But signs of trouble appeared shortly after the vote series started, when Johnson walked onto the House floor followed by Gallagher as the vote on the non-controversial provision was kept open for an extended period of time — an effort to buy GOP leaders time to sway holdouts. The speaker immediately huddled with his senior staff. Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and his chief of staff joined in. Emmer then dashed across the Republican side of the House floor to find Buck, speaking with him at length.
Emmer then darted back to speak with Joyce as Johnson, still huddling with a now-larger group of staff, kept looking behind his shoulder for Emmer to signal the latest status of how their colleagues would vote. Johnson then broke from the group, put his finger in the air and circled it, signaling to Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-Tex.), who was overseeing the floor, to call the first vote and tee up the Mayorkas vote.
It devolved from there.
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