The first main drama of the brand new Congress befell because the House of Representatives sought to elect a brand new speaker, with Mike Johnson managing to safe a majority after lastly profitable over two holdouts.
The vote was 218 for Johnson and 215 for Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. All Democrats voted for Jeffries. After two Republican holdouts initially voted for different candidates, Johnson huddled with them, they usually modified their votes for the Louisiana Republican.
With no speaker in place, House members can’t be sworn in and, technically can not conduct the enterprise of certifying the outcomes of the presidential election on Monday.
With C-SPAN cameras allowed impartial entry to the chamber to seize candid moments, the vote was a little bit of a deja vu of two years in the past. That’s when Kevin McCarthy didn’t seize the speakership on the primary vote, and in the end went via 14 extra rounds earlier than taking the gavel. But he was voted out later that yr, and changed by Johnson after a protracted, intra-party battle.
Even if he secures the speakership on the subsequent poll, the failure to take action this afternoon is a sign of the robust problem he could have in reaching unity with little room to spare. As it grew to become clear that he wouldn’t have the votes, murmurs might be heard on the Democratic facet of the aisle, as they have already got been warning of the chaos of the final Congress to proceed, even with Donald Trump returning to workplace for one more time period.
This time round, the Republican majority is even smaller, 219-215, and the GOP might afford to lose no multiple vote to a different selection for speaker.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) voted for Tom Emmer, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) voted for Jim Jordan and Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) voted for Byron Donalds.
Massie (R-KY) stated final month that he would vote in opposition to Johnson, whereas Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) was a visual holdout. After not responding to the preliminary roll name, he in the end voted for Johnson, standing within the aisle stone confronted.
Roy arrived within the chamber a few half hour earlier than the session started, seated alongside the primary aisle. He was near the seat the place former Rep. Matt Gaetz sat as he held out on McCarthy in his speaker battle two years in the past.
Trump endorsed Johnson earlier within the week, hoping to stave off inner drama to kick off the brand new Congress. But that didn’t sway holdouts, upset over a deal that Johnson reached with Democrats final month on a brand new authorities spending plan.