GOP rep slams Republican 'knuckleheads' pressuring Johnson to 'fight for something': report

21 January 2024

As House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) approaches his 100th day in the role, Republican House members are criticizing the conservative Louisiana lawmaker for failing to secure any "policy wins," The Messenger reports.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who played a major role in ousting Johnson's predecessor — Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) — from the speakership in September, has also been a staunch critic of Johnson's.

"He hasn't really picked his big fight yet. His definitional spear in the ground has not been thrown," the Florida congressman told the news outlet. "If we don't fight for something before the election, we're incredibly likely to lose it."

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However, per the report, "The Messenger talked to nearly two dozen House Republicans — a tenth of the 219-member conference — about Johnson’s performance to date ahead of his 3-month anniversary as speaker on Thursday. While the reviews are 'mixed,' as one member put it, Johnson still has support from the overwhelming majority of Republicans."

Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) argues "Johnson's measure of success is 'mitigating' the mess of unfinished legislative business he inherited after taking over for McCarthy."

He added, "I've not seen many people turn rotten tomatoes into lemonade. I'm not saying it's sweet lemonade; it's still a little bitter, but it's not rotten tomatoes. I give him credit for that."

Referring to Johnson, Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL) said, "The poor guy is drinking from a fire hydrant, but he's kept his cool and he hasn't changed. He's still just as level headed as he was going in, so I think he's done a really good job."

Rutherford emphasized, "What I consider a victory and what some of these knuckleheads that want to shut down the government, what they want, are two different things."

The Messenger's full report is here.

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