House Republicans left for an extended six-week recess on Thursday after passing just five appropriations bills this year. This week alone, GOP leadership pulled three funding bills from the schedule after internal disagreements.
In a previous iteration of the House Republican Conference, this would have led to howls of anger and threats to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, especially from hardline conservatives.
But not this week. After punting on more than half of the FY2025 funding bills, GOP conservatives basically shrugged their shoulders once their leadership decided to send members home until mid-September. Instead of slamming Johnson’s decision-making, the conference’s right flank was ready to acknowledge how tough the speaker has it. In large, that’s because of the House Freedom Caucus.
We’re sure former Speaker Kevin McCarthy is loving this.
“I want us to address some of our major issues that aren’t being addressed. But I also understand at the same time how difficult of a job he has,” Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) said of Johnson. “And he doesn’t have a conference that is serious about these things.”
When Johnson ran for speaker in October 2023, he promised that the House wouldn’t go home for August recess unless the chamber passed all 12 appropriations bills. That obviously didn’t happen, causing a few members to grumble this week.
But overall, there’s a widespread acceptance among Republicans that lawmakers will pass a continuing resolution in September, punting the government funding fight until after the election.
“The ideal thing to do would be to do something short term that gets us into the first quarter of [Donald] Trump’s presidency,” Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) told us. “I think [Johnson] will be speaker next year. If there’s any chatter that he might not be, no one’s talking about that.”
It’s a marked shift in tone from the spring. Back in May, 11 Republicans backed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) effort to oust Johnson. But the vast majority of Democrats joined with Republicans to table the push after Johnson passed a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine.
Many of the same members who wanted to kick out Johnson are now admitting that their problem is with their fellow Republicans rather than the speaker.
“I was frustrated with the speaker, but my frustration really is a reflection of the conference,” Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) said. “And when the conference doesn’t want to reform FISA, maybe the speaker reflects where the conference stands.”
Even Johnson’s detractors, like Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), said of Johnson “He’s always been a very likable guy.”
“So in the hour of crisis, we’re hoping he’ll make stronger decisions than in March and April,” Davidson added.
Things may be quiet now because members are eager to go home and campaign. But hardliners are nonetheless gearing up for a big fight in September with some demanding the SAVE Act — a controversial GOP bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections — be attached to a CR. Stay tuned!
