The farm bill has failed in the House on a vote of 213 to 198. House GOP leaders seemed confident as they walked into the vote Friday morning and believed they would have the support needed to pass the measure.

But the head of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-S.C., had warned that he was not able to convince any of his members to switch from a "no" vote to a "yes" vote on the giant agriculture and food bill. It was a message he conveyed in a phone call to GOP Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana. The Freedom Caucus had demanded a vote on immigration before the vote on the farm bill, and instead, House GOP leaders ended up offering a vote on the Rep. Bob Goodlatte's immigration bill after the farm bill vote, rather than before the vote.

During the farm bill vote, all members of the GOP leadership — Speaker Ryan, Majority Leader McCarthy, Whip Scalise and Deputy Whip McHenry — could be seen negotiating on the floor with members of the Freedom Caucus.

Democrats, who opposed the bill, cheered when the results were announced.