House Speaker Mike Johnson is up for re-election on Friday, but he may not have enough support within the Republican conference to secure another term.
Johnson has the support of President-elect Donald Trump, but several Republicans are holding off on supporting him. The Republican majority in Congress is even slimmer at just four seats, giving Johnson little freedom.
“The problem with Mr. Johnson is that now his two outspoken holdouts are also the other two who supported Mr. Trump's opponent in the primaries, so pressure from Mr. Trump alone is enough to make them I don't think he will return to Johnson's camp.”
Republicans hold 219 seats and Democrats hold 215. Assuming the two parties vote in lockstep, Johnson could only cast one “no” vote for Republicans, something Republican Representative Thomas Massey of Kentucky has already claimed. If Johnson received two “no” votes, his approval rating would be tied with 217 votes in favor and 217 votes against.
“While I respect and support President Trump, my support for Mike Johnson will go just as well as my support for Speaker of the House Paul Ryan,” Massey said. said. “We watched Mr. Johnson work with Democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and deplete the budget.”
Massey: “Mike Johnson is the next Paul Ryan'' said. “On January 3, 2025, I will not vote for Mike Johnson. I hope my colleagues will join me because history will never give America a 'do-over' again.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) walk to the office of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) at the U.S. Capitol on April 17, 2024 in Washington. state). D.C. (Photo by Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images)
Mr. Johnson has some leeway if some Republican defectors vote to “attend” rather than join Democrats in overthrowing the speakership. As of this writing, several Republicans have indicated they are undecided whether to support Johnson.
“The reason I'm still undecided about the Congressman's vote (rather than being adamantly opposed) is because it's not all Speaker Johnson's fault, and my hope is that Speaker Johnson will be given a reprieve and that we… “Give President Trump more room to implement the powerful agenda he was elected to deliver,” said Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas. said. “But something has to change.”
Mr Roy mainly cited the recent spending battle, which took place just before Christmas, when Mr Johnson first tabled a 1,547-page funding bill. The original bill was defeated by Republican defectors and President Trump's political allies before the House voted in favor. In the end, a slimmer 116-page continuing resolution was introduced, narrowly avoiding a Christmas shutdown.
Mr Roy said Parliament's annual Christmas tradition of sabotaging the Christmas omnibus “could have been avoided with serious planning and communication”, adding: “Instead, we need people to keep their promises to voters. “There was a coordinated effort to smear (half-free members of Congress).” Don't do that. ”
Mr Massey's “no” vote and possible resistance from Mr Roy will put Mr Johnson's chairmanship in jeopardy on Friday. Notably, Massey and Roy supported Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary, suggesting they were less influenced by Trump's support for Johnson than other senators. are.
“I don't see how Mr. Johnson can get 218 votes without making any major conservative commitments at this point,” a House Republican aide told Blaze News. “The problem with Johnson is that now his two outspoken holdouts are also the other two who supported Trump's opponents in the primaries, so pressure from Trump alone is enough to push them into Johnson's camp. I don't think we'll go back to the “I think we'll need more than that this time'' point. ”
Former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listens to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speak during a press conference at Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, on April 12, 2024. . (Photo by Joe Radle/Getty Images)
Mr. Roy and Mr. Massey have been the most outspoken about Mr. Johnson's speaking engagements, but several other Republicans have expressed hesitation.
“I'm going to talk to Mike and raise any concerns I have,” Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett told Blaze News. “It is still undecided at this time.”
Texas Republican Rep. Michael Cloud also told Blaze News: “I have no comment on the speaker race at this time.” Following December's fundraising debacle, Mr. Cloud signaled that he was open to making “shuffles” to ensure President Trump's policies were implemented in the 119th Congress.
“Last week's disruption was both predictable and avoidable” Cloud said. “Several weeks ago, I and others warned of these pinch points and urged leadership to involve members in developing solutions. Unfortunately, we were ignored and shut out of the process. . It wasn't the rank and file that failed this week — it was the leadership that got us here.”
“Come January, we need to rethink how Congress operates to ensure President Trump's MAGA policy is implemented,” Cloud continued. “We're going to have important discussions about whether that requires personnel changes, process reforms, or both.”
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