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 vital Jan. 3 Speaker vote, as some GOP lawmakers query their assist for the Louisiana Republican.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Wednesday got here out towards Johnson in mild of the spending deal, pledging to oppose him on the Home ground subsequent month. And a handful of different Republicans are usually not saying if they may assist Johnson subsequent month, leaving their choices open as criticism of the Speaker mounts.
Hardline Home Republicans who’ve been celebration to gavel battles previously, in the meantime, say chatter is rising about Speaker options, elevating severe questions on Johnson’s destiny within the prime job.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) mentioned that dialogue about options to Johnson is “the most I’ve ever heard.”
One other Home Republican tied Johnson’s destiny to the negotiated spending bundle: “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 may go away GOP members bitter on his management.
Opposition to the spending deal from President-elect Trump — whose prior assist for Johnson helped him get unanimously nominated for Speaker final month — and Elon Musk, who huddled with Republicans on the Capitol not too long ago however has been incessantly posting on X towards the invoice — is placing much more warmth on the Speaker as he seems to be to navigate the final legislative landmine of the 118th Congress.
The invoice unveiled Tuesday night combines an extension of presidency funding by way of March 14 with quite a few add-ons, together with catastrophe help for hurricanes injury and farmers; a well being care deal that features reforms to the pharmacy profit supervisor (PBM) business; 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). But it surely stays unclear if that might go the Home, with Democrats showing to balk on the new proposal after securing wins within the negotiated bundle.
Johnson can not afford multiple Republican defection on the Home ground 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 bundle 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 might observe 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 are usually not restricted to the same old hardline conservative antagonists, although. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) mentioned he’s undecided on his assist 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 selecting Johnson.
Johnson on Tuesday downplayed the dangers, saying in a press convention that he’s “not worried” about getting the assist he must maintain the gavel subsequent yr, 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 & Pals 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 had been to lose assist 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 yr. One other apparent chance 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 a very good signal for the Speaker, he’s retaining some assist 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 cope with Johnson and anti-chaos conservatives to boost the brink to pressure a snap vote on ousting the Speaker from a single member to 9 members, which helped safe Johnson’s nomination for Speaker in an inner 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 may deliver — when Republicans can have a fair slimmer majority and, after quite a few members depart for the Trump administration, will be unable to afford to lose any lawmakers on party-line votes.
And he’ll nonetheless should grapple with the movement to vacate, which even with a better 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 over the past yr.
“This has been the same playbook that I’ve seen, you know, pretty much every time from Speaker Johnson,” Crane mentioned.
