House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Newsmax on Thursday night he is confident that when the 119th Congress convenes at noon Friday, he will have enough Republican votes to retain his leadership role.
House Republicans will hold a 219-215 majority when the next Congress convenes, meaning Johnson can afford to lose only one vote and remain speaker, presuming every member is present and voting for a candidate. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has said he will not vote for Johnson, so the speaker can't afford to have any more defections.
"We're ready," Johnson told "Finnerty." "Look, I think we're going to get this done. Everybody here in the House Republican Conference understands the necessity of the moment, the urgency of the hour. They know we don't have time for games and palace intrigue. We've got a lot of very important work to do. We have to deliver on the America First agenda.
"We got a mandate in the election. President [-elect Donald] Trump got 77 million votes and House Republicans almost 75 million. That was a record for us. And that's a message that we've got to stick together. And if we stay unified, no matter how small our margin — and it will be probably the smallest in U.S. history for a short period — we've got to get this done, and I think we will."
Johnson said if he had a message to Republicans on the fence about him returning as speaker, it would be "it's time to get things done," especially now that the GOP holds both chambers in Congress and the White House.
"The good news is that we're shifting into a totally new paradigm," Johnson said. "Everybody is frustrated, as am I, of what we had to do for the last two years. We only had control, very narrow control of one-half of one-third of the federal government. Remembering that liberal progressive Democrats were in charge of the White House and the Senate, so we didn't get everything we wanted, or thought was necessary. But that's what happens in divided government.
"Now, however, we're starting the new year with a new majority, unified government. We have the White House, the Senate, and the House. And so it's on us. We're in a lawmaking phase now. We've got to stick together and advance this agenda. So I think we will. Everybody understands the necessity of that and the promise of what really can be the new golden age in America."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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