Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is picking an ugly public fight with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) — and Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman reports that Johnson is on the brink of folding.
Stefanik, an outspoken loyalist to President Donald Trump and herself one of the most powerful Republicans in House leadership, was briefly nominated for ambassador to the United Nations, but withdrew amid fears her seat could be vulnerable in a special election — and she is now running for governor of New York.
In the meantime, though, she has staked opposition to the National Defense Authorization Act, the must-pass bill that keeps the military funded, because Johnson did not allow in her provision requiring Congress to be alerted whenever the FBI opens a counterintelligence investigation that involves a federal candidate for office.
It's a provision designed specifically to hobble future investigations like those into Trump's ties to Russia in 2016 — and a major MAGA wish list item.
"As of very early Wednesday morning, sources said that Stefanik’s war might be successful. There was an effort afoot to put the provision back in the NDAA, showing that Stefanik’s brutal bare-knuckled effort is gaining traction," wrote Sherman on X. "Stefanik, whom Johnson appointed the chair of the Republican leadership, is a wily operator. Remember, Stefanik helped topple former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) back in 2021 for not being loyal enough to President Donald Trump. Stefanik replaced Cheney in the leadership under then Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with whom she enjoyed a better relationship."
Stefanik's attack on Johnson is part of a broader pattern, Sherman continued — and one that hamstrings his ability to do his job.
"Members find it easy – even convenient – to hammer the speaker. Johnson has little choice but to bend as he has a two-vote margin," he wrote. "And the speaker has lots of retiring members who are running for other offices, often by bashing the very Congress they serve in."
