New Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is already causing questions from both sides of his party, a New York Times report Wednesday says.
The far-right Freedom Caucus members are voicing concern that he's abandoning their hard-line values to get a wider appeal — a criticism that effectively led to the ousting of his predecessor, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
But other Republicans are worried that their new House leader is showing a lack of experience.
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), from the same state, didn't get along well with former speaker McCarthy, But with Johnson, however, the two have a positive history.
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“Mike’s style is a lot different,” he said. “He seeks input, and then when he makes a decision, he sticks with it. He’s willing to lean in and take the heat and then go out and sell it.”
While it seems like a compliment, it's also a veiled attack on McCarthy, who had a reputation for not keeping his word while telling people whatever they wanted to hear.
"On Capitol Hill, Mr. Johnson also is developing a reputation for a more collaborative approach than his predecessor’s," said the Times. "Unlike Mr. McCarthy, who did not solicit feedback from his top lieutenants and shot down ideas so routinely that they eventually stopped even raising them, Mr. Johnson regularly seeks input from Mr. Scalise, as well as from Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the majority whip, and Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, the party’s No. 4."
Those on the far-right, however, are concerned he's abandoning his Freedom Caucus values for "pragmatism and establishment tendencies" that led to McCarthy's ousting. But Johnson promised he'd keep the caucus abreast of what was going on, even if they didn't like it.
During the recent government shutdown negotiations, Johnson promised his plan would help Freedom Caucus members get to their goals.
“I’m doing this for your own good,” he told the Freedom Caucus. The deal to keep the government going enraged some on the far right so much that they voted to oust McCarthy.
Meanwhile, other Republicans are concerned that Johnson has no idea what he's doing and lacks experience, which is leading him to questionable decisions, said the report.
His first act was to pass a massive aid package for Israel, but he demanded it be tied to defunding part of the IRS, which means it's unlikely to pass the Senate or be signed by the president. Despite placating his right flank, Johnson got nothing in return.
Meanwhile, 18 Republican candidates are sitting in districts previously won by Joe Biden and they're concerned Johnson's election won't help them make it through the next election. They fear the turn to the far right will damage their chances and risk the Republican majority.
"While he has opposed sending more aid to Ukraine, he has told Republicans that he is now willing to bring up a bill to do so — but that he wants to leverage it to extract concessions from Democrats on border policy," said the report.
“He started in a very difficult situation,” Scalise said. “I can tell each week he’s definitely got a fuller grasp of the job.”
