The Hill reports:
House Republicans will have zero room for error in the 119th Congress — literally. That slim edge is already one of the closest in history. And it is set to narrow even more — and quickly — putting Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his leadership team in a bind as they chart lofty goals for the next two years.
“Do the math,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday morning. “We have nothing to spare.” That leaves a zero-vote margin for the Republican conference on party-line votes, assuming full attendance, making delayed flights and illnesses critical to legislative business.
If next year, for example, all House Democrats vote against a GOP-led measure and one Republican breaks from the party and votes with Democrats, the final tally would be 216-216 — sinking the GOP effort, since a tie loses in the lower chamber.
Read the full article. As we saw during the tumultuous ouster of Kevin McCarthy, that one-vote margin will embolden the fringiest of fringe reps to demand concessions and power to keep them in line with Johnson’s agenda.
What the slim House Republican majority means for Trump’s agenda – “We have nothing to spare.” —Semafor https://t.co/eSuwnI3pvS
— Jude Kopa (@KopaJude) December 5, 2024