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Mike Johnson is facing a new challenge as he holds the smallest majority in the history of the House of Representatives. Despite remaining in control as the Republican speaker, he will now lead a significantly smaller majority during a time when President-elect Donald J. Trump will rely on his support to push through key agenda items.
Written by Catie Edmondson
Reporting from the seat of government
The margin of victory for Speaker Mike Johnson has decreased even further.
The last House race was decided on Tuesday night when Representative John Duarte, a new Republican, accepted defeat to Democrat Adam Gray. This solidified a 220-215 majority for Republicans, which was even smaller than their current 220-213 margin.
In January, the margins will decrease even more as Representatives Elise Stefanik of New York and Mike Waltz of Florida step down to work in the Trump administration. Additionally, former Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida has announced that he will not be coming back.
After the special election, Republicans will only have a 2-vote majority in the House, which is one of the smallest margins in history. If all Democrats vote together against a bill, Mr. Johnson cannot afford to have any Republicans vote against it until the vacant seats are filled. Even after the seats are filled, only three Republicans can vote against a bill without it failing to pass.
On Wednesday, Mr. Johnson seemed unbothered by the idea and assured reporters at Capitol Hill that they are experienced in working with a small majority and it is something they are used to.
He mentioned that they don’t have any extra resources to spare, but all of their team members are aware of this. They discussed this today and regularly emphasize the importance of working together towards a common goal.
He achieved success in managing a small majority by working with Democrats to pass important bills that his own party opposed. However, this strategy may not be possible in the future with President-elect Donald J. Trump leading the government.
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