Playbook: “We caught up last night with several House GOP insiders, and each one told us it appears as though Johnson is flying by the seat of his pants, polishing his reputation for dithering in the face of tough decisions.”
“There are some options being informally discussed, but they aren’t entirely under Johnson’s control. A leader with a firmer grasp on power, for instance, could take the Senate bill and tack on H.R. 2, the House’s tough border bill, or perhaps move to break up the bill into constituent pieces for separate votes.”
“But doing either would require cooperation from the House Rules Committee, where conservative hard-liners appointed by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy exercise a de facto veto.”
Said one GOP insider: “I’m as confused as ever about what he wants. He hasn’t given us any direction…. I think right now he’s in survival mode.”
