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Mike Johnson is facing a new challenge as the Republican speaker of the House, as he now has the smallest majority in history. Despite maintaining control of the House, Johnson will have to oversee a significantly smaller majority during a time when President-elect Donald J. Trump will rely on his support to push forward key agenda items.
Written by Catie Edmondson
Reporting live from the seat of
The margin of Speaker Mike Johnson’s lead has decreased even further.
The final House race was decided on Tuesday evening when Representative John Duarte, a new Republican member, accepted defeat to Adam Gray, a Democrat. This solidified a Republican majority of 220-215 in the House, which is even more narrow than their current margin of 220-213.
In January, the margins will decrease even more 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 he will not be returning.
After the special election, the Republicans will have a slim majority of 217-215 in the House of Representatives, which is the smallest margin of control in history. If all Democrats are present and vote against a bill, Mr. Johnson cannot have any Republicans defect until the vacant seats are filled. Even after the seats are filled, only three Republicans can go against the party without causing a bill to fail.
On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson appeared calm when discussing the possibility, stating to reporters on Capitol Hill that they are experienced in managing a narrow majority and it is something they are accustomed to.
He stated that there is no extra resources available. However, all members are aware of this. They discussed the importance of teamwork and unity, emphasizing that everyone must work together towards a common goal.
He didn’t talk about how he achieved success in managing a small majority by working with Democrats to pass important laws that his own party didn’t support. This strategy may not be possible in the future when Donald J. Trump becomes president and the next Congress convenes.
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