| | | | |  | | By Olivia Beavers | Presented by The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing | With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team
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Before news of a challenger became public, Johnson projected confidence he’d have smooth sailing on Wednesday. | (Francis Chung/POLITICO | JOHNSON’S POSSIBLE OPPOSITION House Republicans are expected to cram into a closed-door room near the Capitol for hours on Wednesday to formalize their elected leadership lineup. And there’s a last-minute hiccup awaiting Speaker Mike Johnson. He still seems poised to clinch the nomination for his first full term as GOP leader, but conservatives are planning to put forward a symbolic leadership challenger — an effort to telegraph their frustration with him over the past year. They don’t have a name yet (at least, not one they’re sharing). But we’ve seen this before. Reminder: Conservatives pushed Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) as a symbolic challenger to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, preventing the Californian from claiming he got unanimous support for the speaker nomination; 31 lawmakers backed Biggs in the secret ballot. Hardliners subsequently dragged McCarthy through 15 votes on the House floor before he took the gavel in January 2023, forcing him to concede to multiple rules changes that weakened his leadership and caused major headaches for the GOP conference that persist to this day. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said “we’ll see” when asked if he would put his name in. Mainly, he argued, conservatives don’t want Johnson thinking he can reverse the rule changes they fought for two years ago. They’re also looking for additional changes, like weakening the power of committee chairs and giving more rank-and-file members power. In short, the conservative plotting isn’t a good early sign for Johnson. But the political environment come January — that is, likely unified GOP control of government — means Johnson still might be able to avoid the embarrassment of an extended speakership race. While Johnson’s margins are expected to stay thin, GOP lawmakers widely believe that Donald Trump — whose wrath House Republicans still widely fear, particularly those in deep-red districts — won't be forgiving to members who delay action in his administration’s first 100 days. Plus, if Trump endorses Johnson that would further shield the GOP leader from possible opposition. Perhaps that is why conservatives seem to be having a harder time finding and launching an opposition candidate. But they still pose a threat to Johnson. He will need 218 votes to officially win the gavel in January, and he can’t bank on any Democrats for help. If the majority margin is razor-thin, as expected, it would only take a few of Johnson’s most vocal opponents to lock arms and cause big headaches. Johnson’s handling of the upcoming spending battle, with a deadline right before the holidays, could also create a further stir with this conservative group. Before news of a challenger became public, Johnson projected confidence he’d have smooth sailing on Wednesday. “We’ll have it all lined out by Jan. 3. It’s going to be fine. The president’s fully supportive. … I think you’re going to have a very different mood in the Republican conference going forward because we do have unified government,” Johnson said in a press conference Tuesday. “We have an extraordinary opportunity ahead of us. Nobody wants to squander that. So, I think you’ll see cohesion in the team. Everybody has this same sense of excitement.” And he downplayed the threat of future efforts to terminate his speakership. “I think we’ll have everybody working together and excited about the agenda,” he said. — Olivia Beavers, with an assist from Jordain Carney GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, Nov. 12, where Congress is back in session — and we’ve seen incoming freshmen exploring Capitol Hill, including learning where the bathrooms are.
| | | | A message from The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing: Big Pharma games the system to keep prescription drug prices high. Brand name drug companies build blockades of patents to extend monopolies and block competition from more affordable alternatives – costing patients, taxpayers and the U.S. health care system billions of dollars each year. Market-based solutions to hold Big Pharma accountable for their egregious anti-competitive tactics, especially patent thickets, have broad bipartisan support. Congress must pass these solutions into law. Learn more. | | | OFF TO THE RACES While it initially seemed there would be few opportunities to pull out the popcorn with this year’s leadership elections, Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) recently announced nomination to serve in the Trump administration has kicked off a competitive leadership race for conference chair. And it’s sure to satisfy the appetites of Republicans eager to move up in the GOP leadership (and political observers who like competitive races). State of play: There is currently a two-woman race between Reps. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Kat Cammack (R-Fla.). As we scooped earlier in the day, Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) dropped out of the race and is making a play for McClain’s current seat as conference secretary. Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah) ultimately ruled out running for the position and is sticking to vice chair, despite making vibe check calls on a potential bid. This all comes amid a broad desire to keep a qualified woman serving in the top brass of GOP leadership. But there’s another factor playing out here: Trump. Whether he opts to weigh in privately or publicly matters, but his name is already influencing the race. McClain quickly leaned into her Trump ties, including being an early endorser who campaigned with the president-elect in the battleground state of Michigan. Cammack, as Trump allies are aware, was a bit slower with her support. But Floridians were also in a tough political spot, choosing between Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis early in the primaries. “At the end of the day, we remember who was with us when it mattered most. Lisa answered the call. Kat was nowhere to be found. Lisa is a loyalist. Kat is a fair weather friend,” a Trump ally told us today, requesting anonymity to speak freely. Predicting the results is tricky with so little time for campaigning. But what we’re hearing from GOP members: McClain may have the edge, particularly given her current leadership post as conference secretary. She’s also been able to campaign across the country with top party leaders during the campaign election cycle. Cammack, however, served as the NRCC’s recruitment chair, which is likely to aid her candidacy. She also is being backed by Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), a close Trump ally, who could help her drum up support among conservatives — and perhaps even Trump. The other race to watch: As for Houchin, she is now running for conference secretary to take McClain’s spot. That race is now becoming crowded, and we broke Rep. Mark Alford’s (R-Mo.) formal letter declaring his bid earlier Tuesday. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), who just survived a tough reelection race, is also going for the spot as of Tuesday afternoon. — Olivia Beavers
| | | | A message from The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing:   | | | HOUSE DEMS’ HOTTEST LEADERSHIP RACE … … Is for battleground leadership representative. Reps. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) and Susie Lee (D-Nev.) are angling for the job ahead of House Democrats’ leadership elections next week. This could mean that one of the most hotly contested Democratic leadership positions is the undercard role created last Congress to add a purple-district voice to House Democrats’ expansive leadership structure. “We need very strong, Midwest voices that know which priorities and what messaging resonates most with people in our competitive districts. We won in a tough state, outran the top of the ticket, exceeded expectations, and I’m good at building teams and getting things done,” Landsman told POLITICO. “I’ve always run my race on my record of getting real results for my district. Now, I’m running for Battleground Leadership Representative to use my experience to ensure your interests are strongly represented at the leadership table, and to get real results that you can bring back to your districts,” Lee wrote in a letter to colleagues. — Nicholas Wu
| | | | REGISTER NOW: Join POLITICO and Capital One for a deep-dive discussion with Acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman, Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL), Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and other housing experts on how to fix America’s housing crisis and build a foundation for financial prosperity. Register to attend in-person or virtually here. | | | | | ARREST IN SWIPING PELOSI’S LAPTOP A man who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, appeared to stash a laptop from then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s suite in his backpack before hurriedly leaving the building, federal prosecutors indicated in a newly unsealed court filing. David Slinker of Kentucky was seen in photos and video inside Pelosi’s conference room as her offices were ransacked. He can be seen peering over the laptop with a lockscreen visible. Prosecutors say a sticky note attached to the computer, which Pelosi used earlier that day for a Zoom call with other lawmakers, appeared to list the credentials to access the device. Slinker’s arrest is the latest twist in a Jan. 6 mystery that has lingered for nearly four years. Riley Williams, a Pennsylvania woman arrested just days after the breach, told friends that she had taken the laptop and intended to sell it to Russia, only to later suggest she had fabricated the claim and instead had purloined ceremonial gavels from the speaker’s office instead. Two other defendants, Maryann Mooney-Rondon and Rafael Rondon, also pleaded guilty for their role in breaching Pelosi’s suite and were seen advising others on how to safely take the laptop. Rafael Rondon said he helped put the laptop into Slinker’s backpack. Prosecutors say the FBI searched Slinker’s Kentucky home but did not recover the computer. Court documents show Slinker was arrested in late October, but his case was not made public until Friday afternoon. — Kyle Cheney
| | | | A message from The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing: Big Pharma's abuse of the patent system is designed to maintain monopolies over their biggest money-makers, boosting brand name drug makers’ profits at the expense of American patients and taxpayers. One of their anti-competitive tactics involves filing dozens, sometimes hundreds, of patents on blockbuster products to build extensive “patent thickets,” completely disconnected from any true innovation. An economic analysis found Big Pharma’s patent thickets on just five drugs cost American patients and the U.S. health care system more than $16 billion in a single year.
The Congressional Budget Office has confirmed bipartisan, market-based solutions to hold Big Pharma accountable for patent abuse will lower drug prices and the U.S. Senate unanimously passed one solution, Cornyn-Blumenthal (S.150), earlier this year. Now is the time for Congress to finish the job – and pass solutions to lower drug prices by cracking down on patent abuse and promoting competition. Learn more. | | | POLITICO’s (Not-So) Lame Duck Happy Hour On the heels of the election and as New Members of Congress make their way to Capitol Hill, join us for a relaxed happy hour to connect with fellow congressional staff and Beltway insiders tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 13, at Hawk & Dove. Daniella Diaz, Nicholas Wu, and Ursula Perano will be on-hand throughout the evening and will provide some insight on the coverage and stories that will set the agenda for the Hill in the coming months. Register here.
| | The leadership bid we need: End shrink-flation in the Senate. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill are gearing up for the New Jersey governor’s race Mike Pence has thoughts on Congress. Justice for Babydog! Swedish Fish are a stakeout necessity.
| | | | Policy change is coming—be the pro who saw it first. Access POLITICO Pro's Issue Analysis series on what the transition means for agriculture, defense, health care, tech, and more. Strengthen your strategy. | | | | | QUICK LINKS Johnson: Trump not expected to pick more admin members from House GOP, from Jordain Carney and Olivia Beavers Republicans won big in the Senate. A warning lurks in the purple states. From Ally Mutnick and Ursula Perano After Harris’s Loss, a Liberal Icon Ponders Life on the Outside, from Elizabeth Williamson at the New York Times John Cornyn spent years preparing to run for Senate majority leader. Will it be enough? From Matthew Choi at the Texas Tribune TRANSITIONS Noelle Rossellini has started as the chief of staff for Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ). She was most recently deputy chief of staff for Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) and is a DNC alum. Brianna Frias is joining Instacart as senior manager of policy comms. She previously was comms director for Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), and is a Jason Crow and Sheldon Whitehouse alum. TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are in session. WEDNESDAY AROUND THE HILL Leadership elections with the Senate GOP starting at 9 a.m. and House Republicans beginning theirs at 2:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Hotel nearby. 10:00 a.m.: The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding hearings to “examine the gun violence epidemic, focusing on bump stocks and other conversion devices.” 11:30 a.m.: The House Oversight Committee is holding a hearing focused on: “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth”
| | | TUESDAY’S ANSWER: Brad Fitch was the first to correctly answer that James Madison and Abraham Lincoln were the shortest and tallest presidents, respectively. TODAY’S QUESTION, from Brad: This US Senator married twice in life. Once to the daughter of the Senate minority leader, and the second time to the daughter of one of his party’s presidential nominees. Who was this senator? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening. | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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