1/ After 22 days and three failed nominees, House Republicans elected a speaker to replace Kevin McCarthy. The House vote 220-209 to elect Mike Johnson as speaker – with no Republicans voting against and all Democrats voting for Hakeem Jeffries. “The people’s House is back in business,” Johnson said after taking the gavel. Johnson, who served on Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment trial, voted against certifying the 2020 election and led the amicus brief supporting a Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate the results in four swing states Biden won. The lawsuit cited widespread voter fraud, which did not occur. The House has been unable to conduct routine business since Republicans ousted McCarthy for working with Democrats to pass a short-term spending bill to avert a shutdown. Johnson will immediately need to pass a measure to fund the government ahead of a Nov. 17 shutdown, and act on emergency aid for Israel, Ukraine, and the southern border. (Associated Press / Politico / NPR / Washington Post / New York Times / ABC News / NBC News / CNN / CNBC / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Axios)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2023/10/25/day-1009/