Speaker Johnson (R-LA) has once again found himself back into a corner.
Johnson wanted to put a surveillance bill on the House floor for a vote, but he was forced to pull it back amid the threat of a GOP mutiny.
Talking Points…
- Johnson on thin ice
- Mutiny on the floor
- Analysis
Johnson was given some leeway when he first took the gavel, but the shine has already worn off after several controversial moves. The House Freedom Caucus, primarily made up of hardline conservatives supporting Donald Trump, put Johnson on notice toward the latter part of the year. This happened even though Trump has openly expressed his confidence and support of Johnson as the Speaker.
Johnson has now been criticized for doing what former Speaker McCarthy (R-CA) had done in passing bills that are getting more Democrat than Republican support. With Johnson having failed to address the border with legislation that has made it through the Senate, he was put on notice by members, most notably Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who said anything is on the table, including removal.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a fierce Trump loyalist, also commented on this, stating:
"The border comes first, and it shouldn't even be a political party issue.
"So yes, absolutely. If Speaker Johnson were to cave right now to the neocons in Washington and to Joe Biden … I think a motion to vacate would, unfortunately, have to be on the table."
Now let's fast forward to this week, where Johnson continues to see resistance in the House with a majority that is as thin as ever after the Democrats flipped the seat formerly held by disgraced GOP Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.).
Johnson was about to put a surveillance bill on the House floor that would have renewed Section 702 of FISA, but members of the House Intelligence Committee threatened to block the legislation by throwing a procedural vote in committee that would have killed the legislation.
Fox News quoted a source close to the situation, who stated:
"Instead of playing the game through Rules and regular order, Intel decided to take their ball and go home, walking away from the negotiated text and amendment plan without any understanding of why."
The House now has until April 19 before Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) expires.
From the outside looking in, Johnson has lost complete control of the House and Caucus. When people mysteriously add text to bills and your WHIP and Majority Leader fail to ensure you have the votes in hand before flooring a vote, it is not a good sign that leadership is in control of the House. This is the same nonsense that occurred when McCarthy was holding the gavel.
Even though Trump continues to express his support for Johnson, it is hard to imagine that he will still hold the gavel next term if, somehow, Republicans manage to hold the House. With very little accomplished since taking over, McCarthy and Johnson have done little to give the American people faith that they can be the adults in the room and pass meaningful legislation that will benefit the American people and protect this country.
Conservatives should be very worried about the state of the GOP in Congress right now. The House is divided into at least three different factions right now, that being the establishment, moderates, and the hardliners. Simply put, they are not only not working together, but they are barely speaking to each other, and that does not bode well for the GOP to keep control in 2024.
