Republican lawmakers are calling on Republicans to support Mike Johnson in the speaker vote

WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., argued Sunday that Republicans considering voting against House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for another term in his leadership post are “with the Playing Fire.”

Lawler’s comments followed a fight over the government shutdown that divided some Republicans earlier this month. Johnson had supported a bipartisan deal to keep the government’s doors open, but backed down after President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk attacked the plan.

A Trump-backed replacement bill failed in the House of Representatives after Democrats and 38 Republicans voted against it. Dozens of Republican lawmakers also rejected the government funding agreement, which the House ultimately passed just hours before the shutdown deadline.

House Democrats will hold a formal vote on the speakership on Friday. Johnson received support from the Republican Conference earlier this year to continue as speaker, but some Republicans did not commit to supporting him this week.

“The fact is that Mike Johnson inherited a disaster when Matt Gaetz and several of my colleagues joined with 208 Democrats to unseat Kevin McCarthy in what will go down as the stupidest thing I have ever seen in politics,” Lawler said to ABC. This week.”

Eight Republicans, led by former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, ousted McCarthy after he worked with Democrats to prevent a government shutdown last year.

“With that in mind, removing Mike Johnson would be just as stupid. The fact is that these people are playing with fire and if they think they will somehow get a more conservative speaker, then they are kidding themselves,” he added.

Lawler warned in the interview that he does not believe the House of Representatives can certify Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election on January 6 without a speaker. When McCarthy was ousted last year, the House was frozen for weeks as Republicans struggled to elect a new leader.

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Republican lawmakers are calling on Republicans to support Mike Johnson in the speaker vote

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