As tensions continue to swirl within the House of Representatives, a conservative journalist has warned that a potential loss of the GOP majority in the House will be on the shoulders of the House Speaker.
In an April 18 article by senior editor of The Federalist John Daniel Davidson, the potential of Republicans in the House losing their slim majority next year—and why it would occur because of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), the House Speaker—are considered in detail.
Davidson argues that Johnson, who assumed his leadership role in October 2023 after former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was historically voted out of the position less than a year into his tenure, has “sold out” GOP voters on a number of key issues.
Johnson sold out GOP voters. I’d rather have a unified opposition party than a compromised GOP majority under Speaker Johnson. Especially if impeaching Biden is off the table, as it clearly is, then what exactly is the point of doing business this way? https://t.co/fURbFxQheW
— John Daniel Davidson (@johnddavidson) April 18, 2024
Specifically, Davidson cites Johnson’s lack of funding for border security measures and siding with Democrats to financially support Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia as notable reasons why he is failing in his current position. He also noted that the funding for Ukraine is one thing that he promised voters he would not do.
The concern over flipping the House majority comes just over six months ahead of the highly anticipated 2024 presidential election, which is expected to be a rematch between Democrat President Joe Biden and Republican former president Donald Trump.
However, neither have obvious overwhelming support from voters, as conservatives are fed up with Biden’s liberal agenda and failing health and others vehemently oppose Trump’s “make America great again” campaign along with his ongoing legal battles.
As Davidson points out, “the presidential election is very much up in the air” and it “won’t take much” from either side to “tip the balance of power in the House.”
But the conservative journalist also argued that Johnson and his fellow GOP members of the House “will deserve to lose their slim majority if they go through with their plan to enact the Biden administration’s agenda and send billions to Ukraine and Israel while refusing to do anything about the ongoing border crisis.”
Davidson’s analysis comes as several Republican legislators have resigned from their positions. The GOP currently holds a majority of 218-213 in the House, a number that will soon slim down to 217 when Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) resigns in the coming weeks.
Reps. Brian Higgins (R-NY), Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Ken Buck (R-CO) also submitted their resignations earlier this year, following McCarthy’s departure in December 2023.
Meanwhile, Johnson has faced threats of being ousted from his position via a motion to vacate, a suggestion that has gained some public support from GOP representatives and one to which the House Speaker recently responded, “I am not resigning.”
