Frustrated Republicans badmouth House speaker as conservative rebellion ramps up

Friday brings the end of what Republicans have been calling “hell week,” and though they successfully passed several make-or-break pieces of hotly contested legislation, Politico is reporting that the victory “came at a cost": the further fracturing of an already infighting GOP.

There are many reasons for the widening Republican divisions, but congressional conservatives have begun laying the blame on one person in particular, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who they say keeps making last-minute, contradictory promises in an attempt to keep his slim majority moving forward. “Frustrations over his leadership,” reports Politico, “are at an all-time high.”

“This guy has divided us with a smile,” said Representative Max Miller (R-OH), who says “without question” he will vote against retaining Johnson as Speaker in the next Congress.

Evidence of the growing revolt against Johnson became especially clear late Wednesday, “with multiple members of key Republican factions yelling and swearing at Johnson on the House floor and in closed-door meetings. Johnson tried to quell a rebellion among conservative hard-liners by privately reneging on an agreement with a group of midwestern Republicans that would have tied legislation allowing year-round sales of an ethanol fuel blend to the must-pass farm bill.” This, in turn, angered those who had supported the ethanol provision in the first place. When confronted, Johnson tried to dodge by claiming there would be a vote on it later.

“Bulls——,” shouted Representative Ann Wagner (R-MO), which was verified by three people who witnessed it and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

According to Politico, “It all comes as rank-and-file lawmakers grow increasingly worried about their ability to govern over the coming months and retain their majority in November — and amid quiet conversations about who else might be capable of leading the House GOP.”

For his part, Johnson has told reporters that the complaints about his leadership were “fake news.”

“Everybody’s very happy with their work,” said Johnson. “It’s all smiles.”

That’s not what Congressional Republicans seem to feel. The Politico story details numerous examples of outrage over Johnson’s double-dealing, with several GOP representatives wondering “why they should believe the speaker.”

Politico notes that even members who weren’t part of the key fights expressed dismay over the handling of the situation. Representative Daniel Webster (R-FL) watched the “meltdown” from the floor, later admitting, “We probably didn’t have it together when we started voting. Probably should have waited until we were sure. It’s a lot of wasted time.”

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