House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is quickly discovering what his predecessor learned before him: appeasing all corners of his party is no small task.
Less than three months after Johnson secured the speaker’s gavel, the Louisiana Republican has overseen several consequential votes that have threatened to split the GOP conference. The speaker has sought to keep all members of his party happy by avoiding tough decisions that could spark their ire, pushing Johnson into a corner as he must now lead his party into negotiations with Democrats on several issues.
The House on Thursday passed a continuing resolution to temporarily extend government funding and avoid a weekend shutdown, punting its spending deadlines for fiscal 2024 for a third time. The stopgap measure resulted from negotiations between Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), angering House conservatives who viewed the deal as a “surrender.”
The agreement has sparked whispers of retaliatory measures against Johnson, including a possible motion to vacate, the same weapon that was used to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy over his spending deal with Democrats.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) was among the first to weigh a motion to vacate against the speaker, telling the Steve Deace Show earlier this month the option was “on the table.” Since then, more conservatives have aired similar threats.
“I think it’s a great tool. I want it to stay in place,” Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) told reporters on Wednesday. “And if things continue to go the way that they’re going, do I think that’s a possible outcome? Absolutely.”
But the spending deal may not be Johnson’s only concern. Several conservatives have also expressed frustration with the lack of action over the southern border, pressing Johnson not to accept anything less than H.R. 2, Republicans’ signature border bill.
Those demands come as the Senate continues negotiations to approve additional military aid to Ukraine in exchange for stricter security policies at the southern border. Although Johnson has vowed not to take up the proposed legislation, the speaker met with President Joe Biden earlier this week as the president attempted to assuage his opposition.
But if Johnson did support a measure that provides additional aid to Ukraine, some members have signaled it could be a death sentence to his speakership. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has called the issue “a red line … especially when you tie it to our border crisis.”
“The border comes first, and it shouldn’t even be a political party issue,” Greene told the Washington Examiner. “So yes, absolutely. If Speaker Johnson were to cave right now to the neocons in Washington and to Joe Biden … I think a motion to vacate would, unfortunately, have to be on the table.”
Instead, conservatives have pushed Johnson to advance the GOP-led border bill that passed through the House last summer, even going so far as to pressure the speaker on Thursday to attach the legislation as an amendment to the spending continuing resolution. Johnson rejected that request, prompting backlash from his right flank.
“If you don’t need our votes for the material bills that matter for the country — such as funding the government and our major spending packages — and you continue to pass those under suspension of the rules with predominantly Democratic votes, then don’t presume you’re going to have our votes for the messaging bills that don’t matter, that make us feel better, but are dead in arrival in the Senate,” Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-VA) told the Washington Post.
Several other Freedom Caucus members indicated support for that tactic, suggesting they would start tanking rules votes to halt action on the House floor until their demands on the border are met.
“We felt like that was a pretty reasonable ask,” Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) said of the proposal to attach H.R. 2 to the short-term CR. “We need to discuss it with the group as a whole, but the idea is … to hold up bills until they decide H.R. 2 is the priority.”
Rule votes are procedural moves that are typically voted on along party lines. They rarely fail on the House floor as they simply allow lawmakers to begin debate and vote on legislation.
However, House conservatives have weaponized the procedure several times over the last year, voting to stall action on the floor whenever they disagree with GOP leadership.
“We’re going to talk about that,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) said of the strategy, noting Republicans would continue to “push like hell” to get H.R. 2 passed in its entirety.
It’s not clear whether tanking rule votes will be adopted by all members of the Freedom Caucus, but other members have indicated they would do whatever it takes to get their border bill across the finish line.
“I will never share my strategies and tactics with the media because that wouldn’t do much,” Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) said. “I will tell you this: I promise to do everything I can with every tool that’s available to me to secure our border because it is an imminent national security threat, and I will continue to do it.”
But not every conservative has expressed support for that plan, arguing that a halt in floor action through failed rule votes is not an appropriate way to express frustration toward party leadership.
“Historically, I do not vote against rules unless I believe the rules [have been] used in some unrighteous manner or in some deceit,” said Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA). “I do not concur with that strategy.”
Johnson, for his part, has brushed off threats of a possible motion to vacate.
“We have to do our job. We have to continue to ensure that we’re covering all these bases, and we’ll see how this all shakes out,” Johnson told CNN on Wednesday. “I’m not worried about that. I got a job to do here. And we have to make sure we get the answers that we demanded.”
Under House rules, it only takes one lawmaker to introduce a motion to vacate. That, combined with the Republicans’ slim majority, puts Johnson on thin ice if he manages to anger just a handful of conservatives.
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That could put Johnson at the mercy of House Democrats, who could rescue the speaker from being ousted by opposing the measure or simply voting “present.” However, it’s not entirely clear whether Democrats would be willing to do so, as they did not offer the life preserver to McCarthy when he faced his ouster.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) sidestepped questions on whether Democrats would defend Johnson from a motion to vacate, calling the possibility a “hypothetical” that has not yet been discussed.
