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Mike Johnson is facing a challenging situation as the Republican speaker of the House, as he has managed to maintain control but with the smallest majority in history. This means that he will need to lead with a smaller margin at a time when President-elect Donald J. Trump will require his support to push through important agenda items.
Written by Catie Edmondson
Reporting live from the Capitol
The margin of victory for Speaker Mike Johnson has decreased even further, making his majority even more precarious.
The final House race was determined on Tuesday evening when Representative John Duarte, a new Republican member from California, admitted defeat to Democrat Adam Gray. 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.
The Republicans will have a slim majority of 217-215 in the House, which is the smallest controlling margin in history. If all Democrats are present and in agreement against a proposal, Mr. Johnson cannot afford any Republicans to defect on the House floor until vacancies are filled. Even after the vacancies are filled, no more than three Republicans can go against the party without causing a bill to fail.
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 used to.
He mentioned that there are no extra resources available. However, all members are aware of this. They discussed this today, as they always do, emphasizing the importance of working together as a team towards the same goal.
He did not talk about how he achieved success in dealing with a small majority by working with Democrats to pass important laws that his own party didn’t back. This strategy may not work in the future with Donald J. Trump as president in the next Congress.
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