Following a heated battle and helped by President-elect Donald Trump’s nod of support, Republican Mike Johnson narrowly defeated hard-right GOP stalwarts to win reelection to the House speakership on a first ballot on Friday.
The first day of the new Congress got off to a spooky start because of the uncomfortable scene. In the rear of the House chamber, a handful of conservative Republicans gathered, each refusing to cast a ballot or selecting a different lawmaker. Johnson’s expression darkened as he acknowledged the new unrest and hinted at the difficulties he would face after Trump retakes the White House and consolidates GOP control of Washington.
Ultimately, though, Trump summoned one of the Republican congressmen who were dissenting from the golf course, and Johnson managed to convince the two holdouts who remained to support him. A final total of 218–215 was reached.
During his first speech with the gavel, Johnson, who was clearly relieved, promised to reject business as usual.
He pledged to significantly reduce the size and reach of government.
As Republicans seize control, Johnson’s feeble hold on the gavel has endangered not only his own life but also Trump’s ambitious tax reform and mass deportation program. The glaring vote total exposed his difficulties. Even Trump’s own support, which is typically a safer bet for Republicans, did not ensure that Johnson would remain in office.
Hakeem Jefferies, the Democratic leader of the House, made an effort to move past the Republican upheaval of the previous two years by stating that it was time to unite and set party politics aside in order to accomplish things for Americans.
This year’s high-stakes vote for the House speaker position, one of the most powerful elected positions in Washington, has replaced the ceremonial day when newly elected lawmakers arrive to be sworn into office, frequently accompanied by family, friends, and children. Republicans are wearing long red ties in the Trump style. The senators were being sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris.
The House must first elect its speaker, as required by the Constitution, who is second in line to the president, even though the Senate can meet independently and has already chosen party leaders: Sen. Chuck Schumer for the Democratic minority and Sen. John Thuneas for the Republican majority, who pledged in his opening remarks to maintain the legislative filibuster.
After laboring through the night to persuade dissidents, Johnson arrived to the Capitol with an air of confidence despite opposition from his own GOP colleagues. Without a House speaker, Johnson’s failure may have caused chaos for Monday’s legislative certification of Trump’s 2024 election triumph.
Trump was on the phone during the vote to ensure the result, and he had endorsed Johnson. Following the decision, Trump wrote on social media, “Mike will be a great speaker, and our country will be the beneficiary.”
Congress has seen this before; in 2023, it took Republicans almost a week and fifteen rounds of voting to install Kevin McCarthy as speaker, a situation that has never happened in contemporary history. A historic first, McCarthy’s departure from his party was followed by the early departure of a long list of other GOP speakers.
As Trump gets ready to return to the White House with the House and Senate under GOP control and vows to deliver significant results on a 100-day program, the stakes were higher this year.
Johnson spent New Year’s Day in Mar-a-Lago, positioning himself alongside Trump, and worked tirelessly to keep his position intact until the very end. The speaker frequently presents himself as the quarterback who will carry out the political maneuvers that the coach, who is the president-elect, calls.
Johnson’s stress was evident during the dramatic roll call. With several members of the hardline Freedom Caucus just remaining silent as their names were called, almost half a dozen Republicans declined to vote for him.
A few of those Republican stalwarts then declared their support as the chamber came to a halt. However, Johnson continued to fall short. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who voted for a different GOP leader and had stated that he would not convert, was one resounding no.
However, there were two more. While some of Johnson’s allies took calls and handed them their phones, others huddled with Representatives Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas. According to Norman’s later account, Trump informed him that Johnson was the only leader who was likeable enough to be hired.
The two Republican members were taken off the chamber floor by Johnson. Soon after, to applause, Norman and Self voted for Johnson when he returned to the chamber in a positive mood.
Johnson eventually took the oath of office along with every other member of the House.
After losing seats in the November election, Johnson now holds one of the smallest majorities in modern history. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., abruptly resigned, bringing the total down to 219–215. In the face of Democratic resistance, Johnson is now dependent on nearly all Republicans to support him in order to reach the usual 218 threshold for a majority, whether it be through the speaker’s vote or other party priorities.
One of the most prominent holdouts was Texas GOP Representative Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus who criticized Republican leadership for not reducing spending in the year-end funding plan.
Roy said on social media that something had to change. In the end, he supported Johnson.
What compromises Johnson made to get support are unknown. McCarthy lowered the threshold to only one, but centrist conservatives have already supported a new House rule that would need at least nine members of the ruling party on any resolution to remove the speaker.
Following votes by its members to elect Johnson as speaker, the Freedom Caucus issued a list of demands, including prohibitions on stock trading by members of Congress, immigration, and federal spending cuts.
Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said as he left the speaker’s office late Thursday, “I think the holdouts are going to have to realize that, listen, Trump is right all the time.” It will make your selection much easier.
Since they remind him of who has power in their unequal relationship, Johnson is essentially forced to put up with political hazing from his coworkers. After other leaders failed in the wake of McCarthy’s removal, he emerged as a last-ditch candidate for the position.
The choice of the speaker took center stage at the start of the new Congress, which includes a number of historic lawmakers.
For the first time in the history of the country, two Black women senators will serve simultaneously in the Senate. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland were being sworn in while wearing suffragettes’ white costumes.
In addition, New Jersey Sen.-elect Andy Kim is becoming the first Korean American to serve in the Senate.
Sarah McBride is the first openly transgender member of the House of Representatives.
— Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri, and Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press
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