Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday swore in newly elected Florida Reps. Jimmy Patronis (R) and Randy Fine (R).
The two won special elections Tuesday, and their quick entry to the House gives Johnson some additional room to navigate the GOP’s razor-thin margin. The House now stands at 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats, meaning Johnson can lose three GOP votes and still pass a party-line bill. At one point this year, that margin stood at one vote.
The two lawmakers, who were both endorsed by President Trump, paid tribute to the president in their first floor speeches as representatives.
“With the Republican majority here in Congress, President Trump and the White House, we have the opportunity of a lifetime to fix this country,” Patronis said.
Fine invoked the first assassination attempt on Trump in his address, saying he believes Trump’s “life was saved in Butler, Pa., so he could save the world.”
Patronis defeated Democrat Gay Valimont in the special election to replace former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in the 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, while Fine bested Democrat Josh Weil in the race to replace national security adviser Mike Waltz in the 6th Congressional District.
Both of the districts are Republican strongholds that Trump won by more than 30 points in November, but Democrats were notably able to narrow those margins Tuesday. Fine and Patronis won the districts by roughly 14 points.
House Republicans are looking to pass a package that would combine border security, tax legislation, and energy and defense spending, and the process they are using requires near-unanimity among the GOP. The loss of one or both seats would have made that even more difficult.
Tags Donald Trump Matt Gaetz Mike Johnson Mike Waltz
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