SCOOP: Speaker Johnson sends cash infusion to stop Newsom's "unconstitutional power grab"
The government may be shut down, but Speaker Johnson is firing on all cylinders.
While Senate Democrats shut the government down, Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) is running on all cylinders, when it comes to both running the House and keeping the House.
Johnson’s latest move is a cash infusion to California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.) is asking voters to approve of his rewrite of the state’s constitution to draw up to five of Johnson’s Republican colleagues out of office — while shoring up most of the Golden State’s Democrats.
Johnson’s $1 million transfer to the California Republican Party builds on millions of dollars that he has either directly or indirectly sent to stop Newsom’s power grab; the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), Johnson’s endorsed Super PAC, has contributed $10 million in total to convincing California voters of all parties to vote no on Prop 50.
“It’s amusing that Gavin Newsom seems so obsessed with my every move,” Johnson said, following his move. “Someone should tell him to spend less time lying about my record, and more time focusing on his beleaguered state. As Republicans in Congress deliver results for the American people, we are committed to oppose Newsom’s unconstitutional power grab.”
Johnson, a former constitutional lawyer, added that “Newsom and Washington Democrats want California to shred its own law and popular independent redistricting commission to try and take our House majority. We will continue to lead efforts to educate voters about this political stunt and do all we can to defeat it.”
Newsom’s work on Prop 50 is viewed by many as a dry run for a potential presidential bid in 2028 — even as it projects to cost California taxpayers over a quarter of a billion dollars.
But the move is already blowing back on his party, as Republicans dominate Democrats in the ongoing redistricting battles across America. In North Carolina, state Republicans specifically cited Newsom’s attempted power grab as a reason that they are looking at drawing a Democratic lawmaker out of office.
State Senator Phil Berger, who runs the state’s Republican caucus, specifically said a possible mid-decade redraw would be “to block blue state Democrats like Newsom who want to take control of Congress from Republicans.”
Even as Gavin Newsom works to draw Republicans out of office, Johnson has sent almost $2 million to his GOP colleagues in California to help them withstand the tide.
While Newsom is relying on prominent out of state surrogates, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) to help pass his partisan gerrymander, Johnson has the support of one of California’s most famous politicians ever: former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is going toe-to-toe with Newsom to oppose the attempted gerrymander.
California voters have until November 4th to vote on Prop 50.