'Bump somebody off': Mike Johnson facing a new 'awkward situation' with powerful GOP rep

10 April

House Speaker Mike Johnson at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024 (Maxim Elramsisy/Shutterstock.com)

When President Donald Trump pulled Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-N.Y) nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, he allegedly assured her she could reclaim her spot on the influential House Intelligence Committee.

This is a problem for the Republicans already on it.

Stefanik was already pledging an "America First" agenda at the UN and a promise to review U.S. funding for it when Trump abruptly rescinded her appointment out of fear of a Democrat taking her congressional seat in an unsure election. Now, nearly a month later, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is trying to figure out how to reinstate her on her old committee.

NBC News' Melanie Zanona, Scott Wong and Ryan Nobles noted that Johnson now faces the "awkward situation" of having to consider several Republicans to ask to step down. These include junior Republican panelist Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) and Rep. French Hill (R-Ark). Fallon and Tenney have only been on the panel for three months.

Multiple GOP sources say Johnson hasn't approached anybody just yet.

“I think it’s a fluid process,” said an unnamed Republican NBC News source. “I think they’re trying to see if they bump somebody off to make room for her, or whether they add two more — add a Democrat and a Republican.”

Johnson’s musical chairs often favors combative ideologues over moderates like Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) and Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Ohio). In January, Johnson allegedly jettisoned former chairman, Rep, Mike Turner (R-Ohio) because "he was not quick to bend the knee," according to Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) who described Turner's removal "a huge blow to our ability to do oversight."

Click here to read NBC News’ full report.

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