Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was officially sworn in as House Speaker on Thursday after a tense and dramatic vote that almost didn’t go his way.
After taking the oath, Johnson received a standing ovation from most of the members of the House. He then swore in the rest of the members, officially starting the 119th Congress.
The vote to make Johnson Speaker wasn’t easy. At first, it looked like he might lose when three Republicans voted against him, leaving him short of the votes needed to win. Rep. Thomas Massie, Rep. Ralph Norman, and Rep. Keith Self all chose other candidates.
But with the vote still open for a while, Johnson worked behind the scenes to win over those holdout members. Eventually, Norman and Self changed their votes to support him, giving him the win with exactly 218 votes.
Even though Johnson secured the speakership, he faces a tough road ahead. The House has the slimmest GOP majority in nearly 100 years, which will make his job a challenge.
The vote was tight from the start. Johnson was one vote short after the initial roll call, with three Republicans defecting. He could only afford to lose one vote, so the situation was looking shaky.
But instead of calling the vote to a close, House leaders kept it open. That gave Johnson time to convince the remaining Republicans to back him. After some back-and-forth, both Rep. Norman and Rep. Self flipped their votes, securing Johnson’s victory.
Reports say that President Donald Trump also stepped in to help. He reached out to Rep. Ralph Norman and Rep. Keith Self, encouraging them to support Johnson. Trump had already endorsed Johnson earlier in the week and was willing to make calls if needed to help seal the deal.
Once Johnson was sworn in, he gave a short speech, calling it the “great honor of his life” to serve as Speaker. He also highlighted the historic moment, noting that the 119th Congress would mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
He reflected on the country’s history, saying the U.S. has always been a leader in freedom and progress. From settling the West to ending slavery, from building the transcontinental railroad to landing on the moon, Johnson emphasized the achievements that made America unique.
“It’s not by happenstance,” he said. “We are the ones who settled the West. We are the ones who ended slavery, who laid the transcontinental railroad, who gave women the right to vote, who won two world wars, who landed on the moon and who won the Cold War. Throughout our history, we have done what no one thought was possible. And still at 250 years old, our nation is actually a young nation.”
