© Portal/ELIZABETH FRANTZ
Trump’s explicit support may have been the decisive factor. The parliamentary chamber is theoretically functional again.
After weeks of internal party power struggles, the Republican Party Mike Johnson the new leader of the US House of Representatives. The 51-year-old was elected to the powerful position on Wednesday, it was officially announced following a vote in the parliamentary chamber. The hardliner and supporter of former President Donald Trump is now number three in the state rankings, after the US president and his vice president.
With Johnson’s election, the US Congress returns to work after more than three weeks of impasse. However, it remains to be seen whether the chaos in Parliament surrounding the Republican split has really come to an end. Because Johnson is already facing his first big test.
The previous speaker of the parliamentary chamber, Kevin McCarthy, was voted out of the powerful post in a historic vote in early October. Johnson was the fourth Republican nominee for president after McCarthy was eliminated. Three candidates previously nominated by the Republicans withdrew due to lack of support within their own ranks – two of them before there was even a vote in the plenary session. Republican Jim Jordan, on the other hand, suffered three unsuccessful runs in the House before his group removed him from the race.
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Fragmentation of the Republican Party
The complete chaos dramatically demonstrated the fragmentation of the Republican Party, which for weeks was unable to agree on a new leader in the internal power play. This brought the accusation to Republicans that they were completely dysfunctional and incapable of doing political work. Members of the Republican caucus have also expressed growing frustration and anger in recent days.
The Republican faction finally chose Johnson as their candidate behind closed doors on Tuesday night. He achieved the necessary majority in the plenary session on the first attempt.
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Republicans have a slim majority
US Republicans have only a slim majority in the House of Representatives. That’s why Republican dissidents have a powerful grip on their hands when it comes to voting. Because a Republican candidate could not count on the votes of US President Joe Biden’s Democrats. Republicans currently have 221 representatives in the House of Representatives, Democrats 212. Not all members of the House of Representatives were present at Wednesday’s vote. Johnson needed 215 votes to obtain an absolute majority and ended up receiving 220.
Johnson belongs to the religious right of his group. The Louisiana lawyer and former radio host is one of Trump’s loyal supporters. At the time, he refused to acknowledge Trump’s defeat to Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Johnson is anti-abortion, opposes same-sex marriage and has opposed US aid to Ukraine in the past.
➤ Main position in the US Congress: Republican Jordan failed
Trump supports Johnson
Trump supported Johnson’s candidacy and praised his party colleague as intelligent and a great congressman who was accepted by everyone. Other Republicans on the party’s right wing also expressed joy at the nomination. Johnson said Wednesday night after his appointment that his group was now united. “You will see that this group will operate like a well-oiled machine,” he said after the party’s internal drama in recent weeks. “We owe it to the American people.”
Johnson now has to get straight to work because Congress has to approve a new budget by mid-November. Otherwise, there is a risk of a temporary shutdown of government business – a “shutdown”. Then a transitional budget expires. This does not contain any aid to Ukraine, which is attacked by Russia.
Last week, Biden asked Congress for an aid package worth more than 100 billion dollars (about 94.5 billion euros), which includes support for Ukraine and Israel. It is more than doubtful that Congress will approve the billions. A growing number of Republicans are increasingly criticizing aid to Kiev or even rejecting it outright.
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