The House will swear in its newest members as soon as Friday, marking the beginning of Republican control in both chambers of Congress. But first, GOP lawmakers must elect their new speaker — a task that has proven easier said than done in the last two years.
The 119th Congress will convene for the first time at noon, beginning with the pledge and prayer before turning to nominating speeches for speaker candidates. Then, voting begins.
Lawmakers will cast their votes one by one in alphabetical order, each stating their candidate out loud. The magic number, if all lawmakers are present and voting, is 218 — and it is not yet clear whether Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has the support needed to secure the gavel on the first round.
Johnson will be working with a historically slim margin of just 219-215, meaning he can only afford to lose one Republican vote. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has already said he would vote against Johnson, giving the speaker no room for error and putting the GOP conference at risk of beginning the new Congress on a chaotic note — similar to the last Congress when it took former Rep. Kevin McCarthy 15 rounds over four days to secure the gavel.
Roughly a dozen others have said they are undecided about whether to back Johnson, criticizing the speaker for not securing more spending cuts and relying on Democrats to pass key legislation. Others have expressed demands that Johnson must meet before they commit their support.
Those demands include a smaller federal budget and assurances that rank-and-file Republicans will be included in negotiations for must-pass legislation, a frustration that arose last month when GOP lawmakers tanked a government spending deal reached days before the shutdown deadline.
However, Johnson told reporters he would not make concessions or side deals, something his predecessor did to secure the gavel at the beginning of the 118th Congress.
“I don’t make deals with anyone,” Johnson told reporters Friday. “There’s no quid pro quo here. I don’t do anything in exchange for a vote other than commit to make this institution work as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
Still, Johnson does have one major weapon in his arsenal: President-elect Donald Trump, who has repeatedly endorsed him for the position.
Trump even offered last-minute support to Johnson hours before the vote, telling Republicans his victory would be “a big win” for the party.
“Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!! – A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!”
Johnson has pointed to that support, arguing a quick speaker’s election is the best way to enact Trump’s agenda quickly and avoid the appearance of a divided GOP majority in the House. Those who support Johnson have echoed similar sentiments, urging their colleagues to brush their frustrations with Johnson aside and prioritize getting the House in order before Monday’s certification of Trump’s 2024 electoral win.
House GOP leadership has projected confidence in Johnson’s chances, predicting to reporters Friday morning that he would win in the first few rounds. Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) also brushed off questions about whether he would enter the speaker race if Johnson failed to secure the gavel during the first round.
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Meanwhile, on the other side of Capitol Hill, the Senate is set to swear in its 100 senators without much fanfare or drama. There, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) will become the new majority leader of the upper chamber and usher in an era of GOP control not seen since 2021.
Trump will not be sworn in for a second term until Jan. 20.