Let's check in on Mike Johnson's "honeymoon"

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     November 10, 2023 Mike Johnson may now be second in the line of presidential succession. But after having never heard of the Louisiana congressman until he somehow ascended to the House speakership last month, I still have trouble recognizing his face when it emerges on the feed. And it doesn't help that Johnson, [as extreme as his politics are](, appears to know better than to wield the same chaotic energy of, say, a Jim Jordan. That, of course, is by design, one of the primary reasons he won the speakership, which, Axios reports, has since fueled a [surge in grassroots fundraising for the GOP](. But don't let the relative quiet of this so-called "honeymoon period" fool you. With another deadline to avert a government shutdown fast approaching, Johnson was forced to [pull two spending bills]( this week after failing to unite his fractured party. Now the big man on campus, Johnson may also be sitting alone at the lunch table these days. Politico reports that Johnson, a fierce [proponent of slashing the safety net](, is telling [his fellow safety net haters]( in Congress that SNAP restrictions may not be feasible: Speaker Mike Johnson privately conceded this week that Republicans may not succeed in further slashing the nation’s massive food assistance program for low-income Americans, according to two GOP lawmakers present at a closed-door meeting with Johnson. Shrinking the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a top priority for hard-right conservatives and until now has been a priority of Johnson’s. Backing off some of the House GOP’s most severe plans for the program sets up a potential clash with some of Johnson’s fellow Republicans... And that's not all. In a [closed-door meeting with Republican]( moderates, Johnson reportedly agreed that hammering through a Biden impeachment inquiry may no longer be necessary because the president's poll numbers are so bad. That's all but certain to infuriate the Matt Gaetzes of the caucus. It's also extremely telling of the nakedly political and baseless motives animating their inquiry. In any event, I better start learning to recognize Johnson in the headlines, as the apparent grace period he was afforded quickly comes to a close. —Inae Oh Advertisement [House Donations Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Republicans Want to Deport Students for Speaking Out on the Israel-Hamas War]( Vague proposals to expel immigrants for "supporting Hamas" threaten free speech, civil liberties advocates warn. BY NINA WANG FROM THE MOTHER JONES STORE   Mother Jones Store T-shirts, books, back issues, and new merchandise! Go to the official Mother Jones Store and show your support beyond the pages. [Check us out!]( [Trending] [Young progressives are disgusted with Biden over Israel]( BY NOAH LANARD   [Sen. Joe Manchin won't seek reelection in 2024]( BY JULIANNE MCSHANE   [A new tool helps disabled people track—and shape—laws that impact them]( BY JULIA MÉTRAUX   [Glenn Youngkin spent millions only for Republicans to lose in Virginia]( BY ARIANNA COGHILL Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Who does the celebrity memoir serve?]( New tell-alls seek to rebuke the media for past mistreatment—but they only go so far. BY EMMELINE CLEIN [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755