U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 14, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) – A group of hardline Republicans has put new U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on notice that he can no longer count on their support for legislation, signaling a possible early end to his “honeymoon” period.
Three weeks after the Louisiana lawmaker won the gavel of the House of Representatives, 19 House Republicans – including 15 hardliners – voted to block debate on their party’s bill to fund federal programs on commerce, justice and science for fiscal 2024, which began on Oct 1.
“We want the message to be clear,” said Representative Scott Perry, chairman of the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus. “We’re not going to pass bills that don’t address the problems that America faces.”
It was the second floor protest this year by Freedom Caucus members and others, who were angered by Johnson’s decision not to include spending cuts and conservative polices such as U.S.-Mexico border restrictions in his stopgap measure to avert a partial government shutdown on…
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