Republican Speaker Mike Johnson faces a shrinking majority that could pose serious legislative challenges for the GOP as President-elect Donald Trump considers appointing more House Republicans to key cabinet positions.
Trump's recent picks, Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for U.N. Ambassador and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) for National Security Adviser, mean two fewer 'MAGA' votes in the House. According to The Hill, replacing Stefanik and Waltz will take time, as special elections must be held to fill their seats—a process that could take months. Their appointments to Trump's cabinet first require U.S. Senate approval, which is likely given the Republican majority.
For Johnson, whose job is to keep enough Republicans united in the House to pass laws and push the GOP's agenda forward, Trump's picks could leave him with fewer votes to rely on, making it even harder to pass key conservative legislation. Decision Desk HQ has projected 219 GOP victories and 210 Democratic victories, with six races still to be called, making each seat decisive.
While the Speaker has claimed him and Trump are on the same page, Politico revealed a number of other House Republicans are still being considered for Cabinet positions, including Reps Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), Sam Graves (R-Mo.), and Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.).
"President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it's just a numbers game," Johnson told The Hill. "We believe we're going to have a larger majority than we had last time — it's too early to handicap it, but we're optimistic about that. But every single vote will count, because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane, then it affects the votes on the floor. So I think he and the administration are well in-tune to that."
In an interview with Newsweek, Political analyst Craig Agranoff explained that Johnson's main struggle will be keeping the Republican caucus unified. In the past he has struggled on key issues like debt ceiling negotiations and government funding, as far-right and moderate GOP factions frequently clash. This internal division, which previously led to legislative gridlock, is expected to intensify if Trump keeps pulling his loyalists out of the House and into his cabinet. Agranoff noted that Johnson will have to "work even harder to maintain cohesion within the Republican caucus" and could face "increased pressure to satisfy both moderate and far-right factions within the part."
Despite Johnson's voiced concerns, he has shown unconditional support to Trump, saying it will be his choice whether or not to pull more Republicans out of the House. The Speaker recently congratulated Stefanik for her appointment via his X account, "Elise is a fierce defender of America and the America First agenda. We will miss her in Congress, but she will represent us well at the UN," Johnson wrote.
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