Today, Explained – “GOP women are over it”

Date: December 15, 2025
Hosts: Noel King, Sean Rameswaram
Guests: Melanie Zanona (NBC Congressional Correspondent), Burgess Everett (Semaphore Congressional Bureau Chief)

Episode Overview

This episode examines a surge of frustration and open dissent among Republican women in Congress, as several high-profile GOP women challenge House Speaker Mike Johnson’s style of leadership and his approach to both party politics and key policy issues—particularly health care. The discussion explores recent outspoken critiques, the underlying gender dynamics in the GOP caucus, and the implications for the party’s legislative agenda and internal unity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Republican Women vs. Speaker Mike Johnson

• Dissatisfaction comes to the surface:

  • High-profile GOP women, led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, Elise Stefanik, and Anna Paulina Luna, have publicly criticized Speaker Johnson’s leadership and his handling of key legislative priorities.

• Marjorie Taylor Greene’s grievances:

  • Greene criticizes Johnson for sidelining women and not prioritizing legislation on affordability issues, a core campaign theme for many Republicans.
  • She’s also pushing a long-shot bid to remove Johnson as Speaker, citing his lack of a plan “to deal with a coming health care crisis” (00:20).

• Elise Stefanik’s challenge:

  • Stefanik has openly questioned Johnson’s political strategy, stating that if a vote for Speaker were held today, Johnson probably wouldn’t win—remarkable since Stefanik sits on his own leadership team (04:00).

• Anna Paulina Luna & legislative bottlenecks:

  • Luna accuses Johnson of breaking promises to bring key bipartisan bills, like a Congressional stock trading ban, to the floor. Frustrated, she’s initiated a “discharge petition” to force a vote, bypassing leadership (05:02).

• Quote — Melanie Zanona (on GOP women’s revolt):

  “I described it in my piece for NBC News as a revolt of the Republican women. They're actually rebelling... it’s having a real effect on the legislative floor and the legislative process.” (05:32)

2. Gender Dynamics and Rhetoric in the GOP

• Johnson’s remarks spark pushback:

  • Johnson’s recent comments on gender differences—specifically, joking that Conference Chair Lisa McClain should cook Thanksgiving dinner—have landed badly with some GOP women, exacerbating the sense that women are not being taken seriously (06:34).

• Not all women agree:

  • Lisa McClain herself defended Johnson, but as Zanona notes, “if other Republican women are coming to you and saying they don't feel comfortable with rhetoric like that, that can be a problem for you as the speaker.” (07:56)

• Longstanding exclusion:

  • The episode explores the GOP’s historical reluctance to recruit and elevate women, rooted in a stated aversion to “identity politics.”

• Quote — Melanie Zanona:

  “Traditionally, the Republican Party... always said, ‘We don’t want to play identity politics. We just want the best candidate to win.’ But at some point Republicans realized, hey, sometimes the best candidate is the woman.” (08:19)

3. Policy Contentions: Healthcare Showdown

• Healthcare subsidies set to expire:

  • Enhanced federal subsidies for ACA insurance plans, popular among many Americans, will lapse at the end of the year—raising premiums for millions.

• No clear GOP plan:

  • Republicans remain split: some want to extend the subsidies to shield constituents from premium hikes, others would let the ACA “collapse” and push for new, more ideologically pure healthcare reforms (20:06–20:41).

• Johnson “not a fan” of the subsidies:

  • He and most of his leadership oppose extending the subsidies, but moderate members in swing districts want action (22:41).

• Groundswell among GOP women:

  • Marjorie Taylor Greene’s health care rebellion is emblematic of wider dissatisfaction among GOP women who feel ignored on major policy fights (23:29).

• Quote — Burgess Everett (on risk to Johnson):

  “There is a little bit of a gender divide in the conference and a feeling among some of the women that they're not getting heard as much as they should be.” (23:52)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Johnson’s leadership vulnerabilities:

  “He absolutely can't afford any enemies in this conference. … Every single vote counts.” — Melanie Zanona (11:07)

• On the “meritocracy” defense:

  “I'm doing everything I can every day to empower all members of the conference. There's no gender division here at all ... I'm their biggest champion.” — Speaker Mike Johnson (10:38)

• On the stakes for Johnson's leadership:

  “You need nine people to go there. And that would also be enough people to deny him the speakership, potentially. I think it's a long shot, but it is always a possibility, and it is always something that's sitting over his head.” — Burgess Everett (24:42)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Why MTG and other GOP women are turning on Johnson
  [00:12–05:42]

• The gender gap in GOP power and recruitment
  [08:19–10:12]

• Speaker Johnson’s response and risk to his majority
  [10:17–12:39]

• Healthcare fight: expiring subsidies & GOP divides
  [16:45–22:39]

• How the “women’s revolt” influences the healthcare battle and Johnson’s leadership stability
  [23:13–25:35]

• Prospects for a solution before shutdown deadlines
  [25:35–27:08]

Episode Flow & Tone

The conversation is fast-paced, deeply informed, and pulls no punches about the real strains inside the House GOP. Melanie Zanona and Burgess Everett bring detailed inside reporting, while the hosts keep the questions sharp and direct, maintaining an explanatory and sometimes sardonic tone.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• GOP women are more openly challenging party leadership and demanding legislative follow-through: This includes pushing for bills on affordability and government ethics and taking procedural steps to bypass Speaker Johnson.
• Sexist undertones and lack of women’s representation continue to breed frustration inside the party: Johnson’s rhetoric, whether meant jokingly or not, is viewed by some as emblematic of larger structural problems.
• A looming healthcare crisis (and internal divisions) threaten party unity: With subsidies expiring, no cross-party deal in sight, and only a narrow House GOP majority, Johnson’s leadership is precarious as factions—especially vocal women—push for action or threaten insurrection.
• Party identity and 2024 strategies are at stake: Republicans are being forced (again) to reckon with gender representation and constituent concerns under the harsh light of electoral and legislative pressure.

Listen if: You want an incisive, candid look at the gendered power struggles shaping the future of the House GOP and looming policy crises.