1 00:00:02,066 --> 00:00:04,500 GEOFF BENNETT: Congress arrived back in Washington today with a long list of priorities 2 00:00:04,500 --> 00:00:09,500 for Speaker Mike Johnson to accomplish and a razor-thin margin to get it done. 3 00:00:10,566 --> 00:00:13,333 Our Lisa Desjardins has this report. 4 00:00:13,333 --> 00:00:16,100 LISA DESJARDINS: It's been a cold spring in Washington, 5 00:00:16,100 --> 00:00:20,633 beautiful, but, for the House of Representatives, delicate and uncertain, 6 00:00:20,633 --> 00:00:25,333 with echoing sounds that are the most daunting yet for the new House speaker. 7 00:00:25,333 --> 00:00:26,866 REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I will not 8 00:00:26,866 --> 00:00:31,333 tolerate a speaker of the House that I voted for to sell us out. 9 00:00:33,666 --> 00:00:36,133 LISA DESJARDINS: Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in a town hall in Tunnel Hill, 10 00:00:36,133 --> 00:00:40,900 Georgia, last night again made it clear she wants Mike Johnson out. 11 00:00:40,900 --> 00:00:43,300 REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: I will not tolerate this anymore. 12 00:00:43,300 --> 00:00:48,166 LISA DESJARDINS: Greene has filed a potent bill, just one sentence declaring the speakership to be 13 00:00:50,300 --> 00:00:53,233 vacant, in other words, removing Johnson. She's not yet forcing a vote, but it's a threat... 14 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,166 MAN: The bill is passed. 15 00:00:56,166 --> 00:00:59,266 LISA DESJARDINS: ... one issued last month after she and scores 16 00:00:59,266 --> 00:01:04,000 of Republicans broke with Johnson over the compromise deal to keep government funded. 17 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,333 REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): That is not the way to do business. 18 00:01:06,333 --> 00:01:10,300 LISA DESJARDINS: Beyond spending, Johnson has other dilemmas. There's the border. Conservatives 19 00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:15,300 decry a lack of progress, though nothing can pass both chambers right now. There's FISA, the Foreign 20 00:01:17,533 --> 00:01:20,933 Intelligence Surveillance Act. Key powers are expiring next week, and Republicans are divided. 21 00:01:23,166 --> 00:01:26,700 Then there's Ukraine and Israel, with increasing calls for conditions on Israel aid. And if Johnson 22 00:01:28,700 --> 00:01:33,000 proposes Ukraine funding, he risks direct fire from a large group in opposition. 23 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,633 FMR. REP. JOHN FLEMING (R-LA): He's really kind of standing at the dike trying to 24 00:01:37,633 --> 00:01:42,633 plug holes right now, so I have tremendous sympathy for my good friend Mike Johnson. 25 00:01:44,133 --> 00:01:46,133 LISA DESJARDINS: John Fleming is now the treasurer of Louisiana, 26 00:01:46,133 --> 00:01:49,133 but over a decade ago, he was part of the Tea Party movement 27 00:01:49,133 --> 00:01:54,000 and a founder of the Freedom Caucus. He defends the sharp motion to vacate. 28 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,433 FMR. REP. JOHN FLEMING: I think Democrats, to their credit, they fight. Even when they're 29 00:01:58,433 --> 00:02:03,400 underdogs, even when they're in the minority, they fight hard for their 30 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,733 policies. I can't say that about Republicans. Republicans oftentimes give in way too quickly. 31 00:02:11,033 --> 00:02:15,200 LISA DESJARDINS: But the problem for Johnson is that he has some members who want to fight, 32 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:20,200 but he has a bare majority. He doesn't have room to maneuver, nor does he have good troop morale. 33 00:02:22,633 --> 00:02:25,266 REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): We're living a time of divided government. Democracy is messy. Sometimes, 34 00:02:25,266 --> 00:02:30,266 it's very messy. This is part of that process. And we're going to keep steady hands at the wheel. 35 00:02:32,366 --> 00:02:35,266 LISA DESJARDINS: Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene do not want steady. They want 36 00:02:35,266 --> 00:02:38,866 their way. And she's using the tight margin in the House right now to try 37 00:02:38,866 --> 00:02:43,466 and get it. In just over a week, that vote gets even one vote tighter. That means, 38 00:02:43,466 --> 00:02:47,966 to pass nearly anything, including Ukraine funding, it must be bipartisan. 39 00:02:47,966 --> 00:02:52,333 However, if Johnson pushes bipartisan bills, it would take just two or three 40 00:02:52,333 --> 00:02:56,766 Republicans to take away the majority from him as speaker. Democrats could 41 00:02:56,766 --> 00:03:00,833 help him survive with their votes, but that would spark another major problem. 42 00:03:00,833 --> 00:03:02,600 FMR. REP. ERIC CANTOR (R-VA): I think it's a really, 43 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,033 really untenable spot to be put in to be propped up by the opposition. 44 00:03:09,133 --> 00:03:11,333 LISA DESJARDINS: Eric Cantor is a former House majority leader who lost to a Freedom Caucus 45 00:03:11,333 --> 00:03:16,300 opponent. He says, if Johnson survives thanks to votes from Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other 46 00:03:18,300 --> 00:03:21,533 Democrats, that would undermine Republicans running in primaries across the country. 47 00:03:23,900 --> 00:03:26,900 Cantor also sees the problem Johnson faces against all-or-nothing tactics from within the party. 48 00:03:28,633 --> 00:03:30,166 FMR. REP. ERIC CANTOR: I think that's really important to never, 49 00:03:30,166 --> 00:03:32,633 ever sit here and just throw your hands up and say, we're 50 00:03:32,633 --> 00:03:36,566 going to be part of the destruction caucus and never get anything done. 51 00:03:36,566 --> 00:03:39,033 LISA DESJARDINS: You used the phrase destruction caucus. 52 00:03:39,033 --> 00:03:42,500 FMR. REP. ERIC CANTOR: For some, there is, and they have been quoted as such, 53 00:03:42,500 --> 00:03:47,500 saying nothing that Washington does is good. And I sort of questioned to myself, 54 00:03:49,466 --> 00:03:52,433 how is it that you want to be elected and serve in Washington if you say it's all bad? 55 00:03:52,433 --> 00:03:56,700 LISA DESJARDINS: For Speaker Johnson, who may control the fate of Ukraine aid, 56 00:03:56,700 --> 00:04:00,866 FISA reauthorization and most any issue in Congress at the moment, 57 00:04:00,866 --> 00:04:05,866 the question is, can he find a way to get anything done and also survive? 58 00:04:07,066 --> 00:04:11,033 For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Lisa Desjardins.