New York Rep. Mike Lawler warns Republicans against ousting House leader

María Paula Mijares Torres, Bloomberg News on Dec 29, 2024

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New York Representative Mike Lawler warned fellow Republicans against moving to topple House Speaker Mike Johnson, saying they’d be “playing with fire” and wasting time just as President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

With the speakership vote scheduled for Jan. 3, Johnson has faced criticism from some ultraconservative lawmakers after backing a temporary spending deal that didn’t include Trump’s initial demand for lifting the U.S. debt ceiling.

“The fact is that these folks are playing with fire,” Lawler said on ABC’s "This Week." “And if they think they’re somehow going to get a more conservative speaker, they’re kidding themselves.”

Republicans can count on 219 House seats, Lawler said, and need 218 votes to elect a speaker without Democratic support. GOP congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky has said he won’t support Johnson.

A factional fight among House Republicans last year led to Kevin McCarthy’s removal as House speaker, which Lawler called “the single stupidest thing I’ve ever seen in politics.”

“With that said, removing Mike Johnson would equally be as stupid,” he said.

Trump’s decisive election victory in November and his sway over House Republicans means he could wield his power to try to install someone else as speaker, though he hasn’t taken a public stand on Johnson’s future.

“We can’t get anything done unless we have a speaker, including certifying President Trump’s election on Jan. 6,” Lawler said. “So to waste time over a nonsensical intramural food fight is a joke.”

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