Fourth Time Could Prove the Charm as House GOP Backs Conservative Pelican State Congressman for Speaker

The House Republican conference has chosen a little-known conservative Congressman from Louisiana as its new nominee for speaker, raising hopes among the fractious caucus that the top leadership post in the chamber could be filled on Wednesday afternoon following a 22-day vacancy. The nominee, Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana, appeared alongside his colleagues Tuesday night after three other speaker candidates fell by the wayside over the course of three weeks. House Republicans tell the Sun that his leadership style and conservative policy record make him an ideal candidate for the job. “We want to thank all the press for waiting, it’s been quite a process,” Mr. Johnson said with a grin late Tuesday night. “Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system. This conference — and you see — this Republican House majority is united,” he continued, followed by raucous cheers from his GOP colleagues. An elated Congressman Matt Gaetz exclaimed to the Sun as he emerged from the meeting that, “in the words of Speaker-designate Johnson: ‘it was all worth it.’” Mr. Gaetz instigated the 22-day vacancy by introducing a motion to vacate the former speaker, Congressman Kevin McCarthy. One of the seven members who voted with Mr. Gaetz to remove Mr. McCarthy, Congressman Tim Burchett, gave an emphatic “yes” when asked if his vote three weeks ago was worth the ensuing chaos. Mr. Johnson — who is little-known nationally because of his longtime status as an influential backbencher — could, if selected as speaker, become a household name in the coming days with the help of not only Republicans, but Democrats as well. The Pelican State congressman is probably best known for his role in aiding President Trump in his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Mr. Johnson was the former president’s point-person in helping to get fellow congressional Republicans on board with a lawsuit — Texas v. Pennsylvania — which sought to challenge the election results in several battleground states, including the Keystone State. That lawsuit was later rejected by the Supreme Court. When he was asked by ABC News’ Rachel Scott about that lawsuit on Tuesday night, many Republican members began to boo the questioner. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx twice yelled at Ms. Scott to “shut up.”Conservative and moderate members alike told the Sun that they anticipated Mr. Johnson would be elected speaker on Wednesday afternoon. Not a single member voted against Mr. Johnson during the closed-door roll call vote that took place after he was nominated by the conference. The Associated Press, though, reports “some two dozen Republicans did not vote,” which would be “more than enough to sink his nomination.” At least two members — Congressmen Thomas Massie and French Hill — voted present. “Mike Johnson is a humble servant and honestly inspires the best in us, and he was very interested in each of us serving to the best of our ability,” said Congressman Marc Molinaro, an Empire State member who represents a district won by President Biden in 2020. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, an avowed conservative and veteran lawmaker, said Mr. Johnson can be trusted to lead and deliver for not only the GOP, but for the American people. “I’m really happy right now,” he said. The Florida congressman added that Mr. Johnson “clearly wants to get to work immediately. He wants to get the conservative Republican agenda back on track.” Mr. Diaz-Balart helped end the speakership candidacy of a previous candidate, Congressman Jim Jordan. The most pressing issue for House Republicans is passing an aid package for Israel as the Jewish state’s war against Hamas rages on. Mr. Johnson made sure to highlight his support for such funding during his speech Tuesday night. The House must also pass a budget before the November 17 deadline. Mr. Johnson refused to comment on any spending bills at his press conference, saying Tuesday was a day for celebrating and Wednesday was a day to get back to work. Mr. Johnson’s record is more conservative than that of those speaker nominees who preceded him. He began his career as an attorney with the conservative — and highly influential — Alliance Defending Freedom organization, which is dedicated to curtailing abortion rights and banning same-sex marriage recognition by the government. Just last year, the group had revenue north of $100 million, as well as hundreds of staff members and more than one thousand volunteers. Following that work, he spent two years in the Louisiana state legislature before being elected to Congress in 2016. The conservative Heritage Foundation, which tracks members’ voting records and gives them a percentage score based on the nature of those records, currently ranks Mr. Johnson at 84 percent, compared to Messrs. McCarthy and Jordan, who score 78 percent and 82 percent, respectively. Before Mr. Johnson was selected as the speaker nominee, the House majority whip, Congressman Tom Emmer, was chosen, but bowed out of the race just four hours after his election due to opposition from conservative members. Hill Republicans said that Mr. Emmer’s candidacy was quickly scuttled because of conservative members’ distaste for House GOP leadership, Mr. Emmer’s support for same-sex marriage, his vote to certify Mr. Biden’s 2020 victory, or some combination of those issues.

Fourth Time Could Prove the Charm as House GOP Backs Conservative Pelican State Congressman for Speaker

Fourth Time Could Prove the Charm as House GOP Backs Conservative Pelican State Congressman for Speaker

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