Breaking: House Elects New Speaker
Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to be the 56th speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The final vote was 220 for Johnson and 209 for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Johnson was the fourth candidate the GOP had picked to be speaker after ousting Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the post on Oct. 3.
The previous nominees were House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota.
Emmer quickly dropped out of the speaker race Tuesday after former President Donald Trump came out forcefully against him assuming the position, calling him a “RINO.”
The speaker’s chair had been vacant for 22 days, meaning no legislation could move through the House. The speaker is also second in the line of succession to the presidency behind the vice president.
The ongoing war in Israel, with the potential for the conflict to escalate, placed added pressure on the GOP to come together and choose a speaker.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, and seven other Republicans, had joined all the House Democrats to remove McCarthy as speaker.
Gaetz and the others who supported him in the vote were upset about McCarthy pushing a continuing resolution through last month to fund the federal government through mid-November with majority Democratic support.
Freshman Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona was one of the eight who voted to remove McCarthy, but backed Johnson.
He reposted a picture Johnson shared of the words, “In God We Trust” above the speaker’s chair in the House chamber.
— Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) October 25, 2023
After being nominated Tuesday night, Johnson said, “Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system. This conference that you see, this House Republican majority, is united.”
Rep. Mike Johnson after being nominated for Speaker: “Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system. This conference that you see, this House Republican majority, is united.”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 25, 2023
GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York nominated Johnson Wednesday and said, “In the story of King David, we are reminded that man looks at the outward appearance, but ‘the Lord looks at the heart.’
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY): “In the story of King David, we are reminded that man looks at the outward appearance, but ‘the Lord looks at the heart.’ Today is the day that House Republicans will humbly look in our hearts and elect Mike Johnson as Speaker of the People’s House.” pic.twitter.com/Tocryd12Zj
— The Recount (@therecount) October 25, 2023
“Today is the day that House Republicans will humbly look in our hearts and elect Mike Johnson as Speaker of the People’s House.”
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