“He has some runway. I think, just like Kevin McCarthy, the challenge before him is that we have to show the American public that we’re worthy of representation by getting things done,” said GOP Representative Ryan Zinke. However, he continued, “having the same policies without curbing the spending in a longer [continuing resolution] would be a significant error.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean that passing a long-term measure to keep the government funded at current levels would result in Johnson’s ouster, however. “A lot of what happened with Kevin McCarthy … seemed to be personal. And it’s different dynamics with Speaker Johnson,” Thompson said.
Meanwhile, the four-seat majority Republicans hold may be about to shrink. The House will vote on whether to expel GOP Representative George Santos on Friday, after a scorching report by the House Ethics Committee outlined several allegations of fraud and ethics violations. He represents a swing district on Long Island so his replacement may be a Democrat, narrowing the GOP majority even further.