The 116th Congress is set to kick off on Friday, January 3, so long as Republicans can agree on a Speaker.
Current House Speaker Mike Johnson is seeking reelection. With a very slim majority in the House, and a promise from Democrats they'll vote against him, Johnson can only spare one defecting vote from the GOP.
As of today, that defection is Congressman Thomas Massie, with a handful of others still refusing to say whether they will support Johnson while refusing to offer alternatives.
Rep. SPARTZ tells @willcain she thinks "a lot of other people are interested" in being Speaker.
— Ryan Schmelz (@RyanSchmelzFOX) December 30, 2024
Spartz is not committed to supporting Speaker Johnson and alleges he's "not willing to have the deliberation" with members who have issues.
Johnson can only afford to lose one more… pic.twitter.com/mnXf9RTMf4
If the House can't find a Speaker, the 2024 election results don't get certified and President-elect Trump can't take office.
On Monday, Trump officially endorsed Johnson for Speaker. On Tuesday, he's doubling down and warning Republicans to get it together.
"We just won a Historic Landslide and Mandate from the American People, but Senate Democrats are organizing to improperly stall and delay the confirmation process of many of our Great Nominees. They will try all sorts of tricks starting very soon. Republicans must not allow them to do that. We have a Country to run, and many big problems to solve, mostly created by Democrats. REPUBLICANS, BE SMART AND TOUGH!!!" Trump posted on X.
If Johnson loses more than Massie, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley could become the acting president. Find out why, here:
Are You Ready for Acting President Chuck Grassley?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 30, 2024
https://t.co/iPX6qTaork