House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has been re-elected to lead the GOP conference following a closed-door vote on Wednesday. This decision came after President-elect Donald Trump expressed his full support for Johnson during a meeting with House Republicans earlier in the day.
Despite this show of support, some hard-line GOP members are still hesitant to back Johnson due to concerns over his approach to government spending and foreign aid in the current Congress.
Johnson's political journey has been remarkable, considering he was a relatively unknown figure when he succeeded former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., after McCarthy was removed from his position by House Democrats and some fellow Republicans.
During his tenure, Johnson has faced challenges similar to those encountered by McCarthy, especially in managing a slim House majority where dissenting GOP members have attempted to push for more conservative policies.
Although Johnson did not face any significant challengers in the recent vote, the real test awaits in January when he will need to secure a majority of the entire House chamber to be re-elected as speaker.
McCarthy's experience serves as a cautionary tale, having endured 15 rounds of House votes and making concessions to secure support from a small group of holdouts.
With Johnson expected to maintain a narrow majority, any opposition could potentially disrupt the functioning of the House, particularly under a new Trump administration.
Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., have retained their positions without facing any challengers and are poised to continue in their roles.
