Representative Ken Buck (R-CO), who represents Colorado's largely rural, conservative 4th Congressional District, appeared on CNN with Jake Tapper this afternoon (Friday) to discuss the failed omnibus spending package, which we reported earlier. Rep Buck was one of the members who voted against the bill. 

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) joins CNN’s @jaketapper on @TheLeadCNN after he voted against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's bill to avert a government shutdown. pic.twitter.com/f40FO3k295

— CNN (@CNN) September 29, 2023

In the course of the interview, Rep. Buck went into detail on how the process has unfolded to date and his objections as to how the omnibus bill was crafted. He described the failure of the package as a "no-confidence" vote for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Tapper:  "You voted against the bill that Speaker McCarthy put forward. Why did you do that?"

Buck: "Simple, Jake, we've got to stop the pattern that we've been on for so long. Every year we end up with a bill right before a shutdown, or right before a default on a debt ceiling. I'm voting to make sure we pass all 12 appropriations bills, we go meet with the Senate, we agree on those twelve appropriations, and move forward. The idea that a group of four leaders on either side of the Capitol building can come up with spending bills without the input of 435, 535 members is just wrong."

Tapper: "So what do you think McCarthy is telling House Republicans right now, and what would you say to him, if you were there, or when you go there?"

Buck: "Well, I think this was a no-confidence vote, this was a vote where people didn't have faith that Kevin McCarthy was going to do the right thing."

On Thursday night, the House did pass three appropriations bills, with one failing.

The House passed three out of the four Republican appropriations bills voted on late Thursday night – the first such measures to pass since the August recess.

• State Department and Foreign Operations: Passed 216-212, with right-wing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and centrist Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) voting with Democrats against the bill.
• Defense: Passed 218-210, with centrist Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (D-Wa.) voting with the GOP for the bill and right-wing Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Ken Buck (R-Colo.) voting with Democrats against it.
• Homeland Security: Passed 220-208, with Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez voting with Republicans in favor of the bill.
• Agriculture and FDA: Failed 191-237, with 27 Republicans voting against it – mostly moderates who oppose language restricting abortion pill access and rural members opposed to spending cuts.

RedState will provide further updates on this story as they become available.