The U.S. House of Representatives was voting Friday to decide whether Mike Johnson will remain in the top job as speaker, in the first test of President-elect Donald Trump’s Republican unity in Congress.
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Most Republicans said they would vote to re-elect Johnson, but the outcome was uncertain. Republicans control the House by a narrow margin of 219-215, so if even two Republicans vote against it, he could be out of the House. At least one person vowed to do so.
The chamber’s 434 members stood and announced their votes one by one in a colorful ceremony that could last more than an hour.
The vote could be an early indicator of the party’s ability to come together to advance President Trump’s policies of tax cuts and border security. Trump’s influence on Capitol Hill could also be tested, as a small number of Republicans have already expressed opposition to him.
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House Republicans have been plagued by internal divisions for the past two years. Mr Johnson was elevated to the chair after the party ousted his predecessor Kevin McCarthy midway through his term.
Ahead of the vote, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would continue his efforts even if the first round was short.
The mild-mannered Louisiana congressman, 52, rose from obscurity to become the most powerful man in Washington during three weeks of turmoil in October 2023, when Republicans ousted Mr. McCarthy and struggled to agree on a replacement. I got one of the jobs. The conservative Christian lawyer emerged as the consensus choice but has since struggled to maintain party unity.
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He has sought to forge a closer relationship with Trump, who endorsed him on Monday after weeks of uncertainty.
“Mike’s win today will be a huge win for the Republican Party,” President Trump posted online on Friday. President Trump will return to the White House for Inauguration Day on January 20th.
Thomas Massey, a maverick Republican congressman who is a constant source of trouble for the party leadership, has vowed to vote against Mr. Johnson and said several others will join him. “I think one or two people will be here soon,” he told Reuters.
If Mr Massey’s prediction comes true, Mr Johnson will fall short of the votes he needs to retain his post. Several other party members were reluctant about whether to support him.
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So far, no other Republican has publicly hinted at challenging Johnson for the role.
narrow margin
If all Democrats vote for leader Hakeem Jeffries as expected, multiple abstentions by Republicans in the form of multiple or “current” votes for Johnson would be enough to prevent Johnson from being re-elected. Probably.
The House elected Speaker McCarthy in 2023 after 15 votes over four days.
Whoever secures the chairmanship (a role second only to the vice president and second only to the president’s) will have a big job ahead of them. In addition to tackling President Trump’s far-reaching legislative agenda, Congress will also have to tackle the national debt ceiling issue later this year.
The federal government already has more than $36 trillion in debt, and many Republicans in Congress are expected to push for deep spending cuts.
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Republicans also swore in a new Senate majority on Friday with a 53-47 vote, with Sen. John Thune replacing longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell as their new leader. Sen. McConnell has stepped down from leadership, but remains in office.
Mr. Johnson has angered some conservatives by repeatedly asking Democrats to provide votes to pass important legislation, including bills to keep government agencies open. It also faced a last-minute hurdle late last month when President Trump directed House Republicans to scrap government funding agreements and also called for raising the nation’s debt ceiling.
A revised version of the bill that does not include Trump’s debt ceiling request passed the House just hours before the government shutdown, with more Democratic support than Republicans.
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Other Republicans seeking to claim a role defending President Trump’s policies in a second term are also making demands in exchange for support.
Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz this week released a wish list for fiscal restraint over the next year, opening the door to Johnson’s support.
Another factor that favors Johnson’s retention as a speaker is the calendar.
Congress is scheduled to meet on Monday to certify Trump’s presidential election victory, but it cannot function without a speaker.
Mr Johnson is also seeking to ease his path over the next two years by changing the rules agreed to by Mr McCarthy that any member of the House of Commons can ask the Speaker to step down through a so-called “motion to resign”. . Mr Johnson’s proposed rules would require a majority of nine senators to agree before forcing the type of vote that led to Mr McCarthy’s ouster.
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