House GOP leadership says they are “ready to work” for the American people and implement Donald Trump’s agenda as they prepare to meet with the President-elect.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson addressed the media on Capitol Hill, along with Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.).
While the GOP has officially secured the majority of the Senate, Johnson said he is confident that Republicans are on track to keep the House majority. A Republican trifecta, control of both chambers and the presidency, would place the party in a unique position and make it easier to push through legislation with minimal blockage from the Democrats.
Decision Desk HQ projected Monday evening that Republicans will keep the House, but The Associated Press has not yet made a call.
Even though final House results are still being tallied, Johnson said that Republicans in the lower chamber will be ready to implement Trump’s America First agenda on day one.
“We are looking forward to governing in a unified government beginning in January,” Johnson told reporters. “It’s true that on Tuesday voters rejected what they really felt was the misery of the last four years. We’re moving on, and we’re turning the page. And this is something that the American people desperately need and deserve.”
GOP leader Steve Scalise said voters sent a message in the 2024 election, adding that the GOP is going to “act quickly” in implementing an agenda.
Scalise said their agenda for the first 100 days of Trump’s second term includes lowering food costs, lowering energy costs, securing the border, and getting the economy “moving again.”
Democrats have been trying to figure out what went wrong in the 2024 election. They were not able to clearly state to enough voters how the party would improve the lives of Americans, according to Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
During the press conference, Johnson announced that Trump is expected to meet with him and other congressional leaders on Wednesday, although details are still being worked out. Trump is also scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office later that day, according to the White House.
Johnson also noted that he will be spending the weekend with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to discuss government funding and other priorities as they prepare for the new term.
Johnson plans on holding onto the gavel as House Speaker and only needs a simple majority during Wednesday’s private vote to become the GOP nominee. In January, Johnson will also need a 218-member majority during a floor vote of the entire House to keep his position.
The 119th Congress will be sworn in on Jan. 3, 2025.