Truthout
Kevin McCarthy
![Speaker of the House Mike Johnson leaves his office in the U.S. Capitol on January 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2025/01/2025_0103-mike-johnson-400x300.jpg)
After Delay Following Failed First Vote, Johnson Narrowly Wins Speakership
Johnson had initially lost the first ballot of the speakership by a margin of 216 votes to 218 against him.
![Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson listen during remarks at a Capitol Menorah lighting ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Building on December 12, 2023 in Washington, D.C.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/12/2023_12-20-schumer-johnson-400x300.jpg)
Report: Current Congress on Track to Pass Fewest Laws of Any Congress in Decades
This session has been marked with chaos and bitter political attacks by the House Republican majority.
![Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy talks to members of the media in the Longworth House Office Building on October 10, 2023, in Washington, D.C.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/12/2023_1206-kevin-mccarthy-400x300.jpg)
Ousted Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Announces He’s Retiring From Congress
McCarthy's departure means his congressional seat will remain vacant for at least four months.
![Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy arrives to a House Republican candidates forum in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill, on October 24, 2023, in Washington, D.C.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/11/2023_1114-kevin-mccarthy-400x300.jpg)
McCarthy Elbows in the Back GOP Lawmaker Who Voted to Oust Him From Speakership
“Why'd you elbow me in the back, Kevin?” Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee asked the former speaker.
![Mike Johnson stands in the u.s. house of representatives, between two fasces](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/10/2023_1030-mike-johnson-400x300.jpg)
MAGA Now Has Control of the House. It May Not Last Very Long.
There's a good chance House Speaker Mike Johnson’s GOP honeymoon will be over before Christmas.
![Rep. Mike Johnson smiles during the fourth round of voting for House Speaker at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on October 25, 2023.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/10/2023_1025-mike-johnson-b-400x300.jpg)
New House Speaker Mike Johnson Used to Be Top Counsel for Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group
Johnson was a leader for Alliance Defending Freedom, which wrote the abortion ban that led to the downfall of “Roe.”
![Rep. Jim Jordan is seen in a House Republican Conference speaker election meeting after he was voted the party's nominee for speaker of the house in Longworth Building on October 13, 2023.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/10/2023_1016-jim-jordan-400x300.jpg)
Jim Jordan Plans Multiple House Votes for Speakership Starting Tuesday
If voting happens Tuesday, it will be the first vote for the speakership since Kevin McCarthy was ousted two weeks ago.
![House Majority Leader Steve Scalise emerges from House Republican conference meeting after being tapped as Speaker-elect in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill on October 11, 2023, in Washington, D.C.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/10/2023_1012-steve-scalise-400x300.jpg)
GOP Picks Scalise for Speaker — But Vote Is Delayed Due to Intraparty Squabbles
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana barely attained majority support within the GOP conference vote on Wednesday.
![Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy talks during a news conference in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol on October 9, 2023, in Washington, D.C.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/10/2023_1010-kevin-mccarthy-400x300.jpg)
An Unexpected Candidate to Replace Kevin McCarthy Emerges. It’s Kevin McCarthy.
No clear GOP frontrunner has emerged to become the next speaker.
![Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks to the press after the motion to vacate his position passes in the U.S. Capitol on October 3, 2023, in Washington, D.C.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/10/2023_1006-kevin-mccarthy-400x300.jpg)
McCarthy’s Removal From Speakership Demonstrates Erosion of American Democracy
“We are on the road to unraveling as a republic,” one expert said.