‘New Leaf’: Republican Moderates Know They Can’t Be Irrelevant Next Congress

“We had a chance to be a stronger voice this whole year,” Problem Solvers Caucus Whip Rep. Don Bacon told NOTUS. “And I feel like it was a lost opportunity.”

Brian Fitzpatrick

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick speaks during a television interview at the U.S. Capitol. Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via AP

Speaker Mike Johnson is staring down the slimmest House Republican majority in U.S. history, setting him up for a tenuous hold on his position and the challenging task of being the country’s highest-stakes people pleaser.

While conservatives in the Freedom Caucus have made it known that they plan to be a constant challenge for the speaker, there’s also a quieter corner of the GOP conference that Johnson will have to satisfy: moderates.

“It’s a new year,” Rep. Juan Ciscomani told NOTUS. “New energy.”