Uncharted Waters: Johnson's Legislative Challenges as Republicans Trust New Speaker

Mike Johnson's elevation to the speakership was met with full endorsement from his party, but the real challenges lie ahead. As a relatively inexperienced and unproven leader, Johnson must now tackle a range of urgent legislative hurdles while also addressing the deep divisions that have plagued his party during the 22 days of dysfunction without an elected speaker.

Johnson faces multiple challenges in addition to the basic legislative obstacles of maintaining government operations beyond November 17. He must also find a way to revive the stagnant Republican agenda, which includes the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. This important matter has lost its prominence due to the internal conflicts among Republicans regarding the speakership. "We have lost all momentum," expressed GOP Representative Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania. "It is truly unfortunate and should not have come to this."

Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida expressed his dissatisfaction with the last three weeks, stating that it has been a challenging period that has completely derailed their agenda. He emphasized the importance of acknowledging the impact it has had and the need to find ways to progress forward. With Johnson securing the votes to become the speaker, the House could resume its operations and focus on passing legislation. Johnson wasted no time and swiftly presented a bipartisan resolution in support of Israel's fight against Hamas.

The resolution was passed with overwhelming support, earning Johnson an easy and early victory. However, there are much larger challenges ahead, including how to handle the impending resolution to expel embattled GOP Rep. George Santos of New York. Additionally, a censure resolution has been introduced by Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene against Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Another complex issue to tackle is whether to combine Ukraine aid with Israel aid, which has caused division within the GOP.

When asked on Tuesday if he supports providing more aid for Ukraine, Johnson responded, "We all do. However, there will be conditions attached. We are currently working through the details and will provide you with more information."

When asked by CNN about the specifics of these conditions, he chose not to delve into them. "We seek accountability and clear objectives from the White House. However, we will engage in productive discussions to reach those outcomes," he expressed.

The Senate's consideration of a White House proposal for a comprehensive package involving Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and border security has the potential to create a major clash with the House. This already challenging situation is further complicated by the fact that Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, who has consistently advocated for Ukraine aid, has no established relationship with Johnson and has not yet had the opportunity to meet the newly appointed speaker, as per his office.

CNN questioned Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the leading Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, on Wednesday about her thoughts on collaborating with Johnson on budgetary matters.

Collins admitted to CNN that she is unfamiliar with him and mentioned that she intended to search him up on Google earlier today.

Johnson's suggestion on how to prevent government shutdown beyond the approaching deadline involves a temporary solution, even though he previously opposed a similar measure introduced by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy to extend the government's operation beyond its initial September 30 cutoff. McCarthy's proposal led to eight House Republicans voting to remove him from the speakership, resulting in a chaotic situation in the House for the past three weeks.

However, a subset of those eight Republicans appear to be more open to granting Johnson greater flexibility in his governance, at least at this moment.

"I have confidence in Mike Johnson and believe that he shares the same objectives I sought to accomplish," expressed GOP Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida, who previously initiated the motion to remove McCarthy from office.

These conservative Republicans appear more inclined to grant Johnson some leeway in contrast to McCarthy due to personal reasons.

"These differences were never rooted in principles," remarked Representative Dan Crenshaw, a GOP member from Texas. "They were driven by personalities and who is making the statements."

I am incredibly frustrated

In addition to the challenges posed by the legislative obstacles, Johnson will need to address the intense emotions of the members, whose patience and trust have been severely tested due to the conference's repeated unsuccessful attempts to choose a speaker within a three-week time frame.

"I am extremely frustrated," expressed GOP Representative John Duarte of California to CNN, emphasizing that the current speaker elections were disrupting an essential committee hearing scheduled simultaneously.

Lawmakers highlight that the escalating tensions have not only been restricted to Capitol Hill but have also permeated into their respective districts.

GOP Congressman Dusty Johnson from South Dakota expressed disbelief among his constituents regarding the current state of affairs, describing the chaos as completely unjustifiable. The incoming speaker's success will hinge on their ability to bridge the divide that has emerged in the past three weeks and navigate governing with a slim majority.

"I believe that moving forward is possible, although the healing process will take some time," expressed GOP Rep. Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota. "Since the speakers race, there have been several significant events. I strongly believe that Mike possesses the necessary skills to be an impartial mediator in resolving this issue."

However, this healing process may face a potential interruption. New York House Republicans have announced their intention to present a resolution to expel Santos as early as Thursday. Despite Republicans coming together to elect Johnson, there are some who argue for holding the eight Republicans accountable for the chaos within the conference. Many also believe that the new speaker should implement a rule change to prevent the easy removal of the speaker in the future.

However, Speaker Johnson is currently approaching the situation with caution. On Tuesday, he chose not to give his opinion on the campaign to remove Santos and simply stated to reporters, "I'm not going to discuss that." This report includes contributions from CNN's Lauren Fox and Haley Talbot.