House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., "is doing an excellent job" despite being challenged by "self-serving obstructionists" within the Republican conference, according to former Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Johnson faces "the most challenging speakership since the Civil War over 150 years ago," Gingrich wrote for The Washington Times.
That is largely due, Gingrich added, to "six to eight self-serving obstructionists" within the GOP who affect the party's current 217-212 seat majority (six vacancies).
"Let's be honest," Gingrich wrote. "Mr. Johnson has a nominal Republican majority for organizational purposes. This means Republicans can control committees, investigations, and the normal flow of legislative business. But he clearly does not have a majority Republican vote for substantive legislation."
Gingrich praised Johnson for putting the country's interests above his own by seeing a foreign aid package passed last week. Some conservative lawmakers were against the legislation unless or until border security issues were addressed.
"Mr. Johnson realized the foreign aid package was a historic test," Gingrich continued. "Failure to provide help to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan would have had enormous implications for the balance of world power.
"Ukraine would have run out of equipment to fight [Russian President] Vladimir Putin's invasion. Israel would have run out of defensive missiles to stop Iranian launches. Taiwan would have become more vulnerable to a takeover by China. All of those are much bigger problems than petty infighting or political points."
Gingrich, who served as speaker 1995-99, credited Johnson for quickly learning from the intelligence community, as well as from the chairmen of his key Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Armed Services committees. Johnson was voted to the speakership in late October.
"As a former member of the Gang of Eight, which has access to everything America knows, I can attest that the world becomes much more complicated and challenging when you learn details about the real threats to our survival," Gingrich wrote.
"As he learned, Mr. Johnson realized that the world was at a crossroads and that passage of the House foreign aid bill was vital for our own safety."
On April 19, Politico quoted Gingrich as saying House members "would be totally stupid" to move forward with a motion to vacate and seek to replace Johnson as speaker.
As someone who understands "how complicated the job really is," Gingrich wrote that Johnson's "patience, persistence and skill" led to the foreign aid bill's passage in the House.
"Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul captured my feelings when he said: 'To me, it is a true profile in courage to put the interests of the nation above his own — himself and his career. It was a gutsy call, but he knew it was the right thing. My stock in him went way up,'" Gingrich wrote.
"Mr. Johnson's critics should think about their colleague's assessment."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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