House GOP speaker nominee Mike Johnson of Louisiana may pull off his bid for the speaker’s gavel as his party’s support coalesces around him.
Cohesion has been a driving concern among the House GOP as they search for a new speaker after the ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Johnson scored his party’s nomination late Tuesday, with several members absent and three voting present.
HOUSE TO CONVENE TO HOLD SPEAKER VOTE AFTER REPUBLICANS PICK JOHNSON
In just the hours from Tuesday, though, Johnson has shored up support from the three Republicans who voted present in Tuesday’s late nomination vote — Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and French Hill of Arkansas.
Additionally, Wisconsin GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden is still overseas in Israel on a fact-finding mission, meaning Johnson’s margin of loss is smaller.
Johnson also got support from former President Trump, who gave his support for the GOP nominee, urging Republicans to “get it done, fast” ahead of a potential House speaker vote Wednesday.
“He’s respected by all and that’s what we need. It looks like it’s going to happen,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday morning. “I put out a truth today on him, and last night, you saw that. He’s spectacular and maybe for many years to come, he’ll be very good. So, we’re very happy about that.”
He later said that Johnson is “popular, smart, sharp. He’s going to be fantastic.”
The Louisiana Republican is the fourth candidate the House GOP has put up to take the gavel after McCarthy was removed from the position.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., held the nomination for only hours on Tuesday before dropping from the race. Johnson was elected as the nominee later that day.
Johnson issued a letter to his colleagues laying out his plan to fund the government if elected.
He said he would support a stop gap bill past Nov. 17 that expires on either Jan. 15 or April 15, based on the consensus of a member working group that will look at the need for a continuing resolution.
The letter also laid out Johnson’s ambitious plan to pass the remaining appropriations bill by the week of Nov. 13.
It would see appropriations bills considered for FY25 in May and June, no break for district work period in August unless all appropriations bills have passed the House, and negotiations wrapped up by the National Defense Authorization Act by September.
As he ticks off the items for the year ahead, the Oct-Dec section includes a pledge to “EXPAND OUR MAJORITY.”
Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Lawrence Richard contributed reporting.
