Mike Johnson Just Can’t Stop Winning
Johnson’s successes in Congress are all the more remarkable considering the (small) size of his majority.
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty
Early this morning, by a vote of 215-214, House Republicans passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB)—and yes, that is the actual name of the legislation—that funds the vast majority of President Donald Trump’s priorities on tax cuts, immigration and the like.
It marks another massive victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson, a man, I will admit, I drastically underestimated when he ascended to the job roughly a year ago.
Consider just some of what Johnson has done in the first five months of 2025:
• Got reelected as speaker on the first ballot.
• Passed legislation to keep the government open and funded in March.
Sign Up for The Swamp Newsletter
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
• Passed the OBBB’s framework in April, amid widely reported cracks in the GOP caucus, before sealing the deal today.
That’s an impressive record. Period. It’s made all the more impressive when you consider that Johnson did all this with a 3-seat majority. This makes what he has done in the first five months of 2025 nothing short of stunning, from a legislative and political skill standpoint.
Now, of course, there are caveats. The Senate is almost certainly going to make changes to the bill—changes that will not make conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus happy. The bill will then come back to the House where Johnson will have to figure out a way to get the revised version of it passed with that same tiny majority.
House Speaker Mike Johnson stands with President Donald Trump as he speaks to reporters ahead of a closed-door meeting with House Republicans on May 20, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
The Washington Post/via Getty Images
Johnson can’t take all the credit either. President Donald Trump helped—bigly. He met Monday with the entire GOP conference on Capitol Hill; on Wednesday he had some of the party’s more fiscally conservative members to the White House. Without Trump, the OBBB probably doesn’t pass. But then, who cultivated a relationship with Trump—and understood how to effectively deploy him for maximum impact? Johnson.
And remember, this bill will add to America’s debt and deficit problems. If Johnson (and Republicans) wanted to begin to address our over-spending problems, this ain’t it.
But when the chips fall, Johnson’s job is to pass legislation that is proposed by his party’s president. Time and time again, he’s done it. It’s now clear that Johnson is a much more effective and consequential Speaker than the man he replaced, Kevin McCarthy. And he now has a stronger grip on the House’s top job than at any point in the last year.
Want more ball and strike calling—no matter what uniform the batter at the plate is wearing? Check out Chris Cillizza’s Substack and YouTube channel.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.