Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) handling of an end-of-year spending deal has thrown his future into uncertain territory ahead of a critical Jan. 3 Speaker vote, as some GOP lawmakers question their support for the Louisiana Republican.
Even if Johnson abandons the bill’s current version, his handling of the situation could leave GOP members sour on his leadership.
Opposition from President-elect Trump — whose prior support for Johnson helped him get unanimously nominated for Speaker last month — and Elon Musk put even more heat on the Speaker as he looks to navigate the last legislative landmine of the 118th Congress.
House GOP members from all corners rained on the budget deal on Wednesday. And House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said a deal is a deal, suggesting Democrats would oppose another option that strays from what was agreed to on Tuesday.
Budget dealings aside, Democratic lawmakers are expressing alarm over ABC News’s decision to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation suit. They fear the settlement part of a broader trend of the legacy media capitulating to Trump.