Mike Johnson's House schedule fuels GOP frustration, stalled agenda

""You cannot deliberate with your colleagues if you're out somewhere else," Johnson said in March, arguing against allowing new parents to proxy vote. 🛑 But Johnson kept the House out for 54 days during the government shutdown, a major contributor to the year's unusually light calendar. Johnson argued the House had "done its job" by passing a clean government funding measure. At the time, most of his conference was publicly supportive of the approach."

"The speaker also frequently canceled votes when internal tensions flared or legislation wasn't going his way, further shrinking days of floor action. His use of distance as a governing tool helped seal the deal on crucial votes. But it came at a cost. The other side: " Congressional Republicans executed the most ambitious and successful agenda by any Republican Congress in history," a Johnson spokesperson told Axios, pointing to the passage of the "Working Families Tax Cut," and the codification of 70 of Trump's executive orders."

"Members across the spectrum are frustrated by the chamber's inaction, with many acknowledging that little has been accomplished since passing the "big, beautiful bill." That includes failing to pass any appropriations bills since the shutdown ended. It also includes letting Democrats seize the initiative on Affordable Care Act subsidies, which will expire at the end of this year, by forcing a vote in January. 👀 What they're saying: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) told Axios that Johnson "squandered" Republicans' opportunity to move their agenda while they control all of Washington."

Speaker Johnson opposed proxy voting for new parents, saying, "You cannot deliberate with your colleagues if you're out somewhere else." He nevertheless kept the House out for 54 days during the government shutdown, contributing to an unusually light calendar. He frequently canceled votes when internal tensions flared or legislation wasn't going his way, reducing days of floor action. His absences and cancellations helped secure crucial votes but created costs for chamber functionality. Republicans point to the Working Families Tax Cut and codifying 70 of Trump's executive orders as achievements. Members expressed frustration over failure to pass appropriations and letting Democrats set the agenda on ACA subsidies.

Read at Axios