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Republican Mike Johnson narrowly won reelection to the House speakership Friday, overcoming hard-right GOP holdouts after a tense standoff and buoyed by a nod of support from President-elect Donald Trump.
The uneasy scene brought an ominous start to the first day of the new Congress. In the end, however, Johnson was able to prevail by a slim 218-215 margin.
Johnson, visibly relieved, vowed to “reject business as usual” in his first speech of the 119th Congress and vowed to "drastically cut back the size and scope of government."
The House Democratic leader Hakeem Jefferies attempted to push past the Republican tumult of the past two years, saying it was time to come together, put party politics aside “to get things done” for Americans.