Why this matters: The Republican House is careening into chaos at the moment its members most need to rally together. We’re less than six months away from the midterms, and the House is on the line. Hill Republicans are anxious and effectively leaderless. Nobody fears repercussions from a lame duck Speaker. So even the usually well-behaved moderate members are wreaking havoc.

“Another major misstep could really start a spiral,” a senior aide to a moderate Republican House member told me. “Moderates are showing a new willingness to defy leadership, so we are tiptoeing into uncharted waters. Don’t think this episode is fatal by any means, but it could be the kindling to start a bigger fire.”

“There’s an every man for himself attitude because there’s a leadership vacuum and because everyone is running scared in an election year,” said a source close to leadership.