Monday 06 / January / 2025
Washington DC: Mike Johnson overcame a razor-thin margin to keep his role as Speaker of US House of Representatives on Friday as the 119th United States Congress convened.
Johnson's election came despite earlier fears that some Republicans were dissatisfied with his performance and were looking to elect a new Speaker.
He got almost unanimous support from Republicans, who hold a razor-thin majority over Democrats in the lower chamber of Congress.
Three hard-right Republicans at first voted against him, leaving Johnson short of the majority he would need to remain in the job, but two of them changed their minds at the last minute.
He received 218 votes out of the 434 members that voted. Democrats nominated and voted for Hakeem Jeffries, who received 215 votes.
The House had to elect its speaker before the new Congress could do anything.
Without a House speaker, Monday's certification of President-elect Donald Trump's 2024 election victory would have been in trouble.
Trump fully supported Johnson on Friday hailing his victory as a sign of the country's bright future.
"Mike will be a Great Speaker, and our Country will be the beneficiary. The People of America have waited four years for Common Sense, Strength, and Leadership," Trump, posted on social media.
Defeat for Johnson would have marked another embarrassment for Trump, who was shown the limits of his sway over House Republicans after they rebuffed his demands for a suspension of the country's borrowing limit in December.
Mike Johnson speaking to other Republicans to retain the Speakership as the 119th Congress holds its first session
In his acceptance speech Johnson vowed to 'drastically' slash the size of government as Republicans take power in Congress.
"We're going to drastically cut back the size and scope of government, we're going to return the power back to the people," he said.
Johnson vowed not "make deals with anyone," to get their support. "I don't do anything in exchange for a vote, other than commit to make this institution work as effectively, as efficiently as possible," he said.
He did however huddled with some of the holdouts in a chamber off the House floor before they changed their votes.
The speaker's election has been the key focus as the new Congress opened. But the day has also marked some firsts.
For the first time in US history, two Black women, Lisa Blunt Rochester from Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland, have been serving in the Senate at the same time.
Andy Kim from New Jersey has become the first Korean American senator.
In the House, Sarah McBride has become the first openly transgender person in Congress.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has recently had hip replacement surgery after a fall, has returned to Washington and has received a standing ovation from Democrats as she has cast her vote for Jeffries.
