Johnson backed into corner as conservatives put speaker on notice
By
Cami Mondeaux
January 19, 2024 6:30 am
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is quickly discovering what his predecessor learned before him: appeasing all corners of his party is no small task.
Less than three months after Johnson secured the speaker’s gavel, the Louisiana Republican has overseen several consequential votes that have threatened to split the GOP conference. The speaker has sought to keep all members of his party happy by avoiding tough decisions that could spark their ire, pushing Johnson into a corner as he must now lead his party into negotiations with Democrats on several issues.
The House on Thursday passed a continuing resolution to temporarily extend government funding and avoid a weekend shutdown, punting its spending deadlines for fiscal 2024 for a third time. The stopgap measure resulted from negotiations between Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), angering House conservatives who viewed the deal as a “surrender.”
The agreement has sparked whispers of retaliatory measures against Johnson, including a possible motion to vacate, the same weapon that was used to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy over his spending deal with Democrats.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) was among the first to weigh a motion to vacate against the speaker, telling the Steve Deace Show earlier this month the option was “on the table.” Since then, more conservatives have aired similar threats.
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