THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Mike Johnson, a Staunch Conservative From Louisiana ... Politics Mike Johnson, a Staunch Conservative From Louisiana, Elected House Speaker With Broad GOP Support Associated Press | October 25, 2023, 1:14 pm Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks after he was chosen as the Republicans latest nominee for House speaker at a Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana) WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans eagerly elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority. Johnson of Louisiana swept on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. Thanks to our sponsors: View all sponsors A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as GOP factions jockey for power. While not the party’s top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnso…

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana arrives at the White House ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) By Associated Press PUBLISHED: June 29, 2026 at 7:19 AM EDT | UPDATED: June 29, 2026 at 7:29 AM EDT Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — With a social media assist from President Donald Trump , House Speaker Mike Johnson is looking this week to ease the divisions in his Republican ranks and make progress on key legislative priorities before this fall’s elections. Johnson sent lawmakers home early last week after tumult in his conference prevented the House from voting on two spending bills and a measure dealing with veterans’ benefits. Meanwhile, the list of legislative priorities only grew with Trump requesting $87.6 billion in new spending, mostly to cover the cost of the war with Iran . The week ahead could signal whether Johnson can turn a short summer in Washington into a productive work period that voters will reward in November. “We have got a lot more to do. We have got to keep it going,” Johnson told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Johnson, of Lo…

House GOP deadlocks over Trump's demands, sending lawmakers home ... Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters as he walks to his office following a vote at the Capitol, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. Rod Lamkey/AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters as he walks to his office following a vote at the Capitol, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. Rod Lamkey/AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Activists endure high temperatures to protest against corruption and President Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite WASHINGTON (AP) — Whither the U.S. House? As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this weekend, the legislative branch has momentarily called it quits. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The House leadership on Tuesday abruptly canceled votes and sent lawmakers home early for the holiday recess, Speaker Mike Johnson ’s majority once again ground to a standstill by a Republican revolt over their own party’s agenda. In this case, it's a standoff blocking the annual defense bill — with pay raises for the troops and other matters at a…

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana arrives at the White House ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) By Associated Press PUBLISHED: June 29, 2026 at 7:19 AM EDT | UPDATED: June 29, 2026 at 7:29 AM EDT Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — With a social media assist from President Donald Trump , House Speaker Mike Johnson is looking this week to ease the divisions in his Republican ranks and make progress on key legislative priorities before this fall’s elections. Johnson sent lawmakers home early last week after tumult in his conference prevented the House from voting on two spending bills and a measure dealing with veterans’ benefits. Meanwhile, the list of legislative priorities only grew with Trump requesting $87.6 billion in new spending, mostly to cover the cost of the war with Iran . The week ahead could signal whether Johnson can turn a short summer in Washington into a productive work period that voters will reward in November. “We have got a lot more to do. We have got to keep it going,” Johnson told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Johnson, of Lo…

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana arrives at the White House ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) By Associated Press PUBLISHED: June 29, 2026 at 7:19 AM EDT | UPDATED: June 29, 2026 at 7:29 AM EDT Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — With a social media assist from President Donald Trump , House Speaker Mike Johnson is looking this week to ease the divisions in his Republican ranks and make progress on key legislative priorities before this fall’s elections. Johnson sent lawmakers home early last week after tumult in his conference prevented the House from voting on two spending bills and a measure dealing with veterans’ benefits. Meanwhile, the list of legislative priorities only grew with Trump requesting $87.6 billion in new spending, mostly to cover the cost of the war with Iran . The week ahead could signal whether Johnson can turn a short summer in Washington into a productive work period that voters will reward in November. “We have got a lot more to do. We have got to keep it going,” Johnson told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Johnson, of Lo…

Mike Johnson reelected as House Speaker of the 119th US Congress POLITICS U.S. Congress Add Topic Tense moments as Mike Johnson is reelected House Speaker of the 119th US Congress David Baratz Jan. 3, 2025, 3:55 p.m. ET House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., hands Speaker of the House Mike Johnson the gavel during the first session of the 119th Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Jan. 3, 2025. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY House Republicans applaud Mike Johnson, R-La., after he was reelected as Speaker of the House during the first session of the 119th Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Jan. 3, 2025. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Mike Johnson, R-La., second from left, stands with Rep. Keith Self, R- Texas, left and Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., second from left, in the House Chamber after Self and Norman changed their votes to elect Johnson as the new Speaker of the House during the first session of the 119th Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Jan. 3, 2025. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Mike Johnson, R-La., right speaks with Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. in the House Chamber after Norman did not vote for Johnson in the first round of voting for a new Speaker o…

House GOP deadlocks over Trump's demands, sending lawmakers home early ... Audio By Carbonatix WASHINGTON (AP) — Whither the U.S. House? As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this weekend, the legislative branch has momentarily called it quits. The House leadership on Tuesday abruptly canceled votes and sent lawmakers home early for the holiday recess, Speaker Mike Johnson ’s majority once again ground to a standstill by a Republican revolt over their own party’s agenda. In this case, it’s a standoff blocking the annual defense bill — with pay raises for the troops and other matters at a time of war — as the renegade Republicans push to include President Donald Trump’s own priority, the SAVE America Act, a strict voter ID bill. Last week, the Senate similarly shuttered after Trump’s demands. The emptying Capitol provides another snapshot of the imbalance of power in Washington as a headstrong executive confronts a weakened Congress. For the second time in as many weeks, the House has simply given up. “It’s a relatively bad time in Congress,” Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota said recently. “A lot of my colleagues have forgotten how to govern.” A year ago …

House Republicans deadlock over Trump's demands, sending ... Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters as he walks to his office following a vote at the Capitol, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) WASHINGTON — Whither the U.S. House? As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this weekend, the legislative branch has momentarily called it quits. The House leadership on Tuesday abruptly canceled votes and sent lawmakers home early for the holiday recess, Speaker Mike Johnson ‘s majority once again ground to a standstill by a Republican revolt over their own party’s agenda. In this case, it’s a standoff blocking the annual defense bill — with pay raises for the troops and other matters at a time of war — as the renegade Republicans push to include President Donald Trump’s own priority, the SAVE America Act, a strict voter ID bill. Last week, the Senate similarly shuttered after Trump’s demands. The emptying Capitol provides another snapshot of the imbalance of power in Washington as a headstrong executive confronts a weakened Congress. For the second time in as many weeks, the House has simply given up. “It’s a relatively bad time …

Speaker Mike Johnson's 'normal Congress' seems long gone House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., arrives for Britain’s King Charles III’s address to a joint meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Kylie Cooper/Pool via AP) House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., watches before Britain’s King Charles III arrives to speak to a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) WASHINGTON (AP) —House Speaker Mike Johnsonhas lamented he would like to preside overa “normal Congress,”but the chamber the Republican is leading is anything but. All-night sessions. Hours of dead zones withno action on the floor. Legislation beingwritten on the fly, behind closed doors. Sudden votes scheduled. Spectacular failures. And, as happened this week,stunning turnaroundsin which the House actually passes bills. “Sometimes it’s an ugly process, sometimes it’s a long process,” Johnson said after House passage of a bipartisan bill to fund much of the Department of Homeland Security,ending the longest agency shutdown in history. “But we got it done.” Republicans, who face an uphill climb th…

House GOP deadlocks over Trump's demands, sending lawmakers ... House GOP deadlocks over Trump's demands, sending lawmakers home early Lisa Mascaro Associated Press Published: June 30, 2026 at 8:48 PM Updated: June 30, 2026 at 9:05 PM Full Screen 1 / 3 Previous photo Next photo Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters as he walks to his office following a vote at the Capitol, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters as he walks to his office following a vote at the Capitol, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) Activists endure high temperatures to protest against corruption and President Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters as he walks to his office following a vote at the Capitol, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) WASHINGTON – Whither the U.S. House? As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this weekend, the legislative branch has…

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana arrives at the White House ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) By Associated Press PUBLISHED: June 29, 2026 at 7:19 AM EDT | UPDATED: June 29, 2026 at 7:29 AM EDT Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — With a social media assist from President Donald Trump , House Speaker Mike Johnson is looking this week to ease the divisions in his Republican ranks and make progress on key legislative priorities before this fall’s elections. Johnson sent lawmakers home early last week after tumult in his conference prevented the House from voting on two spending bills and a measure dealing with veterans’ benefits. Meanwhile, the list of legislative priorities only grew with Trump requesting $87.6 billion in new spending, mostly to cover the cost of the war with Iran . The week ahead could signal whether Johnson can turn a short summer in Washington into a productive work period that voters will reward in November. “We have got a lot more to do. We have got to keep it going,” Johnson told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Johnson, of Lo…

Speaker Mike Johnson once longed for a 'normal Congress,' but that ... House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) arrives for Britain’s King Charles III’s address to a joint meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington Tuesday. (Kylie Cooper / Associated Press) By Lisa Mascaro AP Congressional Correspondent May 1, 2026 7:07 AM PT 3 5 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . Speaker Mike Johnson once desired a “normal Congress,” but the House he leads is marked by all-night sessions, sudden votes and legislation hastily crafted behind closed doors. Republicans control a razor-thin House majority, giving Johnson virtually no margin to pass bills on party lines alone without losing potential votes to Democratic opposition. As the House GOP struggles with internal divisions and the messy legislative process, it’s preparing another ambitious GOP-only budget package ahead of November elections. WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson has lamented he would like to preside ov…

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana arrives at the White House ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) By Associated Press PUBLISHED: June 29, 2026 at 7:19 AM EDT | UPDATED: June 29, 2026 at 7:29 AM EDT Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — With a social media assist from President Donald Trump , House Speaker Mike Johnson is looking this week to ease the divisions in his Republican ranks and make progress on key legislative priorities before this fall’s elections. Johnson sent lawmakers home early last week after tumult in his conference prevented the House from voting on two spending bills and a measure dealing with veterans’ benefits. Meanwhile, the list of legislative priorities only grew with Trump requesting $87.6 billion in new spending, mostly to cover the cost of the war with Iran . The week ahead could signal whether Johnson can turn a short summer in Washington into a productive work period that voters will reward in November. “We have got a lot more to do. We have got to keep it going,” Johnson told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Johnson, of Lo…

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana arrives at the White House ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) By Associated Press PUBLISHED: June 29, 2026 at 7:19 AM EDT | UPDATED: June 29, 2026 at 7:29 AM EDT Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — With a social media assist from President Donald Trump , House Speaker Mike Johnson is looking this week to ease the divisions in his Republican ranks and make progress on key legislative priorities before this fall’s elections. Johnson sent lawmakers home early last week after tumult in his conference prevented the House from voting on two spending bills and a measure dealing with veterans’ benefits. Meanwhile, the list of legislative priorities only grew with Trump requesting $87.6 billion in new spending, mostly to cover the cost of the war with Iran . The week ahead could signal whether Johnson can turn a short summer in Washington into a productive work period that voters will reward in November. “We have got a lot more to do. We have got to keep it going,” Johnson told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Johnson, of Lo…

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana arrives at the White House ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) By Associated Press PUBLISHED: June 29, 2026 at 7:19 AM EDT | UPDATED: June 29, 2026 at 7:29 AM EDT Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — With a social media assist from President Donald Trump , House Speaker Mike Johnson is looking this week to ease the divisions in his Republican ranks and make progress on key legislative priorities before this fall’s elections. Johnson sent lawmakers home early last week after tumult in his conference prevented the House from voting on two spending bills and a measure dealing with veterans’ benefits. Meanwhile, the list of legislative priorities only grew with Trump requesting $87.6 billion in new spending, mostly to cover the cost of the war with Iran . The week ahead could signal whether Johnson can turn a short summer in Washington into a productive work period that voters will reward in November. “We have got a lot more to do. We have got to keep it going,” Johnson told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Johnson, of Lo…

Republican infighting spills into all-out WAR as personal insults fly - and all of Trump's priorities grind to a halt | Daily Mail Online ByVICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published:15:48 EDT, 30 June 2026|Updated:19:06 EDT, 30 June 2026 166 Viewcomments A group of rebel Republican lawmakers is holding up all bills on the floor of the USHouse of Representatives. The reason for the blockage is the group's frustration with the reluctance of theirSenatecolleagues to pass anelectionintegrity bill, the Save America Act. PresidentDonald Trump, who has called the Save America Act his top legislative priority on numerous occasions, also called forGOPrebels in the House to stop 'grandstanding' last week, and not cede legislative power to Democrats. Still on Tuesday, 14 Republicans joined Democrats and voted against a 'rule' that would have lifted a pause on all legislative business on the floor of the US House. Legislative priorities held up in the crossfire include the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), as well as the annual package of spending bills, including one to fund the State Department. House lawmakers are running out of time to get the bills passed befo…