House Speaker Mike Johnson heads to Texas to campaign for Rep. Tony Gonzales, marking his first fundraising endeavor since passing Ukraine aid despite significant party opposition.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is embarking on his first fundraising trip since the approval of Ukraine aid, which faced substantial resistance from the majority of his party. He is traveling to Texas to support Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who has emerged as one of the most controversial figures within House conservatives.
Rep. Gonzales, who recently pledged to help safeguard Johnson’s position as Speaker, will host Johnson for a series of fundraising events expected to garner approximately $300,000 for his reelection campaign.
Gonzales has been a central figure in the perceived leftward drift of House Republicans, challenging the party’s conservative base and occasionally the broader House Republican Conference agenda, despite Republicans holding the majority.
Bring unchristian anti-immigrant bills to the floor and I am a NO on the debt ceiling.
— Team Tony (@TonyGonzales4TX) March 29, 2023
In a notable clash within the party, Gonzales was one of the 25 Republicans who opposed Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) bid for Speaker, a move that prolonged a deadlock on the House floor and eventually led to Johnson’s leadership. Johnson later extended leniency to those 25 members, as noted in a Breitbart News report, reflecting a break from the usual punitive measures against dissent within the party ranks.
Johnson’s rush to aid Gonzales follows a series of policy disagreements, especially on border security. Gonzales, who supports a more lenient migration policy, openly criticized the Republican border security plan as “unchristian” and “anti-immigrant.” His stance undermined then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who was negotiating concessions with the Biden administration in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.
Gonzales, aligning closely with Johnson on immigration issues, expressed this during a CNN interview in January, emphasizing his weekly discussions with Johnson on the topic.
Despite his controversial positions within the party, Gonzales has also advocated for strong measures such as the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. However, his voting record has sparked considerable backlash in his home state, leading to a censure by the Texas GOP for straying from Republican principles, particularly on issues like gun control and marriage equality.
Gonzales’s critiques of his party peers continued as he defended Johnson and disparaged Representatives like Matt Gaetz and Bob Good, who have endorsed his primary opponent, branding them negatively in public statements.
The internal party dynamics and Johnson’s support for Gonzales highlight the ongoing ideological struggles within the GOP, especially as the party confronts divergent views on significant policy issues ahead of challenging electoral battles.
