Republicans Select Mike Johnson as House Speaker
Ask students: Where is Mike Johnson from? What district does he represent? Why has the House been without a chosen Speaker for weeks?
The House of Representatives has a new speaker after 22 days of leaderless, gridlocked chaos following the ouster of Kevin McCarthy. Mike Johnson of Louisiana won all 220 Republican votes cast on the House floor Wednesday. After emerging from the leadership vacuum, Speaker Johnson said Congress must win back Americans’ faith. Congressional Correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports from Capitol Hill.
For a transcript, click here.
Discussion Questions
- Who is Mike Johnson, and what is his background?
- Where is Johnson from? What district does he represent?
- Why has the House been without a chosen Speaker for weeks?
- How did Johnson manage to bridge Republican divides and
- What are some of the expectations for how Johnson will manage the House?
Focus Questions
How do you think Speaker Johnson might change the political landscape? How might politics and U.S. policies be different in the coming year?
Media literacy: Much of this story is about the politics of the House, but what about the policy? How could you find out about the laws passed by this Congress or the laws that are being considered?
Extension Activity
Learn more about the role of the House of Representatives and the power of the Speaker of the House. As a class, discuss:
- What makes the House of Representatives a unique legislative body?
- What role does it have that is different from that of the Senate?
- What is its relationship to the Executive and Judicial branches?
2024 Election Lesson Plans and Resources
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Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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