WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative-elect Ryan Mackenzie will take the oath of office Friday — assuming Republicans can get their House in order and rally enough support for a speaker.
The 119th Congress is scheduled to meet for the first time at noon when the U.S. House's first order of business will be to elect a new speaker. No other work can begin until a speaker is in place.
Usually, this is fait accompli as the leader of the majority party can whip up enough votes to make the proceedings ceremonial. But the incoming House is unusually divided, and it's unclear if sitting Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has the votes to extend his time leading the chamber.
Last month, Johnson angered his right flank when he relied on Democrats to pass a continuing resolution that funded the government into March. His predecessor, U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., became the first speaker in American history to be ousted by his own party when he made a similar decision in September 2023.
The GOP holds a slim 219 to 214 edge over Democrats in the next session — with one seat vacant as U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said he will not take the seat he won in November. If all members are present Friday, Johnson can't survive two defections without Democratic support; U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has already announced he will not back Johnson.
Mike Johnson is the next Paul Ryan.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 30, 2024
On January 3rd, 2025, I won’t be voting for Mike Johnson.
I hope my colleague will join me because history will not give America another “do-over.”
Another speaker fight — McCarthy became the first speaker in a century to require multiple ballots to win the post in 2023 — could have ramifications on the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Federal law mandates that a joint session of Congress meets at 1 p.m. on the Jan. 6 following a presidential election to count the Electoral College's votes. But that can't happen unless the House has a speaker in place.
Trump and billionaire Elon Musk were critical of Johnson's handling of the debt ceiling last month, but Trump pledged to back Johnson's bid for the gavel. It remains to be seen if that will mollify enough conservative representatives to give Johnson the speakership.
Johnson should be able to bank on the support of Mackenzie. The Lehigh Valley's incoming congressman pledged to support Johnson on the campaign trail despite their differences over providing Ukraine financial support in its fight against Russia.
Johnson stumped for Mackenzie during multiple trips to Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District last year. He also spent thousands of dollars to help Mackenzie's cause in his battleground race against Democratic incumbent Susan Wild.
Mackenzie defeated Wild by about 4,000 votes in November, flipping one of the most contested House seats in the nation. He wrapped up a 12-year tenure representing parts of Lehigh County in Pennsylvania's House of Representatives last month.
Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District includes all of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties in addition to a sliver of Monroe County.
