Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego from Arizona indicated on Thursday that Representative Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) might jeopardize his chances for re-election as Speaker of the House due to his choice to keep the House closed amid the government shutdown.
“Johnson sent his team home, not really to pressure us but to alleviate strain on his own members,” Gallego remarked during an appearance on CNN’s “The Source.”
“He’s unlikely to win and could potentially lose his chairmanship next year, yet he’s locked members into a situation that can’t easily be undone,” he added.
Johnson had gained his second term as Speaker of the House with significant backing from President Trump earlier this year. During his initial tenure, he faced considerable backlash from Representatives Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Keith Self (R-TX).
Despite this, both ultimately supported him, helping secure his return. The only notable dissent came from Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), who has often criticized Johnson’s leadership approach throughout the current Congress.
In the context of the ongoing government shutdown, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has openly criticized Johnson for his decision not to reconvene the House and for lacking a clear future strategy regarding Affordable Care Act funding.
“I believe he should definitely bring the House back into session for various reasons,” Greene stated in a recent CNN interview, taking Johnson to task for delaying legislative progress.
“A competent House Speaker would work towards a consensus within the chamber, rather than some behind-the-scenes negotiations in committee,” she added, referring to the Republicans’ refusal to collaborate on extending the Affordable Care Act’s premium health benefits in exchange for Democratic votes to reopen the government.
Senate Democrats have blocked any plans related to the temporary measure to ensure Republican support for extending the Affordable Care Act’s premium subsidies ahead of the open enrollment starting on November 1.
However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, stated that discussions on this issue won’t take place until the federal funding disputes are resolved.
Gallego expressed concern, telling CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, “It’s a failure for both Mr. Thune and Mr. Johnson, not simply because of the shutdown, but because they didn’t even engage their members. They didn’t approach it from the angle of ‘We need to start negotiating to find a solution.’”
