House Republicans celebrated a return to legislating Wednesday after electing Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to serve as speaker and ending weeks of bitter intra-party fighting over leadership that paralyzed the chamber.
House Republicans celebrated a return to legislating Wednesday after electing Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to serve as speaker and ending weeks of bitter intra-party fighting over leadership that paralyzed the chamber.
Mr. Johnson, 51, was elevated to speaker as one of the least experienced lawmakers ever to serve in the position and he’ll be immediately tested in his ability to unite the fractious Republican Conference over critical government funding that is set to run out in a matter of weeks.
“The people’s house is back in business,” Mr. Johnson told lawmakers in his inaugural address, delivered from the speaker’s rostrum. “We will do our duty here. We will serve you well. We will govern well and we will make you proud of this institution.”
Now serving his third term in Congress, Mr. Johnson confidently pledged he would unify the long-divided conference and even work across the aisle while tackling some of the most difficult issues facing the nation, including lax border security, runaway federal spending and aid for overseas allies.
“The country demands strong leadership of this body and we must not waver,” Mr. Johnson said.
Mr. Johnson has served for three years as vice chairman of the Republican Conference, the No. 5 leadership position.
He’s now second-in-line to presidential succession and will oversee a 435-member House where he has served for only six years.
Like his predecessor, ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, he’ll have to govern with the GOP’s razor-thin majority and thanks to the extended leadership stalemate, he faces a fast-approaching deadline on legislation that deeply divides his conference: Funding the federal government before a stopgap bill expires on Nov.
