A group of far-right conservatives came together and blocked three Republican bills from advancing on the House floor because they were livid at Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for agreeing to a government funding deal.
Mike Johnson Gets A Taste Of The Rage That Ended Kevin McCarthy
Thirteen House Republicans joined with Democrats to vote against starting debate on a trio of bills unrelated to the funding agreement, two of which are aimed at nixing Biden administration rules, a move that effectively freezes the floor. Additional votes on Wednesday were immediately canceled.
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“We’re making a statement that the deal, as has been announced — that doesn’t secure the border and doesn’t cut out spending and is going to be passed apparently under suspension of the rules with predominantly Democrat votes — is unacceptable,” Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-Va.) told reporters.
Asked why conservatives pulled the move, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), another Freedom Caucus member, added that “we don’t have a great deal of opportunity to express our disapprobation.”
Speaker Johnson said that he is not worried about it:
“I don’t think I’m in any jeopardy of being vacated. It’s not something I walk around and think about,” Mike Johnson said
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 10, 2024
While the far-right Republicans aren’t willing to say that they want to kick Johnson to the curb yet, this is all following a familiar pattern.
Mike Johnson Is On The Kevin McCarthy Road To Unemployment
The only thing that may work in Speaker Johnson’s favor is that 2024 is an election year, which means that the House is in session for even fewer days than usual. However, McCarthy was fired for cutting a funding deal with Democrats and using Democratic votes to pass it in the House.
Johnson is in the same position. He will likely need Democratic votes to pass a funding bill to keep the government. If Speaker Johnson does what McCarthy did, he will be daring Freedom Caucus members to fire him.
There is more than a government shutdown crisis on the horizon. House Republicans might be setting themselves up for more speaker chaos.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
