Mike Johnson (R-LA-4), the little known conservative from Louisiana, has been elected to be the 56th speaker of the House. He received 220 votes and no opposition.
The election took place this afternoon after three previous candidates over a three week period – Scalise (R-La.), Jordan (R-Ohio) and Emmer (R-Minn.) – were each rejected by their own party's factional infighting. He was the first speaker to win the post in the first round on the floor since Paul Ryan did so in 2015.
Johnson, the married father of four, former state legislator, college professor and radio host, has been in Congress since 2017. An ardent supporter of President Donald J. Trump, Johnson served on Trump's impeachment defense team at the Senate trial in 2020. He was a leader in the House objecting to the certification of electoral votes in the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021. Johnson strongly believed there were irregularities in the 2020 election and, according to his Twitter/X account, “that every legal remedy” should be pursued “to restore faith” in our country's election system.
From public statements, Johnson supports a nationwide ban on abortion, opposes same sex marriages and believes “medical marijuana” is nonsense and remains a gateway drug. He also opposes additional aid to Ukraine.
Johnson served as chair of the House Republican Study Committee and was the vice chair of the House Republican Conference. He served on the Judiciary and Armed Services Committees and as a deputy whip. As speaker, Johnson does not serve on any committees.
Speaker Johnson is now third in line to the presidency, after the vice president – formally, now, the votes will be recounted – the 220 being confirmed – for Johnson as the speaker. He will then be escorted into the chamber by a committee of GOP Members in ceremony – to be greeted by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the dais, who will give a speech. Johnson will then receive the gavel – and the regular business of the 118th Congress will begin.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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