Rep. Brandon Gill introduced impeachment articles against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg last year. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images; Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Neither of those impeachment resolutions or others targeting several other judges went anywhere at the time, however. House GOP leaders made clear they believed impeachment was an impractical way to deal with what Republicans saw as "activist judges" trying to influence policy rather than interpret law.
Johnson and other leaders instead favored a bill by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., to limit district judges' ability to issue nationwide injunctions. That bill passed the House along partisan lines last year but was never taken up in the Senate.
But the speaker sounded more enthusiastic about impeachment during his press conference on Wednesday, telling reporters, "I'm for it."
JOHNSON CHANGES TUNE ON JUDICIAL IMPEACHMENTS AFTER 'EGREGIOUS ABUSES' OF TRUMP AGENDA
He named U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, specifically, who's been targeted by Republicans after rulings on several key immigration cases involving Trump's policies, including flying migrants to El Salvador and other countries instead of detaining them in the U.S.
Boasberg more recently raised GOP ire when it was revealed that Boasberg signed off on decisions that allowed for the seizure of some Republican lawmakers' phone records in former special counsel Jack Smith's Arctic Frost probe.
A resolution to impeach Boasberg led by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, gained traction among conservatives last year, and the Texas Republican told Fox News Digital he was heartened by Johnson's comments on Thursday.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to reporters as the House debates a continuing resolution to restore government funding in Washington, Nov. 12, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox News Digital, "I think there's more of an appetite and less of a hesitation than there was earlier in the Congress. We had an agenda. We didn't want to be distracted with potential impeachment, but I think now, as we're realizing things are not getting better, the people around the nation are expecting us to hold this judge and others like him accountable."
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But not all Republicans were as enthusiastic.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., who was supportive of the GOP's judicial impeachment fervor last year, told Fox News Digital Thursday that he was not sure it could survive the committee process needed before a House-wide vote.
House GOP Conference Vice Chair Blake Moore, R-Utah, said "everybody has to be willing to consider impeachment" as a power of Congress but said he did not know the details of the specific initiatives.
"I will reinforce how much I like Issa's bill. It moves it away from political rhetoric into, 'Hey, let's do something substantive here,'" Moore told Fox News Digital. "It's a pretty innovative solution in a very sound way."
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republicans-revive-push-impeach-activist-judges-after-johnsons-green-light