After weeks of uncertainty, the House now has a permanent speaker, Mike Johnson, who is ready to tackle important legislation. Although Johnson was previously in a lower-profile leadership role as deputy whip, he is now in the spotlight as Speaker of the House. As Washington gets to know Johnson, it is becoming clear what he plans to prioritize and potentially delay or bypass.
Several pressing matters are on Congress’s agenda in the near future. One of them is the need for government funding, which runs out in mid-November. There is also bipartisan support for providing financial aid to Israel against Hamas. Johnson has indicated that there may be conditions attached to the legislation he plans to bring to the floor in the coming weeks.
One of the first actions taken by the House after Johnson became speaker was passing a resolution affirming support for Israel. However, Johnson plans to go further by proposing a standalone bill that provides approximately $14.5 billion in supplemental aid to Israel, the same amount requested by the White House. Johnson does want to ensure that this spending is offset and not simply adding to the deficit. He intends to find cuts elsewhere in the budget to make it possible. The bill is expected to come to the House floor soon.
When it comes to military aid for Ukraine, Johnson appears less inclined to move quickly, despite the Pentagon’s recent warning about low funding. He believes that aid to Israel and Ukraine should be separate and not combined into one package as President Biden had requested. Johnson expressed the opinion that House Republicans consensus is to address these issues separately. Nonetheless, he emphasized the importance of not allowing Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine and the potential ripple effects of his aggression.
Johnson has expressed his disapproval of continuing resolutions, which are short-term funding bills used when Congress fails to reach a comprehensive agreement. With government funding set to run out on November 17, Johnson would prefer the House to pass individual spending bills for the full fiscal year. However, he did acknowledge that Republicans are working on conditions that would be attached to any stopgap bill required to keep the government open. It remains unclear what those conditions will be. Conservatives have long been frustrated with maintaining current levels of government spending and wish to enact cuts.
Given the recent mass shooting in Maine, Johnson’s stance on gun control has not changed. He remains a staunch defender of gun owners’ rights and opposes further restrictions on access to guns. He believes that the underlying problem lies within the human heart, rather than the availability of firearms. Johnson stated that it is not the right time to discuss gun control legislation, though he expects discussions on related topics, such as mental health, in the future.
In terms of gay marriage, Johnson does not plan to propose legislation opposing it. He recognizes that the Supreme Court settled the issue in their 2015 Obergefell opinion, which deemed banning same-sex marriage unconstitutional. With bipartisan support, the House passed a bill last year protecting same-sex and interracial marriages at the federal level, which was signed into law.
Regarding abortion, Johnson, who has fought against abortion rights as a lawyer for a conservative Christian advocacy group, seems hesitant to support a federal abortion ban at this time. He suggested that the issue may be best left to the states, as there is no national consensus on the matter. Johnson believes that there are larger priorities at this moment, such as addressing Israel and Ukraine crises.
Johnson briefly mentioned his intention to propose changes to the current “motion to vacate” rule, which allowed a single member, Rep. Matt Gaetz, to force a no-confidence vote in former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. However, he did not provide details on what changes he has in mind.
In summary, as the House settles with a new permanent speaker, Mike Johnson, there is both anticipation and clarity regarding the legislation that will be brought to the floor. Johnson’s priorities include providing aid to Israel, addressing government funding and spending, considering gun control measures at a later time, respecting the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage, and addressing larger priorities before considering a federal abortion ban. The specifics of these proposals and changes are yet to be fully revealed.
