House Republican leaders have suspended plans to debate and vote on all spending legislation next week, thanks to a partisan fight over the Confederate flag.

House Democrats were already looking for ways to block House spending bills, which adhere to mandated spending caps they oppose. On Thursday, they found a new weapon in renewed debate over the display of the Confederate flag.

Democrats successfully attached an amendment to the fiscal 2016 Interior Department spending bill under the legislation's open amendment process that bans the flag on federal land. Republicans, who did nothing to block the provision initially, are now dealing with angry southern GOP lawmakers who want to try to reverse the move.

That stopped the Interior bill in its tracks, and with Democrats warning they would try to add more anti-flag amendments to future spending bills, Republicans have now pulled all spending bills for now.

"We're discussing how best to move the appropriations process forward," a GOP leadership aide told the Washington Examiner. "Passing appropriations bills is one of the most basic responsibilities Congress has."

The appropriations process was already headed for trouble, thanks in part to the spending caps that were passed into law in 2012.

Thanks to significant Democratic opposition to spending levels, Republicans have been forced to rely on their own party to pass many spending measures and have cleared a half-dozen bills, but the task will become increasingly difficult.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., has told the Examiner he didn't think it was possible to move all of the dozen spending bills out of the House unless a deal is reached to left the caps.

Republicans late Friday were huddling over next week's floor schedule.

House Speaker John Boehner said he would like a group of Republicans and Democrats to discuss the Confederate flag disagreement, though a top Democratic leadership aide … they have not received an invitation yet. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. briefly discussed the matter Friday.

"I believe it's time for some members to sit down and have a conversation about how to deal with this issue in a responsible way," Boehner said Thursday.

Boehner called for the discussion after the GOP pulled the Interior bill over the flag fight. But shortly after his remarks, Democrats were on the House floor calling for procedural votes aimed at putting the GOP on the spot over the flag.

Demands to pull the flag from display came after nine parishioners in an historic black church in Charleston were gunned down by a man who had been pictured displaying the flag. South Carolina removed the flag from its capital grounds on Friday.

Republicans say they are angry that the Democrats are inserting the issue into an already difficult appropriations process.

"Congressional Democrats have been working to grind the appropriations process to a halt since it began," the GOP aide said. "Our leadership has asked for a thoughtful conversation to resolve this issue. To continue to use this issue has a political weapon and reject dialogue is just wrong."