House Republican Declares That the ‘Lord Jesus Himself’ Could Not Manage ‘Ungovernable’ GOP Conference

Isaac SchorrNov 10th, 2023, 3:45 pm
 

Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images

A House Republican told NBC News that the “Lord Jesus himself” could not govern the GOP conference in the lower chamber of Congress after newly-minted Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) canceled votes on two bills to fund the federal government this week.

“I don’t think the Lord Jesus himself could manage this group,” Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) remarked about his fellow Republicans.

Johnson came to power after 8 Republicans joined with the Democratic caucus to eject former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). After McCarthy was deposed, the GOP nominated three separate candidates Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN).

But while the GOP conference eventually consolidated around Johnson, it appears as though that does not mean it has resolved to back the bills he puts on the floor.

“We’re still dealing with the same divisions we always have had,” another Republican lawmaker told NBC. “We’re ungovernable.”

Johnson is reportedly vacillating between whether to back a “clean” continuing resolution to fund the government that would include no controversial measures and one that would have two separate expiration dates in early 2024.

From NBC’s report:

This week, Johnson held multiple meetings with groups of rank-and-file Republicans about a path forward on a short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution or CR. He privately indicated his interest in a staggered bill in a meeting with allied Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., two sources said. The proposal would fund the government temporarily and impose two-tiered expiration dates: one in January and another in February.

In meetings with Johnson, some members thought he’d go with a “clean” CR without controversial add-ons to fund the government into January, while others believed the speaker would back a similar two-step CR proposed by members of the far-right Freedom Caucus.

In the event that funding bills are not passed and signed by the president, the government will shut down late next week.

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