Elise Stefanik Accuses Mike Johnson of Lying as He Faces GOP Revolt
Republican Representative Elise Stefanik is feuding with House Speaker Mike Johnson after legislation she has been pushing for years related to Russia and the 2016 election was left out of the National Defense Authorization Act, a major defense policy bill.
Stefanik’s legislation would require the FBI to notify Congress every time the bureau opens an investigation into a political candidate seeking federal office. On Monday, she complained on X that her years-old provision was being left out of the NDAA and that, as a result, she would be voting “no” on the bill.
“Unless this provision is added back into the bill to prevent illegal political weaponization of the intelligence community in our elections, I am a HARD NO. I have always voted in support of the defense and intelligence authorization bills, but no more,” Stefanik wrote in a long post. “It is a scandalous disgrace that Republicans are allowing themselves to be rolled by the Dems and deep state on this.”
Johnson was not happy, telling Jake Sherman of Punchbowl Tuesday, “All of that is false.”
“I don’t exactly know why Elise won’t just call me. I texted her yesterday. She’s upset one of her provisions is not being made, I think, into the NDAA.… As soon as I heard this yesterday, I was campaigning in Tennessee, and I wrote her and said, ‘What are you talking about? This hasn’t even made it to my level,’” Johnson said.
This seemed to make Stefanik even more upset. She ranted on X: “Just more lies from the Speaker.”
“And in true to form, the Speaker texted me yesterday claiming he ‘knew nothing about it.’ Yeah right. This is his preferred tactic to tell Members when he gets caught torpedoing the Republican agenda,” Stefanik posted, complaining that Johnson was “siding” with Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin.
Losing Stefanik’s vote on the NDAA, a major defense appropriations bill that has to pass every year, could be disastrous for Johnson, considering that Republicans only have a narrow two-vote majority in the House. Stefanik also has the support of fellow House GOP rebel Marjorie Taylor Greene, who posted on X Tuesday, “No surprises here. As usual from the Speaker, promises made promises broken. We all know it,” quoting a post from Stefanik.
Stefanik will not be in Congress much longer, as she has launched her own campaign for governor of New York. In the meantime, she’s not being quiet, and Johnson should be worried that her feelings might spread within the GOP caucus, especially with other House Republicans eyeing the exits.
