STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Here in Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson has had a challenging few weeks. He's trying to pass several big bills but faces divisions in his very narrow Republican majority. NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales is covering this. Claudia, good morning.
CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: What has changed since last year, when Johnson managed to make that narrow majority work?
GRISALES: Well, this is a pretty fractured Republican Party. And members are increasingly willing to break with their leaders, including President Trump. A year ago, they had the ingredients that teed up a series of major legislative wins. Republicans won control of Washington. Trump was heavily involved in helping Johnson keep this slim majority united. And that helped Johnson deliver on some key priorities, most notably the tax and spending plan that Republicans have dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill.
But now it's much more of an uphill climb. And we've seen several high-stakes bills stalling in the House, to the point of essentially freezing the floor this week. And that includes a plan to end the ongoing shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security and an extension of a government surveillance tool known as FISA 702. I talked to the former House Republican speaker pro tem - this is Patrick McHenry.
PATRICK MCHENRY: They spent all their political capital in getting One Big Beautiful Bill done, and then the hangover effect has been the remainder of the Congress.
INSKEEP: Hangover effect. What else is making things harder for Johnson?
GRISALES: Well, leadership was very closely tethered to the president. And as we know, Trump has been struggling with poll numbers. And in an election year, that really is fueling the concerns of distractions with the president and deeply divided the conference. And so we're seeing their differences just get amplified. And it makes it harder for Johnson to find consensus, especially among his more conservative members, like the House Freedom Caucus.
And at the same time, they've had one distraction after another with Trump. We've seen it play out again and again. For example, if we go back earlier this month, they held an event for tax day. And the House conference gathered for this event to tout the wins for the One Big Beautiful Bill, like no taxes on tips and bigger tax returns for some. But instead, they were defending Trump's attacks on Pope Leo.
INSKEEP: Had to talk about something else. Well, let's try to look at this from Johnson's perspective. It's a very hard job. It's eaten up several of the previous speakers. Johnson himself has been quite effective in some other circumstances. Wouldn't anybody be having trouble doing this job right now?
GRISALES: Yes. That's very possible. It's also a question that I wanted to put to Republican strategist Alex Conant, and this is what he told me.
ALEX CONANT: He has a one-, two-, three-, four-seat majority, depending on the day, which is not really a majority. And so every vote - even the symbolic ones - are difficult.
GRISALES: And we should note - while he's notched plenty of wins, Johnson has talked about these challenges. He addressed them in "The Katie Miller Podcast" in November. Miller is wife to White House adviser Stephen Miller. She's also a former DOGE official. And Johnson told her that sometimes it can feel like he's a mental health counselor.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "THE KATIE MILLER PODCAST")
STEPHEN MILLER: When the pressure gets turned up really high and the - then the stakes are so high and the votes are so tight, I just try to sit down and listen to everybody and figure out what their primary need is and how we can meet that.
GRISALES: And he's also signaled sometimes there's not enough hours in the day to address competing demands from members.
INSKEEP: How are this fall's elections looking for Republicans?
GRISALES: Well, they're in a tough position. Analysts tell me all these distractions are shrinking the window for Republicans to make their case to voters and pass legislation to keep their base energized. So instead, in many ways, they're a party consumed with the struggle of being at war with itself.
INSKEEP: NPR's Claudia Grisales. Thanks so much.
GRISALES: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF WILL VAN HORN'S "ALBERTO BALSALM") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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