Washington’s Republican Women Revolt Against Speaker Johnson
In a surprising twist of events, Speaker Mike Johnson is facing an insurrection of sorts from House Republican women. Several female lawmakers are not only challenging his authority on legislative matters but also making their frustrations known publicly, including one member of Johnson’s leadership team. This week, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna from Florida took the fight to a whole new level by launching a discharge petition aimed at bypassing Johnson to force a floor vote on banning congressional stock trading. She expressed her dissatisfaction on social media, stating she’s “pissed” that leadership isn’t moving quickly enough, though she added a sweetener by clarifying, “I like Mike.”
While Johnson prefers to follow the traditional order of legislative proceedings, there’s been an initial hearing on the matter. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the chair of House Republican Leadership, not only backed Luna’s petition but also criticized Johnson over an unrelated issue in the national defense bill, hinting through a series of social media posts that Johnson had lied about it. Fortunately, that spat appears to be resolved, but tensions have long been bubbling beneath the surface.
When asked about Stefanik’s critiques in the Capitol, Johnson shrugged off the concerns, stating he’s “not worried” about his standing “at all.” “There’s 220 or so people in this conference and lots of different opinions,” he told reporters. “Everybody’s not delighted with every decision every day, but that’s Congress.” Meanwhile, many high-profile Republican women are considering leaving Congress, which raises eyebrows about the future representation of GOP women. The discontent is palpable, especially since they hold only a single elected committee gavel and have less representation in leadership roles.
A Sea Change in GOP Representation
Several anonymous sources from within NBC News reported that these House Republican women feel sidelined and believe their priorities aren’t taken seriously under Johnson’s leadership. This, they argue, might be pushing some of them out the door. “It’s a sea change — for the worse,” one GOP woman lamented, accusing Johnson of “undercutting” prominent Republican women. “I’m concerned there will be fewer Republicans in Congress next year, which certainly means fewer Republican women.” Another echoed similar sentiments: “We aren’t taken seriously. You have women who are very accomplished, who have earned their stripes, and yet they’re ignored.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has taken it a step further, claiming that the current male leadership is biased, stating in a recent interview that Republican women have been “marginalized.” Greene, along with Rep. Nancy Mace from South Carolina, is scheduled to meet next week to discuss their mutual frustrations, according to a reliable source.
Support and Criticism
Responding to the ongoing turmoil, a spokesperson for Johnson’s political team insisted that he supports the women in his conference and is actively working to recruit more female candidates. Several of those in the Speaker’s Joint Fundraising Committee have reportedly raised nearly $400,000 on average for their campaigns this year. “Not only has Speaker Johnson elevated women in leadership, he has also helped recruit and support women running for office,” the spokesperson stated. They pointed out that there are women running in 10 key districts they are closely monitoring.
While it’s true that Johnson has made some appointments, such as naming Rep. Virginia Foxx as the only female chair of the Rules Committee, the broader issue remains: there are zero elected female committee chairs in the House. Privately, some Republicans are pointing fingers at Johnson for this situation. During a GOP steering committee meeting early this year, Johnson voiced support for Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, who was running for the Foreign Affairs Committee chairmanship over Ann Wagner from Missouri. That raised eyebrows, with some interpreting it as a clear favoritism.
The Challenge of Elevating Women
Republicans have consistently struggled to elevate women in leadership roles, and the rift within the party has been exacerbated by recent events. Four GOP lawmakers, including Mace and Greene, participated in a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, rallying for justice for the women who were entangled in the scandal. Yet, they faced a pressure campaign from the White House and Johnson to back out. Johnson expressed his opposition to the petition, citing concerns about protecting victims’ identities, even though many had advocated for file release.
In the past month, another contentious issue was brought to the floor, once again featuring primarily Republican women breaking ranks with party leadership. Mace spearheaded a resolution to censure GOP Rep. Cory Mills of Florida over alleged misconduct toward women, following legal actions taken against him. While Mills denied all allegations, he called for an ethics investigation to clear his name. Johnson maintained that the investigation should proceed unimpeded, but some women expressed disappointment at his lackluster response to serious allegations.
The Outlook for Future GOP Women
As the current landscape stands, at least four GOP women are announcing their exit from Congress, raising concerns about the number of Republican women in the upcoming legislative congress. Greene plans to resign, while Stefanik and Mace are running for governor, and Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa is vying for a Senate seat. These departures put the GOP’s representation of women in jeopardy, particularly since House Republican women previously enjoyed a surge during the 2020 elections, which saw their ranks double.
Currently, there are 33 female Republicans in the House, a reduction from the peak of 36 in 2023, compared to 96 Democratic women. “The loss of these women, particularly in the House, hampers efforts to maintain or exceed the record number of Republican women,” said Kelly Dittmar, a scholar focused on women in politics. While the number of retirements may seem small, every loss is magnified, particularly given how low the GOP’s representation of women already is.
Some organizations advocating for female candidates are still engaged in recruitment efforts. Maggie’s List recently endorsed several new candidates, including state Rep. Shannon Lundgren in Iowa and former Rep. Mayra Flores in Texas. The group has endorsed 27 GOP women for the upcoming elections, illustrating an effort to stabilize the party’s representation of women.
Despite Speaker Johnson’s past support for female candidates, experts stress that there’s still a considerable amount of work to be done within the party to empower women. External groups like Winning for Women are also busy supporting female candidates, proving that even within a challenging landscape, there’s a push for progress.
