House GOP gripes over Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to punt legislation into ‘disastrous’ 2024

House Republicans are displeased with Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) decision to punt must-pass legislation into next year with short-term extensions, leaving a sprint for the start of 2024 to ensure the government doesn’t shut down and key programs don’t lapse.

The House has delayed major topics that were supposed to be handled this year into next year, including the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, government funding, and the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Agency, to name a few.

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“I’m just super happy to be here with all we’re accomplishing,” one GOP House member said sarcastically.

On FISA, in what was a quick turn of events, Johnson went from saying he wouldn’t include a short-term extension of FISA in the National Defense Authorization Act to doing just that. On Tuesday, he defended his position, saying he “didn’t change his mind on FISA” and that he is “not one who wants to rush this. I don’t think we can make a mistake, and I think he’s got to do it right. And so we’re going to allow the time to do that.”

However, some members are upset with Johnson for including a short-term extension of the program in the NDAA and would have preferred the speaker keep the House in session until they could have figured it out.

“It’s upsetting to me,” Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) said. “You can see the kind of trickery of D.C. where they try and attach FISA to the NDAA. That way, they can put you into that situation where if you vote against it, ‘Oh, you hate our military.’ Or if you vote for it, ‘Oh, you hate individual privacy.’ So these [are] poison pills.”

He continued saying that the House needs “to stay up here and get things done” and “not just take an early recess or a break.”

The NDAA passed overwhelmingly on Thursday, the last day the House will be in session this year. And, as could be imagined, people were upset.

“He needs to acclimate,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a member of the Freedom Caucus, said of Johnson. “I think I’m just going to be blunt; I think some of his staff is not looking at this thing the way it should be. And I’ve voiced my disagreements with staff on some of these issues.”

Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), the newly elected chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, echoed this sentiment, saying he is disappointed in House leadership and how it has handled these must-pass pieces of legislation, most notably government funding.

Back in November, Congress passed a two-step continuing resolution, much to the displeasure of many members.

However, members were ensured at the time that this would make Congress work on appropriations bills and conference with the Senate to ensure government funding doesn’t lapse come Jan. 19 or Feb. 2. But that hasn’t been the case.

Since passing the two-part continuing resolution, the House has been in session for three weeks and hasn’t passed a single appropriations bill; neither has the Senate. Nor have the two agreed on a top-line number for appropriators.

“We have had made very little effort to pass appropriations bills ever since the CR was passed, so I’m disappointed about that,” Good said. “I don’t know what the plan is come Jan. 19. I don’t know what our commitment is to reduce spending year over year, which we absolutely must do, no matter how modest that might be.”

All this leads to a scramble when the House returns on Jan. 9 to pass the first set of four appropriations bills that will expire on Jan. 19, giving Congress only eight days in session to do so.

“The key decisions he’ll have the first quarter of next year should have been made five weeks ago or four weeks ago,” a senior House Republican told the Washington Examiner. “And the longer the speaker takes, the more disastrous the first quarter will be.”

Johnson placed the blame on the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.

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“Listen, we’re all hands on deck on the appropriations bills, as we know we have looming deadlines and we all agreed on that,” Johnson said Tuesday.

“But we’re awaiting the other team … the other chamber to come forward with a number that we can agree upon that we write to, and that’s the impasse, and that’s what we’re waiting for.”