Speaker Mike Johnson strengthens his grip on the House with key committee appointments aimed at smoother legislation.
He picked Rep. Virginia Foxx from North Carolina to lead the powerful Rules Committee. This committee decides how legislation gets to the House floor. Even though Foxx is loyal, the real changes are happening with other members. Rep. Brian Jack from Georgia is stepping into a Rules seat, and Rep. Morgan Griffith from Virginia is taking over another spot.
Massie, who was Johnson’s only opponent during the speaker election, had a shaky time on the committee. He was part of a conservative group that made it tough for Johnson to pass big bills without getting Democratic votes.
Griffith’s appointment seems like a way to keep the Freedom Caucus happy. They were hoping for another conservative to take a bigger role. Massie even suggested Griffith to Johnson, saying he’d stick to the rules.
Republicans were worried about replacing Massie with someone who might block legislation. But Griffith’s selection seems to ease those concerns. Rep. Dusty Johnson from South Dakota thinks Griffith will be a great addition to the committee.
Foxx, known for her strict approach, is the only woman chair in a party that often struggles to promote women. Jack is also seen as a key link between Trump and House Republicans.
While Johnson may have a more manageable committee, he still faces challenges. The Freedom Caucus pushed for limits on how GOP leaders can pass bills with Democratic support. Now, they can only do this from Monday to Wednesday.
This means Johnson can load up the floor with votes at the start of the week, but he’ll have to navigate the Rules Committee for major deadlines. The first big test is coming up on March 14, when the current government funding patch runs out.
There’s also talk of a loophole that could help Johnson. If he wants to pass a funding patch on a Friday without going through the Rules Committee, he might just need to vote to suspend the rule that limits his ability to hold those votes.
In a fun twist, the user known as @ringwiss, who’s known for his deep understanding of congressional rules, was revealed to be a UK economics student by Politico.
