Rep. Mike Johnson pulled off a feat few believed to be true on Wednesday by becoming speaker of the 56th House — with the full support of his GOP colleagues.
Virtually unknown outside the Beltway, Johnson (R-La.), 51, was first elected to Congress in 2016 after less than two years in the Pelican State legislature.
Even some prominent Republican senators don’t seem to know much about it, with Susan Collins of Maine told reporters Wednesday morning that he plans to use Google’s new speaker.
But among House Republicans, Johnson is not an unknown quantity.
Before his rapid rise as speaker, he served as Vice Chairman of the House Republican Conference, making him the No. 1 ranked GOPer. 5 in the lower house.
Before that, Johnson chaired the Republican Study Committee between 2019 and 2021.
Mike Johnson is the fourth Republican to win the party’s nod to be speaker this month. AFP via Getty Images
Who is Mike Johnson?
After receiving his bachelor’s and law degrees from Louisiana State University, Shreveport native Johnson made a splash in the legal arena in the early 2000s.
He worked as a partner at the prominent North Louisiana Kitchen Law Firm and served as a spokesperson for the pro-religious liberty Alliance Defense Fund, now known as the Alliance to Defend Freedom.
At one point, in 2004, Johnson publicly supported an amendment to ban gay marriage in the Louisiana Constitution.
In 2015, he ran unopposed for a vacant seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives. The following year, Johnson sought and won Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District seat, which had been held by GOP Representative John Fleming before he gave it up to pursue an unsuccessful Senate run.
Johnson has been compared to former Vice President Mike Pence for his staunch Christian faith and cold public demeanor.
While in Congress, Johnson has championed anti-abortion legislation, including a ban on the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy; proposed legislation restricting federal funds from sex education courses for children under 10 that discuss LGBTQ issues; and opposed a bill to codify same-sex marriage nationally.
Johnson is married to Kelly Lary and has four children.
The Louisiana congressman now replaces Kevin McCarthy as the gleeful House GOP majority leader. AFP via Getty Images
Is Mike Johnson an election denier?
The main gripe for many Democrats is Johnson’s role in the effort to overturn the 2020 election results.
On January 6, 2021, 139 House Republicans voted against accepting Joe Biden’s victory, raising concerns among Democrats that efforts to confirm the 2024 election could gain ground under a GOP-controlled House.
Johnson was one of the members who objected, but he also went further. In December 2020, he helped gather signatures in support of a legal brief supporting a lawsuit from Texas to challenge the ruling.
In a radio interview at the time, the Louisiana congressman suggest that the election has been “rigged.”
“You know the allegations about these voting machines, some of them being rigged with this software by Dominion, there’s a lot of merit to that,” he said.
Johnson was pressed by an ABC reporter Tuesday afternoon about his 2020 election machinations. House Republicans flanking him laughed and scoffed at the question. He complained.
Democrats have worked overtime to release an opposition investigation into Mike Johnson who has very little name recognition outside the belt.Getty Images
Biden played down concerns about Johnson undermining the 2024 election when asked on Wednesday.
“Just like I’m not worried that the last man is going to do it,” he told reporters Wednesday. “They are [had] about 60 lawsuits that went to the Supreme Court and each time they lost. I understand the Constitution.”
Where does Mike Johnson stand on Ukraine aid?
The prospect of sending additional resources to Ukraine under Speaker Johnson appears dim.
Johnson was initially one supporters of aid to war-torn countries when the Russian invasion began in early 2022, but has since grown cautious about further aid.
He has voted against various proposed packages, including a $39.8 billion measure last May and one last month.
The new speaker has also called for stronger oversight of aid to Ukraine.
“American taxpayers sent over $100 billion in aid to Ukraine last year,” he wrote to X back in February. “They deserve to know whether the Ukrainian government is being open and transparent about the use of this large amount of taxpayer resources.”
Biden launched a $106 billion aid request last week, featuring $61.4 billion for Ukraine as well as support for Israel, border security and the Indo-Pacific.
Johnson is a staunch supporter of Israel.
Mike Johnson needs to negotiate with the Biden administration on the foreign aid package and the upcoming government shutdown fight. CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
What is Mike Johnson’s plan as speaker and government shutdown?
Now that Congress has lost 22 calendar days to its speaker’s paralysis, Johnson will quickly have to steer his conference through another government shutdown battle before Nov. 17.
Before the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the House successfully debated four of the 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the government.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Senate had not passed any appropriations bills, but was considering a “minibus” package of three.
Complicating the process is the fact that the Senate and House are not on the same page about top-line numbers, with the lower house wanting less discretionary spending.
Johnson laid out a quick itinerary for Republicans to try to complete the remaining bills before the Nov. 17 deadline.
He also expressed support for a continuing resolution until January 15 or April 15, 2024 to buy time and “make sure the Senate can’t logjam the House with the Christmas omnibus.”
Notably, McCarthy’s support of CR is widely seen as the catalyst for eight Republicans joining with 208 Democrats to oust him.
But since Johnson has inherited the current situation, hardliners seem more forgiving of him — at least for now.
During a speech on the floor of the House on Wednesday, Johnson also emphasized his desire to return to normal order and empower the rank and file of his party.
Grovel for hammer
Johnson is the fourth member of the House of Representatives to receive the party’s nomination for speaker following Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.)
Steve Scalise, Republican No. 2, quickly dropped out of consideration for speakership when it became clear he had no support. AP Jim Jordan led with three unsuccessful votes to become speaker but was ultimately dropped following a private GOP caucus vote that he lost. AP Tom Emmer drew criticism from GOP hardliners for supporting the same-sex marriage bill and refusing to contest the 2020 election. Image Getty
He appeared as one of nine members of the House of Representatives to campaign for speaker during Monday night’s candidate forum after Jordan’s exit.
Emmer won the party to become speaker from there, but withdrew on Tuesday, handing the baton to Johnson, who managed to unite both moderates and skeptical conservatives.
His victory marks the 19th time House Republicans have voted for House speaker this year alone, an unprecedented number in post-Civil War US history.
Johnson is largely untested in top-level leadership positions, with no top committee chairmanships under his belt.
By the end of his tenure there would be a threat of Republicans filing motions to vacate the seat and oust him like a small group of dissenters did to McCarthy.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
