The US House of Representatives has finally elected a new speaker, ending weeks of bitter infighting among congressional Republicans that has paralyzed Congress amid an international and domestic crisis.
Mike Johnson, a little-known ally of Donald Trump who has led a judicial effort to overturn the 2020 election, has won his party's unanimous support to lead the lower chamber of the United States Congress, which has been paralyzed since Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a coup October 3.
"I think all Americans were once proud of this institution, but right now it's in jeopardy." And we have a challenge in front of us right now to rebuild that trust,” Johnson said as he picked up the gavel. "That's the beauty of America that allows a firefighter's kid like me to come here and serve in this hallowed chamber where great men and women have served before us all."
Johnson would be the least experienced speaker since the Civil War, having never chaired a committee or held a senior leadership role.
He said his first measure would be to introduce a resolution supporting America's Middle Eastern ally The state of Isreal in its conflict with Hamas militants. “We all know the world is in turmoil, but a strong America is good for the whole world. We are the beacon of freedom," he told lawmakers.
Johnson's obscurity and lack of a stellar political halo appear to have helped the 51-year-old lawyer and religious rights activist, who did not have the same party enemies that caused other candidates to fail. Far from his party's first choice, he was able to capitalize on lawmakers' desperation to break the deadlock.
"I haven't heard one negative comment about him. Everybody likes him, he's respected by everybody," Trump said before the vote.
Johnson entered the House of Representatives in 2017 after sparking controversy with legislation seen as anti-gay in the state of Louisiana. The married father of four also voted against codifying federal protections for same-sex marriage last year. He was the leader of more than 100 Republicans who signed legal filings in support of a lawsuit to overturn the results of the 2020 election in four swing states won by President Joe Biden. A former conservative radio host, Johnson was backed by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who failed to push their bids for speaker of the chamber.
Johnson's failure would plunge Republicans deeper into internal conflict, with moderates looking to Democrats for support for a consensus candidate -- a "nuclear option" that would be fiercely opposed by hard-rights in both parties. /BGNES
