WASHINGTON: Mike Johnson was returned as Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives on Friday with significant support from incoming President Donald Trump, after two party rebels dramatically reversed their initial “no” votes.
The 52-year-old Louisiana lawmaker needed a simple majority to be elected as Washington’s top lawmaker, who presides over House business and is second only to the presidency.
But three Republican members initially voted for other candidates, and Johnson prevailed only after lengthy negotiations during which two eventually switched their support. He won re-election with 218 votes – the minimum required. Republicans control the chamber by a 219-215 majority.
The vote was an early test of the party’s ability to hold together as it pushes Trump’s agenda of tax cuts and border enforcement. It also tested Trump’s influence on Capitol Hill, where a handful of Republicans have already expressed willingness to oppose him.
House Republicans have been racked by internal divisions over the past two years. Johnson was appointed Speaker after the party ousted his predecessor Kevin McCarthy midway through his term.
Members of Congress huddled around the chamber for more than half an hour after voting ended, while Johnson and his lieutenants could be seen trying to persuade the holdouts.
A Reuters photographer captured a photo of Representative Marjorie Taylor Green, who voted for Johnson, talking on her iPhone with the name Susie Wiles — Trump’s incoming chief of staff — appearing on the screen.
The House went through 15 rounds of voting over four days in 2023 before McCarthy was elected speaker.
The moderate Louisiana representative, 52, was thrust into one of Washington’s most powerful jobs in October 2023 during three weeks of turmoil, as Republicans ousted McCarthy and struggled to agree on a successor. The conservative Christian advocate emerged as a consensus choice, but has since struggled to keep his party united.
He has sought to build a closer relationship with Trump, who endorsed him on Monday after weeks of uncertainty.
“Mike’s win today would be a big win for the Republican Party. Trump returns to the White House on January 20th for Inauguration Day,” Trump posted online Friday.
In a role that is second only to the presidency after the vice president, Johnson will have a big task ahead of him. In addition to pursuing Trump’s broad legislative agenda, Congress will need to address the nation’s debt ceiling later this year.
With the federal government already more than $36 trillion in debt, many congressional Republicans are expected to demand significant spending cuts.
Republicans on Friday also swore in Sen. John Thune as their new leader in their new 53-47 Senate majority, replacing longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is stepping down from the leadership. but remain in office.