House of Representatives in limbo after Mike Johnson is on track to lose first speaker vote

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives is in limbo after incumbent Speaker Mike Johnson appeared on Friday to be on track to lack the votes to stay at the helm despite President-elect Donald Trump’s endorsement .

In this way, most Republicans did not want to usher in a new Congress under complete Republican control. But it’s not over yet – Johnson has Trump’s support and will use that support to bring more of his conference to his side.

The House of Representatives cannot do anything else until it elects a speaker, including swearing in new members. With certification of Trump’s victory imminent on Jan. 6 and the presidential inauguration 17 days away, lawmakers have little time to waste.

Johnson’s problems on the first ballot were due to a handful of conservative Republicans, including Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas. The trio of Republican lawmakers voted for someone other than the 52-year-old Johnson.

Fighting to save his job, Johnson was seen speaking to at least two of the holdouts – Norman and Self – right next to the House floor as Republicans kept the final count open for more than 45 minutes. If the two Republicans switch their votes to present, Johnson could still receive enough votes to become speaker on the first ballot. If not, a second round of voting will begin soon.

More than a dozen Republican House members have publicly expressed displeasure with Johnson since a last-minute deal to avoid a government shutdown in December raised old concerns about year-end spending deals. A handful of those members changed their minds after Trump gave Johnson his “full and unqualified support” on Monday, including Reps. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Josh Brecheen, R-Okla.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. — who previously attempted to oust Johnson from the speakership and suggested in December that Trump ally Elon Musk would be a better speaker — urged her colleagues to support Johnson in a video posted on X Thursday night , arguing that Republicans fought hard to win Trump office.

“They are all sick and tired and fed up with the drama and all the garbage coming out of Washington, D.C.,” Greene said. “It is time to do whatever is necessary to ensure that we fulfill the mission given to us by the American people. I can’t wait to get started on this. I will vote for Mike Johnson.”

But it wasn’t enough to sufficiently satisfy her Republican compatriots. Massie has long signaled his opposition to Johnson, even despite Trump’s support or with other concessions.

Appearing on former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s One America News show Thursday, Massie said, “You can rip out all my fingernails. You can put bamboo in it. You can start cutting off my fingers. I’m not voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow, and you can take that to the bank.”

To add to the tension and signal Johnson’s challenge, a handful of elected GOP lawmakers did not announce their votes when their names were initially called in the first round of speaker voting on Friday.

Five of the early holdouts were Andy Biggs of Arizona, Michael Cloud of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Andy Harris of Maryland and Chip Roy of Texas. The bearded Harris could be seen at the back of the room, studiously not responding when his name was called. Sitting next to Johnson, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who is on track to become House majority leader if Johnson is ultimately elected speaker, took notes as the votes were announced.

Ultimately, those five Republicans switched their votes to support Johnson, who had tried to avert a stalemate by releasing a list of pledges before the roll call that was similar to those made by critics such as Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind. were required.

Minutes before voting began in the House, Johnson sought to avert a loss by announcing his commitment to creating a task force of “independent experts” to recommend spending reforms and examine federal agencies created by Congress and direct House committees to investigate agencies and those responsible who “have used the government as a weapon against the American people.”

“If we don’t keep our campaign promise of fiscal responsibility, we don’t deserve to stay in power,” Johnson wrote in the post. “Along with advancing President Trump’s America First agenda, I will lead Republicans in the House of Representatives to reduce the size and scope of the federal government, hold the bureaucracy accountable, and put the United States on a more sustainable fiscal path. “

Two weeks ago, as the government shutdown approached on December 20, Johnson struck a bipartisan agreement to pass a more than 1,500-page funding extension and countless additional policies. Musk urged Republicans to vote against the deal, and Trump quickly followed with an additional demand that Congress raise the debt ceiling – a Herculean task with just days left until the shutdown deadline and Democrats controlling the Senate and White House govern.

Johnson struggled to negotiate a deal that could appease Trump, keep the government open and pass the House, but failed on the ground with the help of 38 Republicans. The final bill, which omitted Trump’s demand for a debt ceiling and most additional measures, passed with help from Democrats. 34 Republicans voted against it.

As the dust cleared, several House Republicans expressed open skepticism about supporting Johnson for another two years at the helm – revealing a potentially significant point of friction for Trump’s second-term agenda. About a dozen remained publicly undecided when the House met to vote on Friday.

If Johnson can’t convince more lawmakers to support his candidacy for speaker, the House could face another embarrassing stalemate that prevents it from preparing for Trump’s return to office on Jan. 20. The paralysis could also complicate the counting of Electoral College votes, which is scheduled to take place on Monday if a speaker is not chosen by then.

The last time Republicans in the House were unable to elect a speaker was not a distant memory for most lawmakers: The chamber was paralyzed for three weeks in October 2023 when a rebel Republican faction ousted McCarthy from the speakership and failed to get himself over to agree on a successor.

Many Republicans did not want to repeat that process, especially now that they have a coveted trifecta in Washington and a narrow window of opportunity to implement Trump’s agenda.

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House of Representatives in limbo after Mike Johnson is on track to lose first speaker vote

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