Senate Democrats have been accused of mishandling a deal to reopen the government, but according to Lawrence O'Donnell, another lawmaker may be the true loser: House Majority Leader Mike Johnson.
O'Donnell pointed out that Schumer had every opportunity to prevent some Senate Democrats from defecting and joining Republicans on a compromise. The question remains who could have persuaded senators from Nevada to be less concerned about the impact of air travel disruptions in their state. Every Democratic senator, O'Donnell argued, had the chance to influence their colleagues against joining the deal.
However, O'Donnell acknowledged that saying Schumer should resign might not be fair, as controlling a party can be an incredibly difficult job, especially during a shutdown. Instead, he focused on Johnson's predicament.
Johnson must rally his razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives to back the deal, which proved challenging on the first attempt. O'Donnell predicted that the Senate bill now going to the House would not pass and that Johnson would have an even tougher time passing it with a Republican House majority.
The biggest challenge for Johnson is yet to come: a vote expected to bring government files related to Jeffrey Epstein before the floor. According to O'Donnell, Johnson closed down the House last month in fear of this looming vote, giving every Republican a paid vacation.
This vote represents more than just a procedural hurdle; it poses a real test for Johnson and his party's priorities. With the House set to return from its break, Johnson will face intense pressure to pass the files bill or risk losing ground with conservative voters who have become increasingly vocal about their disdain for the Biden administration.
The outcome is far from certain, but one thing is clear: Mike Johnson faces an uphill battle in Congress, with significant opposition both within and outside his own party.
O'Donnell pointed out that Schumer had every opportunity to prevent some Senate Democrats from defecting and joining Republicans on a compromise. The question remains who could have persuaded senators from Nevada to be less concerned about the impact of air travel disruptions in their state. Every Democratic senator, O'Donnell argued, had the chance to influence their colleagues against joining the deal.
However, O'Donnell acknowledged that saying Schumer should resign might not be fair, as controlling a party can be an incredibly difficult job, especially during a shutdown. Instead, he focused on Johnson's predicament.
Johnson must rally his razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives to back the deal, which proved challenging on the first attempt. O'Donnell predicted that the Senate bill now going to the House would not pass and that Johnson would have an even tougher time passing it with a Republican House majority.
The biggest challenge for Johnson is yet to come: a vote expected to bring government files related to Jeffrey Epstein before the floor. According to O'Donnell, Johnson closed down the House last month in fear of this looming vote, giving every Republican a paid vacation.
This vote represents more than just a procedural hurdle; it poses a real test for Johnson and his party's priorities. With the House set to return from its break, Johnson will face intense pressure to pass the files bill or risk losing ground with conservative voters who have become increasingly vocal about their disdain for the Biden administration.
The outcome is far from certain, but one thing is clear: Mike Johnson faces an uphill battle in Congress, with significant opposition both within and outside his own party.
. The guy's gotta navigate a House that's already pretty divided, and now he's got this huge vote on Epstein files to deal with? That's some serious drama 
. And let's be real, the pressure is on – if he doesn't pass it, he's gonna have those conservatives going off on him 
. I'm not saying Schumer didn't mess up or anything (I mean, we all do in politics 
), but Mike Johnson's got his work cut out for him trying to keep that deal alive 
.
... johnson's got himself a lose-lose situation 
️ he can't even get his own house to pass a deal without Schumer breathing down his neck 
and now they're gonna drag out the epstein files vote? nice timing for republicans, right 
it's like they just wanted an excuse to give themselves a break 
seriously though, johnson's gotta navigate this minefield of criticism & conservative backlash while also trying to keep his majority in check 
?! It's like they're more concerned about politics than actually doing their job. I mean, can't they just agree to keep the government open already? 
Schumer gets a free pass because he's the leader, but Johnson is stuck with this crazy Republican House majority... poor guy 
. And now these files related to Epstein? Are you kidding me?! It's like they're trying to distract us from the real issues 
. I just wanna see some common sense and compromise around here... 
. The fact that he closed down the House to avoid it is just wild 
. I'm curious to see how this all plays out, it's gonna be a bumpy ride for Johnson and his party 
.
. First off, he's got this super slim House majority to begin with, which makes it hard for him to pass anything 
. It's not just about passing bills, it's also about keeping his party in line 
. Schumer might have gotten some flak, but at least he had a chance to try and steer the Senate Democrats in a different direction... Johnson is really on his own here 
.
and doesn't know how to put it out. I mean, he closed down the House last month just to avoid this, which shows how scared he must be of the backlash from his own party 
, you can't keep a grip on it! 
!
. He's gotta rally his party and make them see it from his perspective without losing the support of those super-conservative voters... 
, but I gotta say, that Epstein vote is gonna be like that one time you tried to eat a ghost pepper thinking it was a regular pepper... 
I think Mike Johnson's predicament is super tough!!! 
It's not going to be easy, but I have faith in him 