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Mike Johnson is facing a new challenge with the smallest House majority in history. The Republican speaker has maintained control of the House, but will now have to lead with an even narrower margin. This comes at a crucial time when President-elect Donald J. Trump will rely on his support to push through important agenda items.
Written by Catie Edmondson
Covering news from the government
The margin of victory for Speaker Mike Johnson has decreased, making his majority even more narrow.
The final House race was officially decided on Tuesday night when Representative John Duarte, a new Republican, admitted defeat to Democrat Adam Gray. This victory secured a 220-215 majority for the Republicans, which is even closer than their current 220-213 majority.
The margins will decrease even more in January when 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, Republicans will have a slim majority of 217-215 in the House, which is one of the smallest margins in history. If all Democrats are present and vote against a bill, Mr. Johnson cannot afford to lose any votes from his party until new members are appointed. Even then, only three Republicans can vote against a bill without it failing.
On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson appeared unconcerned about the situation and assured reporters on Capitol Hill that they are experienced in working with a small majority and it is something they are accustomed to.
He further commented that there are no extra resources available. However, all members are aware of this. They discussed this today and regularly emphasize the importance of teamwork and cooperation towards a common goal.
He didn’t talk about how he achieved success in managing a small majority in the past year by working with Democrats to pass important legislation that his own party didn’t support. This strategy may not be possible for him in the upcoming Congress with Donald J. Trump as the President.
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