Stay updates as Home prepares to vote for speaker and new Congress begins right now
The Home is anticipated to have 434 members current. The one seat anticipated to be vacant is that of former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Members will likely be referred to as individually and vote by calling out a reputation. To be reelected as speaker, Johnson will want a majority. The magic quantity is not set in stone, which is why issues can get a bit tough. It may change primarily based on attendance, and whether or not members vote for a named candidate or just file themselves as “current.”
So let’s run via some situations.
If all 215 Democrats present up and unite behind their chief, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Johnson will solely have the ability to lose one Republican who votes for an additional named candidate:
- Jeffries: 215
- Johnson: 218
- Different candidate: 1
- 218 out of 434 = A majority for Johnson
If he loses a second Republican to a different named candidate, he wouldn’t have the magic quantity for a majority:
- Jeffries: 215
- Johnson: 217
- Different candidate: 2
- 217 out of 434 = Not a majority
He may in concept lose one GOP vote to a different named candidate, and afford one different Republican defection as long as that particular person data “current” and would not vote for another candidate. That is as a result of the quantity he’d want for a majority can be decrease:
- Jeffries: 215
- Johnson: 217
- Different candidate: 1
- Current: 1
- 217 out of 433 = A majority for Johnson
He can not lose a GOP vote to a named candidate if two Republicans vote “current,” nevertheless:
- Jeffries: 215
- Johnson: 216
- Different candidate: 1
- Current: 2
- 216 out of 432 = Not a majority for Johnson
He may lose three defectors if all of them vote “current”:
- Jeffries: 215
- Johnson: 216
- Current: 3
- 216 out of 431 = A majority for Johnson
Nonetheless, we all know this final situation will not occur, as a result of Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has already instructed reporters he will not vote for Johnson and can vote for an alternate candidate.
At the moment, Massie is the one “no.” He instructed reporters in December that he had a “few” alternate candidates in thoughts, however would not say who they have been.
There are a number of Republicans who’ve publicly mentioned they’re undecided on Johnson, together with Reps. Chip Roy, Andy Biggs, Victoria Spartz, Tim Burchett and Ralph Norman. Johnson met with a number of of the holdouts on Thursday.
The important thing benefit for Johnson is that no different Republican is at the moment difficult him or has publicly expressed curiosity in doing so.
