Republican Mike Johnson reelected House speaker after dramatic floor vote

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Mike Johnson narrowly received reelection Friday as Home speaker on a primary poll, overcoming hard-right GOP holdouts in a tense standoff and buoyed by a nod of help from President-elect Donald Trump.

The uneasy scene introduced an ominous begin to the primary day of the brand new Congress. A small assortment of hardline Republicans convened at the back of the Home chamber, one after the other declining to vote or selecting one other lawmaker. Johnson’s face turned grim, acknowledging contemporary turmoil and signaling hassle forward for him as Trump returns to the White Home with unified GOP management of Washington.

In the long run, nonetheless, Johnson was capable of flip two holdouts who switched to help him, with assist from Trump, who known as the dissenting Republican lawmakers from the golf course. The ultimate tally was 218-215.

Johnson, visibly relieved, vowed to “reject enterprise as traditional” in his first speech with the gavel.

“We’re going to drastically in the reduction of the dimensions and scope of presidency,” he promised.

Johnson’s weak grip on the gavel has threatened not solely his personal survival however Trump’s bold agenda of tax cuts and mass deportations as Republicans sweep to energy within the Home and the Senate. The stark vote tally laid naked the challenges he faces. Even backing from Trump himself, normally a surer wager for Republicans, was no assure of Johnson’s capacity to remain within the speaker’s workplace.

Home Democratic chief Hakeem Jefferies tried to push previous the Republican tumult of the previous two years, saying it was time to return collectively, put occasion politics apart “to get issues performed” for Individuals.

What was as soon as a ceremonial day with newly elected lawmakers arriving to be sworn into workplace, typically with household, mates and kids in tow — Republicans this yr carrying lengthy, Trump-style purple ties — has advanced right into a high-stakes vote for the workplace of Home speaker, among the many strongest elected positions in Washington. Vice President Kamala Harris swore within the senators.

Whereas the Senate is ready to convene by itself and has already elected occasion leaders — Sen. John Thune because the Republican majority chief, who vowed in his first speech to protect the legislative filibuster, and Sen. Chuck Schumer for the Democratic minority — the Home should first elect its speaker. It’s a job required by the Structure, second within the line of succession to the president.

With opposition from his personal GOP colleagues, Johnson arrived on the Capitol with outward confidence after working into the evening to sway dissenters. A flop by Johnson might have thrown Monday’s congressional certification of Trump’s 2024 election victory into turmoil.

Trump had endorsed Johnson, and was on the telephone through the vote to safe the end result. “Mike shall be a Nice Speaker, and our Nation would be the beneficiary,” Trump posted on social media after the vote.

Congress has been right here earlier than, when it took Republicans practically every week and 15 rounds of voting to elect Kevin McCarthy as speaker in 2023, a spectacle in any other case unseen in trendy instances. McCarthy was then dumped by his occasion, a historic first, however he was additionally a part of a protracted listing of GOP audio system chased to early exits.

The stakes have been increased this yr as Trump prepares to return to the White Home with the Home and Senate in GOP management and promising to ship huge on a 100-day agenda.

Johnson labored diligently as much as the ultimate moments to forestall shedding his publish. He had spent New Yr’s Day at Mar-a-Lago as he positioned himself alongside Trump. The speaker typically portrays himself because the “quarterback” who shall be executing the political performs known as by the “coach,” the president-elect.

Throughout the dramatic roll name, the pressure on Johnson was clear. Greater than a half-dozen Republicans refused to vote for him, many from the conservative Freedom Caucus merely staying silent as their names have been known as.

The chamber got here to a standstill, after which just a few of these Republican holdouts introduced their help. However Johnson was nonetheless falling brief. One exhausting “no” was Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who voted for a special GOP chief and had made it clear he wouldn’t change.

However there have been two others. Johnson’s allies huddled with Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas, some taking calls and passing them their telephones. Trump known as all three of them. Norman stated later that Trump advised him, “Mike’s the one one who might be elected.”

Johnson led the 2 GOP lawmakers off the chamber ground. A short while later, Johnson reentered the chamber upbeat, and Norman and Self solid their votes for him, to cheers.

Ultimately, Johnson and all of the Home lawmakers have been sworn into workplace.

Johnson instructions one of many slimmest majorities in trendy instances, having misplaced seats within the November election. With the sudden resignation of Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., the tally dropped to 219-215. That leaves Johnson counting on virtually each Republican for help to achieve the standard 218 threshold for a majority within the face of Democratic opposition —- on the speaker’s vote or different occasion priorities.

Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy was among the many most notable holdouts, a Freedom Caucus member who lashed into Republican management’s dealing with of the year-end spending invoice for failing to chop spending.

“One thing MUST change,” Roy posted on social media. He finally voted for Johnson.

It’s unclear what concessions Johnson made to win help. Already, centrist conservatives pushed a brand new Home rule that may require no less than 9 members of the bulk occasion on any decision to oust the speaker — elevating the brink McCarthy had lowered to only one.

Members of the Freedom Caucus launched a listing of calls for after its members delivered votes to make Johnson speaker, together with on immigration, federal spending cuts and banning members of Congress from inventory buying and selling.

In some ways, Johnson has no selection however to endure political hazing from his colleagues, as they remind him of who has leverage of their lopsided relationship. He was a last-ditch selection for the workplace, rising from the again bench as soon as different leaders failed within the aftermath of McCarthy’s ouster.

The speaker’s election dominated the opening of the brand new Congress, which brings a roster of history-making members.

Within the Senate, two Black ladies — Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland — have been sworn in, each carrying fits within the white of the suffragettes. It’s the first time within the nation’s historical past two Black ladies senators will serve on the identical time.

Sen.-elect Andy Kim of New Jersey is also making historical past as the primary Korean American to hitch the chamber.

Within the Home, Sarah McBride is the primary overtly transgender individual within the Congress.

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Related Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon, Matt Brown, Stephen Groves and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

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