Mike Johnson elected to new term as Speaker of the House

January 3, 2024 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – a new Congress was sworn in and the first order of business following the swearing in was to elect the Speaker of the House. Republicans retained control of the House of Representatives in the 2024 election; but they did so by the slimmest of margins in the 119th Congress.

This tiny majority meant that any splinter faction of disgruntled GOP Representatives can jeopardize the election of the Speaker. Representative Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) was elected to lead the 119th Congress; but it took two ballots as a small faction of GOP malcontents attempted to highjack the process.

A general lack of party discipline and a complete inability for the Republican House Caucus to work as a team was a hallmark of the 118th Congress. That was the first Republican controlled House of Representatives since 115th Congress (2017 to 2018). It took numerous ballots for that Congress to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) as Speaker only to have the entire body thrown into an uproar eight months later when GOP malcontents led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) worked with Democrats to overthrow McCarthy. The country's business effectively came to a standstill for weeks while different GOP factions presented their candidates for leadership. Reps. Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer were all considered before the GOP House members finally reluctantly settled on Johnson as Speaker.

Gaetz resigned from Congress last month before an ethics report accusing him of illicit drug use, accepting inappropriate gifts, and paying for sex was released by the House Ethics Committee; but that spirit of division remains.

This time a tiny faction of malcontents led by Rep. Thomas Massie (Kentucky) along with Ralph Norman (South Carolina) and Keith Self (Texas) would not support Johnson on the first ballot even though Johnson had the endorsement of President-elect Donald J. Trump (R). When the first vote failed Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) called President Trump, who was playing golf at the time. Mace handed the phone to Norman. Trump also spoke with Self. Massie still refused to support Johnson over his unhappiness over the last continuing resolution (C.R.) that was passed before Christmas to keep the government funded through March. Self and Norman supported Johnson on the second ballot thus avoiding the weeks of chaos the nation experienced in October 2023.

"Working together, we have the potential to be one of the most consequential Congresses in the history of this great nation, so long as we work together, we do the right thing, and we put America First," said Speaker Johnson. "As we think about all we've accomplished in the past 250 years, we can only imagine what life will be like 250 years from now. Whatever the future may look like, if we do our jobs now, we can help ensure that our civic virtues will endure. That this nation will still be an example to all the world for its greatness and its example of self-government."

Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) formally joined the Alabama congressional delegation when members of the 119th Congress were sworn in on Friday. This means that Alabama will be represented by two Democrats and five Republicans in the 119th Congress. This is the first time Democrats have had two members of the Alabama congressional delegation since 2010 when Reps. Artur Davis (AL-07) and Bobby Bright (AL-02) were in the House. Rep. Parker Griffith (AL-05) had switched to the Republican Party late in 2009.

With Congress in place, the next order of business is for a joint session of Congress to meet to certify the electoral college results on Monday. Trump is expected to be elected without any of the controversy that marred the 2021 count. His inauguration will be on January 20.

https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1513

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