WASHINGTON – Republican Mike Johnson narrowly won re-election Friday as Speaker of the House in the first round of voting, overcoming opposition from the far-right Republican Party in a tense clash and buoyed by a nod of support from the president-elect Donald Trump.
A disturbing scene marks the ominous beginning of the first day of the new Congress. A diminutive group of hard-line Republicans gathered in the back of the House chamber, one by one opting out of the vote or electing another lawmaker. Johnson’s face turned grim, confirming new confusion and signaling trouble to come as Trump returns to the White House with unified GOP control of Washington.
Ultimately, however, Johnson managed to flip two opponents who began supporting him, with the lend a hand of Trump, who summoned opposing Republican lawmakers from the golf course. The final score was 218-215.
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Visibly relieved, Johnson vowed in his first speech with the gavel to “reject business as usual.”
“We are going to drastically reduce the size and scope of government,” he promised.
Johnson a feeble grip on the hammer threatens not only his own survival, but Trump an ambitious program of tax cuts and mass deportations as Republicans come to power in the House and Senate. A clear outpouring of voices has exposed the challenges it faces. Even Trump’s own support, which is usually more reliable in the case of Republicans, did not guarantee that Johnson would be able to remain as speaker.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jefferies has tried to push through the Republican noise over the past two years, saying it’s time to unite and put aside partisan politics “to get things done” for the American people.
What was once a ceremonial day when newly elected lawmakers arrived to take the oath of office, often accompanied by family, friends and children – Republicans this year wearing long, Trump-style red ties – has turned into a high-stakes vote for the House speaker. , one of the most powerful elected positions in Washington. Vice President Kamala Harris administered the oath of office to senators.
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Although the Senate can meet independently and has already elected the party leaders – the senator. John Thune as the Republican majority leader pledged in his first speech preserve the legislative filibusterand Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-Minority Democrat – The House must first elect its speaker. This is a role required by the Constitution, and is second in the line of succession to the president.
Facing opposition from his GOP colleagues, Johnson arrived at Capitol Hill with apparent confidence after working overdue into the night to persuade dissenters. Johnson’s defeat could mean Trump’s confirmation by Congress on Monday Elections 2024 victory into confusion.
Trump endorsed Johnson and was on the phone during the vote to secure the result. “Mike will be a great orator and our country will be the beneficiary,” Trump wrote on social media after the vote.
Congress has been here before when it took Republicans almost a week and 15 rounds of voting electing Kevin McCarthy as speaker in 2023, which would be a spectacle otherwise unseen in up-to-date times. Subsequently, McCarthy was abandoned by his party, a first historicalbut he was also part of a long list of Republican Party speakers who were forced to leave the legislature early.
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The stakes were higher this year as Trump prepares to return to the White House with the US president House AND Senate under GOP control and promising to achieve gigantic results under the 100-day program.
Johnson worked diligently until the last moment to prevent losing his position. Like him, he spent the New Year at Mar-a-Lago stood next to Trump. The speaker often presents himself as a “quarterback” who will perform political plays ordered by the “coach,” the president-elect.
Johnson was visibly burdened during the dramatic appeal. More than a half-dozen Republicans refused to vote for him, and many in the conservative Freedom Caucus simply remained noiseless when their names were called.
The House paused, and then several Republican supporters announced their support. But Johnson was still missing. One stiff “no” was Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who voted for a different GOP leader and made it clear he wouldn’t change.
But there were two others. Johnson’s allies huddled with Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas, some answering and handing over phones. Trump called all three. Norman later said Trump told him, “Mike is the only one who can get elected.”
Johnson escorted two GOP lawmakers from the chamber. A compact time later, Johnson re-entered the room in good spirits, and Norman and Self voted for him to cheers.
Ultimately, Johnson and all House lawmakers took the oath of office.
Johnson has one of the slimmest majorities in up-to-date times, having lost seats in November’s election. After the sudden resignation of Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, that number dropped to 219-215. That leaves Johnson relying on almost every Republican for support to reach the typical 218 threshold for a majority in the face of Democratic opposition – depending on the speaker’s vote or other parties’ priorities.
Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy was one of the most high-profile opponents, a member of the Freedom Caucus who sharply criticized Republican leaders’ handling of the year-end spending bill for failing to cut spending.
“Something MUST change,” Roy wrote on social media. Ultimately, he voted for Johnson.
It is unclear what concessions Johnson made to gain support. Already, centrist conservatives have pushed through a new House rule that would require at least nine members of the majority party for any resolution to remove a speaker — raising the threshold that McCarthy lowered to just one.
Members of the Freedom Caucus released a list of demands after members cast votes to appoint Johnson as speaker, including immigration, federal spending cuts and banning members of Congress from trading stocks.
In many ways, Johnson has no choice but to endure political pressure from his colleagues who remind him who has influence in their unequal relationship. He was a last-chance choice for the job, rising from the backbench when other leaders failed in the wake of McCarthy’s ouster.
The choice of speaker dominated the opening of the new Congress, which was attended by history-making members.
In the Senate, two black women – Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland – took the oath of office, both wearing white suffragist suits. For the first time in the country’s history, two black female senators will hold this position simultaneously.
Senator-elect Andy Kim of New Jersey also makes history as the first Korean-American to join the chamber.
Sarah McBride is in this room the first openly transgender person in Congress.
