Inside Mike Johnson’s Dilemma: Spending Deal Breaks Down as Republicans Revolt

“What we’ve seen today is that the speaker tried to get the votes and the necessary votes weren’t there,” Rep. Kevin Hern said.

Mike Johnson

House Speaker Mike Johnson talks to reporters as he arrives at the Capitol. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

In a matter of just a few hours on Wednesday, Mike Johnson’s funding bill fell apart, Democrats claimed they wouldn’t accept anything but the current deal, Donald Trump said he wanted a debt ceiling extension added to the agreement and Johnson’s grip on the speakership started to feel looser than ever.

“This is sort of the final straw, the red line,” Rep. Thomas Massie said of the spending deal Wednesday.

He told NOTUS that Johnson didn’t have his vote even before this latest continuing resolution fiasco — “I’ve never said I’ll vote for Mike Johnson” — but he suggested the ordeal had solidified his position.