Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., enjoyed a series of wins this week – but there’s little time to celebrate, as Republicans grow increasingly frustrated with how he is managing the razor-thin House majority.
“He’s capitulating to the wants of the Freedom Caucus,” one House Republican, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital. “The Freedom Caucus are in control. The rest of us are just following.”
The Louisiana Republican is fresh off a slew of legislative victories this week, notching success with bills curbing congressional stock trading, averting a government shutdown, and setting the stage for a $95 billion budget that includes a top election priority of President Donald Trump.
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Johnson has managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat dozens of times since winning the speaker’s gavel in October 2023. But the pressure of running a razor-thin House majority is still enough to send tensions boiling, particularly within an ideologically diverse Republican conference before what’s expected to be a politically bruising battle to keep control of Congress.
Several House Republicans have told Fox News Digital this week that Johnson is not doing enough to bolster his rank-and-file members and their own individual legislative priorities.
A second House GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to speak candidly, said, “there’s frustration within the conference around the speaker not pushing back, and not saying no to the White House.”
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“Members have said ‘We don’t report to the White House. We don’t report to the executive branch. We should be able to make these decisions on our own,’” the second House GOP lawmaker said.
Johnson’s allies have consistently argued that his close relationship with Trump has been key to his staying power and success.
But not everyone believes Johnson is prioritizing the needs of his conservative right flank or the president over others.
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Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, told Fox News Digital, “There does seem to be a focus on a few in the conference, and the reasoning is, the most vulnerable. But that by definition excludes some other members.”
“All I will say is, we need to continue to focus on what our base wants, because we have a very important election coming up here pretty quick,” Self said.
Others, still, simply believe House GOP leadership could be doing more to help lawmakers across the conference.
“I know it’s hard. I mean, being the speaker is the hardest job in the country,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
And while she maintained that Johnson was still very much in control of the House floor and his fellow Republicans, she said, “I think there’s more that can be done to help members score wins that may be small in general, but are big and important for their districts.”
“I think they haven’t been proactive in going to the membership and saying, ‘Give me your top three priorities, not controversial, don’t cost money,’ and help us navigate the committee process to get those to the floor,” Malliotakis said. “I’ve got a bill for example, like, [high-occupancy vehicle] lanes for veterans — allowing veterans who are going to the VA, or going for treatment, to be able to use the HOV lanes…I’ve got one that would…go after heroin injection centers in New York.”
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., was even more blunt: “You’ve got to kiss a– to move legislation up here, and it’s just, it’s really getting to be a ridiculous situation.”
The frustrations hitting Johnson from different sides of the conference are a consequence of Republicans’ razor-thin House majority — only being able to lose two seats on any party-line vote with full attendance — and the vastly different approaches to legislating.
Still, other House Republicans maintain that Johnson is doing a good job of sticking by his allies.
“The ones who are complaining today will be the same ones who are complaining even when times are good. It’s just who they are,” a third House Republican, speaking anonymously, told Fox News Digital.
And Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said House Republicans have managed to accomplish a significant number of their policy goals this term.
“It’s actually a pretty remarkable testament both to the patience of Mike Johnson and to the willingness of the White House to engage,” the South Dakota Republican said.
Another Johnson ally who was granted anonymity pointed out that he spends his non-legislative time raising money for campaigns across the conference, whether people agree with him or not. “Outside the Capitol, Johnson has a second full-time job as lead fundraiser — he’s on track to raise $500 million to ensure everyone, no matter their caucus, returns next year in the majority.”
Johnson’s allies would also argue that the broad range of complaints highlighted in this story is an example of his focus on trying to listen to every member of the House GOP, and that there has not been any push for his ouster despite the rumblings.
But with such a slim House majority, it’s a fact that every vote counts.
As the second House Republican put it, “Everyone has a bullet in the chamber, and they’re not afraid to use it.”
