House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will see a shake-up in his policy team after three leading members of the unit plan to leave at the end of May for a high-powered lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C., and around the world.
Policy aides Brittan Specht, Jason Yaworske, and Preston Hill are leaving Capitol Hill to work for Michael Best Strategies, the speaker’s office confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
The loss of the three staffers, all of whom also worked under former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, is significant to Johnson’s policy shop — particularly as all three have been hands-on with negotiations, which, according to Punchbowl News, is unique among House GOP leadership.
“Because the 118th Congress became the first in history to vote to change Speakers midstream, these friends committed to assist us for the first six months of the transition, and through some of the most difficult policy challenges in decades,” Johnson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “We are truly happy for them as they now pursue their new opportunities in the private sector, and we know they will be a great success.”
“We look forward to announcing soon the new talent that will be joining our policy team — as we continue to advance our conservative agenda and build momentum to grow our Republican majority this fall,” he added.
With the 2024 election less than six months away and a razor-thin House Republican majority on the line, it is unclear who will commit to joining the speaker’s team as the GOP strives to stay in control of the House.
Specht, Yaworske, and Hill worked for McCarthy before he was ousted in the fall of 2023 by eight Republicans and all Democrats. He departed from Congress at the end of December and opted not to seek reelection.
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“Brittan, Jason, and Preston are the strongest brain trust in the Capitol,” McCarthy told Punchbowl News. “They have been involved in every major negotiation over the last seven years. Whether it’s tax, appropriations, financial services, or defense, AI and the debt limit, they’ve been in the room and at the table with the highest stakes.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Michael Best Strategies and McCarthy for comment.