In one of his first legislative wins, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has successfully brokered the passage of a deal to avert a government shutdown, which had been on track to happen at the end of the week. The bill, a so-called "clean resolution" that funds the government with no strings attached, passed overwhelmingly by a 336-95 margin, and is expected to easily clear the Senate and be signed into law by President Joe Biden.
However, noted Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman on X, Johnson isn't out of the woods — and needs to be careful of an uprising from within his own party.
"The House has passed the stopgap funding bill," wrote Sherman. "BUT — Democrats saved him. More Democrats voted for this than Republicans. Rs: Y: 127 N:93 Ds: Y: 209 No: 2."
"Dangerous territory for a GOP speaker," Sherman added. "See McCarthy, Kevin."
McCarthy was ousted by a small group of far-right Republicans, leading to weeks of chaos, after he negotiated with Democrats on averting a shutdown. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) accused McCarthy of going back on deals he made with the House Freedom Caucus to secure his speakership in the first place, and after McCarthy attacked the very Democrats who gave him the votes for the deal on TV, no one in that party voted to save him.
Notably for Johnson, the same rule that allowed Gaetz to easily orchestrate McCarthy's ouster — a motion to vacate the chair that can be filed by a single member — hasn't been changed since Johnson took over, although there have been discussions among the GOP to alter those rules.
