On Wednesday, Republican Rep. Mike Johnson (LA) gave his first speech as House Speaker after being elected to the position earlier that day.
Johnson was elected by the Republican-led House on Wednesday as its 56th speaker following a weeks-long stalemate in which three Republican nominees failed to unite the Republican party and win the vote after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) got pushed out of the speakership.
Johnson defeated Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the nominee for the Democrats, in a vote of 220-209.
“I want to tell all my colleagues here what I told the Republicans in that room last night,” Johnson said in his first speech. “I don’t believe there are any coincidences in a matter like this. I believe that scripture, the Bible, is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority.”
“He raised up each of you. All of us,” he continued. “And I believe that God has allowed and ordained each and every one of us to be here at this specific moment. This is my belief. I believe that each one of us has a huge responsibility today to use the gifts God has given us to serve the extraordinary people of this great nation, and they deserve it.”
“And to ensure that our republic remains standing as the great beacon of hope and light and freedom in a world that desperately needs it,” Johnson said.
