Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) dealing with of an end-of-year spending deal is throwing his grasp on his gavel into unsure territory forward of a essential Jan. 3 Speaker vote, as some GOP lawmakers query their help for the Louisiana Republican.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Wednesday got here out towards Johnson in gentle of the spending deal, pledging to oppose him on the Home flooring subsequent month. And a handful of different Republicans usually are not saying if they are going to help Johnson subsequent month, leaving their choices open as criticism of the Speaker mounts.
Hardline Home Republicans who’ve been social gathering to gavel battles prior to now, in the meantime, say chatter is rising about Speaker alternate options, elevating severe questions on Johnson’s destiny within the high job.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) mentioned that dialogue about alternate options to Johnson is “the most I’ve ever heard.”
One other Home Republican tied Johnson’s destiny to the negotiated spending package deal: “If this passes, the Speaker’s in real trouble,” the lawmaker mentioned.
Even when Johnson abandons the invoice, his dealing with of the state of affairs might depart GOP members bitter on his management.
Opposition to the spending deal from President-elect Trump — whose prior help for Johnson helped him get unanimously nominated for Speaker final month — and Elon Musk, who huddled with Republicans on the Capitol just lately however has been incessantly posting on X towards the invoice — is placing much more warmth on the Speaker as he appears to navigate the final legislative landmine of the 118th Congress.
The invoice unveiled Tuesday night combines an extension of presidency funding by March 14 with quite a lot of add-ons, together with catastrophe help for hurricanes harm and farmers; a well being care deal that features reforms to the pharmacy profit supervisor (PBM) trade; an extension of the farm invoice; and a rise in pay for members of Congress.
Amid the outrage, the Speaker is contemplating a “clean” persevering with decision as a plan B. Trump, in the meantime, is pushing Johnson to incorporate a debt ceiling enhance with a “clean” persevering with decision (CR). However it stays unclear if that might cross the Home, with Democrats showing to balk on the new proposal after securing wins within the negotiated package deal.
Johnson can not afford a couple of Republican defection on the Home flooring within the Jan. 3 Speakership election, assuming all members are current and voting. Republicans are set to have 219 Republicans on Jan. 3, with former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) seat anticipated to be vacant. All 215 Democrats will vote for Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
Massie, who beforehand led a failed effort with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) within the spring trying to oust Johnson, had appeared to melt on his opposition to the Speaker earlier this month. However the spending package deal is cementing his opposition to Johnson.
“I won’t vote for him,” Massie mentioned, citing “all the grievances I had this summer when we tried to vacate, and then this bill.”
Different Republicans are signaling that they could comply with Massie’s lead.
“I’m not committing to anything just yet, but I can tell you this: I have a massive amount of heartburn over what’s been done, how it’s been done, and why it’s been done,” mentioned Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), one of many eight Republicans who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in 2023.
Johnson’s potential defectors usually are not restricted to the standard hardline conservative antagonists, although. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) mentioned he’s undecided on his help for Johnson, earlier than tearing into the Speaker’s management — particularly on authorities funding issues.
“He committed to the conference a year ago that we weren’t gonna govern by CRs anymore and we’ve done five,” Steube mentioned. “And 43 days after we get a mandate from the American people we’re gonna work with Democrats to do stuff, when a Republican Senate comes in in two weeks?”
All that’s setting the stage for an additional potential drawn-out Speaker battle. It took Home Republicans 15 ballots over a number of days to elect McCarthy in 2023, earlier than a revolt from a handful of GOP members led to McCarthy’s ouster and eventual deciding on Johnson.
Johnson on Tuesday downplayed the dangers, saying in a press convention that he’s “not worried” about getting the help he must preserve the gavel subsequent 12 months, including he “certainly hope[s] and am working towards the majority of the majority” of the GOP convention supporting the CR.
“We’re governing. Everybody knows we have difficult circumstances. We’re doing the very best we can under those circumstances,” Johnson mentioned.
And requested about Musk’s opposition on Wednesday, Johnson mentioned on Fox & Associates that the billionaire incoming Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) co-chief understands the “impossible” place the Speaker is in. That interview got here shortly earlier than Musk unleashed dozens of posts of X slamming the proposed CR.
One Home Republican mentioned the 2 “obvious candidates” for Speaker if Johnson have been to lose help can be Home Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Home Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), each of whom ran failed bids for the highest job after McCarthy’s ouster final 12 months. One other apparent risk can be Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise (R-La.), the No. 2 Republican who additionally sought the Speakership in 2023, although members didn’t float his title to The Hill.
Ogles pointed to a ballot on his X account that included Emmer, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), and Jordan as potential choices for Speaker.
However Donalds, who’s more likely to run for governor of Florida, informed The Hill he’s nonetheless supporting Johnson for Speaker. Jordan additionally informed reporters on Wednesday that “Johnson’s going to be the Speaker, I’m not concerned about that,” later including: “I’m for Mike.” A spokesperson for Emmer mentioned that “Whip Emmer supports Speaker Johnson and is focused on doing the job he was elected to do.”
And in an excellent signal for the Speaker, he’s retaining some help from hardline conservatives.
“I still support Speaker Johnson,” mentioned Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), chair of the Home Freedom Caucus. However he added: “There are a growing number of voices, both inside and outside the Freedom Caucus, who kind of shake their heads at what’s going on this week.”
Harris helped negotiate a take care of Johnson and anti-chaos conservatives to lift the edge to power a snap vote on ousting the Speaker from a single member to 9 members, which helped safe Johnson’s nomination for Speaker in an inside Home GOP voice vote in November.
Even when Johnson survives this roadblock, the mutiny he confronted over the spending deal is foreshadowing what the subsequent Congress might convey — when Republicans may have a good slimmer majority and, after quite a lot of members depart for the Trump administration, won’t be able to afford to lose any lawmakers on party-line votes.
And he’ll nonetheless should grapple with the movement to vacate, which even with the next threshold would nonetheless result in Johnson’s demise.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), one other member who helped to oust McCarthy, mentioned the spending deal “does affect how I’m thinking about my vote” for Speaker, pointing to constant frustrations with how the Lousianan has dealt with spending points during the last 12 months.
“This has been the same playbook that I’ve seen, you know, pretty much every time from Speaker Johnson,” Crane mentioned.
