“Fresh off a bruising special election loss, House Republicans from New York suffered yet another setback on Wednesday with the defeat of their long sought-after tax bill,” Axios reports.

“Those lawmakers are trying to notch a win before facing an uphill battle to defend their party’s narrow majority in November.”

“A procedural vote to advance the bill failed after 18 conservative Republicans joined with Democrats in voting against it.”

Punchbowl News: “This is the most chaotic, inefficient and ineffective majority we’ve seen in decades covering Congress. It started this way under former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and has gotten worse under Johnson.”

“And things aren’t going to get easier. The House is leaving town today by 2:30 p.m. for the 13-day Presidents Day recess. When members return on Feb. 28, there will be only three days to fund a huge swath of the federal government or face a partial shutdown. There’s another full shutdown deadline a week later.”

“Fair or not, there’s a tremendous amount of criticism focused on Johnson right now… And hanging over this is the possibility of another motion to vacate if Johnson alienates hardline conservatives.”

An incredible fact: “This Republican majority has lost more rule votes than any other majority in five decades, a stunning sign of weakness.”

“Special counsel Robert Hur is in final talks to publicly testify before Congress in early March about his report on President Biden’s handling of classified documents,” Axios reports.

“House Republicans are salivating about the chance to ask Hur about Biden’s fitness for office.”

NOTUS: “Speakers in recent decades have kept a tight grip on the House schedule, blocking politically perilous votes and bills that might undercut the majority’s negotiating power. But having fumbled the seat previously held by expelled Rep. George Santos to Democratic candidate Tom Suozzi in Tuesday’s special election in New York, Johnson will soon be able to lose only two Republicans on a given bill if all Democrats oppose it.”

“A united Democratic caucus needs to win over only a handful of Republicans to temporarily take control of the chamber. Several Republican legislators who might be inclined to support more aid for Ukraine are retiring and more immune to pressure than their colleagues, so picking off GOP allies could be easier for Democrats than usual.”

House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-TN) will not seek re-election, Punchbowl News reports.

Green is the fourth committee chair to announce that they are not running again in 2024.