House to vote for speaker as new Congress convenes

Johnson may not have the votes needed to retain the gavel even with Trump’s endorsement. CBS News’ Taurean Small and Libby Cathey report:

Johnson told reporters that House Republicans “don’t have time for drama” as the party prepares to move on its lengthy list of legislative priorities. He urged his conference to make suggestions to address their frustration with his leadership — though he pledged not to do anything “in exchange for a vote.”

“My simple message to my colleagues is, make suggestions about process improvements,” Johnson said. “We’re open to that at all times, but I don’t make deals with anyone.”

The speaker said the conference needs to unify around Trump’s agenda, arguing that  “this election is not just about one person. It’s about moving forward with the America first agenda.”

Officials at the Capitol have beefed up security as the new Congress prepares to meet on Friday, the first of several high-profile events on Capitol Hill in the coming weeks. Congress will meet on Monday, Jan. 6, to count the Electoral College votes and finalize Trump’s victory. Former President Jimmy Carter will also lie in state at the Capitol next week, and the inauguration is set for later this month. 

Temporary fences were erected on the perimeter of the Capitol in recent days, and law enforcement agencies including the Capitol Police and Secret Service are coordinating on security. The Department of Homeland Security designated the Jan. 6 counting of electoral votes a “national special security event” following the attack on the Capitol in 2021, providing for a greater level of coordination among federal agencies.

At the Capitol, Johnson was asked about the possibility of Rep. Chip Roy becoming chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, as some of Johnson’s detractors have suggested. 

“I’m not making deals with anybody,” Johnson replied.

Trump offered well wishes to Johnson on Truth Social before the House convenes to appoint a new speaker. The president-elect endorsed the Louisiana Republican’s bid to keep the gavel Monday.

“Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support,” Trump wrote. Johnson is expected to have the votes of most House Republicans, but no Democrats are expected to back his bid.

He added, “A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!! – A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!” he wrote. 

The House speaker is elected by the whole chamber, not just the party in control.

Republicans won 220 seats in November, but Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who was tapped to lead Trump’s Justice Department and then later withdrew, has said he will not take his seat, giving Republicans a 219 to 215 edge. 

Johnson will need 218 votes to win the speakership if all 434 remaining members are present and voting. That means that without any Democratic defections, Johnson can only afford to lose a single vote. 

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said he will vote for someone other than Johnson, citing the speaker’s handling of the government funding battle. Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican, said he’s undecided on his vote and doubted that Johnson has enough support.

But absences or members who vote “present” could tip the math in Johnson’s favor by lowering the threshold he needs to win. And no viable alternative has emerged who could feasibly win the support of the Republican conference, leaving Johnson’s detractors without a backup candidate. Johnson also enjoys the support of President-elect Donald Trump, who of course holds enormous sway over the party.

Johnson met Thursday with members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus as his bid for the speakership hangs in the balance. 

He emerged from the meeting appearing confident that he’ll retain the gavel and said his conversations with conservatives are “going well.” He also predicted the vote would go “smoothly.” 

Several conservatives were seen entering Johnson’s office at the Capitol, including Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, who has questioned Johnson’s leadership. Others in attendance, including Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Victoria Spartz of Indiana, have said they are undecided.

Read more here.

With their newfound control of both chambers of Congress, Republican leaders are touting a list of priorities that they aim to quickly address, notably on immigration and taxes.

How exactly Republicans will proceed remains to be seen. Earlier this week, House Speaker Mike Johnson outlined plans to move the GOP agenda through the budget reconciliation process, which allows them to forgo a 60-vote threshold typically required for legislation in the Senate. But reconciliation is a complicated maneuver that comes with its own limitations on what can be included in a final bill.

Johnson, who faces his own dicey speaker’s election on Friday, said a reconciliation package will be “the key of the first 100 days,” but he noted that it will require “a lot of coordination, planning and executing those plans with precision.” 

“We are going to fix the border,” Johnson said on Fox News on Monday. “We are going to get the economy humming again. We are going to restore our stature on the world stage, get our energy policy fixed, make sure that we don’t have the largest tax cut in U.S. history imposed upon the American people at the end of next year when the tax cuts from the Trump era expire.” 

Congressional Republicans have touted their alignment on the issues, saying that they have a mandate from the American people to deliver on Trump’s “America First” agenda. Still, a unified vision of how to move forward with the priorities has appeared cloudy as the new Congress begins. 

“We have a lot on our plate,” Johnson said. “But I’m confident we’re going to be able to get it done.”

Read more about where Republicans plan to start here.

Johnson won the gavel in October 2023 after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, was ousted after nine months. It was the first time in history that the House voted to remove the speaker. 

McCarthy became speaker in January 2023 after a marathon 15 rounds of voting that delayed the swearing-in of House members by several days. To win, McCarthy ultimately gave in to conservative demands, including allowing a single member to trigger a no-confidence vote to oust the speaker. 

The decision came back to bite McCarthy after he struck a deal with Democrats to avert a government shutdown. Gaetz introduced the motion to remove McCarthy, and along with seven other far-right Republicans and all Democrats, ended his speakership. 

It took Republicans three weeks to coalesce behind a candidate. After three high-profile members were unable to overcome opposition from within the party, Johnson emerged with unanimous support among Republicans and won on the fourth ballot.

Conservatives have repeatedly threatened Johnson with a similar fate after he has relied on Democratic votes to pass legislation, including spending bills to keep the government operating and foreign aid. Democrats saved Johnson last May from a far-right effort to remove him from his post. 

The far-right’s antics have angered their colleagues, leading to an agreement to raise the threshold to force a vote on ousting a speaker to nine members of the majority in the new Congress.