Jan. 31, 2023: The House GOPs growing pains
One month into the House Republican majority, a clear picture is emerging of the problems Speaker Kevin McCarthy will face managing his slim, five-seat majority. (That is, if the chaotic speaker election didn\u2019t make things clear enough.)\nAlready, Republicans are scrambling to salvage red-meat proposals they\u2019ve been talking about for months, whether it\u2019s cracking down on the southwest border or targeting Omar\u2019s committee seat. Yes, it\u2019s early going, but the new majority\u2019s struggles in passing messaging bills does not bode well for the more consequential legislation that will have to clear the House later on.\n\u201cNothing in a majority this narrow is going to be easy,\u201d Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) said, in what we might call the understatement of the year.\nTwo key dynamics we\u2019re watching this week...\nSubscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter