Johnson retains speakership, pledges to roll back 'totalitarian' administrative state

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., overcame doubters on Friday by winning the House speakership on the first ballot, although at one point it looked like there would be a second vote. 

"As heirs to the American Revolution and the descendants of patriots who defied tyranny, in the coming months we are going to pass legislation to roll back the totalitarian fourth branch of government known as the administrative state," he said in a speech following the vote. "We're going to drastically cut back the size and scope of government. We're going to return the power back to the people. And in coordination with President Trump and his administration, we're going to create a leaner, faster and more efficient federal workforce. We need to do that." 

House Republicans have a narrow majority in the new 119th Congress, whose members were also sworn in Friday, and Johnson had few votes to spare. 

Ultimately, Johnson’s only GOP detractor was Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who voted for Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. Massie previously announced that he would not support the speaker, arguing he would “not be able to achieve the mandate voters gave Trump and Congress in November.” 

Trump endorsed Johnson, wishing him luck on Friday morning. The final vote tally for Johnson was 218-215-1.

Initially, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., voted for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, backed Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., but the pair changed their votes shortly after meeting with Johnson off the House floor. 

Norman and Self are both members of the House Freedom Caucus, which frequently clashes with GOP leadership. Many Republicans criticized Johnson over his handling of the latest continuing resolution to fund the government through March 14. 

House Democrats voted solidly for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Johnson has previously said he wants to curtail telework for federal employees and backs Trump’s nongovernmental advisory panel to cut government spending, which will be led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

“Government is too big. It does too many things, and it does almost nothing well,” Johnson said in December. “We believe it's an historic moment for the country, and these two gentlemen are going to help navigate through this exciting new day.”

On Friday, Johnson said he would create a working group of independent experts to work with Musk and Ramaswamy’s initiative on implementing government and spending reforms and to review audits of federal agencies.

Updated with quote from Johnson