FILE – Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Benton, takes the oath to be the new House speaker from the Dean of the House Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023.
FILE – Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Benton, takes the oath to be the new House speaker from the Dean of the House Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson was reelected speaker of the House in the first ballot Friday afternoon in a surprisingly quick process that last Congress dragged on for days.
The vote was 218 to 215.
Johnson needed 218 votes to retain the post he has held since October 2023. All 215 Democrats backed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, to be speaker.
Louisiana members will continue to hold the top two leadership spots in the lower chamber.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the Jefferson Republican who serves in the second-ranking leadership post, was elected by Republicans members of the House in November.
Though President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly endorsed Johnson – as he did again Friday morning – the Benton Republican has been repeatedly criticized by far-right Republicans for compromising with Democratic members to get must-pass legislation approved.
Because Johnson could only afford to lose one Republican vote, his reelection was expected to last several ballots. Johnson met behind closed doors Thursday with the half dozen or so members who had reservations about him.
Publicly, Johnson and his supporters said his election needed to be quick in order to get started immediately on Trump’s legislative agenda. Republicans want to approve bills that provide strict border security, expand energy exploration and production, and continue tax cuts approved during Trump’s first administration.
In addition to administering the lower chamber of Congress, the speaker of the House stands behind the vice president in the presidential line of secession. Hence, the leader’s election requires a vote by the full House, which has 219 Republicans, 215 Democrats and one vacancy.
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.
WASHINGTON – Bucking widespread expectations, President-elect Donald Trump on Monday endorsed Mike Johnson in the Louisiana congressman’s bid …
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
News Tips:
nolanewstips@theadvocate.com
Other questions:
subscriberservices@theadvocate.com
Need help?
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
