House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was reelected speaker for the 119th Congress on Friday afternoon after a bare majority of 218 Republicans eventually decided to vote in his favor.
The road to reelection was tumultuous for Johnson, as many Republicans have criticized him for capitulating to Democrats and maintaining the status quo of a House enslaved by the few members in leadership.
The Christmas spending battle was the latest example of the top-down strategy, where a Democrat- and Republican-leadership-negotiated “continuing resolution” (which was really a 1,547-page omnibus with major giveaways to Democrats) angered many in the Republican caucus.
While Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said early on that he would not support Johnson for speaker on Friday, nine Republicans remained holdouts until the very end of the first ballot. Two members, Reps. Ralph Norman,…
