House Republicans are struggling with the same battles over government funding that led to the chaotic unseating of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), seemingly cutting any honeymoon short for new Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). GOP leadership this week yanked two spending bills from the floor amid disputes on spending and other controversial policy items. With a government funding deadline less than a week away, the conference seems hopelessly divided on how to avert a shutdown.
I don’t think there’s a single republican who would risk their next election by considering a democratic speaker, not with Trump’s greasy fingerprints all over the primaries. They’ll watch everything stop first. It’s more likely they’ll build a compromise republican that can peel off enough D votes (with significant concessions) but still carry enough Rs to win. To do so, they’d pretty much have to have every necessary legislation planned out for the next few months in order to get the votes and they have to build this coalition in secret or it’s doomed.
They’re threading a very fine needle. They sank a bill last week that had a lot of abortion restrictions. The moderates are basically stuck between pissing off their base and losing a primary, or pissing off the general electorate and losing the general. They’re screwed either way.
They wouldn’t have to vote for a Democrat speaker. If they called a new election and enough Republicans abstained or voted present. It’s possible Jeffries could become speaker of the Republican held house. Without a single Republican vote. And honestly it may be the best path forward for Republicans for now. If none of them voted for him then it couldn’t be held against them realistically. And they could go back to all the things they are good at in the short term. Obstruction and playing victim. It’s only kicking the can down the road for them realistically. But they’re gonna resist doing the right thing or facing their reckoning till they’re forced to.