The House Rules Committee is often seen as an extension of the speaker’s office, and — until very recently — it was unfathomable that its members would vote against leadership without facing consequences.
But some Republicans currently serving on the committee are openly hostile toward House Speaker Mike Johnson. One of them, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, even urged Johnson to resign this week for trying to advance billions of dollars in new Ukraine aid.
Johnson said he won’t step down and defended his decision to move forward with the aid package. In the meantime, it’s not clear Massie will face any repercussions for his stance against the speaker. A spokesperson for Johnson didn’t reply to NOTUS’ requests for comment.