Yesterday I reported that the GOP storm on health care seemed to be subsiding. Indeed, reconciliation looks on schedule to go through by Friday, though Senator Tom Coburn says he believes he’ll be able to successful strip out certain provisions forcing the Senate to send the bill back to the House for final passage. It seems, though, that some Republicans are taking their frustration out in other ways. As the Washington Post’s Ezra Klein reported earlier today, for the second day in a row Republicans have withdrawn their consent for hearings to continue, so work is grinding to a halt. Having failed to block health care, Republicans now seem intent on blocking everything else.

A Judiciary Committee hearing was canceled today, as was a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on bark beetles, an intrusive species of insect that are destroying Western forests and causing damaging fires. “Disappointed. Rs refusing to allow hearings today. Had to cancel my oversight hearing on police training contracts in Afghanistan,” twittered Senator Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat. Even national security oversight has been affected: a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing where three commanders – one of whom flew in from Korea and another from Hawaii – were to testify was also called off.