Rep. Mike Johnson voted new House speaker

CNN By Mike Hayes, Kaanita Iyer, Elise Hammond and Shania Shelton, 26 October, 2023

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After three weeks without a speaker, the House voted Wednesday to elect Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana.

Johnson secured the gavel without losing any GOP votes. The final tally was 220 votes for Johnson and 209 for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Here are the key things to know:

Johnson is a Trump ally. The speaker was a key congressional figure in the failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election for former President Donald Trump. He sent an email from a personal account in 2020 to every House Republican soliciting signatures for an amicus brief in the long-shot Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate electoral college votes from multiple states.
He now faces pressing issues, including a potential shutdown. Government funding is set to expire on November 17, and the GOP-controlled House will need to work with the Democratic-led Senate to avert a shutdown. Lawmakers must also consider aid to Ukraine and Israel.
He's pushing for an "aggressive schedule." Johnson said following his victory that the House will move swiftly on several legislation, alluding to the GOP infighting that paralyzed the House. In the first vote under his speakership, House lawmakers passed a resolution in support of Israel with bipatisan votes.

House Approves Resolution Backing Israel in New Speaker’s First Move