Mike Johnson: 'I will not resign' as he faces growing House pressure
Plus: Umpires needed at BPAR. Water outage and boil order coming today. Amy Grant live.
Bossier City weather — Today: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid-80s. Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 60s. Thursday: Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80s. Chance of rain 40%.
Beyond Bossier
Mike Johnson: 'I will not resign' as he faces growing pressure as House Speaker
For Bossier Parish residents he is our neighbor. In Benton, he is a fellow church-goer. And on the national stage, he is the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mike Johnson knew the job would not be easy. However, following the historic ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Johnson was unanimously elected to the leadership post in October.
“Look, I regard myself as a wartime speaker. I mean, in a literal sense,” Johnson said Tuesday. “I knew that when I took the gavel. I didn’t anticipate that this would be an easy path.”
Johnson was facing yet another challenge. This time, it was not from Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who filed a motion to vacate the speaker post in March, just before the House left on a two-week break.
This time the no-confidence rhetoric came from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky who called on Speaker Mike Johnson to resign during a closed-door meeting of GOP lawmakers on Tuesday — throwing more uncertainty into that chamber just months before the November elections.
Massie told reporters after the meeting and just before a Johnson press conference that he believed the votes existed to remove Johnson as speaker when a vote is called. He didn’t say when that would happen or who he thinks could secure the votes needed to become speaker.
“The motion will get called,” Massie said, referring to a floor vote on Johnson. “And then he’s going to lose more votes than Kevin McCarthy. And I have told him this in private, like weeks ago.”
Johnson rejected Massie’s call to quit, as did several Republicans.
“I am not resigning. And it is, in my view, an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion,” Johnson said “We’re simply here trying to do our job.”
Critical House votes are coming
Removing Johnson from the leadership position less than six months into his tenure comes shortly after the House passed two government funding packages on broadly bipartisan votes in March and just as the House prepares to vote on emergency aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan later this week.
Israel is engaged in a war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip and was attacked by Iran over the weekend, while Ukraine continues to defend itself from a Russian invasion.
Johnson, speaking at a press conference during which he only took one question, said removing him as speaker would throw a wrench into a chamber that needs “steady hands at the wheel” to address domestic and global issues.
He repeated comments from former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who had posted on social media that “this is the hardest challenge that’s faced a speaker probably in the history of the country.”
“He said, arguably, maybe comparable to the Civil War, but maybe worse,” Johnson added.
He then spoke about the narrow margin that GOP leaders have in the House, which currently holds 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats.
“The way we get through that is we show unity and we explain how we have answers to all these great challenges.”
“A single-vote margin at a difficult time when the nation is terribly divided,” Johnson said. “The way we get through that is we show unity and we explain how we have answers to all these great challenges.”
Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president this fall, is on trial in a New York state criminal courtroom facing charges of falsifying business records. Trump would oppose President Joe Biden this fall in what has been a bitter campaign so far.
Johnson appeared with Trump at Florida’s Mar-a-Lago on Friday and appeared to get the former president's backing, possibly insulating him from efforts to remove him as speaker.
– By Greg Larose/Louisiana Illuminator
Greene's motion to vacate
Unlike the motion to vacate that Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz filed against McCarthy last fall, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's was not intended to be “privileged,” meaning that it didn’t force a vote within two days.
Greene has not said when she may push for a floor vote.
Massie said that Johnson’s actions as speaker, including advancing bipartisan bills that have been able to move through the Democratically controlled Senate and garner Biden’s signature, are key reasons he wants to remove Johnson from power.
Massie said that Johnson should publicly announce that he would resign once the conference decides on a successor, or that he should announce a future date for his resignation. That would allow the House GOP Conference to have a smooth transition without the weeks of stalemate and drama that marked the ousting of McCarthy.
Border security demands from GOP
South Carolina GOP Rep. Ralph Norman said following the House Republican meeting that he respects Massie, but disagrees with his actions.
“The last thing this country needs is to throw a speaker out, even though I disagree with what he’s done,” Norman said. “I wouldn’t put the country through that, so I’m against that.”
Numerous House Republican lawmakers in the meeting, Norman said, made it clear to Johnson that something must be done to address border security.
Louisiana Republican Rep. Garret Graves said following the meeting he doesn’t believe a floor vote on the motion to vacate Johnson from the speaker’s office is imminent.
“I don’t think that the threat is really real at this point just because you don’t have an alternative,” Graves said. “You have a loosely affiliated coalition government at this point. You’re not going to get a majority of votes for any new person. And for that reason, I don’t think they’re going to go through with it at this point.”
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican, said he’s “not too worried about Speaker Johnson,” despite Massie’s calls for resignation.
Bossier Parks and Recreation looking for summer umpires
Bossier Parks and Recreation is looking for umpires for the adult Bossier City Softball League.
"We need energetic applicants that enjoy softball and can call a few balls and strikes," BPAR said in a release. "The job will be fun, and we might even provide some peanuts and Cracker Jacks."
Those interested are asked to call Brian Sojourner at (318) 741-8462 or pick up an application at 3223 Old Shed Road. Applications are being taken now to be ready for the summer season.
Country Place residents: Prepare for water outage and boil advisory today
Residents in the Country Place Subdivision should be prepared for a temporary interruption in water service today, Wednesday, April 17, at 10:00 p.m., according to the Consolidated Water Sewer District #1.
The service will be turned off while work crews connect the Country Place water line to the Dogwood South Water System. Officials say customers should expect their service to be restored at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 18.
The outage will also require a mandatory boil advisory for customers on the Country Place Utilities Water System after the service has been restored. Officials say the advisory will be in effect until water samples clear testing by the Louisiana Department of Health Lab in Shreveport.
Bossier City free time calendar
Live music and notable events for your consideration.
Tonight, April 17: Amy Grant at the Strand Theatre
April 18: Brent Cobb brings his "Livin' The Dream" Tour to the Louisiana Grandstand.
April 20: Hank Williams Jr. at the BGA.
April 20: Bryan Martin at the Louisiana Grandstand.
April 26: Riley Green's 'Ain't My Last Rodeo tour at the BGA with guests Tracy Lawrence and Ella Langley
May 3: The Cox Family brings Grammy award-winning bluegrass to the Louisiana Grandstand.
May 4: Dylan Leblanc returns to his hometown of Shreveport with his band to promote his newest album release, "Coyote," at the Louisiana Grandstand.
May 11: Jimmy Wooten, the guitar sensation from Shreveport, has been touring and performing solo since his days of playing in Neal McCoy's band. Now he releases his debut album in this album release event at the Louisiana Grandstand.
May 17: Marc Broussard and his father, Ted, return to the Louisiana Grandstand. Last year, they packed the house and had an unforgettable show. This year, they'll bring another instrumentalist or two for an even bigger show.
May 25: Better Than Ezra in the Paradise Theater at Margaritaville Casino.
May 31: Jacob Stelly is a Texas sensation with a world-class band as he comes home to family and friends in Bossier City and performs at the Louisiana Grandstand.
June 1: Rick Springfield and Richard Marx in the Paradise Theater at Margaritaville Casino.
June 14: On a night when he's not tearing up stages, and sold-out arenas with the Turnpike Troubadours, Kyle Nix and the 38s will be at the Louisiana Grandstand.
June 29: The Steel Woods return after previously selling out the Louisiana Grandstand.
July 26: Fan favorite, Dan Smalley, returns to put on another incredible performance in the legendary listening room at Louisiana Grandstand. If you've never seen this Shreveport native perform, make plans to see what you've been missing.
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