The Republican Party has faced a turbulent period recently.
Since gaining the majority in the House of Representatives, the GOP has struggled to effectively govern. Right from the beginning, it seemed like a disaster in slow motion. Initially, it took multiple attempts and 13 voting rounds to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy as Speaker last year.
However, McCarthy was later ousted by a faction of hard-right Republicans loyal to former President Donald Trump. This was in response to McCarthy’s decision to keep the government open by compromising on the budget with Democrats.
Finding a replacement for McCarthy proved to be a challenge, with multiple candidates and voting rounds. Eventually, the party settled on hardliner Mike Johnson. Now, there appears to be regret as Johnson seems overwhelmed by the complexities of leading Congress.
The most recent embarrassment came when Johnson scheduled a vote for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. He fell short by just one vote. The Democrats had outmaneuvered him by quickly having one of their House members rush from a hospital to the chamber to cast the deciding vote. This procedure was repeated a few days later, ensuring that the Mayorkas impeachment will proceed. But as a result, more party members are openly questioning Johnson’s leadership.
The conservative majority’s influence is also impacting the war in Ukraine, as they continue to block additional US aid to the war torn country. Following the advice of former President Donald Trump, who holds increasing sway within the party, a compromise package combining military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan with stricter border measures to address the surge of migrants at the southern border was not put up for a vote.
The compromise, reached through bipartisan negotiations in the Senate, was immediately rejected. Trump proudly proclaimed, “Blame me!” as he seeks to hinder progress and instead blame President Joe Biden, his potential opponent in the 2024 election.
Currently, the Senate has passed a package providing “military aid only” amounting to $92 billion, but the House is once again stalling. Perversely, it has been argued that no funds will be approved without border measures, essentially referring to the rejected old deal.
Meanwhile, members of Congress have left Washington for a two-week break. President Biden criticized this move as outrageous, highlighting the fact that soldiers are dying in Ukrainian trenches.
There is a growing trend among traditional Republicans to step aside and withdraw from political positions. One notable departure is Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has left Congress. Additionally, Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) has announced his early retirement. These resignations are not limited to the House of Representatives, as Senator Mitt Romney has decided not to seek reelection for his Utah Senate seat. Romney, a vocal critic of the former president, finds himself in a precarious position within a party that is once again being dominated by the more radical MAGA wing.
Romney, who is 76 years old, officially cited his age as the primary reason for his resignation. However, it is evident that traditional conservatives like Romney are now in the minority within the party.
Another setback for the Republicans is their failed attempt to impeach President Biden. This was one of their main campaign promises during the 2022 midterm elections. Investigative committees sought to link Biden to questionable business dealings involving his son Hunter with companies in Ukraine and China. Most of these allegations were based on the testimony of an FBI informant, who claimed that the Ukrainian energy holding company Burisma had bribed Hunter and his father with $5 million.
However, it has recently been revealed that the informant, who was hailed as a crucial witness by Republicans, had been lying all along. Special Counsel David Weiss, who is investigating the Hunter Biden scandal for the Department of Justice, has now charged the informant.
Despite the Republican Party’s current crisis, their prospects for the 2024 election year remain intact. Many voters still harbor skepticism towards various aspects of democratic policies.
