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The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Fortunately, that's a mistake House Republicans avoided by selecting the Louisiana representative. Mike Johnson to be their president on Friday during the 119th Congress.
After two initial holdouts changed their votes, they even got the job done during the first ballot. In doing so, House Republicans avoided a repeat of the scene that occurred two years ago, when the former Speaker of the House took office. Kevin McCarthy Four days and 15 rounds of voting to win the gavel. He lost it less than a year later, through a parliamentary procedure known as an “eviction motion,” a concession he was forced to make to some of the same kind of rabble-rousers who had been blabbing about Johnson’s fate this year. week.
There are important lessons to be learned from the past, and they apply not only to today, but to the next two years of governance and beyond.
GOP insurgents shift vote to Johnson after Trump's 11th-hour calls, pushing him over the finish line
First, you can't replace someone with no one. Even as doubts grew about Johnson's fate and future, no serious alternative ever materialized. In fact, the top three Republicans who defected from Johnson during the first round of voting cast ballots for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota. Each of these three men has had their names under consideration as a speaker within the past two years. Every one failed.
There was no rationale or reason why their candidates would be more viable this time. A vote for both was a protest vote, not a serious alternative course of action.
Mike Johnson is re-elected Speaker of the House with the threat of GOP rebellion resolved
Second, unlike 2023, President-elect Donald Trump He contributed his support for Johnson in the run-up to the vote on Friday. It took three failed ballots before Trump got behind McCarthy. After Trump's endorsement of Johnson earlier in the week He reiterated his support Before voting on Friday.
Third, and most important, the Republican Party is on the verge of controlling all three branches of government. For Republicans to get serious about implementing their campaign promises, they need to perform effectively House of Representatives. The House of Representatives is vital to starting the lawmaking process so that bills can be signed that will last long after any one presidency. Ruling by executive order makes it easier for the incoming administration to quickly roll back initiatives, as the outgoing Biden administration will learn on January 20.
With the narrowest margin in nearly a century, passing the bills out of the House would already be a tight tightrope. Although Trump has not yet been sworn in, the clock is already ticking.
Once the president-elect takes office on January 20, it will be time for action, not posturing.
Once the president-elect takes office on January 20, it will be time for action, not posturing. Second terms are historically not kind to presidents, who are constitutionally barred from running again. The first year is crucial to creating sweeping change before the next election season begins again.
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After receiving more than 77 million votes last November, the next president deserves to have a president of his choice. As the president-elect reportedly said in a phone call with two initial holdouts, “It would be disrespectful to Americans who voted in a historic presidential election — for this speaker’s vote to go to a second or third ballot.” Trump ended the phone call saying: “Guys, we have a lot to do. Let's do it.”
The Republican Party is about to take over The white house Again, making the House more of an opposition body focused on stopping bad ideas. Now they can focus on passing on the good stuff.
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Pass bills that extend Trump tax cuts 2017Toughening the border and unleashing American energy dominance after four long years of Biden's extreme green agenda will require an effective House of Representatives. Finally, getting serious about out-of-control federal spending and restoring common sense can only be achieved under a unified Republican caucus.
It's still early days, and with a two-seat majority, Johnson's boss has a tough job ahead of him. Friday was not only a positive step in the right direction, but also the ability to learn from the past.
