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IN THIS EDITION

Freedom Caucus won’t seek to oust Johnson, at least not right now

Republicans rebuffed Baltimore bridge funding request in FAA bill

Yellen to tout tax season success at W&M hearing

Feenstra on the air in Iowa

THE TOP

Freedom Caucus won’t seek to oust Johnson, at least not right now

Happy Tuesday morning.

The House Freedom Caucus is upset with Speaker Mike Johnson. Even furious.

But the group of hardline Republican conservatives isn’t signing onto Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) call to oust Johnson. At least not yet.

“I’m not convinced that if we go into a motion to vacate, we come out with a more conservative solution, so I think every person has to evaluate it,” Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.) said Monday night.

Instead, the HFC is looking to get back at Johnson in other ways, payback for his support for Ukraine funding, FISA reauthorization and the FY2024 spending packages.

All of these measures passed with big bipartisan majorities — more Democrats than Republicans — which angered Johnson’s right wing. Conservatives accuse Johnson of running a “coalition government” or working on behalf of “the uniparty” rather than pushing for GOP priorities.

Freedom Caucus members will likely continue opposing rules and taking other retaliatory steps, as they have throughout this Congress. This will be a problem for passing any FY2025 spending bills, at least before a lame-duck session.

“It depends. We’re going to see what’s brewing for the rest of the summer into the fall,” Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) said. “I think it’d be the fair thing to do, but if it looks like it’s headed completely off the rails, it’s going to make people angry.”

There’s no clear alternative to Johnson, however, and the HFC knows it. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) all took their shots at the speaker’s gavel and came up short. There’s no one else in the Republican Conference who could get 218 votes, or even close to that.

And with the Ukraine and FISA bills passed and federal agencies funded through September, Johnson faces less pressure at the moment on major legislative issues.

Yet there are warning signs that Johnson can’t win reelection as speaker in January if Republicans hold only a slim majority similar to the one they have right now.

“We need to wait until November and have a speaker contest,” Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), chair of the Freedom Caucus, said Monday night.

“[Johnson is] making his coalition the way he wants to,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) added. “I do think people are positioning themselves to run for speaker.”

Greene — who was kicked out of the Freedom Caucus last year in part for backing former Speaker Kevin McCarthy — has been joined by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) in demanding Johnson resign or face a motion to vacate. Johnson has repeatedly said he’s not worried about this, despite what happened to McCarthy.

Greene has kept up her barrage online against Johnson:

Greene’s office didn’t have any comment Monday on the Georgia Republican’s next move.

Former President Donald Trump is backing Johnson, which the Louisiana Republican badly needs. Johnson and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik will attend a “Spring Donor Retreat” put on by the Trump campaign later this week.

Johnson also announced on Monday night that House Republicans will launch a “House-Wide Crackdown on Antisemitism on College Campuses.” Johnson will lead a news conference with committee chairs on the issue this afternoon.

Johnson visited Columbia University last Wednesday and called for Nemat Shafik, the school’s president, to resign if she couldn’t gain control of the situation.

But the pro-Palestinian protests are continuing at Columbia and have spread to colleges across the country, challenging both school officials and political leaders in how to respond to them. The House will vote on a bipartisan bill this week requiring the Department of Education to use a broader definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.

Scooplet: There’s new pressure on Johnson to take up the Senate-passed Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). More than two dozen lawmakers signed a letter to Johnson this morning urging him to pass it before the program expires in June.

Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led the effort. It’s also possible that the Senate could jam the House with RECA reauthorization as part of the FAA bill in the coming days.

More: Jim VandeHei, the founder of both Axios and Politico, has a new book out today. The book is called “Just the Good Stuff.” Order it here.

— Mica Soellner, John Bresnahan, Andrew Desiderio and Jake Sherman

THIS WEEK’S EVENTS

Today: Join us at 8:30 a.m. ET as we continue our series, The AI Impact with a conversation between Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Punchbowl News Founder and CEO Anna Palmer. They’ll discuss the news of the day and the role AI plays across different industries. There’s still time to RSVP!

Wednesday: Join Punchbowl News at 9 a.m. ET for a conversation with Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). Punchbowl News founder and CEO Anna Palmer and senior congressional reporter Andrew Desiderio will sit down with DeLauro to discuss the news of the day, national security modernization and warfighter readiness in the United States. RSVP here!

BEHIND THE SCENES

Republicans rebuffed Baltimore bridge funding request in FAA bill

News: Republican congressional leaders stifled an attempt by the White House and Hill Democrats to include a federal cost-sharing measure for the Baltimore bridge disaster as part of the FAA reauthorization bill, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The White House has yet to send Congress an official funding request to cover the cost of the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge accident. The 47-year-old bridge collapsed after it was struck by a cargo ship on March 26. Six workers were killed in the accident.

GOP leadership aides noted that because Maryland state officials are still working on a cost estimate for the rebuild, it would be premature to green-light a federal cost share.

Republicans also argued that a cost share is unnecessary at this time because the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program already allows for a 100% federal cost share for the first 270 days. Republicans say they’re open to a full federal cost share, but “at the appropriate time.”

“It is premature to pass the 100% cost share because 90% of nothing is still nothing,” a GOP leadership aide noted. “We don’t need to change the cost share until the White House requests funding that would [require] state cost-share.”

A Democratic aide pushed back, saying the 100% cost share during the first 270 days doesn’t apply to rebuilding costs, meaning the state government would need to contribute.

“We believe it is necessary to provide the certainty of the full federal funding authorization as soon as possible as Maryland begins the process to replace the bridge, and are continuing to work to answer any questions members have about Maryland’s plans going forward,” the aide added.

Maryland lawmakers introduced legislation earlier this month that would guarantee full federal funding for the bridge’s reconstruction. President Joe Biden has also called for it. Under existing law, after 270 days, the federal government covers 90% of the rebuilding effort, leaving the state with 10% of the burden.

The Maryland state government got an initial $60 million from the federal government a few days after the bridge collapse.

One more thing: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) will introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution designed to head off a new permitting rule under the National Environmental Policy Act from the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Instead, Manchin wants permitting reform provisions from last year’s Fiscal Responsibility Act implemented. Here’s a statement from Manchin:

It’s the second time in a week that Manchin has gone after the Biden administration over its environmental rulemaking.

Last week, Manchin — who is retiring at the end of this Congress — blasted a new EPA rule mandating drastic emissions cuts by coal and natural gas power plants. Manchin said the Biden administration’s “goal is simple: death by a thousand cuts to America’s fossil fuel industry, especially coal.” Manchin chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

— Andrew Desiderio, John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman

Yellen to tout tax season success at W&M hearing

When Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sits down with House tax writers this morning, expect to hear her talk about good signs when it comes to the economy and efforts to transform the IRS.

Yellen will make a trip to the House Ways and Means Committee, where she’ll lay out priorities in the Biden administration’s tax agenda including a “billionaire minimum tax” and higher taxes on stock buybacks. She’ll also highlight tax filing season results, according to a copy of her prepared remarks that we obtained. Read them here.

Here’s a bit of what Yellen plans to say about the 2024 tax season, which wrapped up since her visit to the Senate last month:

The top Democrat on Ways and Means, Rep. Richie Neal (Mass.), cited sustained low unemployment and economic growth, saying “There’s a good story to tell,” when Yellen sits down with the committee.

Of course, expect House Republicans to present a very different view on how the Biden administration’s economic efforts and tax agenda are looking. Ways and Means Republicans are working to draw a contrast on next year’s big tax cliff — with lots of tax policy hanging in the balance in this November’s elections.

Republicans plan to use the hearing to press Yellen on how letting the Trump tax cuts expire at the end of next year would raise taxes for families and small businesses, according to a GOP source familiar with the plans.

Also expect to hear Republicans bashing President Joe Biden over the state of the U.S. economy and the administration’s handling of global tax negotiations, according to the source.

— Laura Weiss

THE CAMPAIGN

Feenstra on the air in Iowa

News: Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) is running an ad touting his legislation to deny bail for undocumented immigrants charged with violent crimes.

In the spot, the mother of Sarah Root — an Iowa woman who was killed in a drunk driving crash by an alleged undocumented immigrant — thanks Feenstra for authoring Sarah’s Law.

Feenstra is facing a primary challenge from Kevin Virgil, who’s endorsed by former Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). Feenstra knocked off King in the 2020 GOP primary after King made a string of white supremacist comments.

Feenstra has massively outraised Virgil and is the clear frontrunner in the primary. But during an election season where numerous incumbent Republicans like Feenstra are facing right-wing challengers, Feenstra is leaving little to chance.

— Max Cohen

…AND THERE’S MORE

News: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is scheduled to address the New Democrat Coalition lunch today to discuss energy and infrastructure projects.

Also: House Republicans will meet at the Capitol Hill Club today. They will discuss opposition research that they’ve turned up on several Democratic incumbents, such as Reps. Val Hoyle (Ore.), Eric Sorensen (Ill.), Yadira Caraveo (Colo.), Gabe Vasquez (N.M.), Susan Wild (Pa.), Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio), Matt Cartwright (Pa.), Jared Golden (Maine) and Mary Peltola (Alaska).

Chair race: Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), who is vying to be the top Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee next Congress, will announce he’s transferring $500,000 to the NRCC during the meeting this morning. Guthrie will have given and raised $1.6 million for the NRCC this cycle.

— Jake Sherman and Max Cohen

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