A look at Mike Johnson and the troubled history of Republican speakers : NPR

Table Of Content

• Journalist arrested in Texas amid tense protests at UT Austin
• ‘Battle for the soul’: Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan headed to runoff with Trump-backed challenger
• h Texas Legislature convened on Jan. 10, will run 140 days until May 29.
• At least 10 arrests at University of Texas in Austin
• Russian Mercenaries Hunt the African Warlord America Couldn’t Catch
• Negotiations at Columbia University unstable, organizers say
• Mike Johnson and the troubled history of recent Republican speakers

He replaced one-term speaker Dennis Bonnen, who retired after becoming embroiled in a secret recording scandal in 2019 in which he bashed members of his own party. Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news. Thank you for visiting the official website of the Texas House of Representatives.

Journalist arrested in Texas amid tense protests at UT Austin

He soon eclipsed the party's leader, Robert Michel, who was nearing retirement. Even a glance at the history of Republican speakers since World War II would tell him that. But as Greene has said, the existence of her motion serves as a warning. She could activate a vote at any time so Johnson should know he is skating on thin ice. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson attends a news conference at the U.S. Johnson’s appearance at the San Antonio fundraiser was long-planned and coincides with the National Republican Congressional Committee’s spring dinner in Dallas Tuesday night, a person familiar told The Post.

‘Battle for the soul’: Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan headed to runoff with Trump-backed challenger

If Paxton will break an oath to his wife and God, why would he tell Trump — or you — the truth? ” Phelan said, alluding to the details of Paxton’s extramarital affair, which became public during the trial. In floor debates on a topic that can easily become emotionally charged, Oliverson maintained the countenance of a doctor explaining something to a patient, avoiding the bombast that can make Republicans vulnerable to accusations of bigotry. Also in attendance was Wes Virdell, who won the seat vacated by state Rep. Andrew Murr of Junction, who led the impeachment effort in the House. Trying to further diminish the influence of Democrats — prompting them to retaliate by withholding support for any of the above — risks injecting the kind of partisan dysfunction into the Texas House that plagues the federal Congress. In an interview with Spectrum News, Phelan criticized Oliverson for announcing his bid while multiple House contests — including ones that involve mutual allies of Phelan and Oliverson — hung in the balance.

h Texas Legislature convened on Jan. 10, will run 140 days until May 29.

Among Republicans in the House, Oliverson is viewed as a reliably conservative, genial, hardworking member who brings unique expertise as a medical professional. House leadership leaned on these traits last year when they put forth Oliverson as the face of Senate Bill 14, which banned gender-transitioning care for transgender minors. Jockeying for the speaker’s gavel has been going on behind the scenes since the primary results were tallied two weeks ago. Oliverson is merely the first candidate to go public with his intentions. That he did it before Phelan has officially been defeated — and 10 months before the House will convene to elect the next speaker — suggests he believes he can quickly consolidate support among the 150 House members who select the speaker.

Here you can find more information about the 150 men and women who represent house districts across the great State of Texas, as well as how to contact your Representative and stay up to date on the important work they are conducting on Texans' behalf. Joe Biden does not plan to visit Columbia University when he visits New York on Friday, White House and campaign officials told CNN. But the protesters are also calling for an academic boycott, which would end collaborations with Israeli universities and the establishment of a new Palestinian Studies program. Now in its third day, the protest encampment at UC Berkeley has steadily grown. Campus officials have also dismantled Palestinian solidarity encampments set up earlier today by students who are demanding for USC to divest from Israel, along with a ceasefire in Gaza where Israeli forces have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.

Establishing a quorum, passing the state budget and proposing constitutional amendments all require a two-thirds majority, which Republicans do not possess. The issue served as a sort of litmus test of Phelan’s speakership, with some of the speaker’s most ardent critics speaking out against the practice. But some of Phelan’s House allies demurred when asked directly if they would support him for another term with the gavel. “The barrage aimed at our campaign over the past year was meant to be my undoing, and yet here I am, emerging from the most contentious and expensive primary in state history still fighting and more determined than ever,” Phelan said.

Russian Mercenaries Hunt the African Warlord America Couldn’t Catch

Alicia Davis, a second challenger, garnered enough of the vote to keep both Phelan and Covey from getting the necessary 50% to avoid a runoff. Phelan was targeted in part because he supported Paxton’s impeachment last year for alleged corruption. The attorney general later beat the charges and launched a revenge tour against the Republicans who voted against him, with Phelan particularly in the crosshairs. But Covey had the backing of Donald Trump and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. He painted Phelan as a RINO, a “Republican In Name Only,” and criticized his policy of appointing Democrats to chair key legislative committees, the typical practice in the House.

Negotiations at Columbia University unstable, organizers say

'Battle for the soul': Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan headed to runoff with Trump-backed challenger - KUT

'Battle for the soul': Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan headed to runoff with Trump-backed challenger.

Posted: Tue, 05 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Oliverson, an anesthesiologist from Cypress in his fourth term, pitched himself as the right man to realign the lower chamber with the priorities of the Republican party, which he said Phelan too often ignored. He criticized Phelan for appointing Democrats to chair some House committees and pledged to end the longstanding tradition if elected speaker. After Paxton narrowly survived allegations of corruption and abuse of office, the attorney general quickly pivoted to fierce, bare-knuckle campaign attacks on dozens of Republican lawmakers. The Texas Constitution requires the house of representatives, each time a new legislature convenes, to choose one of its own members to serve as speaker. With Democrats vastly outnumbered and few procedural rules to slow the GOP agenda, Republican lawmakers will have relatively easy glide paths for their legislation during the session.

Mike Johnson and the troubled history of recent Republican speakers

Technically, he died as speaker, but his party lost its majority before the next Congress convened and elected a Democrat to the job. Ryan, then just 45, was the youngest speaker in nearly 150 years but had already been party's vice presidential nominee on the 2012 ticket. Once he had Boehner's job, however, he experienced much the same internal strife. Ryan also had a strained relationship with then-President Donald Trump, with whom he had a falling out during the fall 2016 campaign. In April 2018, Ryan said he would not serve another term and left as the party was losing its majority that fall.

The most recent Democrat, however, is Nancy Pelosi, still a House member and the House speaker emerita. She comes in at fifth on the longevity roster, having served one day shy of eight years from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. The list of the 10 speakers who served in the job longest includes just one Republican (and in the ninth slot at that). That speaker was Joseph G. Cannon of Illinois, notorious as the autocratic "Czar Cannon" during three two-year tours as speaker that ended with his party's historic defeat in 1910.

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But his tenuous balancing act between the left and right wings of the chamber was disrupted last year when he oversaw impeachment proceedings against Paxton on corruption charges. The impeachment, and the subsequent trial, triggered widespread infighting within the Texas GOP. Phelan incurred the wrath of Republicans in Texas and nationally when he led the impeachment proceedings against state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

About two-thirds of that money was for Ukraine, an issue Greene had called her "red line" for moving against the speaker. Just such a "motion to vacate the chair" was filed against Johnson in March by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. But Greene has yet to make the motion "privileged," which under the rules would necessitate a vote within two days. CT, 34 arrests have been made by law enforcement on the UT Austin campus, according to an X post from the Texas Department of Public Safety.