Republicans re-elect Mike Johnson as US House speaker in nail-biting vote

The United States House of Representatives has re-elected Republican Mike Johnson arsenic its speaker, successful a ballot seen arsenic a nail-biting test of enactment unity successful beforehand of President-elect Donald Trump’s 2nd word successful the White House.

But Johnson’s run to support the speaker’s gavel was not without its bumps connected Friday.

Johnson emerged victorious aft an uncertain archetypal circular of voting, arsenic immoderate members of his enactment initially withheld their votes implicit issues similar his relation successful the caller bipartisan fund negotiations.

He yet won the speakership with 218 votes retired of a full of 435, aft 2 of the holdouts — Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas — changed their votes.

Another 215 votes, each Democratic, went to number person Hakeem Jeffries. Representative Thomas Massie, who had pledged to garbage Johnson, formed his ballot for chap Republican Tom Emmer.

The choky ballot underscored the constrictive borderline of power Republicans person implicit the chamber. With lone 219 seats successful the House, Republicans volition request astir each ballot they person to scope a bulk successful a party-line vote.

That whitethorn springiness definite far-right members greater sway implicit legislation, arsenic they workout their leverage.

Friday’s ballot for Johnson besides enactment Trump’s quality to muster Republican votes nether the microscope. He had called connected the enactment to backmost Johnson, arsenic helium prepares to prosecute an ambitious docket of taxation cuts and wide deportation erstwhile helium takes bureau connected January 20.

A caller Congress for 2025

The ballot for the speakership came connected the archetypal time of the 119th Congress, pursuing November’s wide election. Republicans clasp majorities successful some the House and the Senate, aft flipping the precocious enclosure from Democratic control.

The contention for the speakership was expected to beryllium a nail-biter arsenic the House gathered for its archetypal league of the caller year.

Several Republicans had pledged successful the lead-up to the league to cull Johnson, peculiarly aft helium led a bipartisan propulsion to walk a temporary fund bill successful December.

Some objected to the deficiency of spending cuts. Others felt vexation that the measure did not code the national borrowing limit, arsenic President-elect Trump had demanded.

But connected Friday morning, apical Republicans appeared to rally astir Johnson, including Trump himself.

“Good luck contiguous for Speaker Mike Johnson, a good antheral of large ability, who is precise adjacent to having 100% support,” Trump wrote connected societal media.

“A triumph for Mike contiguous volition beryllium a large triumph for the Republican Party, and yet different acknowledgment of our 129 twelvemonth astir consequential Presidential Election!!”

While Trump had previously endorsed Johnson, helium had besides said the “others are precise good, too”.

Later, connected the House floor, Representative Lisa McClain, different starring Republican, gave a code to nominate Johnson. She placed his enactment successful the discourse of broader enactment priorities.

“We person the accidental to enactment America archetypal again. We person an accidental to bash thing astir crime. We person an accidental to bash thing astir the border. And we person an accidental to instrumentality attraction of our veterans,” McClain said.

She concisely appeared to admit the anticipation of enactment discord implicit the vote.

“No talker is perfect. And nary 1 volition ever be. However, achieving perfection requires incremental gains and hard decisions on the way. None of america volition get precisely what we want,” McClain said.

Johnson himself exuded an aerial of assurance erstwhile helium arrived astatine the Capitol connected Friday, having spent the nighttime seeking to triumph implicit hardline holdouts.

“We don’t person clip for drama,” Johnson said arsenic helium walked into the Capitol connected Friday.

A choky vote

Nevertheless, aft the roll-call ballot was held, Johnson was initially shy of the 218 votes needed for victory.

Three Republicans initially formed their votes for different candidates. Norman tapped Jim Jordan, Massie backed Emmer and Self enactment guardant Byron Donalds.

Several different Republicans — including Chip Roy of Texas, different Johnson professional — offered nary ballot astatine all. But erstwhile asked aft the archetypal ballot if they would backmost a candidate, Roy and others supported Johnson.

A radical of Republicans — including respective holdouts — concisely near the House level with Johnson to negotiate. When they returned, Norman and Self changed their vote.

In a Friday post connected the societal media level X, Massie explained wherefore helium would stay a holdout, voting “hell no” connected Johnson’s leadership. He expressed fearfulness Johnson would not beryllium capable to enact Trump’s legislative priorities.

“President Trump’s docket needs to go law. Speaker Johnson has already demonstrated helium is not the antheral who tin get that done,” Massie wrote.

Members recite the Pledge of Allegiance arsenic the House meets connected January 3, 2025 [Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo]

Trump agenda

The speakership predetermination comes aft Republicans besides elected John Thune arsenic the Senate’s bulk leader, with Chuck Schumer representing the Democratic number successful the chamber.

Thune has pledged to shepherd done Trump’s agenda, contempt the information that Republicans clasp lone 53 seats successful the 100-person chamber. That falls abbreviated of the 60-vote supermajority needed to flooded the filibuster, a means for the number to stall oregon scuttle legislation.

Both chambers of Congress volition beryllium faced with respective arguable pieces of authorities this upcoming year, mounting the signifier for heated battles.

Congress volition request to revisit the question of backing the national authorities erstwhile the existent fund measure expires successful March. And it volition besides request to measurement raising the indebtedness ceiling — the magnitude the national authorities is capable to get — aboriginal this year.

The national authorities already has much than $36 trillion successful debt, and galore legislature Republicans are expected to request important spending cuts going forward.

The predetermination of a House speaker, erstwhile considered a ho-hum ceremony, has go progressively contentious successful caller years. In 2023, the enclosure went done 15 rounds of voting implicit 4 days earlier electing Kevin McCarthy to the role.

Johnson, a low-profile blimpish Christian lawyer from Louisiana, was elevated to talker aft the enactment ousted McCarthy successful the mediate of his term.

In the aftermath of his re-election, Johnson pledged to “reject concern arsenic usual” successful the House.

“We’re going to drastically chopped backmost the size and scope of government,” helium said successful a code to members.