The chaotic collapse of the continuing resolution spending bill has put House Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership under scrutiny. In response, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has suggested replacing Johnson with Elon Musk, President-elect Trump’s pick to co-chair the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Paul noted that the Speaker of the House does not need to be a sitting member of Congress and that Musk’s election would “disrupt the swamp” and make the establishment “lose their ever-lovin’ minds.”
Musk, an outspoken critic of government waste, has previously spoken out against the spending bill’s bloated provisions and has led a conservative revolt against it. He has called for lawmakers who support the bill to be voted out in the next election.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has confirmed that the deal is dead, and Republicans are scrambling for a new plan. Democrats, on the other hand, are solidly opposed to Johnson’s leadership, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) saying no Democrats will vote for him on January 3.
Several Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), have expressed support for Paul’s idea, with Greene stating that she would support Musk for Speaker of the House and that DOGE can only be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency.
The future of Johnson’s leadership is uncertain, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) stating he will not vote for him, and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) announcing she will no longer caucus with Republicans while remaining a registered Republican. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has also taken aim at Johnson, calling the situation “ridiculous” and “total incompetence.”
