was clear the tensions hadn’t yet entirely faded.