Far-Right House Republicans Rebel Against Spending Bill

Even though Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have agreed to a spending bill, Johnson’s far-right Republican colleagues in the House are threatening to blow the legislation up. https://twitter.com/peterbakernyt/status/1745879623416606808 From the New York Times:

Speaker Mike Johnson said on Friday that he stood by the spending deal he negotiated with Democrats to avert a government shutdown, spurning demands from ultraconservatives who have pressured him to jettison the agreement.

The announcement, after days of public silence about what he would do, all but guaranteed that Mr. Johnson will have to work with Democrats in the coming days to pass a short-term bill to keep the government funded past a pair of deadlines on Jan. 19 and Feb. 2, going back on his promise to never bring up another temporary spending measure.

Mr. Johnson had been facing mounting pressure from the hard-right Republicans, who are furious at the spending levels in the bipartisan plan, to find an alternative. They have begun dangling the threat of forcing a vote to oust the Louisiana Republican, subjecting him to the same fate as his predecessor.

Johnson reportedly began today meeting with mainstream Republicans facing tough re-election races. They urged him to stay the course with the deal he’s negotiated with Democrats, saying their constituents could not stomach the kind of cuts the Freedom Caucus is demanding. In the meantime, Sen. Schumer is prepping a temporary spending bill to keep the government funded past the January 19 deadline. https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1745474443625840813 https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1745648893000335419 Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is now threatening to start proceedings to remove Johnson from the Speakership if he doesn’t get the deal SHE wants. https://twitter.com/AccountableGOP/status/1745891404952350745 https://twitter.com/Mediaite/status/1745467719632253375