Before Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was a relatively obscure member of Congress, even among some of his Democratic colleagues.

But within his conference, he was known by many as a workhorse, having chaired both a subcommittee and caucus and having been elected to a junior leadership post, all within four terms.

WHY TRUMP'S FULTON COUNTY CO-DEFENDANTS KEEP TAKING PLEA AGREEMENTS

As a freshman lawmaker, Johnson founded the Civility Caucus and authored the “Commitment to Civility,” in which he, along with more than 50 other freshman members, pledged to try and maintain “collegiality."

During his second term in Congress, Johnson was elected to serve as the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest ideological caucus for House Republicans, and then in his third term, he became the vice chairman of the Republican Conference.

“He got elected RSC chair as a second-term congressman and did a great job on it,” Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) said. “I mean, first of all, that's tough to do. Second of all, not only did he get elected, he did the job well.”

Until Wednesday, he was also the chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government.

“It's not only that he has a great work ethic — he’s got just a great set of values, and he's smart,” Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) said. “He's that great combination of work ethic, grounded in the right principles and values, and is a smart guy, and that's exactly what you need for a tough job like he's got.”

Now, as speaker, he is embarking on an ambitious schedule to accomplish Congress's to-do list.

On Monday, before his election, Johnson laid out his priorities and a timeline to accomplish them.

In a "Dear Colleague" letter, Johnson told his fellow Republicans he would press for a vote on the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill this week, which ultimately passed before lawmakers left town on Thursday.

Johnson plans to bring up several more spending bills in October and November, all while negotiating a continuing resolution to ensure the government does not shut down on Nov. 17.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The time frame is ambitious, and on top of the appropriations process, Congress still has to deal with a litany of other tasks, such as the farm bill and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reauthorization. However, Johnson’s colleagues consider him someone who can focus the conference after weeks without a speaker.

“If anybody's equipped to figure out a way to move those things and do it in a thoughtful manner, but also in a timely manner, it's Mike,” Armstrong said. “If you're a busy trial lawyer, you know what it's like to work 20 hours a day, and he's gonna have to call back to that too.”