Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) has been elected to serve as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, three weeks after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted due to Republican infighting. Johnson is considered a political ally of former US President Donald Trump and is considered part of the conservative wing of the Republican Party. 220 House members supported Johnson compared to 209 who supported the Democratic candidate, Hakeem Jeffries. 128 Republican House members voted in favor of Johnson last night (Tuesday), securing his election. McCarthy welcomed Johnson's selection to replace him, writing on X (formerly Twitter): "RepMikeJohnson is a friend, fighter, and principled conservative who can get the job done. He has my full support as Speaker. We’ll keep working together to put our country first and fulfill our Commitment to America.” Related articles: Mike Johnson re-elected as House Speaker Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announces retirement Trump endorses Rep. Jim Jordan for House Speaker 'I would accept House speakership for a short period' Johnson also received the support of House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-Pa.), ensuring that he would have brought support within the Republican party. The lack of a Speaker has prevented the House from passing legislation supporting Israel following the Hamas massacre of October 7. In his remarks after his election, Johnson said that "the closest ally of the United States in the Middle East is under attack" and that his first act as Speaker will be to pass a resolution affirming Israel's right to self-defense. After Johnson's selection as Speaker, the House passed a resolution titled “Standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists.” The resolution passed by a majority of 412 to 10. Nine of the ten “no” votes were by Democrats: Reps. Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, Andre Carson, Al Green, Summer Lee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Delia Ramirez and Rashida Tlaib. The lone Republican no vote was from Rep. Thomas Massie. The resolution states that the House of Representatives “stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists, reaffirms Israel’s right to self-defense, and condemns Hamas’ brutal war against Israel.”
