House GOP Challenge: Keep Troops United

It is difficult for political coalitions of any kind to stay completely united. And House Republicans are finding that to be the case now, Politico reports.

For example, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., was planning to introduce a bill to the floor next week that would give states more flexibility with $31 billion in federal aid for unemployment insurance.

Top Republicans saw the measure as a slam dunk, because it would allow states to avoid raising payroll taxes. But many GOP House members objected, shying away from a bill they don’t completely understand and one that would die in the Senate in any case.

While the bill doesn’t represent a major issue, it points to the difficulty that the Republican House leadership can have in controlling its troops.