Mike Johnson reelected as House speaker: What to know
WASHINGTON - Mike Johnson gained enough votes on Friday to maintain his role as House speaker.
A collection of hardline Republicans convened in the back of the House chamber during a tense roll call on the first day of the new Congress, one by one declining to vote or choosing another lawmaker. The standoff sparked fresh turmoil signaling trouble ahead under unified GOP control of Washington.
In the end, however, Johnson was able to flip two remaining holdouts who switched to support him, drawing applause from Republicans.
The stakes are higher this year as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House with the House and Senate in GOP control and promising to deliver big on a 100-day agenda.
FILE - U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a media availability on Dec. 5, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
"He's the one that can win right now," Trump said about Johnson at a New Year's Eve party that drew other GOP leaders to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
Trump endorsed Johnson but also said "others are very good, too," a nod to "Make America Great Again" allies in the president-elect's orbit.
Meanwhile, the Senate is able to convene on its own and has already elected party leaders — Sen. John Thune as the Republican majority leader and Sen. Chuck Schumer for the Democratic minority.
Here’s what to know:
How the Speaker of the House vote works
The newly-elected House must first vote on its speaker – a role required by the Constitution and second in the line of succession to the president. It’s a vote that members take even before being sworn into office.
Lawmakers call out the name of their choice for speaker from the floor, a rare and time-consuming roll call that heightens the drama on the floor. Members often liven up the proceedings by shouting or standing when casting their vote.
Once the House is in a quorum — meaning the minimum number of members are present to proceed — nominating speeches will be made on behalf of the nominees for speaker. The clerk appoints lawmakers from each party as tellers to tally the votes before the roll call begins.
To be elected speaker, the candidate must win a majority of votes. Historically, the magical number has been 218 out of the 435 members of the House.
But many previous speakers, including McCarthy, have won with fewer votes because members sometimes vote "present" instead of calling out a name. Every lawmaker voting "present" lowers the overall tally needed to reach a majority.
How much support does Mike Johnson have?
Johnson, of Louisiana, commands one of the slimmest majorities in modern times, 220-215, having lost seats in the November election. That leaves him relying on almost every Republican for support in the face of Democratic opposition.
Heading into Friday, he did not have the full support needed, according to the AP.
Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy is among the most notable holdouts, an unflinching member of the Freedom Caucus who lashed into Republican leadership’s handling of the year-end spending bill for failing to cut spending and adhere to House rules.
"Something MUST change," Roy posted on social media. He said he remains undecided on the speaker's vote for Johnson, but added "my desire is to give him grace" in hopes they can deliver on the GOP agenda.
One almost certain hard no is Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., but other far-right Republicans, including some who helped topple McCarthy, have kept their views close.
"There’s a lot of discontent," said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., as lawmakers left for the Christmas holiday.
What's unclear is what other concessions Johnson can make to win support. Two years ago, McCarthy handed out prime favors that appeared to only weaken his hold on power.
Already, Johnson has clawed back one of those changes, with a new House rule pushed by centrist conservatives that would require at least nine members of the majority party on any resolution to oust the speaker — raising the threshold McCarthy had lowered to just one.
"I think the holdouts are going to have to realize that, listen, Trump is right all the time," said Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, exiting the speaker's office late Thursday. "Just know that Trump is right all the time, it’ll help you make a decision real simple."
Meanwhile, Johnson has been working diligently to prevent defeat, spending New Year's Day at Mar-a-Lago as he positions himself alongside Trump. The speaker often portrays himself as the "quarterback" who will be executing the political plays called by the "coach," the president-elect.
"We have to stay unified," Johnson said on FOX Business late Thursday.
Johnson said he thinks he will lose perhaps only a single detractor, and hopes to win the speakership on the first round of balloting. He said he hasn't yet asked Trump to make calls to the holdouts. "My conversations with my colleagues are going great."
Trump’s upcoming election certification
Johnson has also warned that without a House speaker there would be a "constitutional crisis" heading into Jan. 6, when Congress by law is required to count the electoral votes for president, weeks before Trump is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
"We don't have any time to waste, and I think that everybody recognizes that," he said.
The Source: Information from this story was written based on on-site reporting from the Associated Press in Washington, D.C., as well as information from the U.S. House of Representatives. It was reported from Cincinnati, and the Associated Press contributed.