GOP divisions on display as Johnson keeps gavel
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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was reelected to the top spot in the House by a whisker on Friday afternoon in a vote that underscores how difficult it will be for him to manage the GOP’s bare majority in the lower chamber.
Johnson ultimately prevailed on the first ballot, as Republicans avoided an embarrassing repeat of the 2023 Speaker vote, which dragged on for 15 rounds before then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) finally won the gavel.
But the outcome of Friday's vote was very much in doubt until the end. |
• Johnson needed 218 votes to prevail, meaning he could only afford to lose one Republican. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) had already said he would not vote for Johnson even if someone pulled “all my fingernails out” and shoved “bamboo up in them” and started “cutting off my fingers.”
• More than a dozen Republicans were uncommitted entering the chamber on Friday. During the roll call, six Republicans initially abstained from voting and three voted for someone else.
• The six GOP holdouts eventually voted for Johnson, leaving him two votes short. It appeared Johnson had failed to win the gavel on the first ballot, but the roll call was kept open.
• Johnson huddled with 2 of the 3 members who had voted for someone else: Reps. Keith Self (R-Texas) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.).
• President-elect Trump called Self and Norman, who then returned to the floor and changed their votes to Johnson, bringing him to 218 and securing a second term as Speaker.
• Massie was the only Republican not to vote for Johnson, but he left with his fingers intact.
Get the full rundown from The Hill's Emily Brooks here. |
GOP CELEBRATES, BUT TOUGH ROAD AHEAD: |
Johnson’s victory was an important win for himself and Trump. Trump backed the Louisiana Republican and made calls to lawmakers on his behalf despite their end-of-year dust-up over the government funding plan.
But the uncertainty around the vote underscored how difficult it will be for Johnson to keep his caucus in line as Republicans seek to implement Trump’s agenda — even with full control in Washington.
The GOP caucus was all over the place ahead of the Speaker vote. Some members circulated a 26-point memo detailing “fails” under Johnson’s leadership. Johnson steadfastly refused to cut deals with his critics.
Instead, he laid out his key commitments as Speaker, including a working group to partner with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency; an audit of the federal agencies; and an effort to “expose” those who have “weaponized the government against the American people.” Johnson also promised to investigate the House select committee that probed the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
There are signs that some Republicans are growing tired of the constant drama.
“Let’s put aside the infighting,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said in her endorsement of Johnson. But Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who was a top critic of Johnson during the government funding battle in December, posted on X after his vote for Johnson: “Everything we do needs to set the Congress up for success and to deliver the Trump agenda for the American people,” he said. “Speaker Johnson has not made that clear yet, so there are many members beyond the three who voted for someone else who have reservations.” The 11 members of the House Freedom Caucus later followed with a list of demands for Johnson. |
GOP-CONTROLLED SENATE GAVELS IN: |
There was far less drama in the upper chamber, where Vice President Harris opened the new session by swearing in members that will make up the GOP’s 53-47 majority.
It was a relaxed mood on the Senate floor, with more than a half-dozen former senators mingling with their former colleagues. Among them: Former Sens. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.).
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), who will choose Vice President-elect JD Vance’s replacement in Ohio, was also on hand.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was sworn in as president pro tempore, making him third in line for the presidency. At 91 years old, Grassley is the oldest and longest-serving senator. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) became the longest-serving Black senator. All eyes are on new Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who is taking over as GOP leader from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Thune on Friday vowed to preserve the Senate filibuster, getting ahead of a potential pressure campaign to do away with it if Trump’s agenda stalls.
“One of my priorities as leader will be to ensure that the Senate stays the Senate,” he said. “That means preserving the legislative filibuster — the Senate rule that today has perhaps the greatest impact in preserving the Founders’ vision of the Senate.”
The Senate will soon be gripped by hearings and confirmation votes for Trump’s Cabinet, which is lining up to be a spectacle for Pete Hegseth's nomination to lead the Defense Department, Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to be Director of National Intelligence and Kash Patel's nomination for FBI chief.
Republicans are calling for Trump’s national security picks to be swiftly confirmed following the New Orleans terror attack this week, but The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports:
“Republican sources on Capitol Hill warn that President-elect Trump’s nominees may be delayed because of paperwork holdups and the slow start of FBI background checks, creating obstacles for the speedy confirmation of Trump’s national security team.” |
💡Perspectives:
• The Liberal Patriot: What can be done to repair the Dems’ national identity? • The Hill: Why Trump should thank McConnell on Inauguration Day. • The Hill: No more bipartisan favors for the GOP. |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I'm Jonathan Easley, catching you up from the afternoon and what's coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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Biden will travel to New Orleans after terror attack
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President Biden will travel to New Orleans on Monday to visit with grieving families and officials investigating the New Year’s Day terror attack that killed 14 people. Officials say 42-year old Shamsud-Din Jabbar acted alone when he drove his truck onto Bourbon Street in the early hours of Jan. 1.
Jabbar, an Army veteran from Texas, had an ISIS flag and had posted on social media about his allegiance to the Islamic State. The FBI has deemed it an “act of terrorism.”
That attack unfolded only hours before Matthew Livelsberger, a Green Beret with five Bronze Stars, died inside a Tesla Cybertruck that was packed with gas cannisters and fireworks in front of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Authorities say Livelsberger was heavily armed and died of a self-inflected gunshot wound to the head before the explosion.
The acts of violence by current and former members of the Army has drawn attention to the potential for extremism within the military.
“We need to really dig down into insider threat in our military,” President-elect Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan said on Fox News.
The attacks have also raised concerns about Islamic extremism and the potential for further political violence after a 2024 campaign in which two gunmen sought to assassinate Trump.
“We're in the midst of an evolving, heightened threat picture right now,” former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said on Fox News. “With the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, with the attack two days ago, I'm sure ISIS feels emboldened right now. And we have several major security events coming up.”
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💡Perspectives:
• The Guardian: A familiar horror marks an anxious new year.
• The Hill: The latest attacks on America follow a familiar playbook.
• USA Today: Trump's response to New Orleans was a self-serving lie.
• New York Post: We let Islamic terrorism rise again.
• The Hill: Time runs out on Biden’s aid to Ukraine and on Putin’s nuclear threats. |
Here's who's talking on Sunday...
NewsNation's "The Hill Sunday”: Mychael Schnell, Molly Ball, Michael Warren and Jasmine Wright.
CNN's "State of the Union”: Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.).
NBC's "Meet the Press": Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). FOX's "Fox News Sunday": Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.). |
© AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein |
Biden blocks Japanese firm from buying US Steel
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President Biden announced Friday he would block the sale of U.S. Steel to the Japanese firm Nippon Steel, saying the transaction would “create risk for our national security and our critical supply chains.”
Nippon Steel has signaled it will take legal action to force the deal through. The Japanese-owned company first announced its intention to acquire U.S. Steel in December 2023 for $15 billion. Lawmakers and steelworkers revolted, warning the acquisition would lead to the outsourcing of jobs and supply chain disruption. U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt has warned if the deal falls through, the company will have to close plants in Pennsylvania and Indiana and potentially move its headquarters out of Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said Friday the matter is “far from over,” and a “long-term solution” is needed to ensure the stability of the steel industry in the commonwealth. President-elect Trump has also vowed to block the transaction. Trump spent part of the day railing against Biden on his social media platform TruthSocial:
• Trump blasted Biden for awarding former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) the Presidential Citizens Medal, saying he gave them “fake medals.” Cheney and Thompson led the special House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
• Trump accused Democrats of being “giddy” that flags will be at half-staff during his inauguration later this month. Flags are flying lower to honor former President Carter following his death.
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💡Perspectives:
• CNN: No love lost between Trump and Biden as inauguration looms.
• Los Angeles Times: Trump's plan to deport millions will fall short of his promises. • The Hill: Trump has made a lot of Day One promises. Which will he keep? |
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