Elise Stefanik Escalates GOP Infighting — Could Her Exit Sink Speaker Mike Johnson?

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is confronting a fresh round of public dissent from within his own conference as Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) — who is running for governor of New York — openly criticized his leadership and successfully pushed to restore a contentious MAGA-backed provision to the annual defense authorization bill.

On Dec. 2, Stefanik told The Wall Street Journal, "He certainly wouldn't have the votes to be speaker if there was a roll-call vote tomorrow. I believe that the majority of Republicans would vote for new leadership. It's that widespread." She also contrasted Johnson unfavorably with former Speaker Kevin McCarthy: "Whereas Kevin McCarthy was a political animal, Mike Johnson is a political novice — and, boy, does it show, with the House Republicans underperforming for the first time in the Trump era."

The Policy Fight

Stefanik pressed to reinstate language in the defense bill that would require the FBI to notify Congress if it opens a counterintelligence investigation into a political candidate — a measure supporters link to concerns raised by the bureau's 2016 inquiry into alleged ties between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia. Johnson accused Stefanik of posting on X before raising the matter with him; she retorted on the platform: "Just more lies from the Speaker." By Wednesday morning, the disputed provision had been placed back into the bill.

"He certainly wouldn't have the votes to be speaker if there was a roll-call vote tomorrow. I believe that the majority of Republicans would vote for new leadership. It's that widespread." — Rep. Elise Stefanik

Broader Fractures

Stefanik is one of several high-profile Republicans preparing to leave the House who have criticized Johnson publicly. Others include Rep. Chip Roy, who is running for Texas attorney general, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, whose resignation will temporarily reduce Johnson's working majority. Currently Johnson's margin is two votes; when Greene's departure takes effect in January, that margin will briefly shrink to a single vote.

Beyond individual attacks, structural challenges compound Johnson's problem: an uptick in discharge petitions (which can force bills to the floor without the speaker's approval), reports that Republican women feel marginalized within the conference, and the difficulty of reconciling centrists and hardliners on major legislation.

Legislative Pressure Points

Johnson is navigating two fraught priorities: the defense authorization bill and a separate health-care package. Though the defense bill appeared closer to resolution than the health-care plan as of Friday, unresolved details remained. Politico reported a GOP framework for the health legislation was optimistically slated for release this week, but balancing centrists concerned about rising Affordable Care Act premiums with hardliners seeking deep cuts will be a high-wire act.

Outlook

Both Johnson and Stefanik have attempted to cool tensions publicly: Johnson urged members to bring concerns to him directly, while Stefanik described a conversation with the speaker as "de-escalatory." Still, the episode has crystallized deeper unrest inside the GOP conference. With several departing members willing to air grievances and institutional tools like discharge petitions on the rise, Johnson’s narrow margin leaves his speakership vulnerable — and how long he can steady the chamber remains uncertain.