Johnson jams Senate and goes 1 for 2 on Trump protection plan
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House Speaker Mike Johnson during a Capitol Hill press conference on Jan. 21. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
It wasn't pretty, simple or easy, but Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) passed a crucial government funding bill out of the House on Thursday — and saved his president from one embarrassment while opening him up to another.
Why it matters: Despite some intentional — and unintentional — collateral damage, Johnson continues to demonstrate how to govern with the thinnest of majorities — which sometimes requires recalling a truant Texas lawmaker to fly back to D.C.
- "This isn't just a news conference. I would call it a celebration of sorts," Johnson said at the Capitol immediately following passage of the spending package, which marks a big step toward averting a government shutdown at month's end.
Zoom out: As for the collateral damage, that was restricted to the Senate — and the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.
First, the drama: Johnson held open the vote on a Democratic proposal to block President Trump from taking further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval for almost 30 minutes.
- That allowed Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) to land at Dulles, suffer the indignity of the airport's "mobile lounges" and cast the final vote to make it 215-215. Tie — and the big win— goes to the president.
- Knowing their support was critical, GOP leaders urged Hunt and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to return to D.C. after they missed earlier votes Thursday.
- Multiple sources also told Axios that Hunt (with Johnson's help) secured a police escort from Dulles to the Capitol, a trip that normally can take well over an hour during rush hour.
Then the mini-Trump setback: Earlier in the day, the House passed a rule that did not renew a provision essentially shielding Trump from an endless series of reproofs on his tariff policy.
- Now, rank-and-file lawmakers can bring votes of disapproval to the floor at their will, which could get awkward for Trump and House Republicans.
Finally, the reverse Senate jam: The House attached an amendment to the spending package that stripped senators of their ability to sue the Justice Department for up to $500,000 if their electronic records are obtained without their knowledge. Call it payback.
- In November, during the penultimate vote to end the government shutdown, the Senate forced the House to accept the controversial DOJ provision.
- On Thursday, Johnson repaid the favor by attaching an amendment to an appropriations bill that canceled the provision. The Senate will have to eat it.
The bottom line: Trump avoided a war powers rebuke. But his House tariff vaccine is now out of date. And the House jammed the Senate.
- Amid it all, Johnson sounded victorious, if battle weary: "Despite the noise, despite our slim margins, despite the fact that most members in the House have never gone through a regular order, member-driven appropriations process before, this team got it done."
