Members of the United States House of Representatives have chosen Mike Johnson to be the body’s next speaker — the second in line to the U.S. presidency and a very powerful figure in Congress.
In an Oct. 25 vote, all 220 Republicans present in the House voted for Johnson, while 209 Democrats cast ballots for Representative Hakeem Jeffries. The vote marked the first time in more than three weeks that the government body had clearly defined leadership. Representative Patrick McHenry had been acting as temporary speaker since Oct. 3 following a vote casting out former speaker Kevin McCarthy.