House Republicans are predicted to rally behind Speaker Mike Johnson in the leadership elections scheduled for Wednesday. These elections will take place in the wake of the Republicans taking majority control of the lower chamber for another two years.
Both Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both hailing from Louisiana, are anticipated to retain their roles in the upcoming Congress, set to commence in January. They have both highlighted their key priorities in letters sent to their Republican peers last week, which include border security, extending tax cuts introduced during Trump’s presidency, controlling government expenditure, and trimming regulations.
On Wednesday, several House members revealed that Johnson had the backing of President-elect Donald Trump. Trump attended their candidate forum earlier in the day, along with Elon Musk, who Trump has chosen to spearhead the new “Department of Government Efficiency.”
Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, speaking after their conference meeting, stated that the Speaker had worked harder than anyone else to secure the majority. This sentiment was echoed by Representative Austin Scott of Georgia and Representative Mike Lawler of New York, who both believe Johnson deserves another term as Speaker.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota is also looking to hold onto his current position. The race for the House Republican Conference chair is set to be competitive, following Representative Elise Stefanik of New York being selected for a role in Donald Trump’s Cabinet as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Representatives Kat Cammack of Florida and Lisa McClain of Michigan announced on Monday that they would be running for the position of conference chair. The race for policy committee chairman is also expected to be a tight contest between Representative Kevin Hern of Oklahoma and Representative Gary Palmer of Alabama, who currently holds the role.
Despite the internal discord that has characterized the GOP majority in the present Congress, Republicans managed to regain control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections. However, their slim majority has made it challenging for them to govern due to early retirements and the expulsion of GOP Rep. George Santos.
Despite these challenges, CBS News expects Republicans to secure a minimum of 218 seats in the next Congress. Even with a slim majority, Johnson will have to navigate a difficult political landscape, relying on Democratic votes to pass legislation.
Trump’s personnel choices for his second term could also impact the Republican majority. He has chosen two House Republicans to serve in his administration, which will further tighten the GOP majority until these seats are filled in a special election.
This report was contributed by Jaala Brown and authored by Caitlin Yilek, a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C.