A small group of Republican 'extortionists' has usurped Mike Johnson's power: WSJ
Source: Raw Story
December 24, 2025 5:57PM ET
House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) Republican majority is not only razor-thin, but is also becoming increasingly rebellious, according to a new analysis in the Wall Street Journal.
The Journal's Kimberly A. Strassel wrote Wednesday that Johnson has effectively ceded his power to a group of "moderate extortionists" within the House Republican Conference who continuously extract concessions from him. She specifically singled out Reps. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), Ryan Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.) for "tank[ing] months of hard-fought Republican healthcare effort with one display of indignation."
Strassel observed that those four Republicans were pushing hard for an extension of expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which would result in millions of Americans seeing their health insurance premiums spike by a significant amount without a renewal. However, when their effort proved unsuccessful, the group of moderates declined to support a Republican bill and instead threw their weight behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. (D-N.Y.)
"The four moderates sucked that advantage dry — and made moot the GOP sacrifice during the shutdown—when they defected last week to sign a Jeffries discharge petition that will allow House Democrats in January to pass a straight-up subsidy extension, a rival to the GOP plan," Strassel wrote.
Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/alternet-posts/moderate-republicans-mike-johnson/
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