House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) welcomed the up-to-date year on Wednesday by reaffirming his commitment to ensuring President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda passes through the House.
America has spoken. Congress MUST act on President Trump’s agenda quickly.
The American people cannot afford to wait for aid when their lives and livelihoods are at stake.
Let’s get to work 🇺🇸https://t.co/6v9PDcxc86
– Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 1, 2025
Johnson had just received a vote of support from Trump, who expressed on Truth Social his desire to see Johnson back as Speaker in the upcoming 119th Congress:
The American people need relief IMMEDIATELY from the destructive policies of the last administration. Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, challenging working and religious man. He will do the right thing and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my complete and unqualified agreement. MAGA!!!
A up-to-date president’s support for a speaker candidate would normally be enough to get that candidate over the finish line, but the Republican Party’s slim majority means a few disaffected GOPers could shake things up, with one in particular appearing to hold the key the vote.
That’s how it works at Punchbowl News characterized the race:
Trump’s argument For Johnson, it comes down to this: The Louisiana Republican is both a nice guy and the only one who can win the speaker’s gavel. It’s a similar argument, former speaker Kevin McCarthy’s Allies in January 2023; The California Republican was the only one who could get 218 votes.
Some Republicans However, I do not find this argument convincing. After 14 months with Johnson as their speaker, they’re ready to give someone else a chance.
The two names you’ll probably hear most often are Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Chip Roy (R-TX).
Massie has made it very clear that he has no intention of voting for Johnson. tweet a few days ago on CA).
In addition, Massie lost his wife last year and lost her too allegedly said, “If they thought I had no Fs to give before, then I definitely have no Fs to give now.” Also:
“I am a single man now. I lost my wife and she was probably the nicest part of me,” he said. “What do I have to lose?”
Massie has said he will vote for a specific person in Friday’s speaker election, but who that is remains a mystery.
This is where the numbers come into play.
NEW: Donald Trump calls on Mike Johnson to remain speaker with ‘full and unqualified approval’
If it feels like 2016 again, Rep. Chip Roy says there’s a reason why this is a problem
The Republicans have 219 seats in the 119th Congress and the Democratic Party has 215. The number of votes needed to become Speaker: 218. Here is Mike Johnson’s take: “It’s a numbers game. We have the smallest margin in U.S. history. We’ll probably have a lead of two votes on this tomorrow, so [I] I can only afford to lose one or two.”
That leaves Chip Roy as the wild card and the only Republican who may hold the key to Johnson’s fate. Roy has said He’s not a “hard no” on Johnson, but he reportedly blames Johnson for the failure to pass legislation favoring Texas in the 118th Congress. Roy, a supporter of Ron DeSantis during the Republican presidential primary, has indicated he would like to become chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, so there may be some backroom dealings afoot right now.
The speaker vote is expected to take place shortly after 12:00 p.m. ET on Friday and will be broadcast live on C-SPAN.
