When President Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20, he did so with Republican majorities in both branches of Congress. But they're small single-digit majorities, and MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) — who recently announced her resignation from the U.S. House of Representatives, effective early January 2026 — is warning that her party is in danger of losing the House next year.
The Hill's Sudiksha Kochi, in an article published on December 1, reports that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is "staring down a potential political firestorm" as "a few Republican dissenters" within his caucus "aim to use a rare procedural mechanism to force legislation on a stock trading ban and Russian sanctions onto the House floor."
"His colleagues' attempts to sidestep him on these issues puts Johnson in a bind, as he seeks to unify a divided and disgruntled caucus ahead of critical votes on a national defense policy bill, government funding measures and other key items tied to President Trump's agenda," Kochi explains. "Republicans have doubled down on the use of discharge petitions, which require the support of 218 lawmakers, after four Republicans joined Democrats in forcing a vote on a bill demanding the Justice Department release files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in November."
The proposed stock trading ban, according to Kochi, "would ban lawmakers, their spouses, dependent children and trustees from owning, buying or selling individual stocks.
"The fight over stock trading has long gripped Capitol Hill, with lawmakers repeatedly pushing bans that rarely advance," Kochi notes. "But any attempt by Johnson to block a discharge petition on the latest effort could trigger significant backlash. The bill, introduced by Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Seth Magaziner (D-RI), has 101 co-sponsors as of late November, including 21 Republicans. Some of the most hardline conservatives in the House, including Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Nancy Mace (R-SC), have backed it…. Whatever the issue, Johnson will likely remain under steady pressure from his own ranks as he navigates discontent from his base."
Read Sudiksha Kochi's full article for The Hill at this link.
