Nebraska congressmen hail reelection of House of Representatives speaker

On the first day of the 119th Congress, the House of Representatives gathered to elect a speaker Friday afternoon.

Democrats were united in voting for Hakeem Jeffries of New York, while all but one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, ultimately ended up voting for Mike Johnson of Louisiana.

Two Republicans changed their vote to Johnson after initially voting for other Republicans in the roll call. That was enough to give Johnson 218 votes, the exact number needed to be elected speaker.

All three of Nebraska’s Republican congressmen voted for Johnson and expressed their support of him prior to Friday’s vote.

After the election, 3rd District Rep. Adrian Smith said, "Congratulations to Speaker Johnson, who has worked tirelessly to unite the Republican Conference and ensure we hit the ground running in 2025. Mike's conservative principles and determination have rightfully earned the confidence and support of a majority of my House colleagues."

Rep. Mike Flood, who represents the 1st District, said Johnson would help President-elect Donald Trump deliver an America First agenda.

"From building the wall to cutting taxes, there are numerous significant priorities to deliver on, and I’m excited to team up with President Trump, Speaker Johnson, and our entire Republican caucus to keep Washington working for the people in the coming days and weeks," Flood said.

Second District Rep. Don Bacon also congratulated Johnson, writing on X, "We need Speaker Johnson to move forward with our agenda: wages that climb faster than inflation, secure borders, keep our streets safe, achieve energy independence, restore deterrence and respect for America, and deal with the debt crisis."

Johnson will lead a narrow Republican majority in the House, which could shrink further as two GOP representatives are expected to join the Trump administration.