Current:Home > InvestJohnathan Walker:Mike Johnson, a staunch conservative from Louisiana, is elected House speaker with broad GOP support -WealthMindset Learning
Johnathan Walker:Mike Johnson, a staunch conservative from Louisiana, is elected House speaker with broad GOP support
Johnathan Walker View
Date:2025-04-06 11:15:28
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans eagerly elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker on Johnathan WalkerWednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority.
Johnson, of Louisiana, swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was expected to quickly be sworn into office.
A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as GOP factions jockey for power. While not the party’s top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.
“I think he’s gonna be a fantastic speaker,” Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.
Trump said he hadn’t heard “one negative comment about him. Everybody likes him.”
Three weeks on without a House speaker, the Republicans have been wasting their majority status — a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.
Far-right members have refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives don’t want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during the private roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote, more than enough to sink his nomination.
But when GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to introduce Johnson’s name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for an extended standing ovation.
“House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will never give up,” she said.
Democrats again nominated their leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing Johnson as an architect of Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
With Republicans controlling the House only 221-212 over Democrats, Johnson could afford just a few detractors to win the gavel. He won 220-209, with a few absences.
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks after he was chosen as the Republicans latest nominee for House speaker at a Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Overnight the endorsements for Johnson started pouring in, including from failed speaker hopefuls — Rep. Jim Jordan, the hard-charging Judiciary Committee chairman, gave his support, as did Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the fellow Louisiana congressman, who stood behind Johnson after he won the nomination.
“Mike! Mike! Mike!” lawmakers chanted at a press conference after the late-night internal vote, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.
Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on.
Johnson’s rise comes after a tumultuous month, capped by a head-spinning Tuesday that within a span of a few hours saw one candidate, Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP Whip, nominated and then quickly withdraw when it became clear he would be the third candidate unable to secure enough support from GOP colleagues after Trump bashed his nomination.
“He wasn’t MAGA,” said Trump, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.
Attention quickly turned to Johnson. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.
Elevating Johnson to speaker would give Louisianians two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Scalise, who was rejected by hard-liners in his own bid as speaker.
Johnson is affable and well liked, with a fiery belief system, and colleagues swiftly started giving him their support.
“Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system,” Johnson said after winning the nomination. “We’re going to restore your trust in what we do here.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who led a small band of hard-liners to engineer McCarthy’s ouster at the start of the month, posted on social media that “Mike Johnson won’t be the Speaker the Swamp wants but, he is the Speaker America needs.”
Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.
The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid — to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.
Many hard-liners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans don’t agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month’s funding deadline.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.
During the turmoil, the House is now led by a speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job is to elect a more permanent speaker.
Some Republicans — and Democrats — wanted to give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, declined to back those overtures. He, too, received a standing ovation.
___
Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.
veryGood! (39)
Related
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Noem looking to further bolster Texas security efforts at US-Mexico border
- North Carolina redistricting lawsuit tries `fair` election claim to overturn GOP lines
- Disney's free speech lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis dismissed but second lawsuit still pending
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- When do new episodes of 'Feud: Capote vs. The Swans' come out? See full series schedule
- A Tennessee lawmaker helped pass a strict abortion law. He's now trying to loosen it
- Parents of OnlyFans model charged with murder arrested on evidence-tampering charges: Report
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- House passes sweeping, bipartisan bill with expanded child tax credit and business tax breaks
Ranking
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- When cybercrime leaves the web: FBI warns that scammers could come right to your door
- A rescue 'for the books': New Hampshire woman caught in garbage truck compactor survives
- Kanye West and Travis Scott Reunite for Surprise Performance of “Runaway”
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Barcelona edges Osasuna in 1st game since coach Xavi announced decision to leave. Atletico also wins
- 2 homeowners urged to evacuate due to Pennsylvania landslide
- Parents of OnlyFans model charged with murder arrested on evidence-tampering charges: Report
Recommendation
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
Mark Zuckerberg accused of having blood on his hands in fiery Senate hearing on internet child safety
Groundhogs are more than weather predictors: Here are some lesser known facts about them
Donations pour in to replace destroyed Jackie Robinson statue on his 105th birthday
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and More Stars Whose Daring Grammys Looks Hit All the Right Notes
You’ll Love Jessica Biel’s Birthday Tribute to Justin Timberlake—This We Promise You
Dearest Readers, You’ll Burn for Bridgerton’s Intense Season 3 Teaser