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Mike Johnson is facing a new challenge as he now has the smallest majority in history in the House. Despite remaining the Republican speaker, he will be leading an even smaller majority as President-elect Donald J. Trump will rely on his support to pass important agenda items.
Written by Catie Edmondson
Live updates from the Capitol
The margin of Speaker Mike Johnson’s victory has decreased.
The last House race was decided on Tuesday night when Representative John Duarte of California, a new Republican member, accepted defeat to Adam Gray, a Democrat. This solidified a 220-215 majority for the Republicans, which is even narrower than their current 220-213 majority.
In January, the margins will decrease even more as Representatives Elise Stefanik from New York and Mike Waltz from Florida leave their positions to work in the Trump administration. Additionally, former Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida has announced that he will not be coming back.
After the special election in New Mexico, the Republicans will have a slim majority of 217-215 in the House of Representatives, which is one of the smallest margins in history. If all Democrats are present and voting against a bill, Mr. Johnson will need every Republican to support it until the vacant seats are filled in the spring. Even after the vacancies are filled, only three Republicans can vote against a bill without it failing to pass.
On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson appeared calm and unaffected by the idea, reassuring reporters on Capitol Hill that his team is experienced in operating with a narrow majority and it is something they are accustomed to.
He mentioned that they don’t have any extra resources to give. However, all of their team members are aware of this. They discussed this today and regularly emphasize the importance of working together towards a common goal.
He succeeded in leading a slim majority by working with Democrats to pass crucial legislation that his own party did not back. However, this strategy may not be possible in the upcoming Congress with President-elect Donald J. Trump leading the White House.
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