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GEOFF BENNETT: Congress arrived
back in Washington today with
a long list of priorities

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for Speaker Mike Johnson to
accomplish and a razor-thin
margin to get it done.

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Our Lisa Desjardins
has this report.

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LISA DESJARDINS: It's been
a cold spring in Washington,

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beautiful, but, for the
House of Representatives,
delicate and uncertain,

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with echoing sounds that
are the most daunting yet
for the new House speaker.

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REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR
GREENE (R-GA): I will not

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tolerate a speaker of the House
that I voted for to sell us out.

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LISA DESJARDINS: Republican
Congresswoman Marjorie
Taylor Greene in a town
hall in Tunnel Hill,

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Georgia, last night
again made it clear she
wants Mike Johnson out.

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REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: I
will not tolerate this anymore.

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LISA DESJARDINS: Greene
has filed a potent bill,
just one sentence declaring
the speakership to be

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vacant, in other words, removing
Johnson. She's not yet forcing
a vote, but it's a threat...

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MAN: The bill is passed.

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LISA DESJARDINS: ... one issued
last month after she and scores

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of Republicans broke with
Johnson over the compromise
deal to keep government funded.

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REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): That is
not the way to do business.

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LISA DESJARDINS: Beyond
spending, Johnson has
other dilemmas. There's
the border. Conservatives

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decry a lack of progress,
though nothing can pass
both chambers right now.
There's FISA, the Foreign

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Intelligence Surveillance
Act. Key powers are
expiring next week, and
Republicans are divided.

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Then there's Ukraine and
Israel, with increasing
calls for conditions on
Israel aid. And if Johnson

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proposes Ukraine funding,
he risks direct fire from a
large group in opposition.

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FMR. REP. JOHN FLEMING
(R-LA): He's really kind of
standing at the dike trying to

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plug holes right now, so I
have tremendous sympathy for
my good friend Mike Johnson.

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LISA DESJARDINS: John Fleming is
now the treasurer of Louisiana,

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but over a decade ago, he was
part of the Tea Party movement

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and a founder of the Freedom
Caucus. He defends the
sharp motion to vacate.

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FMR. REP. JOHN FLEMING: I think
Democrats, to their credit,
they fight. Even when they're

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underdogs, even when
they're in the minority,
they fight hard for their

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policies. I can't say
that about Republicans.
Republicans oftentimes
give in way too quickly.

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LISA DESJARDINS: But the problem
for Johnson is that he has
some members who want to fight,

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but he has a bare majority.
He doesn't have room to
maneuver, nor does he
have good troop morale.

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REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA):
We're living a time of
divided government. Democracy
is messy. Sometimes,

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it's very messy. This is part of
that process. And we're going to
keep steady hands at the wheel.

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LISA DESJARDINS: Republicans
like Marjorie Taylor Greene
do not want steady. They want

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their way. And she's using
the tight margin in the
House right now to try

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and get it. In just over a
week, that vote gets even
one vote tighter. That means,

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to pass nearly anything,
including Ukraine funding,
it must be bipartisan.

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However, if Johnson pushes
bipartisan bills, it would
take just two or three

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Republicans to take away
the majority from him as
speaker. Democrats could

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help him survive with their
votes, but that would spark
another major problem.

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FMR. REP. ERIC CANTOR (R-VA):
I think it's a really,

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really untenable spot to
be put in to be propped
up by the opposition.

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LISA DESJARDINS: Eric Cantor is
a former House majority leader
who lost to a Freedom Caucus

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opponent. He says, if Johnson
survives thanks to votes from
Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other

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Democrats, that would undermine
Republicans running in
primaries across the country.

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Cantor also sees the problem
Johnson faces against
all-or-nothing tactics
from within the party.

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FMR. REP. ERIC CANTOR:
I think that's really
important to never,

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ever sit here and just throw
your hands up and say, we're

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going to be part of the
destruction caucus and
never get anything done.

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LISA DESJARDINS: You used the
phrase destruction caucus.

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FMR. REP. ERIC CANTOR: For
some, there is, and they
have been quoted as such,

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saying nothing that Washington
does is good. And I sort
of questioned to myself,

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how is it that you want to be
elected and serve in Washington
if you say it's all bad?

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LISA DESJARDINS: For Speaker
Johnson, who may control
the fate of Ukraine aid,

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FISA reauthorization
and most any issue in
Congress at the moment,

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the question is, can he
find a way to get anything
done and also survive?

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For the "PBS NewsHour,"
I'm Lisa Desjardins.