Live updates: Mike Johnson wins full term as House speaker after two Republicans change their votes

The House passed its new rules for the 119th Congress tonight on a vote of 215-209.

The package will make it harder for opponents to oust Johnson in the middle of the term. The rules raise the threshold to remove a speaker from office from just one member last Congress to nine members of the majority party (in this case Republicans).

The rules do not include language from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., backed by Johnson, to ban transgender women from using female bathrooms in the Capitol.

Asked how he flipped GOP holdouts to win the speakership, Johnson said he assured his colleagues that the conference will operate under “member-driven” leadership.

“I’ve been aiming to decentralize the speaker’s office’s power since I first had the gavel. We’ll continue that," he told reporters. "We want to be member-driven and empower the chairs of our committees and all of that.”

Johnson also praised Trump as “the most powerful president, certainly of the modern era, maybe in all of American history” and added that his endorsement was a “big factor in this.”

Asked if he would have Trump’s support over the next two years, Johnson said, “yes.”

On whether he will remain speaker during that time, Johnson said, “100%, yes.”

After attending the swearings-in of new senators today, Vice President-elect JD Vance went in for a “long-planned” surgery, a spokesperson for his team told NBC News.

“The Vice President-elect is having long-planned, minor sinus surgery and will be back to work tomorrow,” William Martin said in a statement.

Fox News first reported on the planned procedure.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., fell down a marble staircase outside the House chamber but is OK, according to a spokesperson from Foxx’s office.

Foxx, who is 81, slipped while walking down the staircase after walking up to talk to her family in the gallery. 

“After being helped to her feet, and looked over by medical personnel, she proceeded on her own to the Attending Physician’s office to get treated for a few individual cuts. Everything seems to be okay,” Alex Ives, a spokesperson for Foxx, said in a statement.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who initially voted against Johnson in the speaker race, talked about what flipped his vote to Johnson before the tally was announced.

Norman told NBC News that Trump spoke on two calls before the vote was finalized. In the first one, Rep. Nancy Mace handed Norman the phone with Trump on the line, Norman said, adding that he “interrupted” Trump’s golf game.

During the second Trump call, the phone was on speakerphone with Johnson, Norman and Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, all present.

Johnson said Trump’s support was a “big factor” in his election as speaker.

“He wants us to unify as a conference and to get the job done and we must,” Johnson told reporters as he walked through the Capitol.

Johnson reiterated that he made no promises to members in exchange for their support but “told them they can be assured that we’re going to have different processes and procedures this time around, because it’s unified government” with Republican control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the incoming Senate majority leader, said today that Johnson will have “a really, really tough job,” navigating a narrow majority.

“I think he has been responsive to his members, but he’s got a lot of folks that are headed in different directions,” Thune said during an interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker that took place as the House was selecting a new speaker. “I mean, as you know, that with a narrow margin like that, any individual member of the House of Representatives can have a huge impact.”

Thune also said that he and Johnson could have a “strong working relationship,” even though the two men haven’t worked closely before.

Read the full story here.

The Senate will soon start considering Trump's Cabinet picks and other administration posts, with some expected to face tougher votes than others.

Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick for defense secretary, has been embattled over concerns about his alcohol use and an allegation of sexual assault. Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host, called the allegations false and said last year he would stop drinking if confirmed by the Senate.

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for director of national intelligence, has also faced backlash over her comments on Russia and a secret visit to Syria to meet with its then-dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, said the new Republican-controlled Senate should move quickly to process Trump's Cabinet picks but also thoroughly vet them.

"I do think that we need to move quickly. That doesn’t mean we can be sloppy or that we won’t do our job," Curtis said today during a virtual press conference when asked about Senate Majority Leader John Thune's recent statement that the New Orleans terrorist attack underscored that Trump's national security teams should be quickly confirmed.

"Until I really have a chance to go through that entire process, I’m being careful to make any decisions myself until I have all the facts on every candidate," Curtis said.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., reacted to fellow Republican Keith Self of Texas casting a vote for him as speaker today, before backing Johnson.

Donalds said he had not been expecting Self to vote for him instead of Johnson.

“Did you think, ‘Oh heck no, we can’t go there?’ I’m just curious what that really felt like,” Donalds was asked on MSNBC.

“That was basically my response. I’m not gonna go into all, everything, exactly what I said, but that was basically my response,” Donalds said.

In a letter signed by 11 members of the House Freedom Caucus that was released after the vote, the group outlined its demands for Johnson’s speakership, saying in part, “We voted for Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House because of our steadfast support of President Trump and to ensure the timely certification of his electors. We did this despite our sincere reservations regarding the Speaker’s track record over the past 15 months.”

The demands included extending the House’s working calendar for this session, reversing several Biden administration policies “immediately” and ending stock trading by members of Congress.

Rep. Keith Self, who originally voted for Rep. Byron Donalds to be speaker before switching his vote to Johnson, told reporters that he spoke with Trump over the phone “a couple of times today.” Self said that they shared a “lively discussion” but declined to elaborate further. 

Asked about his frustrations with Johnson’s leadership, Self said, “I was very frustrated with the 118th Congress, and that’s why we needed to shore up the processes to make it more member-oriented for the Trump agenda, because we needed more input from members like myself, not a chairman, not a leadership position, and I think that’s what we have done.” 

During the speaker vote, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., was photographed appearing to speak on the phone with incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles.

As the newly elected speaker, Johnson did a mass swearing of all of the members of the 119th Congress. He administered the oath of office and led all of the members at once.

"Congratulations, you are now members of the 119th Congress," Johnson said to end the procedure.

With the election of the speaker, it has now started snowing in Washington, D.C.

Johnson was just sworn in by Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., dean of the House. The dean of the House is the longest-serving member: Rogers, 87, was elected in 1981.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., made a motion of brushing off her shoulders at Johnson’s line about the Green New Deal: "We have to ... pass legislation to eliminate the Green New Deal, that funding."

Johnson opened his remarks after being re-elected as House speaker by calling for a moment of silence to honor the victims affected by the terrorist attack in his home state of Louisiana on Wednesday.

He then laid out GOP priorities in the new Congress, in tandem with the Trump White House. Johnson emphasized that the Republicans' goal is to implement an "America First" agenda.

In a speech on the House floor, Jeffries took a dig at people who denied the 2020 election results.

“It’s okay. There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle. One should love America when you win and when you lose," he said. "That’s the patriotic thing to do, and that’s the America that House Democrats will fight hard to preserve, because we love this country. "

He also pledged that Democrats would fight hard to not have Social Security and Medicare benefits taken away.

There was laughter from Republicans when Jeffries touched on border security and the Biden economy.

Now that Mike Johnson has been re-elected as speaker, he will be escorted to the chair and give a speech after being sworn in. 

He will then swear in the members of the House. 

Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., said in an interview on CNN that she believes that Johnson did not cut a deal with the two holdouts to win their support, but rather listened to their concerns.

“That’s one of the things that Mike Johnson has done remarkably well, is listening to all of the concerns that members may have," she said. "It’s a tough, I think, road to be thrown into this incredible responsibility, and he’s done a remarkable job, and part of that has been listening."

With a vote of 218-215, Johnson has officially been re-elected as speaker.

Rep. Massie was the only Republican to vote for someone other than Johnson. 

Reps. Keith Self, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who voted for other Republicans earlier in the voting process, just changed their votes to back Johnson. The switch likely gives Johnson the votes to become speaker.

This switch happened after Johnson went to the cloakroom for discussions with Reps. Norman, Self, Perry, Harris, Higgins and Cloud.

Rep. Dale Strong, R-Ala., said in an interview on CNN that failing to elect a speaker on the first ballot is a setback for the Republican Party.

"It is absolutely setting us back. It's time to move. It's time to vote and put Mike Johnson as speaker of the House," Strong said.

He emphasized the need to certify the election so that the GOP can tackle its priorities.

CLEVELAND — Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted has emerged as a late and leading contender to succeed Vice President-elect JD Vance in the Senate, three Republicans familiar with the process said.

Gov. Mike DeWine will appoint a replacement once Vance resigns his Senate seat — something that must happen before Vance and President-elect Donald Trump take office Jan. 20.

What’s not yet clear is if Husted would accept an appointment, which would run through a special election in 2026 to fill the remaining two years of Vance’s term. But some GOP insiders believe the job is Husted’s if he wants it.

Read the full story here.

Stacey Plaskett, a nonvoting Democratic delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, stood after the first roll-call vote to ask why delegates from the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia were not asked to vote for speaker.

Plaskett said that the delegates represent "collectively 4 million Americans" and added, "This body and this nation has a territory and a colonies problem," after the parliamentarian told her that delegates-elect were not eligible to vote for speaker.

"What should have been temporary has now effectively become permanent. We must do something about this," Plaskett said before the parliamentarian ceased to recognize her with time to speak.

Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., just went to the well to vote for Johnson after choosing not to vote before. Rep. Andy Biggs also cast a voice vote for Johnson.

Johnson appears not to have the votes after several defections. The vote count stands at 216 for Johnson, 215 for Jeffries, one for Emmer, one vote Donalds and one for Jordan. Johnson needs 218 votes.

Two House Republicans who have not supported Johnson for speaker were also among the few GOP lawmakers who did not back Trump during the presidential primary.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the primary, while Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., endorsed former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who also served as governor of Norman's home state.

A third Johnson defector, Texas Rep. Keith Self, did back Trump in the presidential primary along with the majority of House Republicans.

Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, voted for Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., for speaker. This is the third Johnson defection.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., voted for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, for speaker on the first ballot, the second GOP defection after Massie.

As former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., voted for Jeffries, Democrats applauded.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said she was voting for "MAGA Mike Johnson" during her turn in the roll-call vote.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., are furiously taking notes during the speaker vote on the first ballot that's still ongoing.

Rep. Tom Massie votes for Majority Whip Tom Emmer to be speaker. Massie had said before the vote he was a "no" on Johnson.

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was heckled on the House floor by Republicans shouting "order!" as he sought to say a few words about Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., while he voted for him as speaker.

After Republicans' outcry, the clerk reminded Green that he only needed to say someone's surname to vote for them.

Former House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., didn't cast a vote for speaker. Neither did current House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., and a few other Republicans.

Many Congress members brought their kids to the Capitol today, an opening day tradition to bring family members since members are expected to be sworn in later. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has her son sitting on her lap in the chamber.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., said in a social media post that he brought his son with him. When his son was a baby, he famously brought him to the lengthy speaker vote that ended with Kevin McCarthy elected after 15 rounds.

He captioned the side-by-side comparison, "How it started, how it's going."

It's notable that Reps. Lauren Boebert and Tim Burchett voted for Johnson, both were considered possible nos. Members may change their vote up until the end, though.

The speaker vote has begun. Only Johnson and Jeffries were nominated but members can vote for any person during the vote. 

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., nominated Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to be speaker of the House.

In his speech, he called Jeffries' leadership one of "compromise, conviction, and compassion."

He threw shade at Mike Johnson’s handling of the government funding package last month, saying Jeffries is the only candidate for speaker who knows how to cut a bipartisan deal and stick to it. Democrats applauded.

"There is only one leader who understands the needs of the working people and has lived the American dream himself and is committed to ensuring its promise for future generations," he added.

Senators were sworn in in groups of four, and Ohio Sen. and VP-elect JD Vance was standing behind Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, as he was being sworn in by VP Harris. Vance and Harris did not appear to shake hands or interact.

The full number of the Senate is now 99 senators: 52 Republicans and 47 Democrats. 

Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, officially nominated Johnson to another term as speaker.

In a speech on the House floor, she called Johnson the same, "kind and caring person as he was before he assumed this role."

"I know Mike will be an integral part of this country’s comeback," McClain added. "He will lead us through another successful Republican majority, as chairwoman of the unified House Republican Conference, I can say proudly that we are ready to govern."

The House has finished its quorum call, taking the roll to see how many members are here today to vote. One Republican is missing — that's the empty seat just vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., was initially absent but has since arrived, meaning all members (434) are now here. That's 219 Republicans and 215 Democrats.

Johnson will need to win a majority — 218 votes — to be re-elected as speaker. He can lose one Republican and still win the gavel.

Lawmakers in the chamber applauded as the House clerk announced that former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., won't take his seat in the new Congress.

While Gaetz was re-elected to Congress in November, he resigned from the House late last year after Trump had selected him as his attorney general nominee. Gaetz withdrew from the process as he was marred by allegations of sexual assault, among other things. He has denied any wrongdoing but said he would not return to the House in the new Congress.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is sworn in as president pro tempore.

In response to a lengthy post from Johnson, Rep. Victoria Spartz offered praise for Mike Johnson after he posted a list of his commitments to the House, some of which are in response to Spartz's concerns. She told NBC News that she would vote yes on Johnson for speaker.

"I appreciate @SpeakerJohnson’s public commitment to the American people to deliver on President Trump’s agenda and drain the swamp," she wrote.

She had been considered to be a possible no for Johnson.

Before the vote for speaker, Mike Johnson posted a list on X of things that he has committed to do in the new Congress if re-elected as speaker.

One of those things includes creating "a working group comprised of independent experts — not corrupted by lobbyists and special interests — to work with DOGE and our committees on implementing recommended government and spending reforms to protect the American taxpayer."

Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, is not an official federal government agency but more of an independent commission, led by top Trump allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

This appears to be different from a subcommittee that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has already been tasked with leading to coordinate with DOGE.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., is set to become the longest-serving Black senator in U.S. history today.

Scott, who has served since 2013 and is the lone Black GOP senator in the chamber, will surpass former Sen. Edward Brooke, R-Mass., when he's sworn in to his third term. (Brooke, who died in 2015, served two terms in the Senate, from 1967 to 1979.) Scott will be one of five Black senators in the 119th Congress, a record high.

The South Carolina Republican will also make history as the first Black chairman of a Senate standing committee, leading the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee. He served as the panel's ranking member the past two years and first joined the committee in 2015.

Johnson said he hopes to win this speaker race on the first ballot and believes he has the votes to do so.

"I have made no deals with anyone, and I’m very proud to say that," he added.

Johnson told reporters he was willing to go through as many ballots as former Speaker Kevin McCarthy did (15).

“We have to get this job done and unify the conference, and I’m here for the long run,” said Johnson.

The House is starting its quorum call now. This is a 15-minute vote by electronic device but in past years has taken 20-40 minutes. This will let us know how many members are present (which should be 434). 

The Honorable Kevin F. McCumber, acting House clerk, is in the chair with the gavel. This is his first time presiding over the opening of the Congress.

After this, there will be nominations for speaker and then the speaker vote, which is done by voice. 

The mood in the chamber is positive. It is packed with families up in the galleries and several children of members are on the floor sitting in the seats.  

Johnson has been making the rounds in the chamber talking with members. 

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who holds the title of House speaker emerita, walked onto the House floor to applause from Democrats.

Several members hugged and embraced her.

This is her first time back at the Capitol since she fell last month during a congressional delegation trip to Luxembourg, which led to her being flown to Germany to undergo hip replacement surgery.

Two members of her detail were holding up her arms to support her as she walked to her seat.

And at 11:45:10, Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash., adjourned the Senate sine die, meaning the 118th Congress is over (at least on the Senate side of the building).

When they convene at noon, the 119th will begin, and newly elected or re-elected senators who won their elections in November will be sworn-in.

Vice President Kamala Harris will be in the Capitol to swear in the senators, first on the Senate floor in alphabetical order in groups of four, and then again just for the cameras in the Old Senate Chamber one by one for photo op re-enactments.

At the end of the day, Republicans will have the majority, but there will only be 99 senators. That’s because Sen-elect Jim Justice, currently the governor of West Virginia, won’t be sworn in right away, thanks to complications that would unfold if he were to leave his term before it ends Jan. 13. 

The 118th Congress is preparing to adjourn one final time ahead of the 119th Congress beginning at noon. 

Members have started coming into the chamber to stake out their seats. Families of members will be in the galleries up above to watch the proceedings. 

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said in an interview on MSNBC that Democrats plan to vote for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for speaker. The speaker doesn't necessarily have to be from the party that holds the majority.

"We stand ready to vote for Hakeem Jeffries," she said about the Democratic leader.

The final session of the 118th House has started with Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., presiding. They will adjourn and the new House will start at noon.

President-elect Donald Trump tapped multiple members of Congress for posts in his new administration, prompting the need for several special elections.

Reps. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., were selected as Trump's picks to be national security adviser and the ambassador to the United Nations, respectively.

Stefanik needs to be confirmed by the Senate. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is required to schedule the date for a special election within 90 days of Stefanik's departure from Congress.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters this morning that he's not aware of any other people who plan to vote against Johnson for speaker today.

Asked if he thinks there are any other "no" votes on Johnson for speaker, Scalise said, "I haven’t seen any directly. So you know, Mike’s been talking to everybody."

Johnson continues to fight to keep his position as House speaker as the newly elected 119th Congress will be sworn in and is set to vote on who will fill the spot. At least one Republican has stated he will not be voting for Johnson’s re-election. NBC’s Garrett Haake reports for "TODAY."

Johnson said this morning that he's not going to make a deal with his rank-and-file members in order to secure their support for his election as speaker in the new Congress.

“I don’t make deals with anyone," Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill. "There’s no quid pro quo here. I don’t do anything in exchange for a vote other than commit to make this institution work as effectively and efficiently as possible.” 

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., had suggested on former Rep. Matt Gaetz's show on America One News Network last night that Johnson should name conservative firebrand Chip Roy, R-Texas, as chairman of the House Rules Committee.

Trump just wished Johnson luck in the speaker vote today. The president-elect had publicly endorsed Johnson to continue serving in the leadership role.

“Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support," Trump wrote.

Trump said, "A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!! — A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!”

Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said President-elect Donald Trump's national security Cabinet picks might require more scrutiny following the terrorist attack in New Orleans.

Talking to reporters yesterday, Gallego was asked if Trump's picks should be fast-tracked in the wake of the New Year's Day terror attack. "I think in light of what you saw yesterday, we want to make sure that you have the right national security nominees," he said. "Just putting someone in place doesn't necessarily mean that you're actually going to have the type of collaboration [and] intelligence sharing that you need."

Gallego did not indicate how he plans to vote on Trump's national security picks: Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, Kash Patel for FBI director and Pete Hegseth for defense secretary.

While the House is expected to swear in all 434 of its members today, only the class of 32 newly elected or re-elected senators who won their elections in November will be sworn.

Vice President Kamala Harris will be in the Capitol to swear in the senators, first on the Senate floor in alphabetical order in groups of four, and then again just for the cameras in the Old Senate Chamber one-by-one for photo-ops. 

At the end of the day, Republicans will have the majority, but there will only be 99 senators instead of 100. That’s because Sen.-elect Jim Justice, R-W.Va., won’t be sworn in today thanks to a quirk in how the governorship in West Virginia would be subject to a weird game of musical chairs if he were to leave his term before it ends Jan. 13.

Republicans enter the 119th Congress with little room for error in each chamber.

The 2024 election put Republicans on track to start the new Congress with a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a 220-215 advantage in the House.

However, Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has since resigned from the House, and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., was selected as national security adviser. If Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is confirmed as ambassador to the United Nations, Republicans' House majority could temporarily narrow even further, though special elections would be on the horizon for vacated seats.

Senate Republicans will need the support of Democrats to overcome the 60 votes needed to break the filibuster for most legislation. Only a simple majority is needed for administration posts.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., reiterated his staunch opposition to voting for Johnson during an appearance on former Rep. Matt Gaetz's new show on the right-wing One America News Network. 

"You can pull all my fingernails off, you can shove bamboo up them, you can start cutting off my fingers, I am not voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow," Massie told Gaetz in an interview that aired last night. "And you can take that to the bank."

Gaetz also spoke during last night's broadcast with Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., whose votes Johnson likely needs to retain his speakership.

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., faces what could be an uphill battle to maintain the speaker's gavel, as some Republican members threaten his bid.

It would just take two Republican opponents in the new 119th Congress' razor-thin majority to derail Johnson's effort to retain speakership for two more years. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., began urging colleagues to reject Johnson's bid ahead of the vote, which is scheduled for later today.

Johnson appeared to brush away concerns that his speakership was in jeopardy, telling NBC News yesterday that he expected to win on the first ballot.

When the 119th Congress convenes today, the first agenda item for the House will be electing the speaker. For the past century, this was usually a straightforward process, with the majority party electing their speaker nominee on the first ballot. That changed two years ago when it took 15 ballots for now-former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to secure the gavel.

While Mike Johnson, R-La., is in the chair now, his term as speaker expires when the current Congress adjourns this morning. Each new Congress is a fresh start and the speaker has to be elected again. To become speaker, a candidate needs the votes of a majority of members present, which will be 218 if all 434 members show up and vote.

The 20th Amendment mandates that Congress meets at noon on the third day of January. The House will not proceed to any other business, including swearing in lawmakers, until the speaker is chosen.