## House Republicans Elect Mike Johnson as Speaker in Relatively Smooth Vote
WASHINGTON — The 119th Congress commenced on Friday with a relatively uneventful election of Louisiana Representative Mike Johnson as House Speaker. This marked a significant contrast to the protracted leadership battles that plagued the House GOP in the previous Congress. Johnson, who previously secured the speakership in October 2023, secured the gavel with 218 Republican votes, while New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries received 215 Democratic votes. Initially, Representatives Thomas Massie (KY), Ralph Norman (SC), and Keith Self (TX) voted for other candidates, but ultimately switched their support to Johnson after discussions, both on and off the House floor. This shift in support followed conversations with President-elect Donald Trump and Representative Johnson himself, focusing on key Republican priorities.
Johnson’s victory comes as Republicans assume unified control of the government, a situation officially commencing on January 20th with President-elect Trump’s inauguration. In a floor speech, Johnson outlined an ambitious legislative agenda centered around securing the nation’s borders, a top priority for the incoming Congress. This includes increased resources for immigration enforcement, the deportation of individuals residing in the country illegally, and the completion of the border wall. Further priorities include significant tax cuts, expansion of domestic energy production, and a reduction in the size and scope of the federal government.
President Trump’s endorsement played a crucial role in securing Johnson’s victory. Trump publicly reiterated his support for Johnson, highlighting his abilities and near-unanimous support within the party. Representative Self explicitly stated that his vote change stemmed from conversations with both Trump and Johnson, emphasizing the importance of a unified Republican front during upcoming Senate reconciliation processes. Representative Norman echoed this sentiment, citing assurances from Johnson regarding his commitment to fighting for Republican policy goals.
The Republicans intend to utilize the budget reconciliation process to circumvent the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster rule and advance several key policy initiatives. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has pledged to maintain the filibuster for legislation outside the reconciliation process. In anticipation of the vote, Johnson released a three-point commitment outlining plans for spending reforms, establishing a working group of independent experts to review government spending and identify areas for improvement, and initiating aggressive reviews of House committee authorizations and appropriations. This working group will collaborate with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an outside group tasked by Trump to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, to suggest spending cuts.
This smoother transition to a new Speaker contrasts sharply with the tumultuous start to the previous Congress, which required 15 rounds of voting over several days before Kevin McCarthy’s election. The narrow Republican majorities in both the House and Senate – 220 to 215 in the House, further reduced by the resignation of Representative Matt Gaetz, and 53 to 47 in the Senate – will necessitate close collaboration between Johnson and Thune to navigate a challenging legislative agenda and maintain party unity. The extremely tight margins, and the potential for further Republican departures, pose significant challenges for the party in passing sweeping legislation on complex issues such as immigration and taxation. The composition of the 119th Congress further reveals a significant number of former state legislators, highlighting the continued influence of state-level politics in national governance.