Mike Johnson’s Troubled Tenure

House Speaker Mike Johnson continues to work the difficult balancing act of trying to prevent a government shutdown while appeasing hardline Republicans.
On Sunday, Johnson announced a temporary agreement that would keep the government funded until December 20. The bill does not include any part of the SAVE Act, the Donald Trump-endorsed election security proposal that requires people to show proof of citizenship to register as a voter.
The bill also features some concessions to Democrats, including shortening the new government funding proposals from six months to three months. The House must reach a deal to prevent a government shutdown by October 1, about five weeks before Election Day.
The new bill, minus the SAVE Act, will likely get a House vote on Wednesday. Because of the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the lower chamber, Johnson will need the support of every Democrat and can afford to lose only four Republican votes for the bill to pass.
In a letter to House Republicans, Johnson admitted that the new proposals are “not the solution any of us prefer” but are vital to avoid a shutdown just ahead of the elections.
“As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice,” Johnson said.
Fourteen Republicans last week torpedoed Johnson’s previous proposal to fund the government, which included a six-month stopgap and the SAVE Act.
Johnson’s predecessor, former California Representative Kevin McCarthy, was ousted from the role in October 2022 after eight Republican lawmakers supported Florida Representative Matt Gaetz’s motion to vacate after McCarthy negotiated with Democrats to push through a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tried to oust Johnson with a motion to vacate after Johnson helped push through a Democrat-supported foreign aid bill that would send roughly $61 billion to Ukraine to assist in its fight against Russia. Greene’s resolution to remove Johnson was killed by the House in a 359-43 vote in May.
House Republicans are unlikely to try to remove Johnson in the weeks before the election, where the GOP will be hoping to retain control of the lower chamber. But Johnson’s future as House speaker could be more perilous no matter the outcome of November’s elections.
Grant Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, said the question of whether to try to replace Johnson will depend on if MAGA Republicans “can travel a learning curve.”
“It was pretty obvious that a government shutdown over this issue would hurt their party,” Reeher told Newsweek. “Even Senator [Mitch] McConnell said as much. If they hold this decision against Johnson and try to depose him, as they did McCarthy, they will be further hurting their brand.
“It will also have a lot to do with the size of the majority, if Republicans can keep it. They might be more likely to try to depose him if the majority is larger, and there is more room to play with for such political moves as insisting on tying an immigration law to a continuing resolution, but at the same time, if the majority grows, that will make it less likely that an attempt at removing him would be successful.
“And Johnson would become more popular among Republicans simply by being speaker during a winning election. If Republicans lose the House, I’d think it would be more likely that they change leadership, but it’s unclear what would emerge from that.”
Newsweek contacted Johnson’s office for comment via email.
A number of MAGA figures have spoken out against Johnson in the wake of his temporary agreement to avoid a government shutdown.
Social media user Joey Mannarino, who has more than 5479,000 followers on X, posted: “I remember when Mike Johnson became Speaker and everyone (including me) was saying how amazing he would be and what an improvement he would be over McCarthy.
“Laura Loomer was the lone voice against him and saying that he’d be a RINO [Republican in name only] disappointment. I remember saying ‘I hope Loomer is wrong this time.’ And alas, she wasn’t wrong. As usual.”
In reply, former Minnesota state Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, a Republican, defended the House speaker.
“You expect leader Mike Johnson to walk on water or he is not doing his job,” Gazelka wrote. “Democrats control the Senate and [presidency].
“He has to find a compromise with them. AND he has to get his own caucus to agree. Do you have any idea how difficult that is? You don’t just wave a magic wand.”