Another House Speaker Battle? Mike Johnson's Position May Be at Risk as Conservative Anger Heats Up
With a Republican majority set to take control in the next Congress, the party is preparing to address its internal divisions.
According to The Hill, this is expected to happen on Wednesday, when House Republicans meet to elect leadership roles. Unnamed sources cited in the report suggest that more conservative members of the Republican conference may challenge Speaker Mike Johnson for his role.
“There will be a nomination,” one source confirmed.
Another source explained that those planning to nominate an alternative to Johnson want to make a statement as a bloc, aiming to ensure their influence in future House decisions.
Johnson, who needs only a simple majority to secure his position, expressed confidence. “I am [confident]. I’m talking with everyone,” he stated. “I think you’ll have total unity in the party.”
Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy said Johnson must prove he can unite the Republican conference to achieve 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 commented.
Roy added, “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.”
“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,” Roy continued. “We’ve got to figure out how to get everybody on the same page.”
In his remarks to Politico, Roy emphasized the need for constituents to maintain a voice in the House. “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,” he said.
When asked if Johnson would face a challenger, Roy replied, “It seems pretty likely.”
While Republicans hold a majority, it is expected to be narrow as final results come in. That majority may narrow further with Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Mike Waltz of Florida set to vacate their seats for roles in the Trump administration, at least until special elections are held, according to Axios.
Wednesday will also bring a new chapter in the Senate.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has led the GOP in the Senate for nearly two decades, has announced he will step down as leader, according to The Hill.
This opens the field for senators, with Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, John Cornyn of Texas, and John Thune of South Dakota vying to succeed McConnell as the GOP’s leader.