During the first vote, Johnson secured only 216 of the 218
votes needed, despite the Republican Party holding a majority in the House and
former President Donald Trump publicly endorsing his candidacy.
Initially, Johnson appeared to be losing, but members of the
House were allowed to change their votes. Following the first round, the House
moved directly to a second vote without a recess, during which Johnson worked
to persuade those who abstained, according to CNN.
Two Republicans who initially voted against Johnson changed
their stance in the second round, enabling him to secure 218 votes and retain
the Speaker’s position.
CNN noted that Johnson had faced criticism from several
Republicans for failing to include a provision to raise the debt ceiling in the
government funding bill. In November, the national debt exceeded $36 trillion
for the first time, intensifying the discontent.
On Jan. 3, CNN also reported that the Speaker’s race had the
potential to delay Congress from certifying Donald Trump’s presidential victory
on Jan. 6. This scenario posed a significant threat, as Congress had never
faced a situation requiring the certification of election results without a
Speaker in place. Republicans acknowledged uncertainty about the consequences
if a Speaker had not been elected by Jan. 6.
On Dec. 30, Trump publicly announced his support for Mike Johnson’s bid for Speaker of the House.