Members are back in town to swear into the 119th Congress. Among the first duties of the position, House members must elect a Speaker of the House to begin legislative business. Republicans hold a slimming majority, so current speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana-4th) must secure nearly every party vote to keep his position.
Last Congress former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy endured 15 ballots to finally reach the gavel, only for his Republican Colleague Matt Gaetz to oust him later that year. Both Matt Gaetz and Kevin McCarthy have since left Congress, but the road to the speakership remains tight.
Funding battles just before Christmas exposed rifts within House Republicans, some of whom expressed weariness of Johnson’s current leadership. Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Georgia-7th) said he was unsure House Republicans are “taking the debt seriously,” and there are about ten members who “want reassurances.” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tennesee-2nd) added, “It’s going to be more up to Trump than anybody else.”
President-elect Donald Trump entered the conversation on Monday with a “complete and total endorsement” of Mike Johnson for speaker. Johnson replied in his thanks, “Together, we will quickly deliver on your America First agenda and usher in the new golden age of America.”
But despite this support from the incoming President, Johnson’s election remains unsteady. It would take a mere two Republican no’s to keep Speaker Johnson from winning the vote due to the razor-thin margins.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky-4th) shared he will not be voting for Mike Johnson. “I respect and support President Trump,” Massie posted on X, “but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan.” He reminded his social media followers, “Paul Ryan was elected Speaker by every Republican except me… Two years later we lost the majority, and democrats made a living hell for Trump.”
No other Republicans have thrown their hats into the ring, leaving no alternate prospects to take the Speaker’s gavel.
Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee’s President and CEO, Penny Nance, joined Fox News Sunday to discuss Mike Johnson’s future. She commented, Mike Johnson is “a man of great integrity. He has done some amazing things as speaker.” With a lot of work still to do, Nance predicts Speaker Johnson will stay in his leadership role.
Despite a narrow majority in the 118th Congress, Speaker Johnson unified members to pass several conservative policies. On women’s sports, they passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which prevents men from competing on women’s sports teams, and passed a resolution condemning President Biden’s dangerous Title IX rewrite. The Parents Bill of Rights Act passed the House with 213 votes, all from Republican members. This bill requires transparency and notification on school curriculum. The Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 provides clear definitions of “antisemitism” that protects Jewish students; the House passed this 320-91. The House also took strong action to combat the growing threat of the Chinese Communist Party, fix the economy, secure the border, and more. Driving a diverse and passionate party to these accomplishments is no easy feat, especially when navigating a narrow majority.
If Speaker Johnson fails to attain the 218 votes needed to continue as speaker, the House will delay all other business until they select a speaker. Party unity has never been more critical. House Republicans will remain paralyzed until they select a speaker, and every day it delays, Trump’s agenda waits.
There is a lot of work to do in Washington. As we welcome members back to the District, we pray that the Lord would bless our Country with strong and unifying leadership, and that our government would urgently work to promote Biblical values from the halls of Congress.