Johnson optimistic he’ll stay Home speaker as GOP holdouts threaten one other marathon spherical of voting

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Johnson optimistic he’ll stay Home speaker as GOP holdouts threaten one other marathon spherical of voting


Friday might be Home Speaker Mike Johnson’s second of reality as Republicans holdouts determine whether or not he ought to lay declare to the gavel once more within the subsequent Congress — or decide as an alternative to plunge their convention into disarray as soon as extra.

For his half, Johnson (R-La.) stays assured — no less than within the public eye — and is privately burning up the telephone traces, assembly with apprehensive Republicans and proudly touting his current endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.

“We’re going to get this accomplished,” Johnson declared on “FOX & Pals” Thursday morning. “It’s a numbers recreation. We’ve got the smallest margin in US historical past. We may have a margin of in all probability two votes tomorrow throughout that. So we will solely afford to lose one or two.”

“However I feel we’ll get it accomplished. I actually do.”

Not everybody shares his optimism.

Speaker Mike Johnson is dealing with a key check on Friday within the speakership contest. CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photographs

“He doesn’t have the votes — which isn’t a secret,” one Home GOP aide bluntly instructed The Put up, predicting Johnson would fall brief within the first spherical of voting on Jan. 3.

Not all Republicans count on he’ll meet the identical destiny, and so far solely Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has publicly come out in opposition to him.

However Johnson can’t afford one other defection.

No less than half a dozen members stay undecided, together with Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), amongst others, and he can solely afford to lose one vote.

Johnson has lengthy been dealing with an uphill battle to ascend again into the speaker’s chair within the 119th Congress, a difficult feat to start with because of the slim GOP majority.

His critics additionally grew to become reinvigorated throughout the federal government spending flap final month, per the aide, who claimed the preliminary invoice Johnson unveiled was ” a catastrophe” and “filled with Democrat wins.”

To date, Rep. Thomas Massie is the only real Republican who has publicly opposed Mike Johnson’s bid for an additional stint with the gavel. CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photographs

By three successive drafts, Johnson finally slimmed down that greater than 1,500-page invoice to a 118-page model, chopping a number of expensive provisions however nonetheless leaving hardline Republicans unhappy.

GOP aides who spoke with The Put up, nevertheless, imagine that Johnson might be re-elected — it’s only a matter of what number of rounds it should go.

The Louisiana Republican’s predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, sat via 15 rounds of voting earlier than ascending to the speaker’s chair in January 2023. Johnson was unanimously elected three weeks after McCarthy’s ouster later that yr in October.

Because it was then, no viable options who might win sufficient votes to change into speaker have emerged.

Beneath Home guidelines, a speaker must lock down a majority of votes to clinch the gavel. At first of the 119th Congress, Republicans are set to have 219 seats, Democrats may have 215 and there’s anticipated to be one emptiness from former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

A majority of 434 is 218, which is usually the magic quantity to change into speaker. Nevertheless, that arithmetic can change if lawmakers are absent or some decide to vote “current.”

Kevin McCarthy took 15 votes to get the speaker’s gavel in January 2023. NurPhoto through Getty Photographs

Gaetz, who led the mutiny in opposition to McCarthy has additionally publicly urged Republicans to rally round him. In idea, the ex-Florida pol might present up on Friday and take part within the vote bringing the full defections Johnson can survive as much as two. He’s given no public indication he’ll try this.

In the meantime, Home Democrats are eager on guaranteeing that every one their members present up for the vote. Former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who’s recovering from hip surgical procedure, has jetted again to the nation’s capital for the large vote.

And so they’ve additionally made clear that there isn’t a urge for food to bail Johnson out, notably given the dangerous style of their mouths over the collapsed authorities funding deal final month.

“There might be no Democrats obtainable to avoid wasting him — or the intense MAGA Republicans — from themselves,” Jeffries instructed MSNBC final month, simply earlier than Christmas.

Democrats had beforehand bailed Johnson out when 11 Republicans backed an ouster effort in Could in response to him passing navy and financial help to Ukraine as a part of a $95 billion international help bundle.

Johnson met with among the holdouts Thursday and has signaled reluctance to approve facet offers, which had been controversial throughout McCarthy’s grovel for the gavel in January 2023.

The Home is about to reconvene Friday when the 119th Congress is sworn in. Bloomberg through Getty Photographs

“Individuals are speaking via course of adjustments they need, and people sorts of issues. And I’m open to that. And I feel tomorrow’s going to go properly,” Johnson instructed reporters after a gathering with some undecideds Thursday.

Johnson defenders have additionally famous that Democrats managed the White Home and Senate final Congress, whereas GOP energy within the Home was slim.

The Home speaker has argued that subsequent time might be completely different given Republicans’ management of the trifecta (Home, Senate and White Home).

A number of Republican hardliners within the Senate have additionally urged their Home counterparts to sink Johnson’s bid for shifting Ukraine help via the decrease chamber in addition to a invoice reauthorizing the International Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

“As Congress debates re-electing the ‘unintended’ speaker Mike Johnson, conservatives throughout the nation ought to bear in mind Speaker Mike solid the deciding vote to permit a secret court docket (FISA) to look American data with out a warrant and to ship $60 BILLION to Ukraine. Pathetic,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) chided.

Looming over their determination is Trump’s “full” and “whole” endorsement of Johnson on Monday which was supposed to assist get him over the end line.

However that by itself seems to have accomplished little to maneuver potential rabble-rousers. And Trump instructed reporters earlier this week that he isn’t making calls on Johnson’s behalf.

“He’s the one that may win proper now,” Trump instructed reporters concerning the Louisianan. “Folks like him. Virtually everyone likes him … He’s a superb man. He’s an exquisite particular person. And that’s what you want.”


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