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House Republicans celebrated a return to legislating Wednesday after electing Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to serve as speaker and ending weeks of bitter intraparty fighting over leadership that paralyzed the chamber.
Mr. Johnson, 51, was elevated as one of the least experienced lawmakers ever to serve as speaker. His ability to unite the fractious Republican Conference will be tested immediately, with critical government funding set to expire in a matter of weeks.
“The people’s house is back in business,” Mr. Johnson told lawmakers in his inaugural address, delivered from the speaker’s rostrum. “We will do our duty here. We will serve you well. We will govern well, and we will make you proud of this institution.”
Now serving his third term in Congress, Mr. Johnson confidently pledged to unify the long-divided conference and work across the aisle while tackling some of the most difficult issues facing the nation, including lax border security, runaway federal spending and aid for overseas allies.
“The country demands strong leadership of this body, and we must not waver,” Mr. Johnson said.
Mr. Johnson has served for three years as vice chairman of the Republican Conference, the No. 5 leadership position.
He is now second in line to presidential succession and will oversee a 435-member House where he has served for only six years.
Like his Republican predecessor, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, he must govern with a razor-thin majority. Thanks to the extended leadership stalemate, he faces a fast-approaching deadline on legislation that deeply divides his conference: funding the federal government before a stopgap bill expires on Nov. 17.
He also will have to navigate the political divide over an emergency package to aid Israel and Ukraine. Most House Republicans support only the Israel funding.
Mr. Johnson’s election unlocked the House floor for legislative business for the first time since Oct. 3, when a small group of hard-line conservatives exploited an obscure House rule and removed Mr. McCarthy because he decided to pass the stopgap funding bill.
Three successive Republican nominees failed to win the gavel, but Mr. Johnson managed to secure the speakership in a single ballot on the House floor with unanimous Republican support.
Mr. Johnson was nominated for speaker by Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York. She praised Mr. Johnson’s service on the Judiciary Committee, where his expertise as a constitutional lawyer has made him a standout. He also served on the Armed Services Committee.
“And as vice chair of our conference, he has united all of our members to speak clearly and boldly on behalf of the American people,” Ms. Stefanik said. “A friend to all and an enemy to none. Mike is strong, tough and fair. And above all, Mike is kind.”
Soon after Mr. Johnson was sworn in, the House debated and passed a resolution in support of Israel, which is fighting to defeat the terrorist organization Hamas.
The measure easily won bipartisan support, but the path ahead on other legislation is far more difficult.
Mr. Johnson is pushing lawmakers to pass the remaining fiscal 2024 appropriations measures or support another stopgap spending bill that would expire in January or April. All spending legislation will require compromise with the Democratic-led Senate, which does not support the kinds of spending reductions that Mr. Johnson’s conservative base in the House demands.
Mr. Johnson said reducing federal spending is a priority.
“We have to bring relief to the American people by reining in federal spending and bringing down inflation,” he said.
Mr. Johnson called the nation’s $33.6 trillion debt “the greatest threat to our national security.”
Republicans gathered on the steps of the Capitol after Mr. Johnson’s swearing-in, a look of relief on all their faces that the seemingly endless fight over the speaker’s gavel was over.
On Tuesday, Republicans were mired in gridlock after rejecting their third choice for speaker, Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, only four hours after he was nominated. By Tuesday night, they had united around Mr. Johnson.
It happened so quickly that Mr. Johnson’s wife could not find a flight from Shreveport in time to see her husband become the 56th House speaker.
There also was not enough time for the usual ceremonies and celebrations for a new speaker, Mr. Johnson said.
“You’re going to see an aggressive schedule in the days and weeks ahead,” he said. “You’re going to see Congress working as hard as it’s ever worked, and we’re going to deliver for the American people.”
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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