Don Wolfensberger at The Hill:
Will the fate of the money bill this month again trigger a renewed effort by some Republicans to oust Johnson as Speaker if he proposes a compromise they oppose? Such a putsch would make little sense with time running out on the 118th Congress. It will certainly be a matter for discussion when the 119th Congress convenes in January. Regardless of whether Republicans retain majority control, there will likely be highly competitive races for every GOP leadership post.
Republican leadership fights in the House are frequent, whether they are in the majority or minority. Think of the fates of former Speakers John Boehner (R-Ohio), Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), and, of course, McCarthy. Perhaps the die was cast back in 1910 when powerful Speaker “Uncle Joe” Cannon (R-Ill.) was stripped of most of his powers by his own Republican colleagues after just four terms in the chair. Speakers may enter the office with a gavel in hand, but they are always aware there is also a permanent target on their backs.
Have newly-elected Republican leaders learned anything from their predecessors? They certainly talk a good game about the changes they’ll make: more deference to the party conference in talking through issues; more independence for committees and their chairs; more open floor debates and amendments; and, generally, more “regular order” (whatever that may mean at this point). Once in office, though, each Speaker soon learns there were reasons their predecessors acted as they did: to get things done.