Allies of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) have publicly signaled their support to House Republican leadership to avoid a messy and drawn-out battle that could delay the certification of his victory over President-elect Trump. I am asking you to reconfirm.
“If there is some kind of long-running conflict and we cannot elect a speaker, then the speaker is not elected. We are not sworn in. And if we are not sworn in, we cannot certify the election,” the congressman said. Ta. Carlos Jimenez, Republican of Florida, told FOX News Digital.
“I hope that President Trump will reach out to those who are a little hesitant and say, ‘We have to start. We don’t have time.'”
Meanwhile, Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) told Fox News Digital that “it would be very helpful” if President Trump cooperated.
President Trump’s allies join preparatory group to strengthen support for MAGA agenda
Allies of House Speaker Mike Johnson seek help from President-elect Trump to avoid a chaotic House speaker election (Getty Images)
“Anytime, but right after Christmas, if President Trump said, ‘Here, listen,’ it would be really great if Mike Johnson somehow came to Mar-a-Lago for Christmas… wherever the president is.” Yeah,” Fallon said. “I think it’s going to be incredibly powerful.”
Members of the House of Representatives are returning to Washington, D.C., for a full floor vote to elect a speaker on Friday, January 3rd. The House of Representatives is scheduled to meet in a few days, on Monday, January 6, to certify the results of the 2024 election.
Johnson is fighting a potentially damaging battle to win the speaker’s gavel for a full term in the House, with several House Republicans vocally criticizing the Louisiana Republican and his handling of government funds. facing.
His predecessor suffered 14 public defeats in his quest for the gavel, and finally secured it after days of negotiations with holdouts in the 15th House full vote.
When Johnson was ousted, he won after a three-week internal Republican battle that left Congress paralyzed for the duration.
But some House Republicans are now warning that Trump himself cannot be allowed to delay anything he has said he wants to spend the first 100 days of his second term very active. There is.
“To ensure that President Trump is inaugurated on January 20th and can begin the election, we must be able to certify the 2024 election on January 6th,” said Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. We cannot complete this process without them.” RN.Y. told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) is one of Johnson’s defenders. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Mr Tenney warned that it could delay “the start of my plans”.
Congress narrowly avoided a partial government shutdown hours after the Dec. 20 federal funding deadline, passing a bill that would extend that deadline to March 14, as well as several other major programs. extended and replenished the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund.
This angered Republican hardliners who opposed adding unrelated policy riders to what they believed was an extension of more direct government funding.
Johnson also rejected President Trump’s request to bundle the debt limit measure with the government funding bill, which was suspended until January 2025 after all 38 House Republicans and all but two Democrats voted against it. I tried to listen but failed.
Fallon told Fox News Digital that even if Johnson endorses him again by January 3, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going against Trump.
Fallon said: “Some of the 38 people were more of a principled person… They really want to attack the debt. They feel like they want the debt ceiling to expire for two years. …They want to use it in the following ways.” It is a negotiation tool that says, “Let’s reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio.” ”
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But one of Mr. Johnson’s biggest critics, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), has already told reporters he will not vote for him next year.
Additionally, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) both indicated over the weekend that they would no longer support Mr. Johnson. did.
Meanwhile, there are media reports that President Trump is dissatisfied with Prime Minister Johnson’s handling of government funds, and that his demands for a debt limit have gone unheeded.
Trump himself has not mentioned Johnson publicly since Friday’s vote. But prominent Trump allies like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have defended Johnson.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy needed 15 votes to win the gavel (Valerie Plesch)
“He is, without a doubt, the most conservative Speaker of the House we’ve had in our lifetime,” Cruz said on his “Verdict” podcast. “If Mike Johnson were to be ousted as Speaker of the House, we would have a much more liberal Speaker of the House than Mike Johnson.”
Some have suggested that President Trump’s influence will have a big impact on what ultimately happens.
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One House Republican, who was authorized to speak anonymously, told Fox News Digital early last week that he was considering opposing Johnson, but that Trump would be the final deciding factor. said.
“I think ultimately it’s going to come down to who President Trump likes, because I think that’s going to have a big impact on the decision-making, because right now, President Trump is working very well with Mike Johnson. “They have a great relationship,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Asked whether she would support Johnson if Trump did, despite her opposition to the government’s funding plan, Burchett said: “Maybe.”
Mr. Johnson faces the Jan. 3 speaker vote with just a three-vote Republican lead, making his chances of winning Democratic support virtually slim.
Elizabeth Elkind is a political reporter for FOX News Digital, where she leads coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines can be found on the Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow @liz_elkind on Twitter and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com.
