House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is no "big fan" of hiking the tax rate for America's wealthiest to 40%, an idea reportedly being mulled by Republicans to offset some costs of their in-progress tax package.
"We're the Republican Party, and we're for tax reduction for everyone, and that's a general principle that we always try to abide by," Johnson told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on Sunday.
Though there are many discussions, thoughts and theories on how to get all the GOP's goals accomplished, Johnson said he wouldn't "put any money on any of [those] yet."
"I would say just stay tuned. The next five to six weeks are going to be critical as all these negotiations happen in the committees of jurisdiction," he continued.
"You'll hear lots of rumors and lots of talk, but we'll see where it all lands."
Johnson voiced the need for consensus on the package, eyeing the 218 votes needed in the House and the 51 votes needed in the Senate for successful passage, assuring viewers that the bill will have reached an adequate "comfort level" before heading to the floor.
According to Bloomberg, the floated 39%-to-40% tax rate would affect those earning $1 million or more annually, a two-to-three percentage increase from the current 37% rate.
When lawmakers arrived on Capitol Hill last Monday, House GOP leaders' plans to sync up with the Senate on sweeping legislation to advance President Donald Trump's agenda seemed an all-but-impossible task.
House fiscal hawks were furious with Senate Republicans for passing an amended version of the former's budget framework, one that called for a significantly lower amount of mandatory spending cuts than the House's initial plan.
By late Thursday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was celebrating victory in front of reporters after a narrow 216-to-214 vote.
"I told you not to doubt us," a triumphant Johnson told the media. "We’re really grateful to have had the big victory on the floor just now. It was a big one, a very important one."
The hard-fought win came after long hours and late nights as House Republican leaders — and leaders in the Senate GOP as well — worked to persuade holdouts, while Trump and his aides worked those same critics from the sidelines.
White House aides were at House Republicans' weekly conference meeting on Tuesday, a rare sight but not unexpected, given the importance of the coming vote.
But GOP lawmakers filed out of that meeting doubting whether Trump's influence could help this time, after he played a key role in helping shepherd earlier critical bills across the finish line this year.
"I don't see it happening," a House Republican told Fox News Digital when asked whether Trump would be enough to sway critics.
Nevertheless, a select group of those holdouts were summoned to the White House alongside House GOP leaders on Wednesday afternoon, hours before the expected vote.
Fox News Digital was told that Trump commanded the room for roughly 20 to 30 minutes, and told House conservatives he agreed with them on the need to significantly slash government spending.
Trump also communicated to holdouts that Senate leaders felt the same, but, like the House, were working on their own tight margins, Fox News Digital was told.
The president, meanwhile, has been concerned in particular with the looming debt limit deadline, Fox News Digital was told.
It's one of the issues that Republicans are looking to tackle via the budget reconciliation process. By lowering the Senate's passage threshold from 60 votes to 51, it allows the party controlling the House, Senate and White House to enact broad policy changes via one or two broad pieces of legislation.
In this case, Republicans are looking for some added funds for border security and defense and to raise the debt ceiling — while paring back spending on the former Biden administration's green energy policies and in other sections of the federal government, likely including entitlement programs.
GOP lawmakers are also looking to extend Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the provisions of which expire at the end of this year. They will also need new funding for Trump's efforts to eliminate taxes on tipped and overtime wages.
But first, Republicans wanted the House and Senate to pass identical frameworks setting the stage for filling those frameworks with actual legislative policy.
Whereas the House version calls for at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, the Senate mandated a floor of $4 billion — a wide gap to bridge.
The Wednesday-afternoon White House meeting did sway some holdouts, but far from enough.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., also met with House GOP critics of the bill for more than an hour on Wednesday evening ahead of the planned vote.
"He couldn't have been more cordial and understanding in talking to us about what we needed to know. And honestly, he had some of the same concerns that we did," Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital.
"You know, he's got to get it over the finish line, and he had to make certain commitments. But he committed to us to work with us."
Ultimately, however, plans to advance the measure that evening were hastily scrapped as an unrelated vote was held open for over an hour, leading to confusion and frustration on the House floor.
"He looked like he was in no better spot than he was at the beginning," one House Republican said of that night.
Trump was not called to address the group during that huddle with holdouts, two sources in the room told Fox News Digital.
However, the president did have individual conversations with some holdouts on Wednesday and Thursday, one person said.
The Wednesday night failure gave way to a late night of negotiations involving both holdouts and House GOP leaders.
Two House GOP leadership aides told Fox News Digital that Johnson had huddled with Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., until late Wednesday to figure out a path forward.
When they emerged shortly before midnight, they had settled on a plan — a televised promise by Johnson and Thune to put both leaders on the record committing to deep spending cuts.
"I'm happy to tell you that this morning, I believe we have the votes to finally adopt the budget resolution so we can move forward on President Trump's very important agenda for the American people," Johnson said.
Thune added, "We are aligned with the House in terms of what their budget resolution outlined in terms of savings. The speaker has talked about $1.5 trillion. We have a lot of United States senators who believe in that as a minimum."
A senior Senate GOP aide argued to Fox News Digital, "Absent Thune’s intervention, Mike Johnson would not have gotten this resolution through the House."
But the speaker was also putting in his own long hours with holdouts.
The office of Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who ultimately voted to advance the framework, told Fox News Digital that critics were sent a memo by Johnson early on Thursday, assuring them that he was committed to deep spending cuts.
"The Senate amendment to H. Con. Res. 14 preserves untouched language from the original House-passed resolution, including the reconciliation instructions to House committees and Section 4001 — Adjustment for spending cuts of at least $2 trillion," the memo said.
It referred to a measure in the House-passed framework that suggested funding toward tax cuts would be reduced by a corresponding amount if final spending cuts did not equal $2 trillion.
"This language reflects a critical principle — that deficit-increasing provisions of the final reconciliation bill are accompanied by concomitant spending cuts," it said.
Then, as the vote was called around 10:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, a final huddle between holdouts and leaders sealed the Republicans' victory.
"At some point, it was heated. And then the speaker's leadership team [House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.] made sure we were clarified on some issues which are very important to some of the members," Burchett said.
"And then Steve Scalise, really batting cleanup, and he came in with the final with the final conclusion, which everybody agreed to pretty much. And then the speaker closed the deal."
Burchett said he believed that Johnson had spoken to Trump separately at some point during that huddle.
A senior House GOP aide said McClain was also present for that meeting.
Republicans clinched the win minutes after 11 a.m. on Thursday, with the GOP side of the House chamber erupting in applause.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., who helped lead the opposition, told reporters after the vote, "We made tremendous progress over the last two days in making certain that whatever we do on reconciliation, we don't increase this country's budget deficit."
"We take the Moody report from two weeks ago pretty seriously, that you can't have unpaid-for tax cuts, and we made progress in making, getting assurances both from the Senate and the House leadership that that's not going to occur," Harris said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson poked fun at "flailing" Democrats on Sunday and vowed that the House of Representatives would be just as aggressive in pushing legislation as President Donald Trump has been with executive orders.
Johnson made the statement during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday" with host Shannon Bream. Johnson said House Republicans are working to compile the massive legislative package Trump has requested.
"We're going to secure the border, we're going to make sure that American communities are safe. We're going to get American energy dominance going again in the economy and restore common sense," Johnson said.
"But to do all that in one big bill takes a little bit of time. So we're working through that process very productively. We've been building on this for a year, Shannon. All through last year, we had our committees of jurisdiction working on the ideas to put it together," he added.
"We were going to do a budget committee markup next week. We might push it a little bit further because the details really matter. Remember that I have the smallest margin in history, about a two vote margin currently. So I've got to make sure everyone agrees before we bring the project forward, that final product, and we've got a few more boxes to check, but we're getting very, very close," he continued.
The budget bill process has not been without its share of in-fighting, however. Republican spending hawks are pushing leaders to include at least $2.5 trillion in spending cuts in the massive legislative package.
One GOP lawmaker said that tension bubbled up in a closed-door meeting last week with several "heated exchanges," with conservatives demanding a concrete plan and minimum spending cuts at significantly higher levels than what was initially proposed.
"I think there’s a lot of frustration right now," the lawmaker told Fox News Digital. "They’ve been trying to be inclusive, but not every open forum they’ve offered is giving members the ability to say, ‘I feel like people are listening to me,’ because I don’t know that’s the case right now."
Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., two conservative members of the House Budget Committee, both told reporters they wanted to see the baseline for spending cuts set at roughly $2.5 trillion.
Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Republican spending hawks in the House of Representatives are pushing their leaders to include at least $2.5 trillion in spending cuts in a massive piece of legislation intended to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Republicans held their weekly closed-door agenda meeting on Wednesday where they discussed a path forward via the budget reconciliation process.
By lowering the threshold in the Senate from two-thirds to a simple majority – which the House already operates under – reconciliation allows the party in power to pass sweeping fiscal policy changes while skirting the opposition.
Several sources told Fox News Digital there was significant "frustration" within the House GOP conference on Wednesday over a lack of a concrete final plan from Republican leadership.
One GOP lawmaker said that tension bubbled up with several "heated exchanges," with conservatives demanding a concrete plan and minimum spending cuts at significantly higher levels than what was initially proposed.
"I think there’s a lot of frustration right now," the lawmaker told Fox News Digital. "They’ve been trying to be inclusive, but not every open forum they’ve offered is giving members the ability to say, ‘I feel like people are listening to me,’ because I don’t know that’s the case right now."
There’s also concern that the Senate, which is growing impatient with the House, could move forward with its own plan if the House doesn't release one first – which House Republicans worry will include much shallower spending cuts than what could pass in the lower chamber.
"What we’re worried about is losing the opportunity. I think we’re more likely to cut than they are," a second GOP lawmaker said.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham R-S.C., announced plans to move forward with the upper chamber's own bill on Wednesday afternoon. He now plans to advance a measure through his committee next week.
A third House Republican said GOP lawmakers were fed up waiting for a "play call."
But senior House GOP aides pushed back on the notion there was no play call, pointing out that Republican leaders held countless listening sessions culminating at the recent three-day House GOP retreat in Miami to consult members and emerge with a blueprint for a one-bill strategy that maintains scoring flexibility. The aides said the reconciliation process has had a 95% participation rate among House Republicans.
House GOP leaders were forced to delay a key vote on advancing a reconciliation bill through the House Budget Committee, the first step in the process, after spending hawks pushed back on initial proposals for spending cuts between $300 billion and $600 billion.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said on Tuesday night that it would likely be planned for next week, but that leaders’ final goal of having a bill on Trump’s desk in May remained unimpeded.
Three sources told Fox News Digital that leaders are floating a plan that would include roughly $1.65 trillion as a baseline for spending cuts, though two people stressed they saw the figure as one of several tentative ideas rather than a final plan.
Two other sources said it would also include measures that lead to an additional $1.65 trillion in economic growth.
Republicans are trying to pass a broad swath of Trump policies via reconciliation, from more funding for border security to eliminating taxes on tips and overtime wages. Trump has also made clear that he views extending his Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 as vital to the process.
The tax cuts have proved a sticking point with some spending hawks, however, because several estimates show they could add upwards of $1 trillion to the federal deficit over 10 years if extended. Those spending hawks have said they support extending the tax cuts but are seeking deep funding rollbacks elsewhere to offset them.
Three people involved in the discussions also told Fox News Digital that House GOP leaders are considering extending the TCJA tax cuts by five years instead of 10 to mitigate those concerns.
Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., two conservative members of the House Budget Committee, both told reporters they wanted to see the baseline for spending cuts set at roughly $2.5 trillion.
Roy told reporters that $2.5 trillion would amount to roughly $250 billion per year in federal savings over 10 years – while pointing out the U.S. was currently running a $36 trillion national debt.
House GOP leaders vowed to seek $2.5 trillion in spending cuts back in December, to get conservatives on board with a bill averting a partial government shutdown.
"They said $2.5 trillion of cuts. So, deliver. That will unlock the door," Roy said.
Norman told reporters multiple times this week that he wants between $2 trillion and $3 trillion in cuts.
EXCLUSIVE: DORAL, Fla. — Leaders within the House GOP's largest caucus are drawing a red line in congressional Republicans' budget talks.
The Republican Study Committee's (RSC) steering group is calling for any budget reconciliation plan to ultimately lead to reductions in the U.S. deficit, which occurs when the federal government's spending outpaces its revenues in a given fiscal year.
"Reconciliation legislation must reduce the federal budget deficit. Our national security depends on our ability to bring about meaningful fiscal reform," the official position, first obtained by Fox News Digital, said.
RSC leaders met behind closed doors at House Republicans' annual retreat to hash out their stance. GOP lawmakers were at Trump National Doral golf course in Florida for three days of discussions on reconciliation and other fiscal deadlines looming on the horizon.
They have been negotiating for weeks on how to use their razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate to pass massive conservative policy changes through the budget reconciliation process.
By reducing the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to a 51-seat simple majority, reconciliation allows a party in control of both congressional chambers to enact sweeping changes, provided they are relevant to budgetary and fiscal policy.
At 178 members, RSC is House Republicans' largest inter-conference group. It often acts as the House GOP's de facto "think tank" on policy matters.
The group is being led this year by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas. Its previous chairman is Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., who was recently elected House Republican Policy Committee chair – an example of RSC's close ties to GOP leadership.
Republican lawmakers have their work cut out for them this year as they work to unify for congressional leaders' preferred timeline for the reconciliation process.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday that he intends to have a House-wide vote on an initial budget resolution in late February.
But once Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., departs for the Trump administration as expected, House Republicans will not be able to afford any defections to pass legislation along party lines. In the Senate, the GOP can lose two lawmakers to still meet the 51-vote threshold.
And President Donald Trump outlined several specific policies he wants Republicans to include in their reconciliation legislation – including no taxes on tips or overtime pay and more funding for the U.S.-Mexico border – which could add to the federal deficit if not paired with significant spending cuts.
Republicans have floated various ways to achieve those cuts, including adding work requirements to federal benefits and rolling back progressive regulations enacted during the Biden administration.
Johnson said he wanted Republicans' final product to be deficit-neutral or better.
"Anything we do, is going to be deficit-neutral at least, and hopefully deficit-reducing, because we think we've got to change that trajectory," he said on Wednesday. "So that is part of the healthy discussion we've been having. And everyone has lots of opinions about that, of course. And, the opinions are welcomed."
The U.S. is running a cumulative deficit of $710 billion in fiscal year 2025 so far, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. It's $200 billion more than the same period in FY 2024.
Meanwhile federal revenues were $1.1 trillion through December, a decrease of 2% from the same period prior, the group said.
DORAL, Fla. — The House GOP’s three-day annual retreat has ended without public progress on Republicans’ budget reconciliation plans, and some lawmakers are getting nervous about falling behind schedule.
"After two days at our House Republican winter retreat, we still do not have a plan on budget reconciliation and our Speaker and his team have not offered one," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on X Wednesday morning.
"Basically, just get started doing something. We have only been presented with the same policy and budget cut proposals that we have been presented with for a month now at all our meetings and at a full Saturday conference meeting earlier this month."
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Tuesday an initial "blueprint" would be "prepared by tomorrow, by the time we leave."
The budget reconciliation process allows the majority party in the House and Senate, in this case Republicans, to pass a broad-ranging conservative policy overhaul, provided the contents are relevant to the budget and other fiscal matters. It does so by lowering the threshold for passage in the Senate from 60 votes to 51.
It starts with a budget resolution that includes instructions for specific committees to work toward changes to fiscal policy law under their respective jurisdictions, including topline numbers.
When asked by reporters about whether he expects those broad toplines to emerge on Wednesday morning, Johnson said, "We'll be getting to that final number. What we've emphasized with our group is that we want to have some flexibility in the how the instructions are given to the committees.
"Stay tuned for the number. It will be substantial, because it has to be. I mean, we have a $36 trillion federal debt, and we're committing that in this process. Anything we do is going to be deficit neutral, at least, or deficit-reducing," he said.
Johnson said later in the press conference, "The objective is to, by the time we leave here today, to have a blueprint that will inform the budget committee for when they work on that budget resolution."
The details and parameters of that blueprint are not immediately clear.
By Wednesday afternoon, however, a majority of lawmakers who were staying at President Donald Trump’s golf resort in Doral, Florida, left without a sense of their next steps.
"I think the general feeling is leadership needs to make a play call and start executing on it," one House GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital.
Asked about being optimistic about leaders making that call soon, the lawmaker said, "They better if they want to get this done."
Another House Republican said the meetings were "productive" but with a caveat — "as long as leadership takes our input, ideas and concerns seriously."
Other GOP lawmakers signaled they were exasperated by weeks of "listening sessions" among Republicans that have not led to specific directives from House leaders.
Some were more optimistic, however. A third House Republican told Fox News Digital, "I think Speaker Johnson has us pointed the right way and the eight committees that will make up reconciliation have a plan."
"I think it will come together," they said.
Johnson said he was confident that the House Budget Committee would have its "blueprint" to work from when Congress is back "to the hill," which is next week.
"That's going to happen, and we'll get it through the whole chamber. And we'll be voting on that by late February," he said.
President Donald Trump is expected to address House Republicans at their annual retreat on Monday as lawmakers work to enact his goal for a busy first 100 days of the new administration.
It’s another sign of the House GOP conference’s push for unity with Trump that the conference is being held at Trump National Doral, his golf course and resort near Miami.
"He’s going to come and address the Republicans there, and we’re looking forward to that," Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., confirmed to reporters last week.
Trump has made no secret of his intent to keep a close eye on the Republican majorities in the House and Senate this year, particularly as they discuss how to use their numbers to pass a massive conservative policy overhaul via the budget reconciliation process.
By reducing the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to a 51-seat simple majority, reconciliation allows a party in control of both congressional chambers to enact sweeping changes, provided they’re relevant to budgetary and fiscal policy.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are also contending with the debt ceiling being reinstated this month after it was temporarily suspended in a bipartisan deal during the Trump administration.
And coming on March 14 is the deadline to avert a partial government shutdown, which Congress has extended twice since the end of the previous fiscal year on Oct. 1.
"I think obviously everyone is ready to get to work," Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. "With President Trump’s inauguration behind us, now we’re focused on the task at hand – everything from the border to the tax package, energy and defense and national security, and our debt. What we need to do over the next two years to really fulfill the agenda that we laid out for the American people."
Lawler said he anticipated reconciliation would be a key focus of Trump’s remarks.
With razor-thin margins in the House and Senate, Republicans can afford few dissenters if they are going to get to the finish line.
Lawler is one of several Republicans who have drawn red lines in the discussions, vowing not to vote for a reconciliation bill that does not lift state and local tax (SALT) deduction caps – limits that have put a strain on suburban districts outside major cities.
He was realistic about setting expectations for their short Florida trip but was optimistic Republicans would eventually come together.
"I think we’re in the middle of the process and, you know, this is obviously not going to be resolved over these three days," Lawler said. "But this is, I think, an important opportunity for everyone to really sit down and spend their time going through a lot of these issues."
In a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital, Johnson wrote to the new president, "Thanks to your strong leadership and bold action in the first days of your presidency, the United States is already experiencing a resurgence of patriotism, unity, and hope for the future."
"Your administration and the 119th Congress working together have the chance to make these next four years some of the most consequential in our nation’s history," the speaker wrote.
"To that end, it is my distinct honor and great privilege to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, to share your America First vision for our legislative future. I eagerly await your response."
The letter comes just before Trump is expected to address House Republicans at their annual issues conference and retreat, being held this year in South Florida.
House GOP lawmakers will be meeting at Trump’s golf course and resort in Doral for three days as they work to hash out a roadmap on government spending and plans for a major conservative policy overhaul.
Trump signaled for weeks before being sworn in that he was positioning for a very active first 100 days of his new administration.
Republicans now control both the House and Senate as well as the White House. But with razor-thin majorities in both chambers, GOP lawmakers will need to vote in near lock-step to carry out Trump’s plans.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Friday recounted a meeting with President Biden from early last year when the president appeared to forget he signed an executive order pausing the export of liquified natural gas (LNG).
Johnson publicly recalled the story for the first time to Bari Weiss during an episode of her podcast "Honestly" for The Free Press after saying that through his "personal observation" in dealing with Biden, the president "has not been in charge for some time." Johnson’s story was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in June, though the newspaper’s reporting relied on anonymous sources at the time.
When Weiss asked Johnson to elaborate on his observations, the speaker began his tale of how Biden’s staff kept brushing off his attempts to schedule a meeting with the president in January 2024 amid "big national concerns" that Johnson said he "was losing sleep over."
Johnson said that Biden’s staff finally relented after some pressure from the media and invited him to the Oval Office to meet with the president. Johnson, however, said the meeting did not start as expected.
"I show up and I realize it's actually an ambush 'cause it's not just me and the president," Johnson said. "It's also Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem, you know, The CIA Director."
Johnson said the group began to "hot box" him on Ukraine funding when Biden asked if he could have the room with him, a request that Johnson said left the president’s staff visibly concerned.
Once Biden and Johnson were alone in the Oval Office, the speaker asked the president about his pause on LNG exports.
"I cannot answer this from my constituents in Louisiana," Johnson recalled telling Biden. "Sir, why did you pause LNG exports to Europe? Liquefied natural gas is in great demand by our allies. Why would you do that? Cause you understand we just talked about Ukraine, you understand you are fueling Vladimir Putin’s war machine, because they gotta get their gas from him."
Johnson recounted how a stunned Biden replied: "I didn’t do that."
Biden initiated a pause on new LNG export permits in January 2024, a move which has been widely criticized by the oil community and bipartisan lawmakers in the House.
Johnson said that when he reminded the president of the executive order he had signed just weeks ago, Biden denied that what he had signed was a pause on LNG.
Johnson said he argued that the pause would do "massive damage to our economy, national security," and he even suggested that the president’s secretary print out a copy of the order so that the two of them could read it together.
"He genuinely did not know what he had signed," Johnson said. "And I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, ‘We are in serious trouble—who is running the country?’ Like, I don't know who put the paper in front of him, but he didn’t know."
Biden’s LNG pause threatens nearly 1 million jobs over the next two decades if the restriction remains in place, according to a study by the National Association of Manufacturers, which Fox News Digital previously reported on.
The export ban would stifle the U.S. GDP by between $122.5 billion and $215.7 billion in 2044, while between $26.9 billion and $47.7 billion in tax and royalty revenues to federal, state and local governments would be at risk in 2044 if the permit pause persists, the study found.
President-elect Trump, however, reportedly "plans to go strong on the issue" of LNG exports when he assumes office, sources told Reuters in November.
Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady and Eric Revell contributed to this report.
As the new U.S. Congress convened, the 98 hostages being held by Hamas – including seven Americans – must be an immediate priority.
The fact that the 118th Congress failed to secure the release of American citizens held for over a year in Hamas dungeons in Gaza will forever remain a stain on its record. The 119th session would do well to advocate for their release in actions and not just words.
Our newly elected officials should wield the full power of both chambers to support President-elect Trump’s sentiments that there will be "hell to pay" if the hostages aren’t released by his inauguration and follow up with those that defy the demand of the president.
While the negotiations with Hamas flow mostly through the Oval Office, Congressional bodies such as the Foreign Affairs, Finance, Appropriations, and Judiciary committees, as well as individual House leaders, must play a more crucial role in demonstrating there is no daylight between the incoming administration and Congress on the topic of U.S. hostages.
The Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee will undoubtedly play a key role as the only committee with jurisdiction to deliberate and report on treaties submitted by the president to the Senate for consideration. The committee can directly summon ambassadors involved in the hostage negotiations such as those representing Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, to demand to know why U.S. citizens are still being held hostage. It can also make direct correlation between countries actively seeking with the U.S. long-term strategic defense treaties as in the case of Saudi Arabia to actively supporting the release of American hostages.
As for the Judiciary Committee, it has a critical role in providing oversight over the Department of Justice and the agencies under the department's jurisdiction, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
Forty-seven U.S. citizens were killed by Hamas during the brutal Oct. 7, 2023 attack, and the judiciary should enforce indictments of those individuals accused of supporting the murder of Americans abroad who are being hosted by U.S. allies such as Turkey and Qatar.
Furthermore, the committee should further expand the Anti-Terrorism Act, enabling families of victims to sue in a civil court commercial entities connected to these crimes. This would send a clear message: beware those that believe they can support terrorist activities unnoticed. It should also hold the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accountable, demanding it puts timely and significant sanctions on entities supporting terrorist organizations.
The Senate Appropriations Committee also has a role to play as defined by the Constitution, which requires "appropriations made by law" as a condition for expenditures made by the U.S. Treasury. In other words: Follow the money. Countries seeking U.S. financial aid should be unreservedly respectful of U.S. demands, especially on the topic of unlawful detention of Americans. For example, in September, the committee approved $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt. Such aid should have been conditioned on Cairo destroying all tunnels leading from Egypt into Gaza, which were used to transfer the very weapons utilized to kill U.S. citizens and to take them hostage.
The new Congress has a moral and legal obligation to ensure the return of the seven American hostages. What power does a global superpower have if it cannot even secure the release of its citizens from a floundering terror group? It must show its commitment in the "House of the People" via all of its political, financial, and judicial levers in order to help bring the American and all the other hostages home.
By taking a more vigorous approach vis a vis countries and commercial entities that have a proven capability of influencing Hamas, the U.S. will demonstrate its commitment to its citizens and its unwillingness to tolerate terrorism and human rights abuses.
As we and countless others watch and wait, hopeful for the return of our loved ones, it is imperative that the U.S. with the active support of Congress act decisively, and without delay. I have a dream that next week, when I attend President Trump’s inauguration, he will say he secured the release of all of the U.S. hostages, just like President Reagan did at his inauguration in 1981.
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, who led Republicans to their first House majority in four decades in 1994, said Saturday the House Freedom Caucus should recall how his own caucus led conservatives to power within the party.
Gingrich tweeted that he and other conservatives had developed "positive action principles" in 1983 as part of what they called the Conservative Opportunity Society.
"[Those] led 11 years later to the Contract with America and the first GOP House Majority in 40 years."
"If the Freedom Caucus would study them, they could be dramatically more effective," Gingrich said, going on to cite and agree with a sentiment from political reporter Mark Halperin’s "Wide World of News" newsletter.
"[T]he Freedom Caucus is a bunch of rebels with a series of causes but no coherent path to achieving said causes," Halperin wrote.
In the 1980s, although Ronald Reagan was in the White House, Boston Democratic Speaker Tip O’Neill wielded strong control of the House. O’Neill and Reagan had a notably friendly but ideologically disparate relationship.
Coinciding with the early days of C-SPAN televising live floor proceedings, Gingrich would often take to the well of the House in the late-night hours and address conservatives’ issues to a mostly empty chamber but with a captive audience on the new TV format.
Gingrich biographer Craig Shirley told Fox News Digital on Saturday that the Freedom Caucus should study the work of their comparative predecessor, the Conservative Opportunity Society, as well as the path Gingrich led from a low-profile congressman to speaker.
"I guess the word brilliant is thrown around so, so cavalierly. So let me just say, it was extremely smart politics to make the case for conservative governance," Shirley said of Gingrich’s work in the 1980s and 1990s.
"Reagan had already blazed that path eight years before Gingrich did."
While critics say the GOP has shifted hard to the right on some issues and softened on others, Shirley said it’s essentially the same as it was during Gingrich’s rise.
"Less government, more freedom, less taxes, strong national defense, pro-life."
Former Rep. Vin Weber, R-Minn., another top member of Gingrich’s conservative group, said in a PBS interview that there have not been too many groups like the Conservative Opportunity Society (or the Freedom Caucus, which hadn’t been formed at the time of the interview) and that there was the same issue with apprehension over angering their party leaders.
Weber said there had been a few small intra-caucus conservative groups prior to the Reagan era, including one in the 1960s led by then-Rep. Donald Rumsfeld, R-Ill. – who would go on to serve as Pentagon chief two times.
On the last day of the 1982 session, Gingrich approached Weber and asked, "What are you doing next year and for the next 10 years after that?."
"I thought that was interesting and I said, ‘I expect to be back here, but nothing special other than that,’" Weber recalled.
"What he was saying was that he, as one person, was not being effective…. He identified me in the [GOP] conference as somebody [who] had been supportive of his point of view and maybe had some ability to organize things," Weber said.
Shirley said the current Freedom Caucus has the rare opportunity to achieve their goals if they play their cards right, with full Republican control of Washington.
"They don't have a ‘contract,’ but they have the next best thing there. They have a core set of issues and an ideology that they can easily follow," he said, adding that "no one should ever doubt" Speaker Mike Johnson’s commitment to "Reaganite" principles.
In additional comments to Fox News’ "Hannity," Gingrich said the one-round vote Friday was a "great victory" for Johnson, R-La.
"[He’s] just a decent, hardworking, intelligent human being.… I could not have been the kind of speaker he is. I don't have the patience. I don't have that ability to just keep moving forward. It's really very extraordinary."
Meanwhile, Freedom Caucus member Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News the group met with Johnson earlier and that he "just didn't come away with the feeling that the ‘umph’ or the willingness to fight for Trump's agenda was there."
"And I use as a backdrop what’s happened the last 14 months, we had 1500-page omni-bills that you couldn’t read – where you had no spending cuts to offset $100 billion in new spending."
"And I know we had a slim majority, but that's over with now. What we wanted to impress with [Johnson] yesterday was, are you going to fight for these things that we've been asking for, like a balanced budget? Like offsets? Like getting behind all of the Trump agenda?"
Norman, along with Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, initially did not vote for Johnson, which would have set up a second round of speaker votes.
But, Norman told "The Story" that that action was the "only way to let my voice be heard."
He said Johnson "gave his word" to fight for the things he mentioned to Fox News, and that agreement, plus a message from Trump that Johnson was the only speaker candidate with support in the caucus, guided his decision to ultimately support the Louisianan.
In a "Dear Colleague" letter released Friday, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., and his members expressed several policy points that Johnson should commit to in order to "reverse the damage of the Biden-Harris administration," as well as achieve long-standing conservative goals.
The letter indicated they had voted for Johnson because of their "steadfast support" of Trump and ensuring the Jan. 6 elector certification can run smoothly.
"We did this despite our sincere reservations regarding the Speaker’s track record over the past 15 months."
The caucus called for Johnson to modify the House calendar so its schedule is as busy as the Senate’s, ensure reconciliation legislation reduces spending and deficits in "real terms," and halt violations of the "72-hour-rule" for debate on amendments to bills.
They also demanded Johnson not rely on Democrats to pass legislation that a majority of his own caucus won’t support.
In comments on "The Story," Norman said he believes Johnson now understands – through the initial silence of several Republicans during the first roll call and his and Self’s initial non-Johnson-vote – that he will have to work to consider the conservative bloc’s demands.
While the high-stakes fight to lead the House of Representatives is over, Speaker Mike Johnson’s politically perilous year is just beginning.
Winning the speaker’s gavel was no easy feat considering Johnson, R-La., had no Democratic support and could only lose one fellow Republican, thanks to the House GOP’s razor-thin majority.
All House Republicans except for Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted for Johnson on Friday afternoon. Two GOP lawmakers who had initially voted for someone other than Johnson, Reps. Keith Self, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., were eventually persuaded to switch their votes after speaking with Johnson and President-elect Trump.
Johnson will have to navigate a similarly slim margin over the next few months as he helps carry out what President-elect Donald Trump promised would be a very active first 100 days of his new administration.
"There’s a lot of expectations and potential pitfalls," Marc Short, who served as director of legislative affairs during the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital in an interview late last month.
Just the first half of 2025 alone is expected to see at least three separate fiscal fights.
Johnson, meanwhile, is set to lose two House Republicans – Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Mike Waltz of Florida. Both members are joining the Trump administration at the end of this month.
It will reduce his House GOP majority to just 217 seats, compared to 215 for Democrats, which means Republicans will need to vote in lock-step to pass any bills on a party-line vote.
Special elections to replace Waltz and retired Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., are set for April. An election to replace Stefanik has not yet been set.
Meanwhile, Republicans are gunning to pass two massive conservative policy and spending overhauls via a process called "reconciliation," which lowers the threshold for passage in the Senate from 60 votes to a simple majority for certain budgetary issues.
Both Republicans and Democrats have tried to use reconciliation to pass significant fiscal policy changes that the other side normally opposes, meaning it takes extraordinary levels of intra-party cooperation in both the House and Senate.
"There’s huge expectations on budget reconciliation, and that’s really hard, even when you’ve got wide margins. To think you’re going to do it twice in a year with those margins, I think is an enormously high expectation that seems to be unreasonable," Short told Fox News Digital.
"And add onto that another funding bill in three months, plus a debt ceiling fight."
Along with reconciliation bills – which are unlikely to get much, if any, Democratic support – Republicans will also have to grapple with the government funding deadline they just punted to March 14.
House and Senate lawmakers passed a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024’s government funding levels in December to give negotiators more time to hash out the rest of FY 2025.
Congress will risk plunging the government into a partial shutdown if the House and Senate does not pass another funding extension or set new priorities for the remainder of FY 2025 by then.
The next government funding deadline will come at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
That’s not all Johnson will have to focus on during those months, however.
A bipartisan agreement struck in 2023 suspended the U.S. debt limit through January 2025 – after which the Treasury Department will be forced to take "extraordinary measures" to avoid a national credit default.
The debt limit refers to how much debt the U.S. government can accrue while making expenditures it has already committed to. As of Christmas Eve, the national debt — which measures what the U.S. owes its creditors — fell to $36,161,621,015,445.57, according to the latest numbers published by the Treasury Department.
Raising the debt limit is also traditionally a fraught political battle, with both Republicans and Democrats seeking any possible leverage to attach their own policy goals to the negotiations.
A recent model produced by the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) projects the Treasury’s "extraordinary measures" will carry the U.S. through mid-June or earlier, giving Congress potentially six months to act.
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., initially voted for Jim Jordan for speaker of the House Friday, but President-elect Trump was able to convince him to change his vote — while working on his golf game.
In Trump's first phone call to Norman, Trump was hitting the links.
"He said, ‘Look, I’m in the middle of a golf game.' That was the first time I talked to him," Norman said, via MediaIte.
"He said, ‘Well, you did vote for Nikki Haley.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir, I did. We’re with you now.' And I said, 'We will be with Mike Johnson.'"
Trump owns numerous golf courses, one of which was the site of a second assassination attempt on his life in the summer. Trump's USGA handicap was once as low as a 2.5, and he claims to have recorded eight holes-in-one.
Trump also spoke with Keith Self, R-Texas, on the phone in an effort to sway Self's vote, sources told Fox News Digital.
Self confirmed to reporters he had spoken with Trump by phone multiple times Friday.
"I talked to him a couple of times today," Self said. "We had a lively discussion."
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., connected Trump with Self and Norman by phone after they voted against Johnson, the sources said.
Johnson won the House speakership in the first round of voting, after it initially appeared he might lose.
Self, Norman and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., each voted for lawmakers other than Johnson, appearing to put the speaker's gavel out of reach.
But House leaders did not formally close the vote while figuring out a path forward. GOP lawmakers were told to be on the House floor immediately in preparation for a second vote.
That second vote did not occur, however, and Johnson was sworn in as speaker Friday afternoon.
Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Democratic lawmakers had mixed reactions to Republican Rep. Mike Johnson being re-elected as speaker of the House for the 119th Congress.
Lawmakers gathered on Capitol Hill Friday to vote for a speaker before the new Congress commenced. Johnson won the speaker race during the first round of voting, but not all GOP lawmakers were originally in support of his candidacy.
During the first round, three Republicans voted for candidates other than Johnson. However, after a short meeting in the GOP cloakroom with Johnson, Republican holdouts Ralph Norman and Keith Self changed their vote for the first round, securing the speakership for Johnson.
While it remained uncertain whether the Republican holdouts would change their votes, Democrats began reacting on social media.
"The GOP Civil War is in full swing. And it’s only Day 1," House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries wrote in a post on X shortly before two of the GOP holdouts changed their votes.
"Welp, it only took a few minutes for the GOP to run this train right off its tracks — not voting for their own Speaker of the House," Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., said in a post on social media. "Was hoping we could leave the dysfunction in 2024 and work for the American people! But we’re headed to a round two of Speaker votes."
But the sentiment changed after Johnson won the gavel in just one round. One Democrat credited Johnson for securing the speakership in a single vote after it took Republican lawmakers four days to elect a speaker in January 2023.
"To his credit Mike Johnson learned from the 15 round debacle of 2 years ago. Instead of trying to jam his conference with a quick second round he held the vote open while some backroom arm twisting & hand wringing took place. The result: 2 changed vote, enough to win the gavel," Rep. Hank Johnson, R-Ga., said.
"This fight is over, but keep your popcorn close."
"Hell has frozen over (literally - it’s snowing in DC)! With just one vote, we have a Speaker - for now!" Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas., said on X.
Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky said, "now that we have a Speaker, let’s get to work."
After Johnson won the speakership vote, other Democrats congratulated him.
"Congratulations to Mike Johnson on earning re-election as Speaker of the House," Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., posted on social media. "There are several vetted, bipartisan bills in the docket that he could immediately bring to the floor to help Americans: afford housing, pay for Rx drugs, secure the border."
Democratic lawmakers voted unanimously for Representative-elect Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
"215 @HouseDemocrats stand united behind our Leader @RepJeffries. First round. Every round," Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said in a post on X after the vote.
Republicans in the House of Representatives cheered the re-election of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., during the first round of votes Friday, after successfully avoiding the lengthy speaker vote process former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., endured ahead of the 118th Congress in early 2023.
"Congratulations to my friend @SpeakerJohnson! We’re fired up and ready to work with President Trump to Make America Great Again!" House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., wrote on X after the successful vote.
Johnson was elected to serve as speaker again by a vote of 218-215-1, with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., the only Republican who opposed Johnson's election.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said on X: "Congratulations to @SpeakerJohnson on his re-election to lead our conference through the 119th Congress. Under his leadership, House Republicans are ready to work with President @realDonaldTrump to fix our economy, secure our borders, unleash American energy, and lower taxes for hardworking families. The American people are counting on us, and the @HouseGOP will deliver."
Initially, it looked like Johnson would fall short of the necessary votes to be elected on the first ballot after Republican representatives Keith Self of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina first voted for different candidates. However, the two ultimately switched their votes for Johnson before the tally was officially closed.
Several Republicans pointed out their ability to get it done on the first ballot after it took 15 ballots in 2023 to elect McCarthy.
"Victory on the first ballot. As the Chairwoman of the unified House Republican Conference, I can say proudly, that we are ready to govern," House GOP conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., said on X.
In his own post, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., wrote, "First day. First ballot. Time to get to work on behalf of the American people."
While Johnson was able to win re-election on the first ballot, it didn't come without significant uncertainty. A number of Republicans, including members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, did not initially cast votes when their names were called, putting Johnson's speakership at risk.
Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Michael Cloud, R-Texas; Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.; Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.; House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md.; Chip Roy, R-Texas; and Mike Waltz, R-Fla., did not vote at first during the roll call.
After the initial roll call, each of the representatives voted in favor of Johnson, to the surprise of some.
"Today, 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," Harris wrote on X afterward.
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a member and former chairman of the HFC, said on X, "While I maintain my reservations about Speaker Johnson’s leadership record, today I voted in support of President Trump’s Agenda.
"We will hold Speaker Johnson accountable to accomplish the Republican Agenda. He must: - Secure our southern border - Institute commonsense House rules - Cut unbridled federal spending - Eliminate harmful and costly regulations - Reverse insane Biden policies like Green New Deal handouts - Implement a Congressional stock trade ban. We have a mandate from the American People. These policies are necessary to save our Country."
"Congratulations, @SpeakerJohnson. I look forward to working with you to accomplish the legislative goals of President Trump in the coming days," Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., another HFC member, wrote on X.
U.S. Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett protested the nonvoting status of the Virgin Islands and other U.S. territories Friday— sparking mixed reactions after she accused the U.S. in House floor remarks of having a "colonies problem."
The exchange occurred after Plaskett, a Democrat, stood after the first roll call vote to note what she said was a parliamentary inquiry.
Plaskett then asked the House clerk why she and other delegates from the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia were not asked to participate in the House speaker vote.
Combined, she noted that the delegates excluded represent some four million Americans and what she said was "the largest per capita of veterans in this country."
Speaking over Republican cries of "order!" that could be heard in the background, the House clerk then explained to Plaskett that delegates-elect and the resident commissioner-elect are not qualified to vote in the House speaker election.
"Representatives-elect are the only individuals qualified to vote in the election of a speaker, as provided in Section 36 of the House Rules and Manual," the clerk said.
That response prompted an impassioned response from Plaskett. "This body, and this nation, has a territories and a colonies problem," she said, prompting some Democrats to give a standing ovation.
Republicans, for their part, began booing.
"What was supposed to be temporary has now effectively become permanent," she said. "We must do something about this problem."
Her mic appeared to have been cut off shortly thereafter.
Plaskett has served as a non-voting delegate to the U.S. Virgin Islands since 2015, during which time the chamber has voted to elect seven separate House speakers.
President-elect Trump appears to have helped Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., avoid a messy, drawn-out fight to lead the House of Representatives.
Trump spoke by phone with both Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Keith Self, R-Texas, after they had initially voted for people other than Johnson for speaker, two knowledgeable sources told Fox News Digital.
Self and Norman were seen disappearing into a side room with Johnson and others after the roll call vote was complete, but before the vote was formally closed.
They emerged minutes later and announced they would both vote for Johnson – cementing the Louisiana Republican's victory.
Self then confirmed to reporters that he had spoken with Trump by phone multiple times on Friday.
"I talked to him a couple of times today," Self said. "We had a lively discussion."
Self did not elaborate much further on the contents of the discussion.
But the two people who spoke with Fox News Digital said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., connected Trump with Self and Norman by phone after they voted against Johnson.
Mace would not comment, but Fox News Digital saw her and Johnson share a hug on the House floor after they and others were in the side room with the holdouts.
She was also seen in intense talks with Norman off the House floor earlier.
Norman also later confirmed to reporters that he spoke with Trump on Friday.
"He just made his point about how Mike is the only one who could get elected," Norman said, adding that Trump did not change his vote but rather a "commitment that things are gonna change" from Johnson.
Johnson won the House speakership in the first round of voting, after it initially appeared he was poised to lose.
Self, Norman and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., each voted for people other than Johnson, appearing to put the speaker's gavel out of reach.
But House leaders did not formally close the vote while figuring out a path forward. Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers were told to be on the House floor immediately in preparation for a second vote.
That second vote did not occur, however, and Johnson was sworn in as speaker on Friday afternoon.
FIRST ON FOX: President-elect Trump reacted to Mike Johnson’s re-election as speaker of the House, telling Fox News Digital the process brought House Republicans "even closer together," and said it is a continuation of "Make America Great Again."
Sources told Fox News Digital that the president-elect was in "constant communication" with House Republicans throughout the process. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump said it was "a great honor to have helped."
"It is all a great continuation of ‘Make America Great Again,’" Trump said.
"Mike Johnson will do a fabulous job as speaker," Trump said. "House Republican membership was fantastic."
"This process has brought them even closer together," he said. "It is all a reflection of the great presidential election of 2024 where we won all seven swing states, the popular vote and everything else there is to win."
"We will all be working together with total benefit going to the people of our nation," he said. "Our country will be run with strength and common sense again."
He added: "America is back."
Johnson won along party lines during the first round of voting, a stark contrast to his predecessor’s drawn-out, 15-round battle in 2023.
Johnson's allies warned in return that a prolonged House speaker fight could delay Congress' joint session to certify President-elect Trump's victory, slated for Monday.
Johnson also had a key backer in Trump, who first emphasized his support for the GOP leader last month in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, and throughout the process.
"Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support. 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!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social app.
Johnson wrote on X in response, "Thank you, President Trump! Today is a new day in America. Congressional Republicans must stay united to quickly deliver President Trump’s America First agenda. Let’s get it done."
Johnson's victory marks the start of his first full term as speaker. Johnson won the gavel in October 2023 after three weeks of closed-door talks following the ouster of ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Speaker-designate Mike Johnson, R-La., was re-elected to lead the House of Representatives on Friday.
The Louisiana Republican won along party lines during the first round of voting, a stark contrast to his predecessor’s drawn-out, 15-round battle in 2023.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote against Johnson in the end, after Reps. Keith Self, R-Texas and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., initially voted for someone else but then switched their support to the Republican leader.
It comes despite saber-rattling by some conservatives who threatened to withhold support from Johnson in protest of his handling of government funding and several other issues in the 118th Congress.
Massie, R-Ky., who was part of an unsuccessful push to oust Johnson last year, was the speaker-designate’s most vocal critic leading up to the Friday vote.
He told former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on his new One America News Network program, "You can pull all my fingernails out, you can shove bamboo up in them, you can start cutting off my fingers."
"I am not voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow, and you can take that to the bank," Massie said.
Other detractors included members of the House Freedom Caucus like Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who has expressed interest in chairing the influential House Rules Committee, the panel that directs terms for House-wide votes on legislation.
Johnson's allies warned in return that a prolonged House speaker fight could delay Congress' joint session to certify President-elect Trump's victory, slated for Monday.
But Roy ended up supporting Johnson, as did the vast majority of GOP lawmakers.
Johnson's future appeared uncertain at one point on Friday afternoon when three House Republicans voted for someone other than him for speaker, putting the gavel seemingly out of reach.
But Johnson then huddled with Self and Norman, along with other lawmakers, behind closed doors before the vote was called to an end. Both later emerged and switched their votes to support Johnson.
Two sources told Fox News Digital that Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., helped facilitate phone calls with both holdouts during that time.
Both confirmed they spoke with Trump but did not give details of the calls.
Trump also emphasized his support for the GOP leader hours before the midday vote.
"Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support. 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!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social app.
Johnson wrote on X in response, "Thank you, President Trump! Today is a new day in America. Congressional Republicans must stay united to quickly deliver President Trump’s America First agenda. Let’s get it done."
His victory marks the start of his first full term as speaker. Johnson won the gavel in October 2023 after three weeks of closed-door talks following the ouster of ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., narrowly held onto the gavel in a nail-biter vote on Friday afternoon.
Republicans eager to swear in President-elect Trump later this month and capitalize on their control of the House, Senate and White House avoided the same fate of the past two drawn-out speaker elections.
After some wrangling by both Trump and Johnson, ultimately Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the lone Republican to defy leadership and vote against Johnson.
Here’s a look at the top moments of the first vote of the 119th Congress:
Johnson appeared to be on a path to defeat when five Republicans sat silently as their clerk called their names for a vote. Three others — Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas — voted against Johnson.
Massie voted for House Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.; Norman voted for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Self voted for Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.
At the end of the vote, the names of those who refused to vote on first mention were called again. Reps. Andy Harris, R-Md.; Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.; Michael Cloud, R-Texas; and Chip Roy, R-Texas, ultimately voted for Johnson.
Trump then got on the phone with both Norman and Self and urged them to switch their vote for Johnson, both congressmen confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Two people who spoke with Fox News Digital said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., connected Trump with Self and Norman by phone after they voted against Johnson.
Mace would not comment, but Fox News Digital saw her and Johnson share a hug on the House floor after they and others were in the side room with the holdouts.
Mace was also seen in intense talks with Norman off the House floor earlier.
Massie was irreconcilable — he'd long had his mind made up that Johnson was not the right person for the job. But Johnson could only afford to lose one vote and hold on to the gavel.
Johnson, too, huddled with Self and Norman. House leaders did not formally end the vote while figuring out a path forward.
About an hour after voting for others, the pair of defectors switched their votes, granting Johnson his wish.
Self said he switched his vote in order to help further "the Trump agenda."
"The Trump agenda is most important. Trump agenda is most important, and we need to shore up processes in the House to make sure we have the strongest negotiating team for the reconciliation package that will come. So again, this was all about making the Trump agenda more successful," said Self.
Norman said he spoke with Trump, but was ultimately persuaded to change his mind due to the promises he got from Johnson to make "real change."
Trump "just made his point about how Mike is the only one who could get elected," Norman said.
He said Johnson didn’t offer him a quid pro quo but "a commitment that things are going to change."
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