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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Johnson re-elected House speaker in win for Trump, his agenda

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walks from his office at the U.S. Capitol on Friday in Washington, D.C.  (Kent Nishimura)
By Marianna Sotomayor Washington Post

Speaker Mike Johnson will continue to lead House Republicans in the 119th Congress, a victory for the Louisiana Republican and President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.

Johnson clinched the speakership after a dramatic back and forth with several Republican holdouts. After first voting against Johnson, Rep.-elects Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Keith Self, R-Texas, changed their votes. All 215 House Democrats supported Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for speaker, while Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted for Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn..

Johnson was able to win over a handful of GOP dissenters at the last minute, averting another protracted, intra-Republican fight. But the vote was close and contentious – a reminder of how difficult it could be for the narrow Republican majority to get things done.

Johnson spent weeks trying to persuade roughly half a dozen Republicans who remained undecided about his candidacy. This week, Trump threw his weight behind him, appearing to help his cause.

Johnson will now swear in House lawmakers to serve in the 119th Congress, and they will vote on a rules package that outlines how the chamber will function this term. It is expected to pass on party lines.

President-elect Donald Trump congratulated Johnson for his re-election.

“Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our Country will be the beneficiary,” Trump said in a post shared on Truth Social. “The People of America have waited four years for Common Sense, Strength, and Leadership. They’ll get it now, and America will be greater than ever before!”

Trump played a key role in Johnson’s speedy election Friday, speaking to some of the holdouts on the phone after they initially voted against Johnson’s nomination.

Texas Republican Chip Roy said there are “many members beyond the three” who initially voted against Johnson who are skeptical of his leadership.

Roy made the comment on X before posting a letter that he and 10 other members of the House Freedom Caucus signed that also said they voted for Johnson “despite our sincere reservations” about him.

When initially called on to vote, Roy stood silently and refused to say a word. Later, when called on again, he voted for Johnson – as did four other Republicans who withheld their support initially.

Last month, Roy was targeted by President-elect Donald Trump after he spoke out against Johnson’s leadership. “Chip Roy is just another ambitious guy, with no talent,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.

In his victory speech, Speaker-elect Johnson vowed to pass Trump’s agenda to the cheers of a Republican conference that appeared relieved not to have to undergo multiple rounds of voting.

“After four years of high inflation, we have a big agenda. We have a lot to do,” he said. “And we can do it in a bipartisan fashion. We can fight high inflation, and we must. We’ll give relief to Americans and will extend the Trump tax cuts. We’re going to protect our industries from one-sided trade deals, and we’re going to bring overseas investments back to America’s shores.”

While Johnson pointed to many of the divisive policies in the GOP agenda Republicans are seeking to pass this Congress – such as cutting the size of the federal workforce, passing tax cuts and expediting drilling permits – he emphasized unity and willingness to work across the aisle. He made several nods to the speech Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries gave moments before.

“Our people are asking for a thriving economy in a rebuilt middle class and strong borders and a strong military, and we can deliver that,” Johnson said. “These objectives and these aims don’t have an R or a D behind them. They have a ‘USA.’ That’s what we’re about.”

Johnson in his remarks also noted that the 119th Congress will oversee celebrations in 2025 to mark the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution.

In “these two and a half centuries, we’ve been reminded repeatedly, repeatedly that freedom is never free,” he said. “And we have stood tall as the greatest nation on the face of the Earth. It is without debate. We are the freest, the most powerful, most benevolent nation that has ever been in the history of the world. It’s not by happenstance.”

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Mariana Alfaro and Azi Paybarah contributed to this report.