WASHINGTON (AP) — Home Speaker Mike Johnson stated Tuesday that Republicans are “ready to deliver” 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 group, the speaker stated there can 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 are ready to deliver on America’s mandate,” stated Johnson.
“We will be ready day one. We are prepared 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 stated he can be spending the weekend with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida as they put together for the brand new yr.
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 fallacious.
Whilst remaining 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 prepared to bend these civic traditions.
“Trump’s going to deliver his deportations, the drilling, the wall — it’s going to take all of us getting together,” stated Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a conservative member of the Home Freedom Caucus.
However first, the Home and Senate leaders will maintain inner celebration elections this week for their very own jobs. Many of the prime Republican leaders rely on 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 evening, three Republican senators who’re vying to develop 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 must prepare the Senate to advance that agenda legislatively and ensure that the president-elect can hit the ground running with his appointees confirmed as soon as possible,” GOP Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who’s searching for the management job, wrote in a Fox Information opinion piece.
All instructed, 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 rather more prepared to again him.
“This is going to be a very challenging time,” stated Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
She described the “horrific immigration policies” that Trump promised voters and he or she insisted the progressives in Congress will present an “effective check” 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 could have “many fewer restrictions.”
“Our members are ready to take up the fight again,” she stated, standing alongside a handful of newly elected progressive lawmakers she known as the “bright lights” becoming a member of Congress.
First assessments will come through 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 recent names within the Home and Senate who’re on the town for freshmen orientation weeks and the non-public management elections scheduled for Wednesday.
However Republican senators had been protesting that considered one of 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 stated 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 take a look at 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 submit, and senators had been rallying across the two “Johns” — Thune, the second-ranking GOP chief, and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. The result of Wednesday’s non-public balloting behind closed doorways is very unsure.
Within the Home, some conservative Republicans are quietly suggesting their very own management elections ought to be postponed till the ultimate outcomes of the Home races are resolved. Democrats will maintain their Home and Senate management elections later.
Johnson desires to retain the speaker’s gavel and instructed colleagues in a letter final week he is able to “take the field” 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 non-public voting to develop into the GOP nominee to be speaker, he’ll want a 218-member majority in January throughout a ground vote of the entire Home.
A low vote complete this week will present the leverage Freedom Caucus members and others need to pry concessions from Johnson, a lot as they compelled then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy into a protracted vote for the gavel in 2023.
And whereas Johnson predicts subsequent yr will launch the “most consequential” presidency and Congress in trendy instances, he has had problem this yr main Republicans who refused to go together with plans, forcing the speaker to usually associate with Democratic Chief Hakeem Jeffries.
Johnson’s troubles stem partially from his slim majority, however that might 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 pretty much maxed out,” stated Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas. “Everybody 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 take into account replenishing the Catastrophe Aid Fund to assist present help within the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
And with President Joe Biden making ready to exit and Democrats relinquishing their maintain on the Senate, there can be stress to substantiate extra judicial nominees and to usher out the door every other payments that might presumably develop into regulation earlier than Trump takes over.
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