Editor’s note: Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) won the conference vote and the floor vote. He is the new Speaker of the House of Delegates following former Speaker McCarthy’s firing.
by William Upton at The National Pulse
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) has emerged as the latest Speaker-designate from the House Republican Conference. Previously, attempts to nominate Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Tom Emmer (R-MN) all failed to gain the necessary 217 votes to win the Speakership on the House floor.
Johnson was first elected in 2016, on the back of Donald Trump’s historic presidential victory. The Louisiana Republican later became a key ally to President Trump when Congressional Republicans made efforts to reject the certification of the 2020 presidential election after allegations of fraud and vote rigging were made.
Along with 125 other House Republicans, Johnson was a signer of an amicus brief in Texas v. Pennsylvania. The case, brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, argued that states which changed election procedure during the 2020 presidential contest without legislative approval were in violation of the U.S. Constitution – specifically the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia. The aim of the lawsuit was to temporarily halt the election certification. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, arguing that Texas lacked standing to bring the lawsuit.
The Louisiana Republican sits on the powerful Judiciary and Armed Services Committee and maintains close ties with both the House Freedom Caucus and a key group of Defense appropriators. Entering his sixth term in Congress, Johnson was a reliable vote for much of former President Trump’s agenda. Johnson has voted against additional aid for Ukraine, against codifying same-sex marriage, against certifying the 2020 election, and against the 47-day continuing resolution to fund the government. He did, however, vote in support of lifting the debt limit through January of 2025.
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