Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) didn’t seem to appreciate a question from a CNN reporter who asked Wednesday if he had “lost control of the House” after four Republicans agreed to sign a discharge petition that would force a vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for another three years, a move that Johnson and the White House had hoped to avoid.
“Look, we’re working through very complex issues as we do here all the time,” Johnson insisted. Everybody’s working towards ideas. We’re keeping the conversation going. That’s what happened.”
CNN Congressional reporter Manu Raju then asked, “Have you lost control of the House.”
Johnson: “I have not lost control.”
“Because this is the third time,” Raju countered.
“We have the smallest majority in U.S. history,” the speaker whined. “These are not normal times. There are precedents and procedures in the House that are less frequently used when there are larger majorities, so that when you have the luxury of having 10 or 15 people who disagree on something, you don’t have to deal with it.”
“But when you have a razor-thin margin, as we do, then all the procedures are on the table, and that’s different,” he added before saying he wouldn’t take other questions and walking away like a petulant child.
The video, posted on social media, drew plenty of reaction.
Mike Johnson is a lame duck and so is the “president” he so slavishly serves. Both of them belong in the dustbin of American history.
