Democratic victories and President-elect Donald Trump scooping House Republicans for Cabinet spots have whittled the GOP’s majority to the bone, but Speaker Mike Johnson said the GOP has grown used to working with thin margins.
Democrat Adam Gray’s victory, confirmed Tuesday, in California’s 13th Congressional District set the GOP’s majority at 220 seats to the Democrats’ 215. That number will further shrink in January, thanks to three former and current lawmakers departing the House for the Trump administration.
Republicans will have to contend with a 217 to 215 majority, which gives Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, no wiggle room during Mr. Trump’s first 100 days.
But he contended that the GOP developed an “expertise” in navigating paper-thin majorities during the current session of Congress.
“So yes, do the math, we have nothing to spare,” Mr. Johnson said Wednesday. “But all of our members know that. We talked about that today, as we do constantly, because this is a team effort, that we’ve got to all row in the same direction.”
Republicans have grand ambitions on implementing a Trump agenda that focuses on border, energy and defense legislation during his first 100 days in office and have touted their unity now that they’re armed with a trifecta in Washington.
Mr. Johnson said he met with Senate Republicans on Tuesday to get on the same page and vowed that there would be “great … bicameral cooperation between the two bodies.”
One of the first major post-election hurdles is the upcoming deadline to fund the government. Lawmakers punted on funding the government earlier this year until Dec. 20 and are embroiled in negotiations to hammer out another deal to extend government funding into early next year.
The speaker met with the House Freedom Caucus Tuesday night to discuss concerns among the hardliners, who usually don’t like using short-term spending patches.
One of the main sticking points is whether to include President Biden’s request for additional disaster aid into a government funding package.
Mr. Johnson said the House was still working through the nearly $100 billion request to ensure that the money would go directly to aid those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton and not go to “superfluous items and issues” that would add to the debt.
“That’s the discussion going on right now. I don’t know what the final package looks like, but we have to make those decisions here pretty quick,” he said.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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