Republicans in the U.S. House have placed themselves into a precarious corner with seriously divided public disagreements in the last year. The result has been a vicious cycle that forced one House speaker from his position and has the current leader trying to maintain order.
Much of the division among GOP members centers around money supporting overseas wars and funding to secure the U.S. border. Most Republicans seem willing to work out these issues while others won’t budge from their stance for or against money concerns.
Current House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has hinted he will bring a contested funding issue before the House. That could mean Johnson would be blindsided by an attempt to take the gavel from him.
From the Washington Examiner:
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said it was “possible” that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) could lose his position over Ukraine aid.Johnson has indicated he plans to bring aid for Ukraine to the floor after the House’s two-week recess. However, some House Republicans have remained staunchly opposed to passing any kind of aid for Ukraine without funding for border security as well.
Bacon told mainstream media outlet NBC that Johnson could be gone. He made the statement Sunday during a Meet the Press segment.
“It’s possible. I’m not going to deny it. We have one or two people that are not team players,” Bacon said. “They’d rather enjoy the limelight and social media.”
Bacon expressed concern over any efforts to remove Johnson. Republicans hold an even slimmer majority than when they ousted former House Speaker Mike McCarthy (now retired) last October. Removing Johnson could be dangerous, including the potential for a Democrat getting elected even though Republicans hold a slight majority in the House.
“The fact is with a one-seat majority, and we’ll end up with a three- or four-seat majority with some special elections, but that’s out of 435 people,” Bacon said. “It’s a very narrow majority, and one or two people can make us a minority.”
Pressure to remove Johnson came after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) filed a motion to remove him last week. This followed a vote in the House that passed a bipartisan spending measure to avoid a partial government shutdown.
Greene and others were infuriated by the vote. She stated that her motion was a “warning and a pink slip” and that she did not want to “inflict pain” on Republicans or “throw the House into chaos.”
Bacon said he believes there are GOP members who, if they don’t get 100 percent of what they want, are willing to “bring the House down.” This sets up the possibility of removing Johnson, although Bacon believes Democrats could stop the process.
There may be enough Democrats who want to see an aid package for Ukraine pass and might step across the aisle to keep Johnson in place, Bacon explained. He also said it is best foreign relations to support Johnson in his leadership position.
“I hope the Speaker prevails, he’s doing the right thing,” Bacon said. “It’s in our national security interest that Ukraine remain independent.”
Key Takeaways:
- House Speaker Johnson could be ousted over a proposed Ukraine funding bill.
- Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a motion to vacate the speakership last week.
- Johnson hinted about the Ukraine vote which could quickly ignite a GOP rift.
Source: Washington Examiner
