WASHINGTON, October 25. /TASS/. The majority of Republicans supported the nomination of Congressman Mike Johnson (from the state of Louisiana) as a new candidate for the post of Speaker of the US House of Representatives, according to the results of the closed ballot.

Johnson, 51, who was endorsed by 128 bipartisan members, must now win the vote of the full House of Representatives to be elected Speaker. To get the necessary 217 votes, the former radio host must overcome an intraparty split among Republicans who control the lower chamber of Congress. The post of Speaker of the House is the third most important in the hierarchy of the US government.

Earlier, Congressman Tom Emmer (of Minnesota), who had been nominated by Republicans for Speaker, decided to withdraw from the race. A group of Republicans announced after Emmer's nomination that they would not support him in a vote by the full House. That meant he had virtually no chance of being elected speaker. Former US President Donald Trump also opposed Emmer's candidacy.

On October 3, a majority of the House of Representatives voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. This was the first time in the history of the US that the Speaker of the House of Representatives was removed from office. Patrick McGenry (from North Carolina) serves in the interim.

Until a new speaker is elected, the work of the lower house of Congress remains virtually paralyzed. In the current situation, congressmen are not authorized to vote on key issues, including the budget for fiscal year 2024, which began on October 1, as well as the allocation of major new military aid to Ukraine and Israel.