It didn’t take long for newly-minted Speaker Mike Johnson to run into the same headwinds that capsized his predecessor. The staunchly conservative Freedom Caucus has pledged not to support the spending deal he hammered out with Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader.
That means Johnson will likely need Democratic votes to avert a partial government shutdown when four current spending bills expire on Jan. 19. For Louisiana politicos, a shutdown would take the shine off the annual bacchanal and networking event that is Washington Mardi Gras, set for the following week.
As one Capitol Hill staffer with Louisiana ties notes, much of the appeal is getting in the same room with Louisiana’s congressional delegation, which now includes the speaker and the House majority leader. But with a razor-thin majority, no one can afford to miss key votes, which means less time to schmooze.
Not to mention that throwing a lavish party after failing to fully fund the federal government could be a bad look. “The national media hasn’t figured out what this is yet,” the staffer said. “But everybody fears the day the CNN crew shows up in the lobby of the Washington Hilton.”
At least one aide, however, sees a path to a deal. The proposal includes some savings conservatives have sought and the acceleration of previously planned cuts to the Internal Revenue Service, which reportedly would total $20 billion for fiscal year 2024.
— ELECTED: This week the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education elected its board officers for 2024 at a special called meeting. District 6 BESE member Ronnie Morris is the new president and District 5 member Lance Harris is vice president.
— SUPERMAJORITY PROBLEMS: Not everyone is thrilled by the idea of Democrats chairing committees in the GOP-dominated Legislature. Scott McKay, publisher of The Hayride, took to social media to call it “unacceptable” following last year’s rout of Democrats at the polls. Former Speaker Pro Tem Tanner Magee responded that Texas has Democratic committee chairs, even with a GOP supermajority, arguing that keeping a dialogue with key Democrats helps with passing the majority’s agenda.
— GEARING UP?: While he hasn’t yet said anything official, it appears former Rep. Ted James will run for mayor of Baton Rouge, or at least position himself for a related announcement …
— THEY SAID IT: “So my position on closed versus open: Keep it open. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Let’s spend our money wisely. Let’s just not spend it on more elections.” — U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, arguing against moving from the current jungle primary system to closed party primaries, in a video release.
By Jeremy Alford and David Jacobs. Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter, or Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
