Amid all the chaos that came with the ousters of Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), House Speaker Mike Johnson suffered a major embarrassment.
In the late hours of Thursday evening into the early hours of Friday, his bid to pass a clean reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act failed. That happened despite Donald Trump — whom Johnson is loath to disappoint — having called for "a clean 18-month extension.”
But a handful of insurgents in the House Republican conference revolted over their demand for stronger warrant requirements.
Even hardline Trump supporters saw passing a clean FISA extension as a bridge too far. Rep. Andy Ogles, of Tennessee, who has previously called for Trump to be able to run for a third term, called the agreement a “trainwreck.”
Eventually, the House agreed by unanimous consent to extend FISA until the end of the month, kicking the bill back to the Senate. But that only buys Johnson a little time, representing a stunning failure for the leader of the House.
When Johnson became speaker in a compromise after a coup ousted then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, many said his days were numbered thanks to the fractious nature of his conference. But during Joe Biden’s presidency, he ultimately forged a working partnership with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who would offer enough votes to get measures over the line when far-right Republicans stonewalled.
He received a boost when Trump returned to office. While many of those cantankerous members of the House Freedom Caucus remained, Johnson ultimately knew that they would not want to go on record voting against the president. It became a running joke that the members who publicly said they would vote “no” always folded when it came time for an actual tally.
But there are limits to how much Republicans are willing to comply with Trump. And it makes things harder for Johnson, who’s job is largely dependent on staying on Trump’s good side. Now, Johnson will need to figure out a solution that satisfies enough Republicans — with the help of some Democrats — to pass the bill before the end of the month.
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