The US House of Representatives re-elected Republican Mike Johnson as its Speaker, in a vote considered controversial. A test of party unity Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term in the White House.

But Johnson’s campaign to retain the Speaker’s gavel was not without obstacles on Friday.

Johnson emerged victorious after an uncertain first round of voting, with some members of his party initially abstaining from their votes on issues such as his role in the two parties’ recent budget negotiations.

He eventually won the Speakership with 218 of a total of 435 votes, after two holdouts – Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas – switched their votes.

Another 215 votes, all from Democrats, went to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Representative Thomas Massie, who had pledged to reject Johnson, cast his vote for fellow Republican Tom Emmer.

The close vote highlighted the narrow margin of Republican control of the chamber. With only 219 seats in the House, Republicans will need almost every vote to reach a majority in party-line voting.

This may give some members of the far right greater influence over legislation, as they exercise their influence.

Friday’s vote for Johnson also puts Trump’s ability to rally Republican votes under the microscope. He has called on the party to support Johnson, as he prepares to pursue an ambitious agenda of tax cuts and mass deportations when he takes office on January 20.

New Congress for 2025

The vote for the position of Council President came on the first day of the 119th Congress, after the general elections that took place in November. Republicans have a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, after removing the Senate from Democratic control.

The race for the position of Speaker of Parliament was expected to be tight as the House of Representatives met in its first session of the new year.

Many Republicans had vowed in the run-up to the session to reject Johnson, especially after he led a bipartisan campaign to pass the bill. Temporary budget draft law In December.

Some objected to the lack of spending cuts. Others, like President-elect Trump, were frustrated that the bill did not address the federal borrowing limit He demanded.

But on Friday morning, top Republicans appeared to be rallying around Johnson, including Trump himself.

“Good luck today to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a good man with great abilities, who is very close to getting 100% support,” Trump said. books On social media.

“A Mike win today would be a huge win for the Republican Party, and another recognition of our most important presidential election in 129 years!!”

While Trump Previously approved Johnson, also said: “The others are very good, too.”

Later, Rep. Lisa McClain, another prominent Republican, gave a speech on the House floor to nominate Johnson. His leadership was placed in the context of the party’s broader priorities.

“We have the opportunity to put America first again. We have the opportunity to do something about crime. We have the opportunity to do something about the border. We have the opportunity to take care of our veterans,” McLean said.

She briefly appeared to acknowledge the possibility of partisan disagreement over the vote.

“No speaker is perfect. And no one ever will be. However, achieving perfection requires incremental gains and tough decisions along the way. None of us will get exactly what we want,” McLean said.

Johnson himself exuded an air of confidence when he arrived at the Capitol on Friday, after spending the night trying to win the support of hard-liners.

“We have no time for drama,” Johnson said as he entered the Capitol on Friday.

Tight vote

However, after the roll call vote was taken, Johnson was initially shy of the 218 votes needed to win.

Three Republicans initially cast their ballots for other candidates. Norman tapped Jim Jordan, backed Macy Emmer and rolled out Self Byron Donalds.

Several other Republicans — including Chip Roy of Texas, another Johnson critic — offered no vote at all. But when asked after the first vote whether they would support a candidate, Roy and others backed Johnson.

A group of Republicans — including several opponents — briefly left the House floor with Johnson to negotiate. When they returned, Norman and Self changed their voices.

In a Friday post On social media platform He expressed his fear that Johnson would not be able to implement Trump’s legislative priorities.

“President Trump’s agenda must become law. Speaker Johnson has already proven that he is not the man who can make it happen,” Massie wrote.

Trump’s agenda

The House of Representatives presidential elections come after Republicans also elected John Thune as majority leader in the Senate, while Chuck Schumer represents the Democratic minority in the Senate.

Thune pledged to advance Trump’s agenda, despite the fact that Republicans hold only 53 seats in the 100-person chamber. This falls short of the 60-vote supermajority needed to overcome a filibuster, a method used by the minority to stall or thwart legislation.

Both chambers of Congress will face several controversial legislation this year, setting the stage for heated battles.

Congress will need to revisit the issue of funding the federal government when the current budget bill expires in March. It will also need to consider raising the debt ceiling — the amount the federal government can borrow — later this year.

The federal government’s debt already exceeds $36 trillion, and many Republicans in Congress are expected to demand deep spending cuts in the future.

The election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, once considered a meager ceremony, has become increasingly controversial in recent years. In 2023 the chamber passed 15 shots of voting over four days before Kevin McCarthy was elected to the role.

Johnson, a low-profile conservative Christian lawyer from Louisiana, was promoted to speaker after the ceremony Deposed McCarthy In the middle of his term.