Rep. Elise Stefanik has voiced sharp criticism of House Speaker Mike Johnson amid the removal of a key Republican-backed provision from a defense bill. The New York representative, currently campaigning for governor, took to social media Monday after learning that her call requiring greater congressional transparency during FBI counterintelligence investigations into presidential candidates had been blocked without being properly discussed.
“Elise is running for governor and frankly does not give [expletive] anymore about playing nice,” a House Republican source told Politico. Stefanik’s frustration appears palpable; she later dismissed the Speaker’s claims of ignorance, responding with pointed sarcasm to Johnson’s assertion that it hadn’t registered on his radar. “Just more lies from the Speaker,” Stefanik posted online, directly confronting the Louisiana lawmaker who had claimed he’d received her communication via text.
Jim Jordan, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a fellow Ohio Republican, also publicly voiced opposition against removing the controversial requirement. Despite Johnson’s outreach attempts, including texts and calls claiming no awareness of the issue, Stefanik holds him accountable for what she perceives as damaging political maneuvering that undermines transparency demands by fellow Republicans.
The Speaker’s office confirmed they were indeed made aware of her concerns following his remarks Tuesday while campaigning: “I texted her yesterday. I wrote her and said, ‘What are you talking about?’ This hasn’t even made it to my level.” However, sources tell POLITICO that Johnson’s team reached out to Stefanik’s camp seeking a private resolution before the issue became further inflamed publicly.
This latest disagreement underscores an ongoing tension within the Republican caucus, particularly as they face challenges in maintaining their narrow House majority.
