(The Center Square) – Following a tense and interrupted first roll call, enough Republican U.S. representatives ultimately voted for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., winning him re-election in a tight 218-216 vote.
In his acceptance speech, Johnson pledged to ensure fiscal responsibility, secure America’s borders, extend 2017 tax cuts, end electric vehicle mandates, promote national defense, and roll back the administrative state, among other objectives.
“This is a powerful new coalition of our country, it’s a coalition that insists that we purge the policies of ‘America last’ and we bury them in the graveyard of history’s mistakes,” Johnson said. “To that end, this Congress will renounce the status quo, and we will listen to the voice of the people.”
“These objectives and these aims don’t have an R or a D behind them, they have a USA. That’s what we’re about,” he added, followed by a burst of applause.
But several Republicans still harbor some doubts about Johnson’s ability to stand his ground against the demands of Democrats.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy from Texas, one of the seven who initially stalled on supporting Johnson’s re-election bid, issued a warning following Johnson’s win.
“Everything we do needs to set the Congress up for success and to deliver the Trump agenda for the American people,” Roy posted on X. “Speaker Johnson has not made that clear yet, so there are many members beyond the three who voted for someone else who have reservations.”
In the initial vote for speaker Friday, three Republicans initially voted for other members of the caucus, causing Johnson to appear to be two votes shy of securing reelection. But two of those initial holdouts changed their votes after a brief recess, securing the win for the speaker.
Roy also joined 10 other Republicans in a statement released on X following the vote, telling Johnson that “there is zero room for error.”
“Today, we voted for Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House because of our steadfast support of President Trump and to ensure the timely certification of his electors,” the lawmakers wrote. “Speaker Johnson must prove he will not fail to enact President Trump’s bold agenda.”
Johnson’s rocky path to re-election was hardly guaranteed with such a slim and contentious Republican majority. Unable to afford more than one Republican dissenter, he faced grim odds at first when 10 members of his own party initially withheld their vote or voted for other candidates.
Seven Republicans refused to vote until the end of the roll, while the remaining three — Reps. Thomas Massie from Kentucky, Ralph Norman from South Carolina, and Keith Self from Texas — each initially voted for other Republican candidates instead of Johnson.
But after a brief recess, during which Johnson left the House floor with Norman and Self engaged in deep discussion, the two ended up supporting him, cinching his win.
“My sole focus was advancing the Trump agenda. To ensure this, I expressed concerns to Speaker Johnson about fiscal responsibility and holding the line on deficit spending – key priorities for my constituents,” Self explained on X. “After receiving firm assurances from the Speaker, that Republicans in the House will have strong representation during the budget reconciliation process – a cornerstone of President Trump’s agenda – I changed my initial vote.”
The president-elect, who endorsed Johnson, applauded the election results Friday afternoon on social media.
“Congratulations to Speaker Mike Johnson for receiving an unprecedented Vote of Confidence in Congress. Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our Country will be the beneficiary,” Trump said. “The People of America have waited four years for Common Sense, Strength, and Leadership. They’ll get it now, and America will be greater than ever before!”