Who is Mike Johnson? Republican nominee for House Speaker's voting record examined
Mike Johnson's name is the latest Republican to have his name put forward to succeed Kevin McCarthy after the first three candidates fell through.
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Rep. Mike Johnson is the latest nominee for House of Representatives Speaker after an earlier pick, Rep. Tom Emmer, abruptly withdrew in the face of opposition from Donald Trump and hardline Republican lawmakers.
Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, becomes the fourth Republican nominee in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy was ousted last month.
Far-right members won’t accept a more traditional speaker and moderate conservatives don’t want a hardliner.
During private balloting, Johnson won a majority, but ahead of an expected House floor vote Wednesday the nominee will need almost all Republicans to win the gavel.
Elevating Johnson to speaker would give Louisianans two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was rejected by hardliners in his bid as speaker.
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After securing 128 votes in the evening ballot, Johnson said: "Democracy is messy but it is ouR system. We're going to restore your trust in what we do here."
A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson rallied Republicans around Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.
Johnson is part of the Christian right faction of the GOP and is known for his strong opposition to access to legal abortion, same-sex marriage and medical marijuana.
In December 2020 he signed an amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court challenging the results of the presidential election the previous month.
He reiterated his support for Donald Trump in January 2021, when he voted in favor of overturning the election results in Pennsylvania.
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Johnson, who has been tied to the fundamentalist Protestant groups Alliance Defending Freedom and Focus on the Family, worked closely with churches and religious groups contesting government regulation on religious matters.
Speaking of his legal career, Johnson said he focused on "defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and biblical values, including the defense of traditional marriage, and other ideals like these when they’ve been under assault."
The Louisiana representative has also supported the end of American military aid to Ukraine in the context of the ongoing war against Russia.
Within months of his election in the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2015, he tabled the Marriage and Conscience Act – which would have prevented people from facing discrimination lawsuits because of their views on marriage.
He also participated in the pro-life "Life March" in both 2015 and 2016.
Johnson's name was initially proposed to take over the speakership of the House following the 2022 midterm elections but Kevin McCarthy ultimately won the seat.
Following McCarthy's removal, the Louisiana Representative stated he would not run himself but would instead back colleague Rep. Jim Jordan.
But with Jordan failing to win over enough support, and Emmer pulling out within hours of his candidacy, Johnson is now at the forefront of the Republicans' efforts to end the chaos they created.
The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a November 17 deadline to keep services and offices running.
More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid — to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the US border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.
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