Sarah Ferris

Sensing new midterms momentum, the party in power is motivated to avoid unforced errors. Energy permitting, policing and government funding are going to complicate that.

Republicans say their “Commitment to America” is a guide to a future majority. Key provisions were tested to serve as a unifying national message this fall.

“Where is Nancy?” the perpetrator called out before assaulting the speaker’s husband with a hammer — an attack that rattled lawmakers.

Some are accusing Republican leaders of sidestepping the rising threat of political violence for years.

GOP leadership is still projecting confidence they’ll be able to pass their bill this week, but behind the scenes they’re fielding threats that, without changes, members may sink the bill.

“We have an evolving strategy going right now. This whole place is about chaos, right?” Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) said about the September gameplan.

The speaker has only one clear exit route away from a government closure: working with Democrats. It’s a path he still refuses to take.

After Saturday’s shocking vote, the speaker all but taunted his critics to come after his gavel if they wanted to.

Back in the 1990s, as then-Speaker Gingrich put it, Republicans could at least “afford to have five or six people be idiots.”

They kept GOP backchannels open — but when the embattled speaker gave them no incentive to help save his job, they decided not to.

The Problem Solvers Caucus tried to hatch a power-sharing agreement as the speaker came under threat. The talks didn’t pan out.

The need for a new speaker to help respond to the attacks in Israel came up multiple times during the two-hour meeting.

The House GOP’s hoped-for moment of unity never materialized on Wednesday. Now it’s another long slog ahead.

While Republicans appear to be turning next to Jim Jordan, some are already airing open doubts that he can pull off what the majority leader couldn’t.

A bipartisan solution to the GOP’s leadership problems still sounds farfetched to most. But then, so does Jim Jordan’s prospects of winning next week.

Each candidate faces the near-impossible task of succeeding in both an internal vote and then a tricky floor vote.

“It’s sad. I’m sad. I’m heartbroken. Lots of really, really good people left in the wake here,” said Rep. Steve Womack.

Everyone agrees that the Louisianan’s anonymity helped him get the speakership. It won’t help him with the long list of other congressional crises.

Once known as a Minnesota-nice moderate, he’s infuriating House colleagues with a quixotic primary bid focused on the president’s age — which polls show is a weakness.

Mike Johnson may have avoided a shutdown, but the House GOP is still emotionally raw from its 22-day speakership fight.