The 119th Congress kicks off on Friday at noon ET, and the first order of business is electing the Speaker of the House. This is a critical position, as the Speaker is the presiding officer of the House and is responsible for administering the oath of office to new members .
The House can’t take any official actions until a Speaker is chosen, including swearing in members. The Speaker is then responsible for swearing in the rest of the House. After that, the House must adopt a rules package to govern its daily operations.
The election process involves nominating speeches, followed by a roll-call vote. Lawmakers can vote for anyone they want, including non-House members. To win, a candidate must secure an outright majority of votes.
Current Speaker Mike Johnson is up for re-election, but some conservatives have expressed disappointment with his performance. There are rumors that 12 to 17 Republicans might vote for someone else. If Johnson fails to secure 218 votes, the House will have to take another ballot.
The stakes are high, and a prolonged battle over the Speakership could delay the certification of the Electoral College vote on Monday. It could also lead to infighting among Republicans, making it challenging to implement President-elect Trump’s agenda.
