Mike Johnson faces growing internal revolt over shutdown
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House Speaker Mike Johnson attends a news conference on the government shutdown at the Capitol on Oct. 8. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The longer the government stays shut down, the shorter House Republicans' patience seems to be getting with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
Why it matters: Johnson's decision to keep his chamber on an indefinite break in the middle of a government shutdown isn't sitting well with some in his conference — and that could put pressure on the speaker to change course.
- From frustration over the stalled vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, to questions about whether — as Johnson argues — the chamber really has no business to attend to in Washington, GOP lawmakers are beginning to get antsy.
- Upping the temperature: Unless Congress passes Rep. Jen Kiggans' (R-Va.) bill to ensure military paychecks keep flowing, troops are set to start missing paychecks on Oct. 15.
What they're saying: Being home in their districts hasn't stoped some GOP lawmakers from airing their frustrations.
- "I'm urging the Speaker and our House leadership to immediately pass my bill to ensure our servicemembers, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck while supporting their families, receive the pay they've earned." Kiggans told Axios in a statement after Johnson ruled out bringing her bill up for a vote next week.
Other Republicans who showed signs of breaking with leadership include:
- Rep. John Joyce (R-Penn.), who expressed support for Kiggans' bill Wednesday, posting on X, "If Congress fails to do its job, our military shouldn't pay the price."
- Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who is leading the charge to release the Epstein files, posted on X on Sunday:"Why are we in recess? Because the day we go back into session, I have 218 votes for the discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files."
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) told Axios in a statement Monday: "The House has so much work to do, why aren't we coming back in session. We could be doing appropriations, passing important bills, and more," also noting that not being in session "certainly does avoid the Epstein discharge petition."
- Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) posted on X Wednesday: "The entire reason a CR is necessary is that Congress has not done its job in passing a timely budget. The Speaker shouldn't even think about cancelling session for a third straight week."
Yes, but: Another GOP centrist, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said military pay is "an issue that's particular" to Kiggans' Hampton Roads district but that "senior members think that she can be able to nuance the politics and say, 'Yeah, I voted to pay you guys, it's Chuck Schumer who's holding this up.'"
- The "prevailing thought" even among many centrist House Republicans and military veterans, the lawmaker said, is that "we did our job, we voted to pay the military, we voted for the status quo, it's all on Schumer, and to do anything other than that is contrary to that one singular narrative."
Catch up quick: The House hasn't voted since Sept. 19, when the chamber passed the GOP's stopgap government funding measure.
- Last week, Johnson initially told reporters the House would return this week, but late Friday moved to tack on another week to the chamber's two-week recess.
- The speaker has maintained that he will bring the House back "once the Senate does its job," indicating that the House would remain out next week if the shutdown drags on.
- He's called claims that he's keeping the House out to avoid voting on the Epstein files "totally absurd."
The bottom line: Johnson — for now, at least — is dug in.
- And GOP sources have pointed out that it's easier to maintain a unified message when chatty lawmakers aren't around to say something off-script.
