Rep. Cole says "the reservoir of goodwill is enormous" for House Speaker

Washington — Rep. Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican who leads nan House Appropriations Committee, said Sunday that contempt a increasing threat to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, he's "much stronger than group look to think," noting that "the reservoir of goodwill is enormous."

"I really deliberation he's, you know, empowered nan halfway and marginalized nan extremes connected each side," Cole said connected "Face nan Nation" connected Sunday. "Now, is location immoderate consequence for that? Sure. But nan constituent is, he's gotten a batch done. I deliberation group respect him. They genuinely for illustration him."

• Transcript: House Appropriations Committee chair Rep. Tom Cole connected "Face nan Nation," April 21, 2024  

The Louisiana Republican has faced pushback successful caller weeks for his handling of nan authorities backing process, prompting Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, to record a motion to vacate, threatening to bring up a ballot for his ouster. That vexation was bolstered by his shepherding of a foreign assistance package that nan House approved connected Saturday, which immoderate conservatives besides opposed. And though Greene has yet to perpetrate to a timeline for bringing up a ballot connected Johnson's removal, she's gained immoderate backers successful caller days. 

The effort to oust Johnson now has 3 nationalist Republican supporters: Greene, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona, who announced his support for nan effort connected Friday. Republicans person a razor-thin mostly astatine nan moment, truthful Johnson tin only spend to suffer 1 ballot unless they get support from Democrats. 

Rep. Tom Cole connected "Face nan Nation," April 21, 2024. CBS News

But Cole made clear that "it's a comparatively mini number" of Republicans who would support a mobility to oust Johnson, saying he doesn't expect that "we'd suffer nan aforesaid number of Republicans that we mislaid pinch Kevin McCarthy," who was past twelvemonth nan first speaker to beryllium removed from his station successful October nether akin circumstances. 

"There's a batch of group that for illustration nan speaker, that respect nan speaker, moreover erstwhile they disagree pinch him," Cole said. "They cognize he's honest, he's a consecutive shooter. They besides had a sensation of what it's for illustration to spell without a speaker for 3 weeks. I don't deliberation they want that again."

Joining nan 8 Republicans who voted to footwear McCarthy from nan station was each Democrat. And nan aforesaid mightiness not beryllium existent for Johnson. Cole said he doesn't judge there's unified Democratic support to region Johnson, saying that it's improbable for Democrats who supported nan overseas assistance package, peculiarly its assistance for Ukraine, to ballot to oust nan speaker. 

"I deliberation some sides person now seen really vulnerable this is, really irresponsible it is," Cole said. "But if personification wants to do it, it's wrong nan rules and they tin return their shot."