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Republicans will begin laying the groundwork for a second Trump administration on Friday, formally seizing control of both chambers of Congress and seeking to elect a House speaker before tackling other important business.
Friday is the opening day of the new 119th Congress, a celebratory moment when the Capitol is filled with proud family members and other celebrants hoping to see their loved ones sworn into office.
But before that ceremony can take place on the House floor, incoming lawmakers must first choose a speaker, which also may not be easy. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) won his party’s nomination in November and has the support of President-elect Donald Trump, but he still faces an uphill climb to a full two-year term. facing.
The Republican Party’s majority is so small at 219 to 215 seats that just two defections could derail Mr. Johnson’s bid to remain chairman. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has already vowed to oppose Mr. Johnson, as have Reps. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina), and Rep. Tim Several people, including Rep. Burchett (R-Tenn.), have announced their opposition to Johnson. They said they were undecided.
“You can take all my nails out. You can stick bamboo in them. You can start cutting off my fingers. “I’m not voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow,” Massey said Thursday, a Republican. “You can take it to the bank,” he said in an interview with former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.
If Republicans cannot secure a simple majority of all House members (218 votes if all are present), the chamber will remain paralyzed and unable to conduct any other business until a majority agrees on the speaker. . This means elected members cannot be sworn in, cannot serve on House committees, and cannot introduce or vote on legislation.
While the Republican-led Senate is able to begin business immediately, including setting up confirmation hearings and floor votes for the Trump administration’s Cabinet nominees, a long-running fight in the House for the speaker’s gavel has left Sen. , California) is similar to a 15-round fight. Mr. Johnson argued that the House’s efforts to implement Mr. Trump’s 2025 policy would be delayed.
Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) implored his colleagues to elect Mr. Johnson quickly and avoid a long battle to avoid provoking divisions in the Republican Party that would hinder the party’s agenda.
“I hope it doesn’t happen. I hope it doesn’t. I hope it doesn’t,” Barr said in response to a question about whether another plurality vote would be needed to elect a speaker. “Unity is our strength and strength. … Do we really need to spend multiple rounds fighting each other?”
In preparation for the Republican trifecta in Washington, President Trump and Congressional Republicans have laid out an ambitious agenda for 2025. They plan to use an arcane process known as budget “reconciliation” to circumvent Democrats and renew expiring tax cuts enacted during the Trump first administration. , as well as tightening border security, cracking down on illegal immigration and addressing high energy costs.
“The clock is going to be ticking,” Johnson said on Fox Business. “There’s going to be a lot of pressure on us by the deadline because the American people are going to want results. Some negotiations, by design, take a long time… but we can get there. I think this ball crossed the people’s goal line. ”
Republicans are divided over Mr. Trump’s policy strategy, with some arguing for a single bill, while others advocate splitting the bill to begin with a victory on border security and then complete it by the end of the year. Some say we should turn our attention to taxes.
Johnson was pressured Thursday by Fox Business host and former Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow to pursue a one-bill strategy, although there is “compelling evidence” for the claim. , Republicans remained tight-lipped, saying they were still evaluating their future direction.
In addition to moving forward with its busy legislative agenda, the new Republican-controlled Senate will need to hold hearings and confirmation votes on President Trump’s nominees. Incoming Majority Leader John Thune (R.S.D.) has threatened to force senators to come to work on Fridays to get the job done, but he rarely works on Fridays.
“As long as it takes,” Thune state spokesman Ryan Russ told NBC News when asked how long he expected it to last.
If Mr Johnson can secure the gavel for the next two years, the next few days will be busy in Parliament House. Congress is scheduled to certify President Trump’s presidential election victory on Monday, January 6, the fourth anniversary of the deadly attack on the heavily fortified Capitol. Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed on Thursday that there would be a “constitutional crisis” if Parliament did not elect a speaker in time to certify the election on January 6, as required by the constitution.
Former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at age 100, will lie in state later this week in the Capitol Rotunda from Tuesday afternoon until Thursday morning. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Thune are scheduled to address a memorial service in Congress shortly after Mr. Carter’s casket arrives.
This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:
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