Speaker Mike Johnson cleared a shutdown hurdle but isn't in the clear yet
By relying heavily on Democrats' help to pass his government funding plan, has the Republican speaker given himself an even bigger problem down the line?


When Louisiana Republican Rep. Mike Johnson was elected speaker of the House three weeks ago, ostensibly ending the internal GOP strife that had ground the wheels of government to a halt in the wake of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) ousting, the prevailing question at the time wasn't so much how the relatively untested Johnson would govern as it was whether he could govern at all. Now, nearly a month later, we have the beginnings of an answer.
On Tuesday evening, the House decisively passed a contentious spending bill to avert this coming weekend's looming government shutdown, funding a fifth of the federal budget through mid-January, and the remaining majority through early February. This "laddered" approach, dismissed as "goofy" by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) despite his being "cautiously" heartened by the bill's passage, is a significant victory for Johnson, signaling that he can indeed shepherd major pieces of legislation through his fractious chamber. At the same time, the fact that 93 of the 95 votes against the spending bill came from members of his own party suggests that a deeply divided Republican party with its barely-there House majority may not be quite so willingly shepherded by Johnson after all.
While Johnson eagerly takes a public victory lap after Tuesday night's vote, claiming in a statement that the bill "puts House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative policy victories," not everyone is quite so sure that it will be smooth sailing for this still-green speaker from here on out.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Dangerous territory for a GOP speaker'
Comparing Johnson's win to that of his predecessor Kevin McCarthy, Punchbowl's Jake Sherman warned on X, formerly Twitter, that because "Democrats saved him," Johnson is now in "dangerous territory for a GOP speaker." Not only is this the same dynamic that ultimately contributed to McCarthy's ousting, but there is "no evidence" that Republicans are now in a better bargaining position ahead of the next funding fight in just 21 legislative days.
Johnson's reliance on Democratic votes to pass the spending bill differs from McCarthy's in one major way, according to Politico: "Unlike his predecessor, it won't cost him the job." That doesn't mean, however, that Johnson should expect his caucus to roll over on his behalf. Instead, Johnson's refusal to "take a hard line" with his bill has some conservatives — with whom he is largely in ideological agreement — "privately entertaining other ways to retaliate," including "holding the House floor hostage by tanking procedural votes."
In a brief statement on Tuesday, the far-right House Freedom Caucus promised that "while we remain committed to working with Speaker Johnson, we need bold change" — an ominous, "first hint of a warning" that although Johnson has been given more leeway than McCarthy, that honeymoon may be coming to an end, The Atlantic reported. Having already "used up one of his free passes," Johnson now faces a packed legislative schedule even as it's unclear "how many more he’ll get."
Johnson himself gave no hints of any worry over the fault lines within his own party after Tuesday's vote, telling reporters simply "you'll see" when asked how he'll unify Republicans moving forward — a sign that he remains in a "honeymoon period" with his caucus, NBC News' Julie Tsirkin explained, even if more Republicans voted against this latest bill than its September counterpart that led to McCarthy's ousting.
'He's not in it just for the fight'
The fact that Johnson was able to avert this weekend's shutdown shows he "might be a more skillful and pragmatic leader than many thought possible," The Washington Post's Karen Tumulty countered. Acknowledging that it's "faint praise, given how low the expectations were," Johnson's ability to simply keep the government open and functioning while "nudg[ing] the appropriations committees of both houses to get back to doing their jobs" is an "admirable" goal that has impressed skeptics from within his own party. Johnson's "not in it just for the fight," one Republican congressman explained to Tumulty. "He’s actually for moving things."
While not a particularly high bar for success in and of itself, given where the House has been for the year, it's still, ultimately, a win.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
Gavin Newsom mulls California redistricting to counter Texas gerrymandering
TALKING POINTS A controversial plan has become a major flashpoint among Democrats struggling for traction in the Trump era
-
'For frequent travelers, the costs add up'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
Can Texas redistricting save the US House for the GOP?
Today's Big Question Trump pushes a 'ruthless' new plan, but it could backfire
-
A Democratic election in Arizona is a microcosm of the party's infighting
The Explainer The top three candidates are fighting it out for a special election seat
-
Could Trump really 'take over' American cities?
Today's Big Question Trump has proposed a federal takeover of New York City and Washington, D.C.
-
'It's America that refuses to listen and learn'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How will Trump's megabill affect you?
Today's Big Question Republicans have passed the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress