WASHINGTON: Republican Mike Johnson is engaged in an increasingly nerve-wracking battle to maintain his cool amid a tumult of rebellion on his right just three days before the next speaker of the US House of Representatives is chosen.
Republican President-elect Donald Trump endorsed Johnson on Monday, but even that may not be enough for the 52-year-old Louisiana conservative to win the lower house of Congress, where the Republican majority can afford almost no dissent. .
A chaotic 2023-24 session was marked by conservative anger over Johnson’s handling of spending negotiations, as fiscal hawks lined up to attack him on the grounds that he gave too much to Democrats and Was soft on the deficit.
Johnson tried to project confidence in his job prospects on Monday, pledging to “work” on the president’s priorities in the new term.
“Together, we will accelerate your America First agenda and usher in a new golden age for America.” “The American people demand and deserve that we don’t waste time,” he posted on X.
Trump’s impending presidential inauguration has tainted Friday’s vote, as the House can’t do anything until its leader is decided — including finalizing the confirmation of the 78-year-old Republican’s victory, which It is scheduled for Monday.
Assuming every member is present and voting Friday — and that Democrats support their leader, Hakeem Jeffries — Johnson could afford just one defection and still be re-elected.
But he already has a Republican “no” on the scoreboard from Kentucky’s Thomas Massey, while a handful of other conservative hardliners are publicly open to change.