Congressman Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is wading into uncharted waters and aiming for a rock.
The deal he negotiated with Democrats failed to come to a vote amid outrage from Republicans from all sides of the chamber.
He was unable to usher in another negotiated agreement after President-elect Donald Trump swooped in at the last minute to try to salvage negotiations before Friday night's shutdown.
After choosing in September to postpone the funding deadline until a lame-duck session, he is now trying to force a deal again.
It wasn't supposed to happen this way, but the members of the council are dissatisfied.
On Friday afternoon, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) delivered the latest blow to Mr. Johnson.
Mr Malliotakis appeared before the House Republican Conference to hammer out a new way forward and made his position clear on Mr Johnson's leadership, or lack thereof.
“We don't know what's going on. In fact, that's part of the problem,” she told reporters, adding, “There's zero communication from leadership to membership.” Something should change by January 3rd.”
That inauspicious day is the House Speaker's roll call vote. With current leeway, Mr. Johnson can afford to lose just two Republicans.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has vowed to vote against Johnson. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., said Thursday he would oppose Johnson if a same-day vote were held.
When asked how frustrated he was with Johnson, Malliotakis replied, “What do you think?”
Malliotakis is far from a mob-mongering conservative purist, but her concerns about Johnson are echoed by the broader public that helped propel him to Speaker of the House 14 months ago.
Last September, after nearly a month of complete deadlock without a chair, Republicans elected an interim chair.
With Trump back in the Oval Office, Republicans will likely want a speaker who can boldly advance Trump's policies.
Thursday's failed vote highlights a bad week for Johnson and suggests he is unable to play the role.
As Congress accelerates toward a shutdown, House Republicans, and perhaps Trump himself, may try to use the impasse as justification for redistricting.
Mr Johnson appears to be slowly but surely bleeding into the polls in January. One Truth Trump's social posts may be terminal.
But former staunch allies are openly turning against him, and more are rumored to be plotting their next steps, making his predicament even more dire. There is no doubt that.
The extent of the dire situation may soon become clear.
Bradley Jay is Breitbart News' Capitol Hill correspondent. Follow him on X/Twitter. @BradleyAJay.
