House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to make it harder for members of Congress to defy leadership after members of his own caucus turned on him to force a House vote on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Despite months of opposition, Johnson is saying he wants to “see a higher threshold” for privileged motions and discharge petitions, he told Axios.
Discharge petitions have long been seen as a Hail Mary; since 1935, just 42 of 673 petitions have received the necessary 218 signatures, according to Axios. Only seven discharge petitions, less than 1 percent of the total, have led to legislation ultimately being signed into law.
Very frustrating that this article boils down to “Mike Johnson probably wants to but idk”.
CogentCogitations on
We can’t have these bills passing that only 99.8% of Representatives and Senators support.
VladtheInhaler999 on
When the Dungeon master has a bitch fit mid game even though I’m just using the rules he set
Johnnnythehobo on
“you can’t change the rules just because you don’t like how i’m doing it”
houseonsun on
The house speaker has more power to block legislation than the president’s veto power. And he wants more.
HurinGaldorson on
Is Mike Johnson out of touch?
No, it’s the people’s representatives who are wrong.
Stuff-and_stuff on
Yeah, cause screw the constituents they serve; right?
BioDriver on
Every day is a new opportunity for Mike Johnson to show just how weak and small he actually is
Unique-Coffee5087 on
Remember all the drama and chaos that preceded Mike Johnson becoming Speaker of the House? I kind of recall that there were concessions that he had to agree to in order to secure enough votes. One of those was that any Republican could call for the speakership to change at any time. Or something like that. I do not remember the exact wording, but it was something like this.
Maybe he has a better hold on the position right now, and is no longer a subject to this rule, but I am genuinely surprised that they have retained him.
Edit: okay, it looks like that rule was changed.
>The House voted mostly along party lines Friday to adopt a rules package that protects newly reelected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from a potential ouster.
>Why it matters: The new rules make it so that a vote on removing the speaker can only be brought if at least nine Republicans support what is called a “motion to vacate.”
>That is a significantly higher bar than in the 118th Congress when any single member in either party could force such a motion.
>The tool was used to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in October 2023. Johnson faced an unsuccessful ouster attempt in April.
Perhaps it’s time to elect a new Speaker of the House… many people are saying.
Total-Mushroom-9614 on
This is why the government needs a redo. Much like law…it has distilled down to a game of. Oh…I see how you won….lemme change the rules real fast.
These are the whiniest, weakest, worst people we all met on Elementary school playgrounds who played cards with their mom at home and never lost. (because mom didnt wanna upset baby)
jsinkwitz on
Gearing up for an impeachment vote where you expect people to break ranks Mikey?
boom929 on
I love being able to read the first five lines of daily beast articles
Freddy-Borden on
I hate when I vote for stuff and then it actually happens. Oh wait, never mind, I’m not an idiot or Trump voter so I actually vote for what I want to happen and people I find to be somewhat competent.
irishyardball on
So he wants to be the only one passing bills then?
Sounds like treason.
Bullocks1999 on
This guy is a complete scumbag.
Aargau on
He really is a sad pile of excrement.. When asked about Trump’s death threats, he said attorneys would have to “parse” the language in the criminal act.
Dude, you’re a constitutional lawyer. Stop weaseling out of every reporter question thrown out to you that doesn’t fit your fake narrative.
Jacen1618 on
Thomas Massie of all people has turned out to have a moral backbone.
news_sponge on
Fascist little Trump butt licker. Majority rules is no longer satisfactory to the leader of the co-equal branch of government that yielded his one-third to the pedo President
machomancream on
How about we stop with these paywall articles
m0nkeybl1tz on
Huh, normally Epstein humiliation costs extra
Shionkron on
He wants it harder for people to vote based off what their constituents wants and needs are instead of party politics. Asshat
womenslasers84 on
Haha what else is he hiding
LividTacos on
Typical Republican bullshit. Can’t win by the rules? Change the rules.
sapientia-maxima on
How many Republicans are needed to vote him out?
Dbloc11 on
Quiet, Piggy.
TinyGreenTurtles on
We need to get Trump, Vance, and Johnson all out of there. Try them for treason we have a million reasons.
guyincognito121 on
It’s ridiculous that we’ve allowed there to be a system in which rules with no basis in law can prevent a bill from being voted on even if it would easily pass. This isn’t specific to Mike Johnson; it’s been a problem for a long time and he just appears to be trying to make it worse.
Danube11424 on
if y’all cain’t stand the heat, got outa the kitchen. Or leave politics
shallow_kunt on
Every time an R loses, they want to change the procedure, not their policy position.
“If conservatives become convinced they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy”
-David Frum
manwith13s on
This is getting to a point where it’s pointless. About the only option we have at this point is to have a revolution and get all these f*ckers to start playing by our rules. The alternative just bow out and take it like a bunch of f*cking pussies. You know … keep voting on a rigged two party system, maybe hope the billionaires throw us a few more dollars an hour and some scraps from their pile of accumulating wealth all while dying of completely curable problems that the healthcare industry decided that we can’t access. This is a serious problem because they’ve shown us that voting, protesting and playing by the rules doesn’t seem to work. I don’t want to incite violence, but that seems to be the only thing that’s getting a reaction.
34 Comments
House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to make it harder for members of Congress to defy leadership after members of his own caucus turned on him to force a House vote on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Despite months of opposition, Johnson is saying he wants to “see a higher threshold” for privileged motions and discharge petitions, he told Axios.
Discharge petitions have long been seen as a Hail Mary; since 1935, just 42 of 673 petitions have received the necessary 218 signatures, according to Axios. Only seven discharge petitions, less than 1 percent of the total, have led to legislation ultimately being signed into law.
Read the full story, [here](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mike-johnson-plots-major-rule-change-after-his-jeffrey-epstein-humiliation/).
Everyone in the GOP wants to be a dictator now.
Ah yes, the smell of Democracy in the Morning.
Non-paywalled link: https://archive.ph/ulx37
Very frustrating that this article boils down to “Mike Johnson probably wants to but idk”.
We can’t have these bills passing that only 99.8% of Representatives and Senators support.
When the Dungeon master has a bitch fit mid game even though I’m just using the rules he set
“you can’t change the rules just because you don’t like how i’m doing it”
The house speaker has more power to block legislation than the president’s veto power. And he wants more.
Is Mike Johnson out of touch?
No, it’s the people’s representatives who are wrong.
Yeah, cause screw the constituents they serve; right?
Every day is a new opportunity for Mike Johnson to show just how weak and small he actually is
Remember all the drama and chaos that preceded Mike Johnson becoming Speaker of the House? I kind of recall that there were concessions that he had to agree to in order to secure enough votes. One of those was that any Republican could call for the speakership to change at any time. Or something like that. I do not remember the exact wording, but it was something like this.
Maybe he has a better hold on the position right now, and is no longer a subject to this rule, but I am genuinely surprised that they have retained him.
Edit: okay, it looks like that rule was changed.
>The House voted mostly along party lines Friday to adopt a rules package that protects newly reelected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from a potential ouster.
>Why it matters: The new rules make it so that a vote on removing the speaker can only be brought if at least nine Republicans support what is called a “motion to vacate.”
>That is a significantly higher bar than in the 118th Congress when any single member in either party could force such a motion.
>The tool was used to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in October 2023. Johnson faced an unsuccessful ouster attempt in April.
https://www.axios.com/2025/01/03/mike-johnson-motion-to-vacate-new-rule-passed
Perhaps it’s time to elect a new Speaker of the House… many people are saying.
This is why the government needs a redo. Much like law…it has distilled down to a game of. Oh…I see how you won….lemme change the rules real fast.
These are the whiniest, weakest, worst people we all met on Elementary school playgrounds who played cards with their mom at home and never lost. (because mom didnt wanna upset baby)
Gearing up for an impeachment vote where you expect people to break ranks Mikey?
I love being able to read the first five lines of daily beast articles
I hate when I vote for stuff and then it actually happens. Oh wait, never mind, I’m not an idiot or Trump voter so I actually vote for what I want to happen and people I find to be somewhat competent.
So he wants to be the only one passing bills then?
Sounds like treason.
This guy is a complete scumbag.
He really is a sad pile of excrement.. When asked about Trump’s death threats, he said attorneys would have to “parse” the language in the criminal act.
Dude, you’re a constitutional lawyer. Stop weaseling out of every reporter question thrown out to you that doesn’t fit your fake narrative.
Thomas Massie of all people has turned out to have a moral backbone.
Fascist little Trump butt licker. Majority rules is no longer satisfactory to the leader of the co-equal branch of government that yielded his one-third to the pedo President
How about we stop with these paywall articles
Huh, normally Epstein humiliation costs extra
He wants it harder for people to vote based off what their constituents wants and needs are instead of party politics. Asshat
Haha what else is he hiding
Typical Republican bullshit. Can’t win by the rules? Change the rules.
How many Republicans are needed to vote him out?
Quiet, Piggy.
We need to get Trump, Vance, and Johnson all out of there. Try them for treason we have a million reasons.
It’s ridiculous that we’ve allowed there to be a system in which rules with no basis in law can prevent a bill from being voted on even if it would easily pass. This isn’t specific to Mike Johnson; it’s been a problem for a long time and he just appears to be trying to make it worse.
if y’all cain’t stand the heat, got outa the kitchen. Or leave politics
Every time an R loses, they want to change the procedure, not their policy position.
“If conservatives become convinced they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy”
-David Frum
This is getting to a point where it’s pointless. About the only option we have at this point is to have a revolution and get all these f*ckers to start playing by our rules. The alternative just bow out and take it like a bunch of f*cking pussies. You know … keep voting on a rigged two party system, maybe hope the billionaires throw us a few more dollars an hour and some scraps from their pile of accumulating wealth all while dying of completely curable problems that the healthcare industry decided that we can’t access. This is a serious problem because they’ve shown us that voting, protesting and playing by the rules doesn’t seem to work. I don’t want to incite violence, but that seems to be the only thing that’s getting a reaction.