House Republicans are reportedly at their wits’ end with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). A report in NOTUS quotes several House Republicans who feel his leadership is a mess and that he has completely lost control of the chamber.
Many House Republicans who spoke to the publication chose to remain anonymous. They described Johnson as “f**ked” and as someone “who can’t organize a one-car parade.” One said that the speaker “obviously doesn’t listen to members.” Another described Johnson’s tenure as “chaotic” and said the past week – when he grouped three controversial bills into one rule – has been “very disastrous.”
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Johnson, however, has stood by his decision, telling NOTUS it was “the only way to have done it.”
“We’ve been working really hard to get consensus in here from all corners of the conference and get all viewpoints,” he said. “It’s sometimes impossible to touch nearly 220 people, but most of the interests certainly been listened to.”
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But Johnson also enraged his own party members when he agreed he would postpone voting on a farm bill in exchange for votes on the combined rule from people who were holding out. Republicans who wanted the farm bill vote were incensed, and the former holdouts felt the same when Johnson betrayed his word and held a vote on an amended version of the farm bill anyway.
And as the midterms approach and experts predict a massive blue wave in Congress, some Republicans are thinking it may not be so bad to shake things up.
“If we were to lose the majority now, it’d be a blessing in disguise,” said one anonymous GOP House member. “Because maybe then Democrats would go off the rails and do something stupid, and maybe voters would actually give us another chance in November.”
Johnson was also recently mocked across social media for telling voters to stick with the GOP in midterms because “You’ve gotta keep the grownups in charge, and that’s the Republicans.” It seems even the Republicans may disagree.
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