Any more like Massie on the back bench?
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) is still working to secure enough votes to re-up his speakership despite the endorsement of the president-elect. The House votes to elect a speaker for the 119th Congress at noon today (Friday). With the GOP’s razor-thin margin, more than two defections can sink him.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) affirmed his decision to not support Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) in the Speaker’s race, even if his colleague Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) would land a top spot on the House Rules Commitee.
Massie was asked by former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a new host on One America News Network, if he would vote for Johnson if Roy would become the chairman of the influential committee.
“Oh no. You can pull all my fingernails out, you can shove bamboo up in them, you can start cutting off my fingers,” Massie responded late Thursday.
“I am not voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow, and you can take that to the bank,” he told his former colleague.
With Gaetz’s resignation last month, the GOP caucus has just 219 members, assuming they are all present. Johnson needs 218 votes if he expects to win on the first ballot. An acrimonous, weeks-long, Republican circus elected him to the post in October 2023.
Place your bets.