A look at Mike Johnson and the troubled history of Republican speakers : NPR

Table Of Content

• L.A. City Councilmember Curren Price charged with embezzlement and perjury
• Why Rep. Robert Garcia will be ceremonially sworn in to office with a vintage Superman comic
• With Johnson, Republicans are rallying behind one of the staunchest religious conservatives in the House.
• His opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights
• January 7, 2023 updates on Speaker Kevin McCarthy
• Mayor’s office allegations

Johnson claimed to reporters that he's never opposed funding or aid for Ukraine. Stefanik called Johnson "a friend to all" and "an enemy to none," who is not only "strong, tough and fair," but also "kind." "He is certainly a far contrast from who Republicans have nominated," he said, adding. "End the chaos. End the dysfunction. End extremism. Let's open up the People's House." The California Democrat noted Johnson's role in the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Seeking 'the right side of history,' Speaker Mike Johnson risks his job to deliver aid to Ukraine - The Associated Press

Seeking 'the right side of history,' Speaker Mike Johnson risks his job to deliver aid to Ukraine.

Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

L.A. City Councilmember Curren Price charged with embezzlement and perjury

Speaker Pelosi has been a force for accountability, transparency and participation in government. Under her leadership, the House enacted the toughest ethics reform legislation in the history of the Congress – including the creation of an independent ethics panel. Pelosi also led an historic legislative campaign for voting rights, passing two once-in-a-generation pieces of legislation. On the other hand, when the speaker and the president belong to opposite parties, the public role and influence of the speaker tend to increase.

Why Rep. Robert Garcia will be ceremonially sworn in to office with a vintage Superman comic

Democrats put up a big vote — 174 — in favor of this bill, which was intended to sweeten the overall package for conservatives. House Republicans have been pummeling the heads of elite university institutions for months, using them as a punching bag to make a broader point about how out-of-touch elite institutions are with normal Americans. Johnson has previously invited Jewish students to meet with him in the Capitol, and he has often allowed them to tell their stories of being under attack at school during news conferences.

With Johnson, Republicans are rallying behind one of the staunchest religious conservatives in the House.

At the time, one of the most important sources of the speaker's power was his position as Chairman of the Committee on Rules, which, after the reorganization of the committee system in 1880, became one of the most powerful standing committees of the House. Furthermore, several speakers became leading figures in their political parties; examples include Democrats Samuel J. Randall, John Griffin Carlisle, and Charles F. Crisp, and Republicans James G. Blaine, Thomas Brackett Reed, and Joseph Gurney Cannon. The government of the City of Los Angeles operates as a charter city (as opposed to a general law city) under the charter of the City of Los Angeles. The elected government is composed of the Los Angeles City Council with 15 city council districts and the mayor of Los Angeles, which operate under a mayor–council government, as well as several other elective offices.

Police Department

Johnson also acknowledged that the chaos of the last three weeks has chipped away at Americans' confidence in the lower chamber. "The challenge before us is great, but the time for action is now and I will not let you down," Johnson said. In a statement distributed by the White House, President Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden extended their congratulations to Johnson, and the president reiterated his commitment to working with him "in good faith" for the American people. "The people's House is back in business," Johnson told colleagues before being sworn in.

Former council President Martinez’s 2015 reelection campaign was the target of both a federal and local investigation, though she and her staff were never charged criminally. Gen. Rob Bonta said his office will investigate L.A.’s 2021 redistricting process in the wake of the leaked audio scandal. Also facing charges in the plot is Raymond Chan, a former deputy mayor to Garcetti who focused on economic development. He is accused of an array of illegal activities, including arranging “indirect bribe payments” to key city officials by securing employment contracts for the officials’ relatives, prosecutors claim.

US House Speaker Johnson risks fellow Republicans' wrath with Ukraine vote - Reuters

US House Speaker Johnson risks fellow Republicans' wrath with Ukraine vote.

Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 10:04:00 GMT [source]

His opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Bob Livingston, declared his bid for the speakership, which was unopposed, making him speaker-designate. It was then revealed, by Livingston himself, who had been publicly critical of President Bill Clinton's alleged perjury during his sexual harassment trial, that he had engaged in an extramarital affair. He opted to resign from the House, despite being urged to stay on by House Democratic leader Gephardt.

Greene had vowed to press her challenge after Johnson announced a strategy to pass $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan earlier this month. About two-thirds of that money was for Ukraine, an issue Greene had called her "red line" for moving against the speaker. The vote makes Johnson the first speaker ever elected on the fourth ballot of an election. When speaker elections have gone to multiple ballots, no speaker has ever been elected on ballots four to eight. Johnson has also co-sponsored legislation by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., called the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which would make it a crime to provide gender-affirming care to people under 18 years of age. Johnson has a spotless history of voting against legal abortion, earning an "A+" rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

The LA City Council has passed a law requiring a buffer zone of 300 feet around a house targeted for demonstration. If an unauthorized person comes onto your property and does not leave after you tell them to, you can have the police remove that person. It is governed by the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners and the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. Times staff writers Dakota Smith, Emily Alpert Reyes, David Zahniser, Benjamin Oreskes, Julia Wick, Michael Finnegan, Matt Hamilton, Harriet Ryan, Terry Castleman, James Queally, and Richard Winton contributed to this report.

The Los Angeles City Controller is the elected auditor and chief accounting officer of the city. At least two officials with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, one former high-level lawyer in City Atty. Mike Feuer’s office and an attorney hired by the city were charged in a different federal probe, in which prosecutors said DWP officials and city attorneys took part in various crimes, including aiding and abetting extortion and bribery. In 2020, a Los Angeles police officer who served as a bodyguard for Mayor Eric Garcetti sued the city, alleging that he was repeatedly sexually harassed by one of the mayor’s top advisors.

After the leak of the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion in May of last year, the Johnsons hosted an episode that explored the “future of life in America,” while also sharing their personal jubilation about the news of the pending decision. “While there are issues where we differ, we must get back to governing for the good of the country,” Mr. Lawler wrote on social media, posting a photo of himself and Mr. Johnson shaking hands. Mr. Johnson has opposed continued funding for the war in Ukraine, which has emerged as a bitter fault line in the G.O.P. and in the spending battles that he will have to navigate in the coming days.

In addition to being the first Black lawmaker to attain such a position, Jeffries is also the first person elected to lead House Democrats to be born after the end of World War II. A firm supporter of President Joe Biden’s agenda, Clark is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. She is an advocate of gun reform, Medicare for All and raising the federal minimum wage. In 2016, Clark joined then-Georgia Rep. John Lewis and others in staging a sit-in on the House floor to protest the lack of votes on gun control legislation.

Mr. Emmer’s demise was the latest evidence of the seemingly unending Republican dysfunction. He began the day with a scant victory, winning an internal party nominating contest by a vote of 117 to 97 over Mr. Johnson. He has also opposed continued funding for the war in Ukraine, which has emerged as a bitter fault line in the G.O.P. and in the spending battles that any new speaker will have to navigate in the coming days. He once shared the story with a mostly Democratic audience at a congressional hearing on slavery reparations, and he was surprised to hear boos as he spoke, he later recounted to the Council for National Policy, an assembly of conservative donors known for its strict secrecy. To show support for racial equality, Mr. Johnson in the past has told audiences that he and his wife adopted a Black teenager they met through an evangelical youth group — like the movie “The Blind Side” but without the N.F.L. prospects, he has quipped.