Washington – House Speaker Mike Johnson met with members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus on Thursday as his bid for speaker in the next Congress hangs in the balance.
Members of the House of Representatives will vote on Friday on whether to re-elect the Louisiana Republican as speaker, but it is unclear whether Johnson will get the votes, although no other serious challenger has emerged.
Several conservatives were seen entering Johnson’s office in the Capitol on Thursday afternoon, including House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris of Maryland, who questioned his leadership.
Johnson’s handling of government funding may have diminished his standing with the chamber’s far-right members. Harris said in a Dec. 26 interview with Fox Business that he was in Johnson’s corner before the funding fight, but members are considering “whether the current leadership is what we need.”
If Democrats remain united and all members vote and attend on Friday, Johnson could lose just one Republican vote and still win the gavel.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, says he plans to vote for someone other than Johnson.
Others have not said how they will vote, including Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who attended Thursday’s meeting. Roy said Massie had made good arguments against Johnson, but added that it was not all Johnson’s fault.
As he headed to the meeting with Johnson, Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina said he wanted certain assurances on a number of issues and had not yet made a decision.
Representative Victoria Spartz of Indiana, who also attended the meeting, said she would make her decision on Friday.
