South Carolina House Republicans Fight With Each Other Over The Budget

At least three-quarters of South Carolina's House members approved the more than 100 sections of the state's 14 billion spending plan this week, but is wasn't as easy as that makes it seem.

Harsh words were exchanged and members repeatedly interrupted discussions with accusations of breaching decorum or personal attacks as a small group of Republicans demanded massive cuts in spending, although often without details.

The spending plan passed on a 99-13 vote late Tuesday after nearly 20 hours of debate over two days. House members stayed until early Wednesday so they could formally send the budget to the Senate and go home for two weeks.

The budget arguments were in many ways a continuation of nearly every substantial debate in the South Carolina House this year. They had arguments over who are true Republicans followed by what most of the GOP and House leadership want easily passing.

The Freedom Caucus, made up of fewer than 20 representatives in the 124-member House, said it set out to cut 1 billion from the state's 2025-26 fiscal year budget so it could drop South Carolina's income tax rate from just over 6 to 5. Republicans hold 88 of the seats.