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This is exactly the faction of legislators that made McCarthy's job as speaker so hard, and where the votes to oust him came from in 2023. That suggests that Johnson hasn't fundamentally changed the dynamic in Congress; anti-establishment conservatives remain skeptical of their party's leadership, and they've already shown once before that they're willing to topple a speaker. (Actually, twice — this same faction precipitated the resignation of former Speaker John Boehner in 2015 by threatening him with a motion to vacate as well.)

While this group has for now set aside its differences with leadership to send a positive signal about the party's agenda, it's not likely to go away quietly when actual legislation materializes. For now, Republicans in Congress have put their party's best interests over process and ideology. How long can Johnson — and Trump — keep them striking that balance?

Footnotes

*Granted, this is eight more than were necessary last Congress, when just a single Republican could introduce a motion to vacate. This is how former Speaker Kevin McCarthy lost his job.

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