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☆ Congressional Leaders Strike Deal to Fund Government Into Early March
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In reaching the agreement, House Speaker Mike Johnson risks triggering a backlash from House Republicans who are itching for another fight. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on a new stopgap spending bill that would extend government funding into March, as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) sticks to his plan to defy the most brass-knuckled budget hawks in his party in a bid to avoid a government shutdown. The government has been running on short-term spending laws, known as continuing resolutions, or CRs, since the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, as lawmakers continued to negotiate full-year funding.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Kent Nishimura Organizations: House Republicans, Getty, WASHINGTON, Congressional, CRs

☆ Congressional Leaders Reach Agreement on New Stopgap Spending Bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mike Johnson sided with the military hawks and appropriators in his GOP conference. Photo: anna rose layden/ReutersWASHINGTON—Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on a new stopgap spending bill that would extend government funding into March, according to a person familiar with the matter, as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) sticks to his plan to defy the most brass-knuckled budget hawks in his party in a bid to avoid a government shutdown. The government has been running on short-term spending laws since the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, as lawmakers continued to negotiate full-year funding.

Persons: Mike Johnson, anna, layden Organizations: GOP, WASHINGTON, Congressional

☆ Republicans Take Hard Line on Border as Ukraine Vote in Senate Looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Siobhan Hughes | Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

House Speaker Mike Johnson describes the border situation as an unsustainable catastrophe. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) Johnson said in a letter to the White House that “supplemental Ukraine funding is dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation’s border security laws,” and pointed to House Republicans’ H.R. 2 immigration bill as a starting point. That bill passed the GOP-led House in May with no Democratic support and never got a vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Drew Angerer, Johnson, Republicans ’ H.R Organizations: Getty, WASHINGTON —, Democrats, Russia, Republicans, GOP, Democratic Locations: Ukraine

House Speaker Mike Johnson could set a vote on formalizing impeachment proceedings against President Biden in the coming week. Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/ShutterstockWASHINGTON—House Republican leaders are moving toward a vote on formalizing an impeachment probe into President Biden, aiming to bolster an investigation that some in the party are still wary of pushing forward too quickly. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) and committee chairmen made a case to rank-and-file lawmakers on Friday, with a vote possible as soon as this week. House Republicans have already spent months trying to tie Biden to his family members’ overseas business dealings and gather support for their claims—which he denies—that he benefited from them.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Biden, Jim Lo Scalzo, — Organizations: WASHINGTON — House Republican, House Republicans

☆ House Speaker Mike Johnson Makes Public Security Video From Jan. 6 Capitol Riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The House select committee investigating the Capitol riot played a video compilation in its first of several hearings, including footage of rioters breaching the Capitol and officers bracing for the assault. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) started making public video footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying he was fulfilling a commitment he made when he was elected speaker last month. “Truth and transparency are critical,” he said in a social-media post. “A public viewing room will ensure that every citizen can view every minute of the videos, uncensored.”

Persons: Brendan Smialowski, Mike Johnson, ” Organizations: Capitol, Getty, WASHINGTON —, U.S . Capitol Locations: AFP

☆ Mitch McConnell’s Strength Is Tested in Fight for Ukraine Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The Senate battle over Ukraine aid has become a legacy-defining issue for Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as the Republican is facing questions over his grip on power. The Kentucky lawmaker, a dominant force in Republican politics for two decades, insists that assistance to Kyiv should be part of a broad foreign-aid package, which proponents see as boosting its chances for passage.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Mitch McConnell Organizations: Senate, Republican Locations: Ukraine, Kentucky, Kyiv

☆ House Speaker Mike Johnson Unveils Plan to Ward Off Government Shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Katy Stech Ferek | Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The plan was presented a week before federal agencies risk shutting down when current funding runs out. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) unveiled a two-step short-term spending proposal that would keep money flowing to federal agencies into early next year, in a bid to stave off a partial government shutdown later this week. Johnson presented the plan on Saturday, a week before federal agencies risk shutting down once current funding runs out. The measure wouldn’t impose spending cuts, and it also wouldn’t implement tougher anti-immigration rules at the U.S.-Mexico border, which some Republicans had said was critical to get their support.

Persons: Drew Angerer, Mike Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Getty, WASHINGTON — Locations: U.S, Mexico

☆ House Passes GOP’s Israel Aid Package as Disputes Simmer Over Ukraine, Border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Lindsay Wise | Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The House passed Republicans’ $14.3 billion Israel-aid bill on Thursday, although Senate Democrats have warned that the bill will be dead on arrival in their chamber. President Biden also said he would veto the measure. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Zuma PressWASHINGTON—The House passed Republicans’ $14.3 billion Israel-aid bill on Thursday, setting up a fight with the Democratic-controlled Senate, which is pursuing a much larger package that includes assistance to Ukraine. The measure was approved 226-196 in a largely party-line vote that masked broad underlying U.S. support for sending weapons and financing to Israel.

Persons: Biden, Michael Brochstein, Zuma Press WASHINGTON Organizations: Republicans ’, Zuma Press, Democratic Locations: Israel, Ukraine

☆ House to Vote on Israel Aid as Disputes Simmer Over Ukraine Funding, Border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Lindsay Wise | Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Israeli soldiers serviced a tank gun near Gaza on Thursday. Photo: abir sultan/ShutterstockWASHINGTON—The House is set to vote Thursday afternoon on Republicans’ $14.3 billion Israel aid proposal, kicking off a legislative fight complicated by growing disagreements about assistance for Ukraine and debates over how to better secure the U.S. border. Aid for Israel as it battles militant group Hamas in Gaza has overwhelming support in Congress, but the House bill is contentious because it also strips out money from the Internal Revenue Service and ignores the Biden administration’s request for funding for Ukraine. Senate Democrats warn that the House bill will be dead on arrival in their chamber, and President Biden has said he would veto the measure if it reaches his desk.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Shutterstock WASHINGTON, ’, Hamas, Internal Revenue Service, Ukraine, Democrats Locations: Gaza, Shutterstock, Israel, Ukraine, U.S

☆ House, Senate Brace for Showdown on Israel Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Testimony from Secretary of State Antony Blinken was interrupted several times on Tuesday after protesters shouted antiwar slogans during his opening remarks. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) is on a collision course with the Senate over a plan to immediately fund aid for Israel but not Ukraine, with a proposed House bill drawing rebukes from Democrats and a cool reception from some Republicans who favor a broader foreign-policy package. The newly elected leader is moving to hold a vote on a bill Thursday giving Israel $14.3 billion in aid and taking previously allocated funding for the Internal Revenue Service to offset the expense. The package would be far smaller than the $106 billion requested by the White House to fund not only Israel but also Ukraine, Taiwan and border security.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Saul Loeb, Mike Johnson Organizations: Getty, WASHINGTON —, Senate, Israel, Internal Revenue Service, White Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was removed as GOP nominee for speaker in a secret ballot after he lost his third bid. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the previous speaker, was ousted three weeks ago. Mike Johnson of Louisiana was chosen as House Republicans’ latest nominee for speaker in a conference vote late Tuesday, hours after the party elected and then derailed a different member in its search for the elusive candidate who can actually win the gavel. At the end of a marathon day of internal debate and votes, Johnson, the vice chairman of the House Republican conference, bested Byron Donalds of Florida, a Trump ally popular with many of the House’s most conservative lawmakers. In a shift, lawmakers left the Capitol on Tuesday night optimistic that Johnson could unite them after a series of failed attempts to find a successor to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), who was ousted three weeks ago.

Persons: Jim Jordan of, Kevin McCarthy, Valerie Plesch, Mike Johnson of, Republicans ’, Johnson, Byron Donalds of Organizations: Bloomberg WASHINGTON —, Republicans, House Republican, Trump, Capitol Locations: Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Byron Donalds of Florida, Calif

WASHINGTON—In choosing Mike Johnson as the new House Speaker, Republicans have cast their lot with a little-known congressman from Louisiana who has made his name pushing conservative positions on cultural issues and who played a key role in unsuccessful legal efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. After 22 days without a speaker, House Republicans came together to elect Johnson for the post Wednesday after three other better-known nominees failed to unite the fractured conference.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Mike Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Republicans Locations: WASHINGTON, Louisiana

House Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as speaker of the House on Wednesday, more than three weeks after Kevin McCarthy was ousted. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—The House elected GOP Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as speaker, elevating a staunch conservative to the top post after three weeks of Republican infighting doomed other candidates aiming to succeed ousted leader Kevin McCarthy. The choice of Johnson, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, came after the party cycled through a series of hopefuls, prompting some members to wonder whether any colleague could thread the needle in the deeply divided conference. With a speaker now in place, lawmakers can finally get back to work, with many eager to pass aid for Israel and address a looming government-funding deadline next month.

Persons: Mike Johnson of, Kevin McCarthy, Chip Somodevilla, Johnson, Donald Trump Organizations: Republicans, Getty, WASHINGTON, The Locations: Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Israel

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was removed as GOP nominee for speaker in a secret ballot after he lost his third bid on Friday. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the previous speaker, was ousted three weeks ago. Photo: Valerie Plesch/BloombergWASHINGTON—Republicans sought to end a three-week-old political crisis by picking a House speaker nominee who could finally garner a majority of the chamber, with plans to hold a party vote Tuesday morning and hopes to move to the floor as soon as later in the day. Weary from weeks of fighting and embarrassing setbacks, House Republicans will meet behind closed doors to choose from among eight Republicans currently running to serve as House speaker. Lawmakers are eager to get back to work, with many wanting to pass aid to Israel and address a looming government funding deadline, neither of which can be done until a new leader is approved by the full chamber.

Persons: Jim Jordan of, Kevin McCarthy, Valerie Plesch Organizations: Bloomberg WASHINGTON —, Republicans Locations: Jim Jordan of Ohio, Israel

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was removed as GOP nominee for speaker in a secret ballot after he lost his third bid on Friday. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the previous speaker, was ousted nearly three weeks ago. Photo: Valerie Plesch/BloombergWASHINGTON—House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R., Minn.) dropped his bid to serve as House speaker just hours after he was narrowly elected as the Republican nominee, as stiff resistance from hard-right conservatives reinforced by former President Donald Trump sank the party’s latest pick to run the chamber. His withdrawal put the Republicans back to square one for the fourth time, three weeks after hard-liners engineered the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.). Republicans regrouped again late Tuesday to map out their next steps, assembling another slate of candidates and holding a fresh forum in the evening.

Persons: Jim Jordan of, Kevin McCarthy, Valerie Plesch, Tom Emmer, Donald Trump Organizations: Bloomberg WASHINGTON —, Republican, Republicans Locations: Jim Jordan of Ohio, Minn, Calif

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was removed as GOP nominee for speaker in a secret ballot after he lost his third bid on Friday. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the previous speaker, was ousted three weeks ago. Photo: Valerie Plesch/BloombergWASHINGTON—Republicans narrowly chose House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R., Minn.) as their nominee for speaker on Tuesday, but his bid to win the gavel immediately ran into trouble, with hard-line conservatives and former President Donald Trump inveighing against him. The developments set the stage for an exasperating replay of previous rounds in the speaker drama, in which a nominee won the party’s nod only to be derailed by a determined band of holdouts, threatening to extend a three-week-old political crisis that began with the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) at the start of month.

Persons: Jim Jordan of, Kevin McCarthy, Valerie Plesch, Tom Emmer, Donald Trump inveighing Organizations: Bloomberg WASHINGTON — Republicans Locations: Jim Jordan of Ohio, Minn, Calif

☆ Tom Emmer’s Record Could Backfire in Speaker Race
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Siobhan Hughes | Katy Stech Ferek | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was removed as GOP nominee for speaker in a secret ballot after he lost his third bid on Friday. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the previous speaker, was ousted more than two weeks ago. Photo: Valerie Plesch/BloombergWASHINGTON—A bid by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R., Minn.) to serve as the House Republicans’ pick to be speaker will test whether the strong ties he built recruiting candidates and counting votes will overcome doubts from some anti-establishment lawmakers aligned with former President Donald Trump. Candidates are expected to pitch their colleagues at a forum on Monday evening ahead of an internal vote to designate a new Republican speaker nominee as soon as Tuesday morning. Beyond winning the GOP ballot, the speaker nominee will face the uphill battle to unite almost all Republicans to have a chance of winning the House vote, given Republicans’ narrow 221-212 majority.

Persons: Jim Jordan of, Kevin McCarthy, Valerie Plesch, Bloomberg WASHINGTON —, Tom Emmer, Republicans ’, Donald Trump Organizations: Bloomberg, Republicans, GOP, ’ Locations: Jim Jordan of Ohio, Minn

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was removed as GOP nominee for speaker in a secret ballot after he lost his third bid on Friday. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the previous speaker, was ousted more than two weeks ago. Photo: Valerie Plesch/BloombergHouse Republicans haven’t settled on a consensus candidate for speaker, but many emerged from a meeting Monday with guarded optimism that they will be able to rally behind whoever clinches the nomination after three weeks of public feuding. Lawmakers met Monday night to hear proposals from candidates who explained their strategy for unifying a fractured group and executing legislative priorities such as cutting federal spending and increasing border security. A GOP vote to select the party’s nominee is scheduled for Tuesday morning, with a floor vote of the full House expected in coming days.

Persons: Jim Jordan of, Kevin McCarthy, Valerie Plesch, Republicans haven’t, Lawmakers Organizations: Bloomberg, Republicans, GOP Locations: Jim Jordan of Ohio

Rep. Jim Jordan failed a second attempt at being elected speaker on Wednesday after 22 Republicans voted against him. It has been more than two weeks since the ouster of the previous speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/ShutterstockWASHINGTON—Republican speaker nominee Rep. Jim Jordan was set to fall short in a third round of voting to secure the gavel Friday morning, after struggling to win support from colleagues who have opposed his candidacy, likely leaving Republicans at a fresh impasse. While the Ohio conservative has campaigned as a speaker who can unite the party, he continues to face long odds, a full week after securing the GOP nomination and more than two weeks after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) was ousted. Republicans have no current fallback plan after rejecting a proposal to vote on giving more powers to Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R., N.C.).

Persons: Jim Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, Jim Lo Scalzo, Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republicans, GOP, Pro Tempore Locations: Ohio, Calif, N.C

Watch live coverage of the House vote to choose a new speaker, following the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy. WASHINGTON—Republican speaker nominee Rep. Jim Jordan fell short again in a third round of voting Friday morning, losing ground in his struggle to win over GOP colleagues and leaving the House at a fresh impasse. The final vote was 194 for Jordan, 210 for Democratic nominee Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and 25 for Republicans other than Jordan. A speaker would need to win a majority of members present and voting for a candidate.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, WASHINGTON, Jim Jordan, Hakeem Jeffries, Jordan Organizations: GOP, Democratic, Republicans Locations: Jordan, New York

Patrick McHenry and Jim Jordan consulted on speaker talks in the House Wednesday. Photo: Tom Williams/Zuma PressWASHINGTON—GOP speaker designee Jim Jordan is throwing his support behind a plan to put caretaker speaker Patrick McHenry in charge of the House until January, according to a person familiar with the matter, a plan that could reopen the House after a two-week impasse. Rank-and-file GOP lawmakers had started to lose patience with the Ohio Republican’s efforts to continue his campaign after losses on two consecutive ballots. There will be no third vote Thursday, but Jordan plans to stay in the race. The plan would give him several months to build support for his bid while allowing the House to move forward with key votes expected on Israel and Ukraine aid and keeping the government funded.

Persons: Patrick McHenry, Jim Jordan, Tom Williams, Jordan Organizations: Zuma Press WASHINGTON, GOP Locations: Ohio, Israel, Ukraine

Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) has scuffled in his efforts to become the next House speaker. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—Struggling Republican speaker nominee Rep. Jim Jordan postponed to Friday morning a third floor vote after a plan to temporarily put caretaker speaker Rep. Patrick McHenry in charge of the House ran into sharp objections from conservatives. Jordan’s push to have a third vote on his candidacy Thursday fell apart as the Ohio conservative met continued resistance from his opponents during a meeting in a House office. As some trickled out, there was no sign he had managed to change their minds.

Persons: Jim Jordan, Chip Somodevilla, Patrick McHenry Organizations: Getty, WASHINGTON — Locations: , Ohio, Ohio

Reps. Patrick McHenry and Jim Jordan consulted on speaker talks in the House Wednesday. Photo: Tom Williams/Zuma PressWASHINGTON—Republican speaker nominee Rep. Jim Jordan said he would embark on a third floor vote after a plan to temporarily put caretaker speaker Rep. Patrick McHenry in charge of the House ran into sharp objections from conservatives. “I am still running for speaker and I plan to go to the floor and get the votes and win this race,” Jordan said after leaving a heated closed-door meeting of House Republicans. He said that he first wanted to talk to the GOP lawmakers who voted against him, and that a pitch to elect a temporary speaker didn’t have the support of the conference.

Persons: Patrick McHenry, Jim Jordan, Tom Williams, “, ” Jordan Organizations: Zuma Press WASHINGTON, House Republicans

The House of Representatives failed to elect Rep. Jim Jordan as speaker on Tuesday after 20 Republicans voted against him. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/ReutersWASHINGTON—Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) appeared likely to again fall short of the votes needed to be elected House speaker in a second ballot Wednesday, prompting lawmakers to more seriously consider other avenues for breaking the impasse that has paralyzed the chamber. More than two weeks after former House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) was ousted, Republicans remained gripped in a fierce internal struggle over who to elect to lead them. Jordan, a favorite of the party’s populist wing but viewed skeptically by centrist and GOP establishment lawmakers, lost 20 Republican votes in the first ballot Tuesday afternoon, exceeding the handful of defections he can afford in the narrowly divided House with all Democrats opposed.

Persons: Jim Jordan, Jonathan Ernst, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: Reuters WASHINGTON — Rep, Republicans, GOP, Republican Locations: , Ohio, Calif, Jordan

Watch live coverage of the House vote to choose a new speaker, following the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy. WASHINGTON—Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) appeared likely to again fall short of the votes needed to be elected House speaker in a second ballot Wednesday, prompting lawmakers to more seriously consider other avenues for breaking the impasse that has paralyzed the chamber. More than two weeks after former House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) was ousted, Republicans remained gripped in a fierce internal struggle over who to elect to lead them. Jordan, a favorite of the party’s populist wing but viewed skeptically by centrist and GOP establishment lawmakers, lost 20 Republican votes in the first ballot Tuesday afternoon, exceeding the handful of defections he can afford in the narrowly divided House with all Democrats opposed.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan Organizations: WASHINGTON — Rep, Republicans, GOP, Republican Locations: , Ohio, Calif, Jordan

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