House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris suggests ousting Speaker Mike Johnson in new Congress

The leader of the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) in Congress on Thursday said that there may need to be new leadership for GOP lawmakers for the upcoming 119th Congress. This comes after a debacle over the government spending package that took three attempts to pass. 

“Before the last couple of weeks, I was in his corner, but now we should consider what’s the best path forward,” Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) said in regard to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). "We do need to consider whether — if we’re going to advance Mr. Trump’s agenda — whether the current leadership is what we need."

The upcoming 119th Congress' House Speaker vote will take place on January 3, and some in Congress, including Harris last week, have signaled that they were on the fence about supporting Johnson, per Politico.

Johnson’s handling of the spending package came under fire from President-elect Donald Trump the first time, when he said he was “totally against” the first proposed spending package. Trump pushed for Johnson to suspend the debt limit in the second bill, which landed him in hot water with more conservative lawmakers.

Andy Biggs (R-AZ), another member of the HFC, told reporters that he would “ruminate on … what’s happened since [Johnson has] taken over,” according to Politico. Multiple HFC members voted against the second spending bill, which failed after 38 GOP lawmakers voted against it on Dec. 19.

Johnson was then able to put together a deal last Friday, which passed through the House, Senate, and was signed by President Joe Biden last Saturday to avoid a shutdown. However, the third and final deal did not include a suspension of the debt limit as Trump had asked for.

What is more, it is not just the HFC members who have questioned Johnson amid the funding fight. Some more moderate Republicans as well have signaled their worry over leadership.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) told reporters on Friday, “There’s zero communication from leadership to the membership. And it’s very frustrating and something needs to change before Jan. 3 here.”

She added, “We need a clear understanding of how we’re going to do things next session because what is happening right now is completely unacceptable.” However, some are still in support of the Speaker and think that he will stay put."

“He’ll be fine. He’s got widespread support among the conference, and he’s a fighter, and he has shown that over the course of this latest process. And we need a fighter to help implement the Trump agenda,” Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) and HFC member told Politico.

House Speaker fights in recent memory include that over GOP lawmaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), when he was ousted in an effort led by former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). However, infighting among Republicans over the Speaker position may be detrimental in terms of priorities and unity as the GOP takes the trifecta of the House, Senate, and White House in January.

The outlet reported that much of Johnson's fate relies on Trump's decision to support him or not. "I think it’ll be fine unless Trump comes out against him,” Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) told reporters.