Speaker Johnson had previously indicated that he had whipped enough Republicans to sign off on the action. Seeing as the vote ultimately failed on the House floor despite those reassurances is disappointing to say the least and only adds to the ongoing criticisms of Mike Johnson’s leadership that has plagued him since the day he took the Speaker’s gavel. By the way, Republicans’ failure to hold Merrick Garland in inherent contempt comes just days after the House Speaker encouraged his colleagues to “hug a Democrat,” a cringeworthy olive-branch given to Democratic lawmakers for the extra media scrutiny they have received lately on the Hill due to heated questioning about Joe Biden’s cognitive woes.