ERIC DEGGANS, HOST:
The new session of Congress kicked off with some drama on Friday. Mike Johnson was reelected speaker of the House of Representatives. But he had to overcome a mini revolt and persuade two Republicans who initially voted against him to change their votes. After he won the gavel, he outlined the GOP's agenda.
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MIKE JOHNSON: The path of prosperity has long been paved with policies that put America and Americans first. And that is what we will champion in the 119th Congress.
DEGGANS: NPR congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh was at the Capitol for opening day and joins us now. Good morning.
DEIRDRE WALSH, BYLINE: Good morning, Eric.
DEGGANS: So we saw in real time the House Republicans' narrow majority. How did Mike Johnson keep his party together to get a second term as speaker?
WALSH: Well, it took some heavy lobbying and, critically, the help of President-elect Donald Trump to get Johnson over the line. The speaker could only afford to lose one Republican going into this vote, and Kentucky Congressman Tom Massie made it clear he wasn't going to vote for him. He voted for the Republican whip instead. Initially, there were two other Republicans, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas, who voted for people other than Johnson.
I was in the chamber as this vote dragged on and on. And it was clear Johnson didn't have the votes, and we expected it to go a second round. But then I saw Johnson leave the floor with both Norman and Self, and they both came back and dramatically changed their votes so he could win on the first ballot. You know, it was very clear Trump did not want this to drag out. You know, no other business can happen until a speaker is elected in the House. And on Monday, they are slated to certify the 2024 election results, and that's something Trump did not want to delay at all.
DEGGANS: So what did Johnson say will be his top priority?
WALSH: Well, addressing border security was a Republican's top priority in the 2024 campaign, and the speaker made it clear yesterday this was an issue they would take up right out of the gate.
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JOHNSON: We will act quickly, and we will start by defending our nation's borders. That's the No. 1 priority.
WALSH: The rules package the House passed yesterday that governs how the chamber is going to operate also included a rule to tee up several immigration bills. These are proposals that House Republicans have pushed through before - things like cutting off federal money for any cities that are dubbed so-called sanctuary cities for undocumented migrants. The difference now is there's now a Senate Republican majority to help through - push through border security legislation.
DEGGANS: So speaking of the Senate, there's a new Senate majority leader, John Thune. What are his plans?
WALSH: Well, it was definitely a smoother first day for John Thune. He now has a 53-seat Republican majority, and he's been coordinating very closely with President-elect Trump and Speaker Johnson. First, Thune is focused on getting Trump's Cabinet nominees confirmed in the Senate. Republicans need a simple majority to get these nominees through. So far, there's been no Republican senator who's come out publicly as a no for any nominee. But if any four Republicans did break, you know, one of Trump's nominees couldn't get confirmed. You know, there are some controversial nominees that we've talked about before, like Pete Hegseth to be the defense secretary, Tulsi Gabbard to serve as the director of national intelligence. And there's still some Republican senators who want more details, things like the FBI background check. Other confirmation hearings are expected to start in mid-January.
DEGGANS: So what is Thune saying about what legislation he wants to move?
WALSH: You know, his plans track those of Trump's. Here's how Thune summed it up yesterday.
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JOHN THUNE: We have a lot to do, this Congress - border security, extending the tax relief Republicans delivered during the first Trump administration, lifting burdensome and expensive government regulations to help American businesses and families flourish.
WALSH: Thune is already hard at work drafting an initial legislative package he plans to move using special rules that get around a Democratic filibuster. Like Johnson, he wants to do border security first. That package, initially in the Senate, will also include some energy policies, and then a separate tax bill is going to come later in 2025.
DEGGANS: Well, that's NPR's Deirdre Walsh. Thanks so much for joining us, Deirdre.
WALSH: Happy to do it, Eric. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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