House Republicans are eager to leave their drama behind — for now
After more than three weeks of shouting matches over a leaderless House, Republicans finally rejoiced on Wednesday upon electing Mike Johnson as speaker.
Those good vibes are unlikely to last.
While the Louisiana Republican promised to unify the GOP at last, drawing cheers and eager applause, the party is also staring down a fall packed with a high-stakes funding deadline and other tricky fights. Some of its lawmakers are already starting to ask how long their newfound era of good feelings can last.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), a member of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, compared Johnson’s victory to “divine intervention.” But also acknowledged that it’s impossible to predict when, and how quickly, the conference will descend back into infighting.
“There might be a little bit of a honeymoon for Speaker Johnson, but the issues are real and we’ll be wrestling over them,” Bishop said in an interview.
On Capitol Hill, grudges often outlast lawmakers' careers. And House members were clear as the speakership fight dragged on, they would not soon forget the ill will that took hold in many corners of the GOP.
Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) offered his own “vibe check,” acknowledging the “legislative pileup and tight margins" that Johnson would confront. But he predicted the path forward would be a lot smoother if former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s critics prove willing to give their new party leader a bit more leeway on legislating.
“I think it’s helpful that a number of more stubborn members have said they’re willing to give Speaker Johnson a little more grace and a little more of the benefit of the doubt,” the South Dakotan said. “Clearly, trust has been an issue in the Republican conference.”
Johnson faces a different reality within the conference than McCarthy, one that could help buy him more time to get on his feet. Unlike the Californian, he doesn’t have the same personality conflicts with a handful of members — and the immediate threat of an ouster — hanging over his head.
Johnson’s ascension is the bookend to nearly a month of bitter public battles that saw McCarthy’s ejection and the failure of three potential successors amid deep GOP divisions.
While his relative anonymity helped launch him into the House’s top spot, Republicans also privately acknowledge that he was aided by another factor: People were tired of the drama and ready to move on. Now they are hoping the painful family feud could help release some of the tension that has been building since McCarthy's January speakership fight.
“We’re probably in a better place in terms of some of the old divisions that are at least temporarily behind us,” said Rules Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.), while acknowledging that some of those tensions are “real and enduring.”
Some tensions that won’t soon die stem from allegations of behind-the-scenes meddling. Many House Republicans still harbor strong dislike towards the group known as the “Gaetz eight,” who voted to oust McCarthy against the will of every other House Republican.
Then, supporters of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) felt burned when allies of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) blocked him from the speakership after winning the nomination, only for Scalise's allies to help defeat the Freedom Caucus co-founder in return. Then, Donald Trump inserted himself to block Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) from the gavel, less than four hours after Emmer won the speakership nomination on Tuesday.
Multiple House Republicans have further alleged that McCarthy was behind the scenes, trying to steer the speakership election in the way he desired, rather than letting the rest of the conference decide.
“The disgraced former speaker tried to look like a team player publicly while behind the scenes he was blocking each person who ascended,” said Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who was one the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy. “The former speaker still can’t see this dishonesty and these games are why the American people wanted to remove him.”