Cliffhanger on Capitol Hill: Johnson reelected as Speaker of the House

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 03: U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) (C) and Rep. Marjorie Tayler Greene (R-GA) (L) talk with fellow Representatives as they arrive for the first day of the 119th Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 03, 2025 in Washington, DC. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) is working to retain the Speakership in the face of opposition within his own party as the 119th Congress holds its first session to vote for a new Speaker of the House. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

(Jennifer Shutt – North Dakota Monitor) – U.S. House Republicans on Friday elected Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson as their speaker for the 119th Congress, following weeks of speculation about whether the GOP would begin another protracted, public dispute over leadership.

The drama-filled vote ensured that Johnson, who was first elected speaker in October 2023, will hold the gavel as Republicans embark on an ambitious legislative agenda that includes overhauling the country’s immigration system and the tax code.

Johnson won the votes of 218 Republicans, while 215 Democrats voted for New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman and Texas Rep. Keith Self all originally voted for other members for speaker. But after several conversations, on and off the floor, Norman and Self switched their votes to Johnson.

The November elections handed the GOP unified control of government, which will formally begin on Jan. 20 when President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office.

“This Congress will renounce the status quo and we will listen to the voices of the people. We will act quickly and we will start by defending our nation’s borders — that’s our number one priority,” Johnson said during a floor speech following the vote. “In coordination with President Trump, this Congress will give our border and immigration enforcement agents the resources they need to do their job.”

Unified Republican control of government, he said, would also deport people in the country without legal status and finish building a border wall.

Johnson said during the next two years, the GOP would take up bills to cut taxes, expand energy production and “reduce the size and scope of government.”