Staff Reports
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is facing some pushback from his own party over the Ukraine aid package. This package had 112 Republicans giving it the ol’ thumbs down while only 101 said “yeah, sure, I guess.” And on another note, the March $1.2 trillion spending bill also had the same split among Republicans.
House Republican infighting by the numbers https://t.co/dmlyiVHL4h https://t.co/dmlyiVHL4h
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 23, 2024
Every Democrat who voted said “yay” to the Ukraine funding, while every “nay” came from a Republican. Some Republican critics are making a big fuss about how Johnson seems to be cozying up to President Biden and the Democrats instead of toeing the line with his own party.
Despite all the hoopla, the Ukraine security supplemental still passed with flying colors, 311 to 112. It goes to show that the majority of the House Republican Conference ain’t exactly calling the shots, despite the numbers being in their favor.
And let’s not forget the good ol’ Hastert rule. It’s an informal rule that says the House leadership should only bring legislation to the floor if it has the support of most of the GOP conference. Governing ain’t easy, especially when you’ve got some rebels in your own party causing a ruckus.
Speaking of rebels, remember former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy? He managed to rally up a majority of Republicans for a couple of important votes, like the debt ceiling deal and averting a government shutdown. He still got the boot! It just goes to show that even when you play by the rules, you might not come out on top.
Now, some folks are saying that Johnson might be heading down the same bumpy road as McCarthy. They’re accusing him of teaming up with the Democrats on spending and Ukraine aid. But hey, you gotta run the House with a majority of its members, not just a majority of Republicans, right?
And let’s not forget about the upcoming election. The Republicans could snag control of the federal government, or they might be left out in the cold. We’re talking high stakes here, people!
