| | | | |  | | By Jordain Carney | Presented by the League of United Latin American Citizens | With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team
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Mike Johnson is facing an effort to oust him for the speaker's office. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | JOHNSON + DEMS = ??? Speaker Mike Johnson will need Democrats to help save his speaker’s gavel. But it could just be a temporary fix. With Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) poised to leave Congress in a matter of days, Johnson will only be able to lose one Republican in an ouster vote. But he now has two public rebels in his ranks — Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), with several others not closing the door. And while, as we’ve previously reported, several Democrats have indicated they’ll likely step in to help the embattled Louisiana Republican — for the right price — there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical that a formal Johnson-Democratic alliance is a political reality that he can maintain for long. “I don’t think that’s a sustainable position,” Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-Va.), who has not backed ousting Johnson, said about Democrats helping keep Johnson in place. Asked by Olivia on Wednesday if he would accept Democratic help to keep the speaker's gavel, Johnson said: "I'm have not asked a single Democrat to get involved in that at all. I do not spend time walking around thinking about the motion.” But let’s start with the big reason Democratic help might not be tenable: Massie hinted that there could be additional attempts to oust Johnson even if he survives the first one — meaning Democrats would have to actively decide to step in to help him over and over again. It would also force other members of Johnson’s right flank to vote to keep a speaker that has Democratic support, potentially opening them up to criticism from their base. “They will doom him. … They won’t save him. How is that sustainable?” Massie said. “If his speakership depends on Democrats it becomes harder for [Republicans] to vote for him in subsequent motions to vacate.” Beyond that, GOP aides we’ve chatted with have raised the possibility that Democrats backing Johnson's speakership would also result in a revolt on his ability to run the floor and bring up GOP policy or messaging bills. Johnson allies make an obvious counterpoint here: That GOP infighting has already forced the speaker to work with Democrats on every “must pass” piece of legislation that has cleared the chamber because of his single-digit majority. But it’s the kind of Catch-22 scenario that Republicans openly warned about as Democrats considered helping then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy: If they don’t vote to help him keep his gavel, Johnson will get outed. If they do, it could effectively undermine him as a GOP speaker anyway.
| | | | A message from the League of United Latin American Citizens: Don't let the Dept. of Transportation (DOT) disrupt U.S.-Mexico air travel! It’s time for the DOT to reverse course and recognize the impact its decision would have on the Latino community. Get the facts. | | | There’s also the longer-term implication: Growing speculation that the Louisiana Republican won’t be able to hold onto the House GOP’s top spot during the next Congress. Johnson has been battered by a string of inherited policy fights that badly divide his conference, and have fueled internal criticism of his leadership style. Johnson hopes to turn increasingly toward issues that unite his members and focus on growing the majority. But we reported back in January that Republicans were envisioning a future without him at the top — and that feeling has only grown since then. To be clear: Greene hasn’t said when she will trigger the so-called motion to vacate vote, though some of her colleagues are waiting to see if she does it this week so it could be ripe after the one-week break. Other Republicans are warning that triggering an ouster vote now would just highlight GOP chaos and, as one member told us, “undermine the presidential campaign.” There’s also no clear successor, meaning it would set up the type of messy fight Greene has claimed she wants to avoid. And there’s little chance they will get a more conservative speaker. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a favorite of hardliners, batted us down when we asked about his name being floated as an alternative: “I’m for Mike.” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), who helped oust McCarthy, declined to say how he would handle a motion to vacate vote, calling it a hypothetical. But he said he talked to Massie and “I’m not sure it fulfills the objective that he seems to want.” — Jordain Carney GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, April 17, where we hope you are keeping your weekend plans real flexible…
| | | | A message from the League of United Latin American Citizens:   | | | A VERY SPECIAL PACKAGE FOR THE SENATE — IF THEY GET THAT FAR There’s a specific mechanism that Johnson and Republican leaders could use to package these four separate bills and send them as a singular piece of legislation to the Senate. Quick aside: At the moment, these bills could have real trouble getting to the House floor, let alone passing. But House leaders could make it easier on the Senate by passing them under a so-called MIRV rule. That’s when a rule bundles two or more (in this case four) separately passed measures into a single bill during the “engrossment” of the bills, after passage. The fifth bill, on border policy, would go under its own rule. A war analogy: It’s called a MIRV rule because it resembles — in theory — how Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicles (M.I.R.V.) missiles have multiple warheads that can each be targeted independently “as to maximize first strike capabilities,” according to the Congressional Research Service. The MIRV rule is an idea that Problem Solvers co-chair Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) told POLITICO he had privately pitched to leadership earlier this week. And it seems to be a path that Johnson could settle on — if the bills pass. How this would be sent to the Senate will hardly matter if things go south in the Rules Committee meeting or if the rule is not adopted. But Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) has voiced opposition to the MIRV prospect very early. “MIRV — the process used to merge the bills — is about as ridiculous as ranked-choice voting. The least popular option is the one that wins,” he posted Tuesday. — Katherine Tully-McManus
| | | | A message from the League of United Latin American Citizens: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering ending the Delta-Aeroméxico joint venture, jeopardizing vital ties between the U.S. and Mexico.
This vital partnership not only sustains more than 4,000 jobs, but it also contributes $134 million in annual GDP.
Maintaining strong air connectivity between the United States and Mexico is not just about convenience for travelers, but also about ensuring the continued growth of businesses and jobs on both sides of the border. Get the facts. | | | JIM JORDAN V. DOJ House Republicans are in talks with the Justice Department over a legal standoff as the GOP tries to force two DOJ tax attorneys to speak behind closed doors. House and DOJ counsel met last week for four hours, Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan told us. And the Ohio Republican said he expects the two DOJ tax attorneys to ultimately speak to his committee — even if they don’t actually say much of anything. “I believe they’re going to come to testify. Now what they answer, what privileges they may or may not assert, that’s an open question,” Jordan said. He declined to say when we followed up if he would withdraw his subpoena for them to speak to the committee voluntarily, saying that they were still negotiating. “We’re trying to iron it out and we’ll see,” Jordan added. As a reminder: Jordan sued the two DOJ officials, who are involved in the year-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden, last month. And a federal judge tore into the Justice Department earlier this month for blowing off the subpoenas issued as part of the GOP’s impeachment probe. But in a sign that the two sides had started talking, the judge scrapped initial court-imposed deadlines. DOJ declined to comment on ongoing litigation. — Jordain Carney
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | | | | | Sen. Thom Tillis walked through the Senate Daily Press Gallery and admitted that he had never realized it existed on the third floor of the Capitol. He also detailed some of his strict “PAP,” or press avoidance protocol, when he wants to avoid us. Jack Reed is all of us. QUICK LINKS Donald Payne Jr. remains unconscious eleven days after heart attack, from Joey Fox and David Wildstein at The New Jersey Globe Progressives seek to neutralize AIPAC’s spending threats, from Nicholas Wu and Madison Fernandez Senate conservative wades into House GOP's foreign aid mess from Olivia Beavers 'I was told, frankly, to shut up,' Boeing whistleblower tells Senate from James Bikales Columbia president to lawmakers: Balancing right to protest and Jewish students rights is a ‘central challenge’, from Bianca Quilantan and Mackenzie Wilkes
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. POLITICO Pro dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | TRANSITIONS Kyle Bligen, previously a policy adviser for Rep. Juan Vargas, has joined the Chamber of Progress as director of financial policy. TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are in session. THURSDAY AROUND THE HILL 9 a.m. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and others will have a press conference on the World Health Organization. (House Triangle)
| | TUESDAY’S ANSWER: Diana Deem was the first to correctly guess that nine vice presidents have ascended to the presidency. TODAY’S QUESTION, from Diana: How many Presidents were left-handed? Bonus if you can name them! The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening. | | | | Follow us | | | | |
