Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) insisted he had not lost control over the House after Republicans signed onto a Democratic discharge petition to force a vote on extending health care subsidies.
"Look, we're working through very complex issues as we do here all the time," Johnson told reporters on Wednesday, downplaying the discharge petition. "Everybody's working towards ideas. We're keeping the conversation going. That's what happened."
"Have you lost control of the house?" CNN's Manu Raju wondered.
"I have not lost control," Johnson insisted.
"Because this is the third time," Raju shouted.
"We have the smallest majority in U.S. history," the speaker explained. "These are not normal times. There are precedents and procedures in the House that are less frequently used when there are larger majorities, so that when you have the luxury of having 10 or 15 people who disagree on something, you don't have to deal with it."
"But when you have a razor-thin margin, as we do, then all the procedures are on the table, and that's different," he added.
With that, Johnson declined to take additional questions.