House Speaker Mike Johnson pushes Trump agenda 2.0 as as midterm jitters grow
WASHINGTON, DC: House Speaker Mike Johnson is working to unite Republicans behind another party-line legislative package as anxiety grows within the GOP over the upcoming midterm elections.
With one of the narrowest House majorities in history, Johnson has outlined an aggressive agenda aimed at delivering fresh policy victories before November.
Republican leaders see the effort as a way to energize voters and preserve their fragile hold on the chamber. But internal divisions and recent legislative setbacks underscore the challenges ahead.
Johnson presses conference for another GOP-only bill
Johnson has instructed House committee chairman to assemble proposals for a potential Republican-only economic bill, though the scope and focus of the legislation remain unclear.
Options under discussion include health care policy, tax measures, housing initiatives and further deficit reduction. Johnson said that he held a “productive” meeting with key committee leaders and has spoken with Senate GOP Leader John Thune about the path forward. “We want to use all the tools that we have in the arsenal. And I’m very bullish, very optimistic. I think we can do something,” Johnson said.
Some conservatives argue that failing to pursue another reconciliation bill would squander a rare opportunity under unified Republican control. Texas Rep Chip Roy said attempting another package is worth the risk. “You never know ‘til you try,” Roy said. “If you spend half your time in Congress and half your time running … that’s stupid.”
Ohio Rep Warren Davidson acknowledged limited appetite for sweeping changes, saying, “We barely had the votes to defund NPR. I don’t know how aggressively we’ll be able to reform some of the things.” One influential conservative faction, the Republican Study Committee, is advocating for housing-related policies and expanded health care savings accounts, arguing the proposals could reduce the deficit by $1 trillion. The group has branded the effort “Making the American Dream Affordable Again.”
“I think we have some really good proposals that leadership is looking at,” said Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, adding that the ideas align with the president’s priorities and have broad public appeal.
Midterm pressure builds amid warnings from Trump
The push for a second legislative package comes amid mounting concern over the midterms and warnings from President Donald Trump, earlier this month, as he told House Republicans that losing control of Congress would open the door to renewed impeachment efforts by Democrats.
“You got to win the midterms, because if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me,” Trump said at a House Republican policy retreat. “I’ll get impeached.”
Trump is the only US president to have been impeached twice. He was impeached in 2019 over allegations he pressured Ukraine to investigate then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and again in 2021 for his role surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He was acquitted by the Senate in both cases and has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Recent comments from Democrats have renewed impeachment speculation.
House GOP leaders are acutely aware that another legislative failure could reinforce voter concerns about dysfunction. Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern said fear of losing the majority alone will not unify the conference. “You still have to get votes,” Hern said. “Do we have enough in there that satisfies everybody?”
