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Mike Johnson is facing a new challenge as the Republican speaker of the House with the smallest majority in history. Despite maintaining control of the House, he will have to lead with a smaller majority during President-elect Donald J. Trump’s term, requiring his support to pass important agenda items.
Written by Catie Edmondson
Reporting live from the legislative center
The margin of victory for Speaker Mike Johnson has decreased, making his majority even more narrow.
The last House race was officially decided on Tuesday evening when Representative John Duarte of California, a new member of the Republican party, accepted defeat to Adam Gray, a Democrat. This solidified a 220-215 advantage for Republicans, a majority that is even narrower than their current margin of 220-213.
The margins will decrease more in January when Representatives Elise Stefanik of New York and Mike Waltz of Florida step down to work in the Trump administration. Former Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida has also 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 smallest margins in history. If all Democrats oppose a measure, Mr. Johnson cannot afford any defections until the vacancies are filled. Even after that, only three Republicans can go against party lines without causing a bill to fail.
On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson seemed 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 stated that there is no extra resources available, which all members are aware of. The team discussed this idea today and regularly, emphasizing the importance of working together towards a common goal.
He did not talk about the fact that a lot of his ability to lead with a small majority in the past year came from working with Democrats to pass important laws that his own party did not back. This strategy may not be possible in the future with President-elect Donald J. Trump as the next president.
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