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Mike Johnson is facing a new challenge as he has the smallest majority in the history of the House of Representatives. Although the Republican speaker still has control of the House, the majority is even smaller now. This comes at a crucial time when President-elect Donald J. Trump will rely on his assistance 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 narrower.
The last House race was decided on Tuesday evening when Representative John Duarte of California, a first-term Republican, accepted defeat to Democrat Adam Gray. This solidified a 220-215 majority for Republicans, which is even narrower than their current 220-213 advantage.
The margins will decrease more in January when Representatives Elise Stefanik from New York and Mike Waltz from Florida step down 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 one of the narrowest margins in history. If all Democrats are present and united against a measure, Mr. Johnson cannot afford any Republicans to vote against it until vacancies are filled. Even after the vacancies are filled, only three Republicans can vote against a bill without it failing to pass.
On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson appeared unfazed when addressing reporters on Capitol Hill about the possibility of working with a small majority. He expressed confidence in their ability to navigate this situation, stating that it is something they are accustomed to.
He mentioned that there is no extra resources available. However, all members are aware of this. They discussed this during their meeting today and emphasize the importance of working together as a team towards a common goal.
He didn’t say that his success in leading a small majority in the past year was largely due to working with Democrats to pass important laws that his own party didn’t support. However, this strategy may not work as well in the next Congress with Donald J. Trump as President.
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