WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed his wish to lead what he calls a “normal Congress,” but the Republican-controlled chamber he oversees continues to operate in anything but ordinary fashion.
Marathon overnight sessions have become commonplace. Extended periods pass with no legislative activity on the House floor. Bills get drafted hastily in private meetings. Votes get called with little warning. Major legislative efforts collapse spectacularly. Yet occasionally, as occurred this week, the House manages surprising victories when bills actually get approved.
“Sometimes it’s an ugly process, sometimes it’s a long process,” Johnson remarked following House approval of bipartisan legislation funding a significant portion of the Department of Homeland Security, bringing an end to the agency’s longest shutdown on record. “But we got it done.”
The GOP majority, facing challenging odds to maintain their narrow House control in this election cycle, frequently appears to still be finding their footing, despite regaining power in 2022, as they prepare to seek voter approval for another term this November.
The week’s procedural stumbles — including a five-hour delay while Johnson met privately to rescue his legislative agenda, followed by an unexpected vote tally occurring close to 11 p.m. — would traditionally have been viewed as politically and procedurally shocking. Today, such chaos represents just typical Wednesday business.
Two weeks prior, what began as a standard House Rules Committee session transformed into a late-night venue for unveiling a hastily crafted 14-page measure modifying surveillance legislation, specifically the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, before being expedited to the floor for a 2 a.m. vote that ultimately failed.
“House Republicans have shown again that they can’t govern,” stated California Rep. Ted Lieu, who serves in Democratic leadership.
“They routinely pass bills to the Senate that are way too extreme, then it ends up that we have all these floor session days where we’re just doing nothing,” he explained.
Johnson, who assumed leadership following Kevin McCarthy’s removal more than two years ago, currently manages one of the narrowest House majorities in recent memory, providing him virtually no margin for error when attempting to advance legislation through party-line votes without Democratic support.
The speaker must balance not only former President Donald Trump’s legislative priorities but also accommodate the diverse factions comprising his majority, ranging from the conservative House Freedom Caucus to the remaining pragmatic GOP conservatives.
Johnson’s own leadership tenure remains uncertain, given Republicans’ track record of forcing previous speakers, including McCarthy, John Boehner, and Newt Gingrich, into early departures.
Last year, the Louisiana congressman successfully guided passage of his party’s primary legislative accomplishment, a comprehensive package of tax reductions and safety net program cuts that Trump ultimately signed. During that effort, he commented on the challenges of achieving legislative success.
“I do so deeply desire to have just a normal Congress,” the speaker stated in July.
“But it doesn’t happen anymore,” he continued. “Our way is to plow through and get it done.”
Looking toward fall elections, Johnson and fellow Republican legislators have outlined an agenda featuring promises of another GOP-exclusive budget package similar to the tax legislation, which they could advance through both chambers without requiring Democratic support.
Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, indicated Thursday that he anticipates “the centerpiece” of that package “will be supporting our troops” through more than $100 billion in funding for military operations against Iran, plus resources to replenish defense supplies and address other Pentagon requirements.
Despite this week’s House turbulence, Arrington described what they’re terming budget reconciliation 3.0 as the “next order of business.”
However, GOP legislators might determine it’s preferable to avoid the difficult work of crafting legislation, along with the dramatic disruptions typically accompanying such efforts, and instead focus on campaigning to attract voters.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP’s campaign organization, admitted that attempting to pass legislation with such a narrow majority “can be rough. It’s ugly.”
“I’d be fine with letting us go home and campaign,” Hudson acknowledged. “But we’ve got a lot of important work still to do.”
Some of Johnson’s most vocal critics among conservative Republican lawmakers directed their frustration over the disorganized process not toward Johnson’s leadership but toward their GOP colleagues in the Senate, who frequently dismiss House legislative efforts.
“Yeah, sometimes, it gets a little tense,” said Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy. “But we’re still getting stuff done. We’re sending it over to the Senate. So we look forward to them doing their job.”
