WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Mike Johnson is the brand new speaker of the Home, however the ally inherits most of the identical political issues which have tormented previous GOP leaders, examined their grasp of the gavel and ultimately chased them from workplace.
The Home convened Thursday with a bustle of exercise, making up for misplaced time throughout the weeks of chaos since Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker. However the preliminary goodwill towards Johnson blurs the political fault traces difficult the Louisianan’s capacity to steer the GOP majority because it faces daunting points forward.
In early exams, Johnson headed to the White Home for a categorized briefing and mentioned earlier within the day that “prayer is acceptable” as a response to the mass shootings in Maine.
“This can be a darkish time in America,” Johnson mentioned on the Capitol on his first full day as speaker.
“We’re actually, actually hopeful and prayerful,” he mentioned in regards to the Maine shootings. “Prayer is acceptable at a time like this, that the evil can finish and the mindless violence can cease.”
Johnson, a staunchly conservative evangelical Christian, declined to take any questions, together with about the opportunity of any gun violence laws from Congress.
There are extra challenges coming.
By Nov. 17, the Congress should fund the federal government once more or threat a federal shutdown. President needs practically $106 billion in army and humanitarian assist for Israel and Ukraine. And Republicans are wanting to resume their impeachment inquiry into Biden over his son Hunter’s enterprise dealings.
Home Democratic chief of New York mentioned he congratulated Johnson after his election they usually deliberate to talk Thursday about “the pressing must help the Ukrainian individuals.”
“Sufficient of the chaos, sufficient of the dysfunction,” Jeffries mentioned, including that it was time for Congress to get again to enterprise.
Jeffries mentioned Democrats had been “heartbroken” over the most recent shootings and stand with the individuals of Maine in each manner potential, together with discussing how Congress can deal with gun violence.
Johnson and different Home leaders had been going to the White Home for a categorized briefing within the Scenario Room on the administration’s emergency funding request for Ukraine and Israel, in line with individuals acquainted with the assembly who weren’t approved to publicly focus on the non-public session and spoke on situation of anonymity .
The White Home has performed related briefings in latest weeks, however this could be the primary time that the brand new speaker, who opposes the help to Ukraine, would get a detailed airing from White Home officers about Biden’s case for the cash.
Biden had referred to as Johnson to congratulate him after his election Wednesday and mentioned it was “time for all of us to behave responsibly” to fund the federal government and supply that international assist. “We have to transfer swiftly,” the president mentioned in an announcement.
Johnson, 51, swept by on the primary poll with help from all Republicans anxious to place weeks of tumult behind and get on with the enterprise of governing. He was shortly sworn as speaker and is now second in line to the presidency, after the vice chairman.
A lower-ranked member of the Home GOP management crew, Johnson emerged because the fourth Republican nominee in what had develop into an virtually absurd cycle of political infighting since McCarthy’s elimination as get together factions jockeyed for energy.
Whereas not the Republicans’ best choice, Johnson had few foes and an vital backer in Donald Trump.
“He’s an incredible chief,” Trump mentioned Wednesday on the New York courthouse the place the previous president, he Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging enterprise fraud.
Johnson additionally had a name with Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who instructed Johnson {that a} bipartisan settlement with Democrats is the one strategy to keep away from a shutdown.
Meantime, Johnson sat down with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who instructed reporters afterward that he had a “superb” assembly with the brand new speaker.
Johnson, who has been in workplace lower than a decade, drew collectively fellow Republicans by his religion, conservative roots and Trump’s nod after extra seasoned leaders had failed. Far-right members within the Home had refused to just accept a extra conventional speaker, and reasonable conservatives didn’t need a hard-liner.
“You watch and see how a lot this Home of Representatives can really get finished below Mike Johnson,” mentioned Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who led the eight hard-liners in ousting McCarthy.
Democrats mentioned Johnson, a lawyer specializing in constitutional points, was an excessive conservative, a strict opponent of abortion entry and an architect of Trump’s authorized effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he misplaced to Democrat Biden.
“Republicans have chosen a MAGA acolyte to push an excessive agenda within the Home on the expense of middle-class households,” mentioned Washington Rep. Suzan DelBene, the chair of the Democrats’ marketing campaign committee, referring to Trump’s “Make America Nice Once more” marketing campaign slogan.
After Johnson’s election, lawmakers shortly reconvened and accredited a decision Wednesday saying the Home “stands with Israel” and “condemns Hamas’ brutal struggle.” They subsequent turned to a stalled authorities funding invoice.
Moderately than take a scheduled work interval at residence, Republicans rearranged the Home calendar to return to Washington subsequent week and preserve pushing by the varied authorities funding payments earlier than the Nov. 17 deadline.
In a letter to colleagues, Johnson outlined priorities that embody offering a short-term funding invoice, into subsequent yr, to stop a November shutdown — virtually the identical transfer that led to McCarthy’s ouster.
Whereas Johnson has spoken of the significance of serving to fund Israel within the battle towards Hamas, he has proven little curiosity in offering more cash for Ukraine because it battles Russia.
Most Republicans voted towards the price range deal McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this yr, demanding steeper spending cuts. Johnson might want to navigate the far-right calls for with the realities of protecting the federal government functioning.
Comparable Republican infighting chased three different GOP audio system — John Boehner of Ohio, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Newt Gingrich of Georgia — to early departures. The distinction now’s that Republican guidelines permit any single lawmaker to power a vote to take away the speaker from workplace, the menace that in the end toppled McCarthy.
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Related Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Darlene Superville and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
