It took House Republicans less than a day to be divided as Republicans in districts won by Biden say they won’t tolerate a far-right agenda from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
House Republican moderates overwhelmingly backed Johnson, ending several weeks of internal fighting. But they’re warning they aren’t going to blindly follow a far-right agenda.
The vow from center-right Republicans will have an impact across a range of issues, but there are two areas in particular worth watching — government funding and the potential impeachment of President Joe Biden.
“We have to speak up,” Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) told us. “We’re a strong voice as majority makers. Now’s the time to express it with a new speaker.”
House Republicans couldn’t make it a day without falling apart.
Johnson is about to face the same problems former Speaker Kevin McCarthy had, but without the years in Republican House leadership that the former speaker possessed. McCarthy is expected to advise Johnson and be his Nancy Pelosi.
The problem with this idea is that McCarthy alienated everyone around him to such a degree that he was fired.
The Republicans in Biden districts don’t want impeachment or a government shutdown, but those on the far right are itching for a fight with the President.
The same conflicts that have made the Republican House majority a dysfunctional mess are still there, as Mike Johnson is about to find out.
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.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
