The United States government’s legislative branch is comprised of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Speaker of the House is the third-in-command of the country, after the President and Vice President respectively.  

In the House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House is usually a member of the majority party. This year, Republicans make up the majority. The Speaker is tasked with ensuring that all members take the oath upon entering their position, placing members in committees, sending bills to be addressed within these committees, and signing resolutions. 

On Oct. 5, California Republican Kevin McCarthy was officially removed from his position. Typically, the majority party nominates only one candidate, who the entire party ends up voting for. Against all odds, Ohio Republican Jim Jordan missed a few votes during the first round of voting and tried again for a second time.  

Unfortunately for him, Jordan ended up losing more votes, which left the Republican Party in disarray. With two weeks of no progress, Republicans began looking for other viable candidates. Knowing that Jordan wouldn’t be able to secure the votes and that the House would be unable to perform its duties, other candidates were nominated, including Louisiana Republican Steve Scalise, who is currently the leader of the Republican Party in the House.  

Ultimately, Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who has served in the House for six years, was given a chance and received enough votes to be approved. As the 56th Speaker, he has served a shorter period than most previous Speakers but was chosen due to the urgent need for progress. Johnson was somewhat on the sidelines of the Republican Party prior to being chosen yet will be responsible for handling the packages of aid that United States President Joe Biden has requested for Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine.