Republican Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected Speaker of the House on Wednesday. Johnson's election follows the failure of the Republican party to elect three previous nominees to the position for over three weeks. In the case of Johnson, however, all 220 Republicans who cast a ballot voted in his favor.
Prior to his political career, Johnson was a high-profile attorney who litigated constitutional law cases. In 2016, he was elected to the House as a Representative of Louisiana's fourth district where he has served as Deputy Whip, Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, and Vice Chairman of the House Republican Conference.
Johnson is widely viewed as a policy orientated, principled conservative. He is staunchly against gay marriage, abortion rights, and is considered a Trump ally for his backing of Trump during Trump's impeachment and denial of the 2020 election. All of these aspects help explain how Johnson was able to get elected by a fiercely divided Republican party. That is, Johnson's strong conservative principles appealed to extreme Republicans, while his policy-oriented and social approach garnered support from more moderate Republicans, especially considering the need for legislative action towards the conflict in Gaza.
On the Israel-Hamas conflict, Johnson has made it clear that his first course of action will be to bring a bill to the floor that expresses the US' support of Israel against Hamas. It is on issues like these that will define Johnson's speakership and determine the type of leader he is.
Who is Mike Johnson, the newly elected House speaker? (msn.com)
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By: Frank Kwak
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