Another House Speaker Battle? Mike Johnson's Position May Be at Risk as Conservative Anger Heats Up
Now that there is a Republican majority in the next Congress, it’s time for the party to bare its internal fault lines.
That is likely to take place Wednesday, according to a report in The Hill, when House Republicans gather to fill leadership positions.
The report, based on sources The Hill did not name, said the more conservative members of the Republican conference will put up a challenge to Speaker Mike Johnson.
“There will be a nomination,” one of the sources said.
One source said the intent of those who want to nominate a rival to Johnson is to stake out their position as a group that must be taken into consideration in future House actions.
Johnson, who only needs a majority for victory, is confident that he will be the GOP’s choice.
“I am [confident]. I’m talking with everyone,” he said. “I think you’ll have total unity in the party.”
Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said Johnson needs to sell fellow Republicans on his ability to deliver results.
“Mike Johnson is going to have to demonstrate that he can corral this Republican conference to deliver for the American people and deliver for President Trump. That needs to happen over the next several weeks,” Roy said.
“And I’m gonna be sitting down with Mike this week, sitting down with other members of the conference, but we have no choice but to deliver,” he said.
“We’ve got to deliver, no more excuses. That’s what I want to hear out of the Speaker. But he’s got a lot of Republicans who are still concerned,” he said. “We’ve got to figure out how to get everybody on the same page.”
“I have a responsibility to protect my constituents’ ability to have a voice, make sure that the rules are structured such that we have a voice, continue to evolve the House in that direction and not to devolve the House back into its native swamp position. And so, I want to see what’s going to happen with the rules,” Roy said, according to Politico.
Does that mean Johnson gets a challenge? “It seems pretty likely,” Roy said.
Republicans have a majority, but it will be a slim one when all the votes are counted in the races yet to be decided. That majority will be even slimmer after Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Mike Waltz of Florida leave their seats for posts in the Trump administration, at least until special elections are held to replace them, according to Axios.
Wednesday will also be a day when a page is turned in the Senate.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he is stepping aside as the GOP’s leader after almost two decades, according to The Hill.
That means senators will choose from Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota, who are seeking to replace McConnell.
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