House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) narrowly avoided the embarrassment of failing to get a majority of votes to keep the speaker's gavel on Friday, when the 119th Congress was sworn in. But a new report suggests that a faction of far-right House Republicans is likely to give him plenty of headaches over the next two years.
Politico reported Friday evening that Johnson securing the 218 votes necessary to be speaker came with conditions. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who is a member of the arch-conservative House Freedom Caucus, told the outlet that there would be potential "consequences" for the speaker if he failed to uphold his end of the bargain on certain sticking points.
"Let’s make no mistake about it. There will be things that are, in fact, red lines that we need to deliver," Roy said, referencing Johnson's reliance on Democratic votes to push a must-pass government funding bill across the finish line in late December. "We can have no more of the nonsense that happened before Christmas."
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Notably, Johnson's reelection as speaker comes with the caveat that he could still be ousted via a motion to vacate, similar to how former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was removed in 2023. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), who is another Freedom Caucus member, said "it is what it is" when asked why the motion to vacate rule was kept in place.
"It’s there for a reason. It’s about accountability. Mike has laid out a plan and a vision and now he’s got to execute it,” Ogles told Politico. “And if he doesn’t, you have... some members that will be willing to pull the pin on the hand grenade."
Earlier on Friday, American Prospect executive editor posted a letter co-signed by 10 House Republicans (including Reps. Ogles and Roy) insisting that their support for Johnson was conditional and could be revoked if he didn't agree to several demands. This included provisions like not agreeing to additional government spending without budget cuts to offset the cost, increasing the House's number of working days, passing sweeping new restrictions on immigration and allowing a 72-hour period for lawmakers to review all bills before voting, among other items.
Once President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in on January 20, two members of the House Republican Conference are expected to join his administration as Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) have been appointed as United Nations ambassador and National Security Advisor, respectively. Until their seats are filled via special election, Johnson will have just a one-seat majority to work with.
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