Sen. Mike LeeR-Utah predicted that House Speaker Mike Johnson would not retain the gavel next year and called on Elon Musk or Vivek Ramaswamy to fill the leadership role.
“I don’t think the chairman will stay in power,” Lee predicted during an appearance on Thursday evening “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
The senator went on to say that if he is right, the next speaker should be a “DOGE speaker,” a reference to the Department of Governmental Efficiency. President-elect Donald Trump tapped Musk and Ramaswamy to lead efforts to advocate for lower government spending.
“Vivek, Elon, if you’re watching, sign up, America needs you,” Lee said.
Trump-backed spending bill to prevent government shutdown fails House vote
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at the Findlay Toyota Center on Oct. 13, 2024, in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
In a Thursday morning post on X, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., had floated the idea of Musk as speaker of the House of Representatives.
“Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk… think about it… nothing is impossible. (not to mention the joy of seeing how the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty’ called, loses their ever-loving spirit)” Paul posted Thursday morning.
This week, facing the prospect of a possible partial government shutdown, conservatives protested a 1,547-page government spending measure championed by House Speaker Mike Johnson.
President-elect Trump and newly elected Vice President J.D. Vance also joined in, saying in a statement: “Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and prepare our country for success in 2025. The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRATIC GIVEAWAYS combined with a debt ceiling increase.”
Ahead of Thursday’s vote, in which 38 House Republicans and most Democrats rejected a reworked proposal with a much lower page count, Trump berated Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., and claimed the Legislature was “in the way as usual.” , of scoring another big Republican victory – all for the sake of some cheap publicity for themselves.
“Weak and ineffective people like Chip should be dismissed as completely ignorant of the ways of politics and Making America Great Again,” Trump claimed in a Truth Social post.
Trump-backed spending bill goes up in flames as shutdown looms
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a press conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on December 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Lee spoke highly of Roy after Trump trashed the Lone Star State legislature.
“There is no more staunch supporter of conservative policies, constitutionally limited government, or MAGA principles than @ChipRoyTX,” Lee stated in a post on added. “If there is a more dedicated advocate for the Constitution today, I have not met that person.”
Roy gave a fiery speech Thursday ahead of the vote, denouncing the new version of the spending proposal and the Republicans who supported it.
“Yes, I think this bill is better than yesterday in some ways,” Roy noted, adding that “congratulating yourself because it is shorter in pages but increases the debt by $5 trillion is stupid.”
Roy said he was “sickened of a party that campaigns for fiscal responsibility and has the audacity” to suggest the proposal is “fiscally responsible.” It is absolutely ridiculous,” he claimed.
Sen. PaulR-Ky., reposted a clip of Roy’s speech and noted: “We are either fiscally conservative or we are not. An unlimited increase in the debt ceiling for two years is not fiscally conservative and should be rejected.”
MASSIE COMES OUT AGAINST JOHNSON WHO HOLDS THE SPEAKER’S HAMMER: ‘HE DOESN’T HAVE MY VOICE’
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., speaks to the media after the House of Representatives failed to pass a government funding bill at the U.S. Capitol on December 19, 2024 in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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In a post on
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who like Roy voted against the spending proposal Thursday, suggested that instead of voting on a blanket measure, there should be multiple measures that get individual votes.
“This is not complicated. Separate the bills and vote on them separately. One vote on the clean CR, one vote on the debt limit, one vote on disaster relief, one vote on farm bailouts. Radical right? Individual bills for each issue,” he wrote. .
Lee agreed.
“Separate the accounts,” he wrote. “Vote for them individually,” he added. “Revolutionary!”
