US House Speaker vote happening today as new Congress convenes

CHARLOTTE — Lawmakers on Capitol Hill will vote for their next House Speaker as the 119th Congress convenes on Friday.

ALSO READ: Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to save his job as a new Congress convenes

President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Louisiana Representative Mike Johnson to keep the gavel, but he may not have the additional support he needs.

Without the help of Democrats, Johnson can only receive at most three votes of “present”, or one vote for another candidate and one “present” vote.

“We’ll have maybe one no vote, I think. I think we get it done on the first round, certainly hopeful for that because, as we noted, we’ve got to stick together,” Johnson told reporters on earlier this week.

Trump House Speaker Mike Johnson, from left, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance attend the NCAA college football game between Army and Navy at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)

Lawmakers can hold multiple rounds of speakership votes, but without an interim speaker lined up, that would essentially leave the House paralyzed until it had a new speaker.

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