Punchbowl News: “The way the speaker vote played out should be a warning sign to Johnson about just how difficult it will be to govern with a historically small majority.”
“And it’s clear he’ll be on a tight leash. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the number of initial holdouts on the House floor was nine – the exact number of Republicans it will now require to trigger a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair.”
Molly Ball: “The central irony of the Republicans’ situation is that while the party is as unified and optimistic as it has been in decades, the arithmetic now is unforgiving. With just 219 votes in the 435-seat chamber, Johnson has just one vote to spare on party-line votes like Friday’s. Even if 99% of Republicans agree, it will not be enough to pass legislation; they will need not just unity, but virtual unanimity.”
