Johnson, who has only been a member of Congress for three years, is the third-youngest speaker in almost a century.
First elected in 2016, he is serving his fourth term in Congress. He serves the northwest portion of Louisiana, part of the 4th Congressional District.
The House of Representatives could not go forward at times of international crisis because of Republican infighting over who would be the next speaker. Finally, on Wednesday, Johnson was able to seize the gavel. The deadlock was broken when Johnson was voted in 220 to 209.
Minnesota Republican Rep. Tom Emmer withdrew from consideration for the speakership on Tuesday. After Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California was defeated in a vote for speaker on October 3 by a score of 216 to 210, the House of Representatives voted 220 to 209 to elect Johnson as his successor.
During Nicolle Wallace and Ali Vitali’s “Deadline: White House” segment, Ali Vitali compared him to a smiling Jim Jordan in a blazer. He said, like Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise, Johnson has the same values and beliefs. When looking at their policies, it is plain to see.
According to Vitali, the current Republican conference platform in the House incorporates values antithetical to small-d democracy.
According to CNN, in 2020, Johnson wrote fellow Republicans asking for their help submitting an amicus brief supporting Texas’ effort to invalidate the electoral college votes of four states. After determining that Texas lacked jurisdiction, the Supreme Court decided against hearing the case.
Vitali said that it may seem like ancient history to some, but the events of January 6, 2020, have had and continue to have a profound effect on this structure. In addition, the line of presidential succession now includes someone instrumental in bolstering the Republican members of Congress’ faulty and unlawful legal reasons for voting against certifying the election results.
