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President-elect Donald Trump’s ally battling to retain gavel as Congress reconvenes on Friday
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Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing a fraught battle today as he seeks to hang on to the gavel as the 119th Congress begins.
Despite having the full-throated endorsement of President-elect Donald Trump, the Louisiana Representative can only afford one Republican rebellion against his re-election bid when the lower chamber’s members cast their votes, so tight is the GOP’s majority over the Democrats.
One congressman, Thomas Massie, has already stressed his objections to Johnson, telling One America News’s Matt Gaetz Show that he would not back the incumbent even if his fingernails were pulled out.
Several of his colleagues have likewise said they are unconvinced by Johnson or will require major concessions in exchange for supporting him. As the House convened, the speaker released a statement, making commitments to those holdouts regarding spending, which swayed Rep Victoria Spartz.
After the first alphabetical roll call, seven Republicans remained silent and three voted for other members of the party. The seven then voted for Johnson when called again.
With Massie adamant about not supporting the speaker, Johnson needs to flip the other two, Reps. Ralph Norman and Keith Self.
CSPAN reports that another vote will take place.
Mike Johnson has left the floor of the House as another vote looks set to take place.
With Rep. Massie adamantly against Johnson, he needs to flip Reps. Norman and Self to retain his role.
As the speaker drama unfolds in Washington, D.C., Rudy Giuliani is set to take the stand in a federal courthouse in Manhattan.
Alex Woodward is at the court and sent this report:
Rudy Giuliani is taking the witness stand in his own contempt hearing, now stretching into a fourth hour, in a federal courtroom in Manhattan.
Judge Lewis Liman is presiding over a months-long case to force the former mayor to hand over property and assets to begin to make a dent in the tens of millions of dollars he owes a pair of election workers he defame.
So far, Giuliani’s attorney Joseph Cammarata kept the election workers’ attorney Aaron Nathan on the stand for more than an hour, testing the judge’s patience him with a tedious series of questions about documents and evidence in the case, including emails and photographs that have already been reviewed in court.
Giuliani could face sanctions after he was accused of defying court orders and discovery requests stemming from a court order to begin transferring his property to make up for his $148 debt to the election workers.
Members are now waiting to see if any of the three Republican members who voted against Johnson will change their vote.
If they do not, Johnson loses the first round of voting.
Rep Biggs votes for Johnson.
Rep Cloud votes for Johnson.
Rep Harris votes for Johnson.
Rep Roy votes for Johnson
Rep Waltz votes for Johnson.
Reps Clyde and Gosar initially stay silent again but then vote for Johnson, addressing the House clerk in the well.
Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the US Virgin Islands criticizes the fact that the District of Columbia and US commonwealths like USVI, Guam, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere did not get to have their voices heard. They collectively represent 4 million Americans.
Waltz did not respond in this first round of voting.
Johnson loses a third Republican member as Rep Keith Self votes for Rep Byron Donalds.
This is not looking good for the speaker.
Two Republicans have voted for someone other than Johnson. He could only lose one.
Votes can still change and several Republican members have not voted.
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