First, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (RN.Y) appeared.
President-elect Trump selected her as ambassador to the United Nations.
Next up was Congressman Mike Walz (R-Fla.).
The president-elect asked Walz to become national security adviser.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Potential Release of the Ethics Committee Report on Gates
Mr. Trump then selected former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) as attorney general, but Mr. Gaetz immediately resigned.
This can be a significant burden on one institution in just a few days.
Is there anyone else from the house?
“I know he's already plucked some very talented people out of the House,” said House Minority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana). I want it,” he said.
It's about mathematics.
President-elect Donald Trump and the U.S. Capitol. (Getty Images)
With the addition of Stefanik, Walz and Gates, House Republicans will likely gain a majority of 221 seats to Democrats' 214. The margin is 7. But that means Republicans can lose just three votes in a given roll call and pass the issue at hand without needing support from the other side.
With Gates out and Stefanik and Walz leaving, that majority shrinks to 218-214. 4 votes difference. But Republicans can only lose one vote now. And perfect attendance in the House of Representatives is rare. Absence is inevitable.
But what happens if there are more departures?
House Republican leaders told Fox before Gaetz's departure that the Republican majority could lose up to two House members to the Trump administration.
“I don't know if the administration has the numbers in mind,” the official said.
Mr. Thune wins in secret ballot and becomes the new Senate Republican leader, replacing Mr. McConnell.
And remember, you can't appoint members of the House of Representatives. The Senate can do that. But House isn't like that. The governor must hold a special election to fill these seats. As a result, it could take three to four months for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, to call a special election for Stefanik.
Of course, that assumes the seat stays in the Republican column. These are Republican seats. But the special election has some surprises. The usual world of voters does not always emerge.
Rep. Mike Lawler (RN.Y.) said indignantly, “Given Mr. Hochul's cynical attempt at politics, I think he will probably try to use the entire 90 days.''
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, to hold a special election in just a few weeks for the seat vacated by Gaetz. I honked the horn. The district is expected to send a Republican to succeed Gaetz in Washington shortly after the new year.
That's why Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine could quell chatter about whether to nominate U.S. Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) to Vice President-elect J.D. Vance's Senate seat. Under other circumstances, Rep. Byron Donald (R-Fla.) could vie for the administration post and, if confirmed by Secretary of State, could replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in the Senate. There is a possibility that But that scenario would also create another House vacancy.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) waves from the stage during the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 17. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
“President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it's just a numbers game,” Johnson said. “But every vote counts, because if someone gets sick or has a car accident or their flight is delayed, it affects the vote on the floor. I think you understand it very well.”
Mr Johnson added: “We do not anticipate that many more members will leave.”
Then President-elect Trump drafted Gaetz.
House Republicans have struggled at times over the past two years to advance their agenda with similarly slim majorities. They relied on Democrats to avoid multiple government shutdowns and raise the debt ceiling. They failed in their first attempt to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Republicans hesitated for a total of 27 days on two different occasions last year to decide who would become Speaker of the House.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was unable to become speaker at the beginning of Congress because there were so few Republicans. House Republicans then struggled for more than three weeks last fall to choose Mr. McCarthy's successor for the same reasons.
So what we've seen so far is prologue.
Rick Scott receives new Senate support from candidate forum on eve of leadership election
If simple parliamentary algebra fails, President-elect Trump's policies could be hampered.
“There was a real understanding between the Speaker and (incoming Senate Majority Leader John) Thune that we had to maintain a majority,” said Rep. Mark Molinaro (RN.Y.).
Ironically, Republicans would have enjoyed an even bigger cushion if Molinaro had defended his seat against incoming Congressman Josh Riley of New York.
Mr. Trump is acutely aware of the problems in the House of Representatives.
“I promised Mike that we wouldn't take too many more votes before we started counting them. He said, 'Please, can you slow down a little bit?'” I love you, I'm sorry, but don't worry, just relax. ” said the president-elect.
Republicans are already factoring potential vacancies and vacancies into their legislative calculations for the new year.
House Speaker Mike Johnson shakes hands with President-elect Trump on the podium during the House Republican Conference at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on November 13, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“It's going to be like a logistical chess match,” said Rep. Blake Moore. “When you have to take a certain vote, you actually have a one-seat majority, and if someone is sick. , it's going to involve logistics.” , R-Utah, vice chair of the House Republican Conference.
But that's easier said than done. It assumes that everyone present and presenting is participating in the issues of the day. Republicans have been plagued by this phenomenon periodically over the past two years.
“This is a deeply divided Republican Party that is now united by the victory, but we'll see how long that lasts,” said former House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). “We know there are deep philosophical and procedural differences within the Republican Party, and we saw them repeatedly in the last Congress.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York told Republicans not to expect a lifeline for the minority party in the new year.
“If you think that's an overwhelming mandate, then of course the American people would expect you to do the basics of governance,” Jeffries said.
The country is once again hitting the debt ceiling. This issue should mature during the first quarter of next year. Jeffries argued that if Republicans were to take control and gain the support of voters, “a catastrophic default on the national debt could be avoided.”
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But Jeffries added a warning about last week's election.
“If you believe, it's an overwhelming mission,” he said.
That's the challenge facing House Republicans. people spoke. Now they expect action. But managing the balance in the House of Commons is difficult on any given day. And stepping down to the next administration doesn't massage the math at all.
