WASHINGTON (AP) — Home Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned Tuesday that Republicans are “able to ship” for President-elect Donald Trump’s after his election victory, insisting the GOP is significantly better ready for a second-term agenda.
Standing on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with the Home GOP management workforce, the speaker mentioned there could be no time wasted earlier than work begins on Trump’s “America First” agenda of securing the southern border and exhibiting power on the world stage. He expects Republicans will lead a unified authorities, though Home management remains to be too early to name.
“We’re able to ship on America’s mandate,” mentioned Johnson.
“We will likely be prepared day one. We’re ready this time.”
Trump will meet with Johnson on the Capitol on Wednesday whereas he’s on the town for his go to to the White Home, and Johnson mentioned he will likely be spending the weekend with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida as they put together for the brand new 12 months.
Congress returned Tuesday to a modified Washington as Trump’s hard-right agenda is rapidly taking form, buoyed by keen Republican allies eyeing a full sweep of energy on Capitol Hill whereas Democrats are checking out what went improper.
Whilst ultimate election outcomes are nonetheless being tallied, the Home and Senate management is pushing forward towards a second-term Trump White Home and what he’s known as a mandate for governing, with mass deportations, trade deregulation and wholesale reductions in the federal authorities.
Trump is already testing the norms of governance throughout this presidential transition interval — telling the Senate to forgo its advise-and-consent function and easily settle for his Cupboard nominees — and he’s staffing his administration and discovering lawmakers keen to bend these civic traditions.
“Trump’s going to ship his deportations, the drilling, the wall — it’s going to take all of us getting collectively,” mentioned Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a conservative member of the Home Freedom Caucus.
However first, the Home and Senate leaders will maintain inside celebration elections this week for their very own jobs. A lot of the high Republican leaders depend upon Trump for his or her political livelihoods and have labored to draw nearer to the president-elect to shore up loyalty.
Within the Senate, the place Republicans seized energy from Democrats on election night time, three Republican senators who’re vying to turn into the brand new GOP chief have rushed to agree with Trump’s plan for fast affirmation of presidential nominees.
“As Congress returns to Washington, we should put together the Senate to advance that agenda legislatively and be sure that the president-elect can hit the bottom working along with his appointees confirmed as quickly as attainable,” GOP Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who’s searching for the management job, wrote in a Fox Information opinion piece.
All informed, it’s a basic reshaping of not solely the facility facilities in Washington, however the guidelines of governing, as Trump returns to the White Home in January with a possible GOP-led Congress that’s far much less skeptical or cautious of his strategy than eight years in the past, and way more keen to again him.
“That is going to be a really difficult time,” mentioned Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
She described the “horrific immigration insurance policies” that Trump promised voters and she or he insisted the progressives in Congress will present an “efficient test” on the brand new White Home, a lot the best way Democrats did throughout his first time period by combating efforts to repeal the Reasonably priced Care Act and different insurance policies.
On the similar time, Jayapal warned Trump can have “many fewer restrictions.”
“Our members are able to take up the battle once more,” she mentioned, standing alongside a handful of newly elected progressive lawmakers she known as the “brilliant lights” becoming a member of Congress.
First exams will come in the course of the “lame duck” interval of the remaining days of this Congress, the eight-week dash till Jan. 3, 2025, when the brand new lawmakers are sworn into workplace.
As lawmakers return this week they are going to be joined by dozens of latest names within the Home and Senate who’re on the town for freshmen orientation weeks and the personal management elections scheduled for Wednesday.
However Republican senators have been protesting that one in all their very own, newly elected Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, was excluded from orientation week by Senate Democratic Majority Chief Chuck Schumer as a result of there are nonetheless uncounted ballots in his race. Schumer’s workplace had mentioned it’s customized to attend till all of the ballots are counted however has since invited McCormick. Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, who gained his race, additionally has been invited.
The Senate management race to switch outgoing GOP Chief Mitch McConnell is popping right into a check of Trump loyalties, with the president-elect’s allies — together with billionaire Elon Musk and Make America Nice Once more influencers — pushing the senators to elect Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.
However Scott has not been the preferred candidate for the management put up, and senators had been rallying across the two “Johns” — Thune, the second-ranking GOP chief, and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. The end result of Wednesday’s personal balloting behind closed doorways is extremely unsure.
Within the Home, some conservative Republicans are quietly suggesting their very own management elections must be postponed till the ultimate outcomes of the Home races are resolved. Democrats will maintain their Home and Senate management elections later.
Johnson needs to retain the speaker’s gavel and informed colleagues in a letter final week he is able to “take the sector” with them to ship on Trump’s agenda. However he’s anticipated to face detractors behind closed doorways.
Whereas Johnson solely wants a easy majority throughout Wednesday’s personal voting to turn into the GOP nominee to be speaker, he’ll want a 218-member majority in January throughout a flooring vote of the entire Home.
A low vote complete this week will present the leverage Freedom Caucus members and others must pry concessions from Johnson, a lot as they pressured then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy into a protracted vote for the gavel in 2023.
And whereas Johnson predicts subsequent 12 months will launch the “most consequential” presidency and Congress in trendy occasions, he has had issue this 12 months main Republicans who refused to associate with plans, forcing the speaker to typically associate with Democratic Chief Hakeem Jeffries.
Johnson’s troubles stem partially from his slim majority, however that would persist if Trump continues to faucet Home Republicans to fill his administration. Trump has already requested Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be ambassador to the United Nations and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to be his nationwide safety adviser.
“We’re just about maxed out,” mentioned Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas. “Everyone understands that.”
Within the weeks forward, Congress faces one other deadline, Dec. 20, to fund the federal authorities or threat a shutdown, and conservatives are redoubling their stress on Johnson to not cave on their calls for to slash spending.
The Home and Senate additionally will contemplate replenishing the Catastrophe Aid Fund to assist present assist within the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
And with President Joe Biden getting ready to exit and Democrats relinquishing their maintain on the Senate, there will likely be stress to verify extra judicial nominees and to usher out the door another payments that would presumably turn into legislation earlier than Trump takes over.
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