House Republicans are bracing for a slim majority in the upcoming Congress.
Democrat Adam Gray’s victory over Republican John Duarte in California narrowed the Republican majority to 220 seats to the Democrats’ 215, reports indicate. The Republican majority will then shrink to about 217 due to lawmakers leaving Congress to serve in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet.
“It looks like the final number will be 220 Republicans, 215 Democrats. And when three of our colleagues depart in the early part of the year, joining the administration or one resigning, it’ll be 217 to 215,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters. “Do the math, we have nothing to spare. But all of our members know that. We talked about that today, as we do constantly, because this is a team effort, that we’ve got to all row in the same direction.”
Johnson further told Fox News, “The House would have a larger majority but redistricting and gerrymandering in the blue states made that almost impossible but we do have a majority and we know how govern with that small majority. We’ve been doing it for a year.”
A source familiar with developments in the House told The Daily Caller that Republicans plan to unify behind Trump’s agenda.
“We’re going to be seeing less of that [internal party dissent] because we have the White House this time around,” the source said. “President Trump is committed to personally lobbying members and pushing his agenda through Congress.”
Republican Rep. Chip Roy (TX) made similar remarks to the outlet, saying, “We have to deliver — which means working together ahead of time, defining our guardrails & redlines and executing. But things will change. That is a must.”
