Speaker Johnson ‘faces challengers’ in new year as anger grows in GOP over stop-gap bill

Mike Johnson could be challenged for the speaker’s chair in the new year as Republican critics draw up a list of potential replacements, according to reports.

Some rebels in his party are angry at his handling of the stop-gap bill to fund the federal government through March 14, dubbed a “dumpster fire” by some Republicans.

The bipartisan deal was struck on Tuesday evening and lawmakers have until Friday to approve new spending.

According to Fox News, a number of GOP lawmakers signaled that Johnson’s leadership could be challenged over the bill.

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie was the first Republican to say he would not vote for Johnson, Politico also reported.

“The speaker definitely has some ‘no’ votes, and some people considering their options,” one House Republican told Fox on the condition of anonymity, while Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina told the outlet: “There’s always consequences.”

Two GOP lawmakers reportedly told Fox News Digital that House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida are being discussed as potential replacements if Johnson were ousted in the House-wide speaker vote on January 3.

But Donalds “has not made any statements” regarding the future House leadership, a person close to the congressman told Fox, while a spokesperson for Emmer pledged his support to Johnson. Jordan is “not interested in challenging Johnson,” a source close to him insisted to the outlet.

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The previous speaker, Kevin McCarthy, was toppled in 2023 by Republican rebels - led by Matt Gaetz - after McCarthy, too, brokered a deal with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of overall government spending, with Elon Musk vowing to cut $2 trillion from Washington’s budget.

The stop-gap bill includes $100 billion for disaster relief and support for farmers among the many provisions outlined across its 1,547 pages. It would also allow a pay hike for the first time since 2009 for members of Congress, who take in $174,000 a year (more for those in leadership roles).

President-elect Donald Trump and Vice-president-elect JD Vance said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that the bill was a “betrayal of our country.”

“Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country up for success in 2025,” they said. “The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country.”

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Musk also expressed his disapproval of the bill, without going into detail, writing bluntly on his social media platform: “This bill should not pass.”

Responding to Musk’s post and the general backlash, Johnson told Fox and Friends on Wednesday morning that he had to “get this done.”

“We’ve got to get this done because, here’s the key, by doing this, we are clearing the decks and we are setting up for Trump to come in, roaring back, with the America First agenda,” Johnson said.

“That’s what we’re going to run with gusto beginning January 3, when we start the new Congress, when Republicans again wrench control and all of our fiscal conservative friends, I’m one of them, will be able to finally do the things that we have been wanting to do for the last couple of years,” he emphasized.

Johnson concluded: “Right now, Democrats still control the fence, and that’s the problem. So we’ve got to get this thing done so we don’t have the shutdown.”

He is now considering a plan B as the backlash from Trumpworld continues and is looking at a “clean” continuing resolution, according to The Hill.

It would mean the removal of the additional provisions that were initially included in the spending package.