Mike Johnson Concludes 118th Congress as it Began

“The 118th Congress ended almost exactly as it began: with chaos in the House of Representatives that threatened to consume its GOP leader and shut down the government,” the Washington Post reports.

“While he avoided the ignominious event of a government shutdown, with just hours to spare, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) still faces a daunting vote at the start of the next Congress, on Jan. 3, to win a full term atop the House.”

“Johnson’s dilemma is the same one that bedeviled his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy (R-California), the always-smiling speaker who proved so ineffective he didn’t last nine months in the job. Both found themselves in a predicament in which the House GOP held a majority in principle but in practice could not come together to govern.”

“This cycle of political faceplants threatens to derail president-elect Donald Trump’s agenda, as well as Johnson’s hold on power.”

CNN: Johnson joked about his fate as speaker throughout spending negotiations.