Johnson ‘not concerned’ about Chip Roy’s warnings over spending deal

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said iWednesday he is “not concerned” about Rep. Chip Roy’s (R-Texas) warning about potentially ousting the speaker over his spending deal with Democrats.

“I’m not concerned about that, we’re leading,” Johnson said at a press conference, when asked if he is concerned he could lose his job like former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

“Chip Roy is one of my closest friends. We agree on almost everything in principle,” he added.

“What I’ve talked with him about is the reality of being in what is soon to be the smallest majority in the history of the Congress, except for one exception, I think in 1970, according to my research,” Johnson said of the GOP’s two-vote margin.

Roy said on CNN Monday he thinks there are “going to be some real conversations this week” about how Republicans should move ahead as government funding deadlines approach.

When pressed about making a move to oust Johnson, as the House did in October with McCarthy, Roy said it’s “not the road I prefer” but said “we’ll see what happens this week.”

Roy expressed his frustration with the topline spending deal Johnson announced in recent days, saying it uses budget “gimmicks” to increase spending above caps that were set during debt ceiling talks last year.

Roy’s comments came after he apparently threatened to block government funding until Democrats and President Biden agree to border security measures. Johnson later said that he has spoken with Roy, and claimed his colleague had not “intended” to threaten a government shutdown.

In the press conference Wednesday, Johnson said he plans to “advance the ball” and “advance our conservative principles.”

“Look, leadership is tough. You take a lot of criticism, but I, remember, I am a hardline conservative. That’s what they used to call me,” Johnson said. “Chip and I agree on spending. We’ve got to dramatically reduce it and I have a long record of a legislator of trying to cut spending.”

Johnson said the spending deal would held restore “fiscal sanity” to the federal government, and that Republicans could “turn this thing completely around” if it wins the House, Senate and White House in elections later this year.