The esteemed House of Representatives is casting votes today to elect a speaker for the forthcoming Congress. Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a committed Republican, has swiftly risen to a key leadership role in 2023, after the unprecedented removal of Kevin McCarthy. Seamlessly gaining the crucial backing of newly elected President Donald Trump, Johnson is hoping for a triumphant reelection. There has been some dissatisfaction in the GOP’s right minority over Johnson’s fiscal decisions made just before the holiday season.
Recent Developments
Johnson took his leave from the chamber while the last round of voting was still pending. Looked to for guidance, Johnson was observed engaged in discussions with several representatives from his party, including Representative Dusty Johnson, Tim Burchett, and Nancy Mace. There was also a noted discussion with other prominent GOP figures, such as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and the Chair of the House Republican Conference, Lisa McClain, who put her confidence behind Johnson by nominating him as speaker. Ultimately, he vacated the chamber before the voting session ended.
Johnson seems set to falter in the initial round of today’s voting. Keith Self, a Republican representative from Texas, appeared to sway the voting balance by choosing not to vote for Johnson. He instead cast his vote for Byron Donalds of Florida. However, this is not definitive, as the roll call still continues and delegates have the option to change their votes.
Ralph Norman, a stalwart representative hailing from South Carolina, cast his vote for Jim Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee from Ohio. This makes Norman the second Republican representative of the day to choose someone other than Johnson.
In a surprising turn of events, Representative Thomas Massie from Kentucky also refrained from using his vote for Johnson. Massie instead made his dedication clear by giving his vote to Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who currently holds the role of House majority whip.
On a related note, the vote of Rep. Andy Harris of North Carolina, known to all as the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, was also missing. Yet another Republican representative withholding his confirmation, his refusal to respond when called out is causing further tension.
If 434 members place their vote, Johnson must secure a minimum of 218 votes to retain his position, given that no vote is rendered as ‘present’. As of now, no votes have been placed as ‘present’. It is expected that all the 215 Democrats would blindly rally behind Jeffries, their candidate for the speaker position.
In a rather predictable move, the chair of House Democratic Caucus, Pete Aguilar, nominated Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as speaker. While it is expected that Jeffries will receive the unwavering support of his fellow Democrats, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark made it clear prior to the House Assembly that no Democrat would cross party lines to lend a supporting hand to Johnson, if required.
House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain presented a dynamic speech nominating Johnson for reelection as speaker, following the quorum call. ‘On Nov. 5, the American citizens provided us with an extraordinary opportunity to steer America back in the right direction. Today, we have the opportunity to do just that,’ said a cheery McClain, earning her applause from GOP members present in the chamber. She highlighted Johnson’s valiant efforts in taking over the challenging task from McCarthy as commendable.
Lisa continued to praise Johnson, acknowledging that ‘No speaker is perfect, and will ever be, but achieving perfection requires making firm decisions and working towards progressive increments and improvements.’ This statement of hers added to the overall supportive environment for Johnson.
On the eve of an important vote, Johnson shared a detailed promise of delivering fiscal responsibility if elected. This announcement seemed designed to pacify party hard-liners. Balancing the checkbooks and ushering in transparency is Johnson’s committed goal, if elected again as the speaker.
He plans to establish a team of autonomous experts to collaborate with House committees and external government group known as ‘Department of Government Efficiency’, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, both known for their supportive stance towards Trump. This expert group will review audits of federal agencies and submit their report to Johnson’s office for public disclosure.
Johnson also expressed his desire for House committees to ‘conduct rigorous authorizations and appropriations reviews’, even vowing to provide additional resources without compromising transparency or accountability. His objective is to expose any irresponsible or illegal acts and bring those individuals or agencies that weaponize government against American citizenry to justice.
Rep. Victoria Spartz, a notable undecided voter, responded to Johnson’s public commitment but withheld her voting decision. ‘I commend [Speaker Johnson’s] public commitment to the American citizens to deliver on President Trump’s agenda and drain the swamp,’ said Spartz in her response.