The Republican Party’s razor-thin House majority has transformed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) into a caretaker rather than a commanding leader as he must carefully navigate his fractious caucus, unable to discipline wayward members without risking the votes he desperately needs, according to an analysis.
The sex and death scandal surrounding Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) underscores Johnson’s vulnerability. Despite calls from within his own party for Gonzales to step down, Johnson has maintained distance from the controversy, constrained by the mathematical reality that he cannot afford to lose a single vote, according to MS NOW.
This precarious position has created significant leverage for rebellious Republicans. One House Republican explained the dynamic: “It’s a game of numbers and we’re in a losing battle. Anyone who is remotely considering leaving right now would be able to use that as an incredible bargaining chip.”
When pressed about Gonzales, Johnson offered a cautious response: “I endorsed Tony before all these allegations came out. They’re obviously very serious, and I’ve spoken with him and told him he’s got to address that in the appropriate way with his constituents and all of that. So it’s too early for anybody to prejudge any of that, but we’ll see how it develops.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), frequently at odds with both Johnson and Donald Trump, highlighted the implications: “They can’t lose a single vote, and so members almost seem untouchable right now.”
Democrats have taken note of Johnson’s constraints. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) observed that Johnson must retain members accused of serious misconduct to maintain his majority, including “one person accused of domestic abuse by the name of Cory Mills here, and another guy accused of massive sexual harassment by the name of Tony Gonzales here.”
Casten concluded: “If that’s not a statement about the 119th Congress under Mike Johnson’s leadership, I don’t know what is.”
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