The race for the speakership in the House of Representatives ended Wednesday, Oct. 25 when Louisiana representative Mike Johnson gained unanimous support from the Republican party, also referred to as the GOP, a feat which former contenders struggled to do. BBC reports that Kevin McCarthy was ousted as Speaker of the House by his own party after using Democrat votes to get a spending deal passed that would stop the government shutdown; this event was the final straw in a feud between McCarthy and Representative Matt Gaetz, a republican from Florida, over across-the-aisle cooperation. It should be noted that democrats did not leap to McCarthy’s defense due to their own “Broken Promises.”
After several attempts by republican Jim Jordan from Ohio, Mike Johnson, a previously unknown representative, was elevated to the position of house speaker. Fox news reports that Mike Johnson was a previously unknown member of a hardliner group within the GOP who’s rapid ascension has given some grassroots GOP representatives a confidence boost.
The Speaker of the House leads the House of Representatives and has a variety of responsibilities including setting the agenda, assigning positions, and rallying support behind certain initiatives, writes the BBC. Intelligent and skillful Speakers are able to make or break a party or President’s goals; along with being the most pivotal role in Washington, the speaker is also third in line for the presidency.
NBC reported that before Mike Johnson’s rise to the speakership, he held very little to no real leadership and experience. Mitt Romeny (R-Utah) commented on Johnson’s lack of experience and the House’s decision to appoint him. Johnson has a high voting record of supporting conservative-GOP goals and bills, and he has opposed many bills that have garnered support from moderate republicans like the Respect for Marriage act, which protected same-sex marriage, which NPR reports gained “unexpected” republican support. Johnson is also a supporter of the former President Donald Trump and backs his goal to overturn the 2020 election. As stated above, Johnson has almost universal support from republicans in Congress and hopes to lead a party of both moderates and hardliners. As a devout Christian, Fox news reports that many of Johnson’s views on social issues align with many Evangelical views. Johnson was a college professor and a constitutional lawyer prior to his election in 2016.
With a government shutdown quickly approaching, it will be up to Speaker Mike Johnson to negotiate a bipartisan plan to prevent the shutdown. Johnson has seemed to gain respect and confidence from fellow members of the GOP, but only time can truly tell if the greenhorn speaker will be a success or failure.
