Podcast Summary
New House Speaker Johnson's pragmatic approach to governing: Johnson opposed a government funding deal as a representative but worked with Democrats as speaker, potentially angering the Freedom Caucus.
New House Speaker Mike Johnson demonstrated a more pragmatic approach to governing than his predecessor Kevin McCarthy, as shown in the recent government funding crisis. Unlike McCarthy, who relied on Democratic votes to prevent a shutdown in September, Johnson opposed the deal at the time. However, when he became speaker, Johnson chose to put aside his hard-right ideology and work with Democrats to keep the government open, angering the Freedom Caucus in the process. This decision could potentially place Johnson on a similar collision course with the Freedom Caucus as McCarthy experienced. The Israel funding bill Johnson introduced early in his tenure was a partisan move, but it was the first indication of his willingness to make compromises to govern effectively.
McCarthy's Approach: Partisan and Oppositional: New House Speaker McCarthy prioritized partisanship and opposition to the Biden administration and Democrats during the government funding standoff, consulting with various Republican factions and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for potential solutions.
New House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's approach to his role was clear from the start: partisan and focused on opposing the Biden administration and the Democrats. During the government funding standoff, McCarthy emulated former House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's tactics by consulting with various Republican factions. Some hardliners advocated for a government shutdown, while others proposed passing a deeply-cut spending bill that would be rejected by the Senate, potentially blaming them for the shutdown. Moderates urged against a shutdown, especially before Thanksgiving. Lastly, McCarthy consulted with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation to keep the government open. Despite these meetings, it remained unclear how Johnson would proceed.
House Freedom Caucus' Discontent with Johnson's Spending Plan: The House Freedom Caucus opposed Johnson's spending plan due to lack of spending cuts and conservative policies, but Democrats saw an opportunity to pass the bill without these restrictions.
Speaker Johnson's plan to keep the government funded without spending cuts or conservative policies angered the House Freedom Caucus, leading to numerous defections and surprise from its members. Despite some initial grumbling from Democrats, they ultimately saw the benefit of a clean spending bill without any conservative policies attached. The bill's structure, which required two separate votes to fund the government in late January and February, aimed to address the Freedom Caucus' longstanding grievance about voting to fund the government in one up-or-down vote. However, this did not appease the Freedom Caucus, who were expecting a bill closer to their ideologies from one of their own. Ultimately, the Democrats saw this as an advantage, as they were able to pass the bill without any spending cuts or conservative policies.
Speaker Mike Johnson passes spending bill with Democratic help: Johnson faced criticism from arch-conservatives for suspending House rules to pass a spending bill with Democratic support, leaving his speakership uncertain due to their potential response.
Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, passed a Republican spending bill with the help of Democrats, suspending the rules and avoiding a government shutdown. This move was met with criticism from arch-conservative members, who felt betrayed by Johnson's decision. Johnson acknowledged their concerns but argued that given the House's current 3-vote majority, he needed to take this action to keep the government funded. However, the question remains whether Johnson can regain the trust of these far-right members, or if one of them might attempt to vacate his speakership. After the vote, Freedom Caucus members were asked about their intentions, and while some expressed sympathy for Johnson, others remained noncommittal, leaving his future uncertain.
Republicans Divided Over New Speaker's Handling of Spending Bill: Some House Republicans are unhappy with Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to pass a short-term spending bill and are pushing for a return to individual spending bills instead.
The Republican House members, despite their unhappiness with Speaker Kevin McCarthy's replacement, Mike Johnson, are giving him some grace due to his short tenure in office. However, not all members are pleased with Johnson's decision to pass a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown. Some, like Representative Chip Roy of Texas, view Johnson's actions as a betrayal and a continuation of the same ineffective policies. In response, some House Republicans are pushing for a return to the old school way of passing individual spending bills to fund the government, rather than relying on short-term measures to prevent shutdowns. The day after Johnson's spending bill passed, the House Freedom Caucus blocked the advancement of a spending bill that would fund the Justice and Commerce Departments, signaling their continued dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs.
House Freedom Caucus rebukes Speaker Johnson with procedural vote: The House Freedom Caucus used a procedural vote to challenge Speaker Johnson's leadership, setting the stage for potential conflict during upcoming government funding deadlines.
The House Freedom Caucus used a procedural vote to block a spending bill as a clear rebuke against Speaker Johnson, bringing his speakership into question. This tactic, which was also used against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, puts Johnson on thin ice and sets the stage for potential conflict during upcoming government funding deadlines. The Freedom Caucus has made it clear that they are not satisfied with Johnson's leadership and will continue to push for change. If Johnson fails to meet their expectations during these deadlines, his speakership could be in jeopardy.
Johnson's relationship with House Freedom Caucus: Johnson's ability to keep his position hinges on his relationship with the House Freedom Caucus. If he continues to push for short-term spending bills against their wishes, he risks their wrath. However, personal antipathy towards him may be lessened, allowing for some tolerance.
The relationship between Speaker Mike Johnson and the House Freedom Caucus could determine his ability to keep his position. If Johnson continues to advance short-term spending bills against their wishes, he risks breaking his promises and facing their wrath. However, the personal antipathy towards him that existed for Kevin McCarthy may be lessened, allowing for some tolerance. Theoretically, this could mean Johnson convinces the Freedom Caucus to put aside their demands in the current political climate, or it could be that they are hesitant to oust another speaker after the chaos that ensued during McCarthy's removal attempt. Additionally, the possibility of a deal between Israel and Hamas for the release of hostages and a pause in fighting was discussed.
Ongoing negotiations in Gaza, UN schools damaged, and CEO changes in tech industry: Progress in Gaza talks, harm to civilians in UN schools, and OpenAI's CEO ousted and then hired by Microsoft
Significant progress has been made in ongoing negotiations, but disagreements still exist and nothing is finalized yet. Meanwhile, in other news, two UN schools serving as shelters in northern Gaza were damaged in air strikes, causing harm to innocent civilians, which is unacceptable. In a surprising turn of events, OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, was ousted by the board, leading to outrage from supporters and investors. Microsoft later hired Altman to lead an advanced research lab. The UN's efforts to ensure the safety of civilians continue amid ongoing conflict, while in the tech world, leadership changes bring new developments.
