Concerns are growing among Senate Republicans that Mike Johnson “has lost control of his conference,” potentially making his leadership a major “liability” in the upcoming midterm elections, The Hill reported Monday.
“It’s not like these things are hard,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), according to The Hill. “That’s the thing. I feel like the Senate has teed up things fairly easily for them, even to the point where if they don’t like it, they can blame us. And they still haven’t taken the opportunity to actually govern, and I do think it’s hurting the brand. The House is rowdy.”
Johnson faced a convergence of challenges last week during an “absolutely brutal week,” one that sparked waves of infighting over GOP priorities that Johnson has struggled to quash.
After opposing a Senate-passed bill to fund the majority of the Homeland Security Department in late March, Johnson and the House GOP ultimately advanced the bill last week, leaving “Republican senators wondering what the whole month of House GOP protests was about,” The Hill’s report reads.
“My colleagues over there need to start playing team ball,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), The Hill reported. “Their behavior is being noticed by people. We can’t blame Democrats for the dysfunction that’s going on over there right now and it’s a really bad look for people going into at-risk districts going into November.”
Another Senate Republican, speaking with The Hill on the condition of anonymity, described the House as being “like a wreck,” and argued that they didn’t “know if they’re coming or going.”