Live updates: Johnson fights for Speakership as new Congress arrives
The 119th Congress arrives on Friday and its first task could be a messy one: electing a Speaker in the House of Representatives.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faces a floor vote on whether he can keep his gavel and he will have almost no room for error. Assuming all members are present and voting for a candidate, Johnson can afford to lose only one GOP vote — and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is widely seen as an immovable “no.” Roughly a dozen other conservative Republicans are undecided.
The election of the Speaker must be completed before the House can take any other actions, including swearing in its members, adopting a rules package and, eventually, certifying President-elect Trump’s victory on Monday.
On the other side of the Capitol, senators anticipate far less drama, but will also see new members sworn in.
Follow along with live updates below.