Trump-backed Mike Johnson has been re-elected as US House Speaker in the first round of voting after overcoming a Republican revolt
With a razor-thin Republican majority, he could only afford to lose one of his party members
Three Republicans had originally voted against him, but changed their votes to support Johnson at the last minute
The final tally stands at Johnson with 218 votes, Democrat Hakeem Jeffries with 215 votes and one vote for another member
Johnson addressed the body before taking his oath of office, promising to put "America first"
Click watch live at the top of this page
Read more here about the speaker role, one of the most powerful political positions in Washington
Moment Mike Johnson is re-elected Speaker of the House
We're waiting for voting to kick off, and to find out if Mike Johnson will keep his post as House Speaker.
Here's what the inside of the House chamber looks like now:
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty ImagesMike Johnson walks in
Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill
There are 435 members of the House of Representatives. Matt Gaetz, who resigned from Congress last month, is not expected to show up to take his seat. So if all goes according to expectations, there will be 434 members voting today.
Assuming Gaetz doesn't show and everyone else is here and not stuck in traffic, there will be 219 Republicans and 215 Democrats in attendance.
It takes 218 votes to win the Speaker's gavel.
Gaetz, in theory, could show up and vote - but there are no indications that he intends to.
Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent Reporting from Capitol Hill
The new congressional session has just been called to order, and it’s still unclear whether Mike Johnson has the votes needed to keep the House Speaker’s gavel.
The good news for the Louisiana congressman is that there still is only one Republican on the record opposing his bid, Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Many of the other potential critics have remained silent or suggested, privately if not publicly, that even if Johnson loses the first vote – or even the first few rounds of voting – he will ultimately prevail.
We will find out soon enough.
Rachel Looker
Reporting from Capitol Hill
Image source, ReutersPelosi enters the chamber
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to hold the post, just entered the House chamber wearing blue, the color representing Democrats.
She's recovering from hip replacement surgery and we're watching as she slowly walks to her seat with some assistance from a staffer.
Pelosi fell in Europe last month and broke her hip.
The Democrats appeared to clap when she entered the House chamber.
Rachel Looker
Reporting from Capitol Hill
Lawmakers are pouring into the House chamber as we wait for the official start of the 119th Congress.
We're seeing many members shaking hands, donning smiling faces and giving each other hugs ahead of the Speaker vote.
Many lawmakers have brought their children or grandchildren onto the House floor to mark the first day of the new congressional session.
The House will convene at 12:00 EDT (17:00 GMT), and go through a handful of ceremonial and procedural acts before actual voting for the Speaker takes place.
First up is a prayer led by the Chaplain and the pledge of allegiance.
Then, both parties will have a representative give a nominating speech. GOP conference chair Lisa McClain, from Michigan, will nominate Johnson and Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar, from California, will nominate Hakeem Jeffries.
An alphabetical roll call vote will follow.
This is expected to last about an hour. In the past there have been multiple rounds of speeches and votes, though.
Rachel Looker
Reporting from Capitol Hill
Image source, Getty ImagesIn the Senate, where Republicans also hold a majority, there will be much less drama today on who will serve as the party's leader.
Republicans already met in December during an internal party vote, where they selected South Dakota Senator John Thune to serve as the next Senate Majority Leader.
US Capitol staff this morning installed his official name plate on the door to his new office.
The Republican leader's office previously belonged to Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell - the longest serving Senate party leader in history.
Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill
Image source, Anthony Zurcher / BBCCongressman-elect George Latimer has been in his new office on Capitol Hill for about two hours. He won’t be sworn in until later today - and that’s only if the House successfully elects its speaker.
He and his staff are busy unpacking boxes and greeting his more veteran House colleagues as they stop by to visit.
At 71, the long-time New York Democratic politician is one of the oldest new members of Congress, but he says he feels a bit like a college freshman.
He adds that one of his biggest concerns is Donald Trump’s plans to impose new tariffs on foreign imports - and says he will do what he can to oppose them in the House.
Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York
The House of Representatives functions on a two-year cycle, known as a "session". The new Congress begins today, 3 January 2025, and Republicans will be in the majority.
The very first thing a new session of the House of Representatives must do is vote for a Speaker of the House.
Without that person in place, the chamber cannot move on to any other function.
The chamber must continue to hold votes until a Speaker is elected.
The vote for Speaker requires a candidate to receive the support of a majority of the House - 218 votes. But as with most things in politics, it’s not always that simple.
If a member is absent on either the Democrats or Republicans it can change the number of votes needed.
Members could also vote “present”, which could skew the votes required.
Image source, Getty ImagesJim Jordan says he's hopeful Thomas Massie is the only Republican hold-out in today's Speaker vote.
"Mike's a good man, a man of character, a man of integrity," Jordan told Fox News this morning.
Jordan says he hopes Johnson gets re-elected as Speaker because he's "worked his tail off".
Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill
The first day of a new session of Congress is a bit like the first day of school. Recently elected legislators wander through the sprawling buildings that surround the Capitol, looking for their assigned offices.
The queue for new staff members to get their identification cards stretches down the hallway.
In the cafeterias, veteran politicians rub elbows with aides, lobbyists and journalists, vying for a coffee and doughnuts. Many legislators are also hosting open-door receptions well into the afternoon.
Before long, the routine of work will set in and the barriers limiting access to the politicians will be more firmly in place.
For now, however, it’s a bit of a chaotic free-for-all.
Rachel Looker
Reporting from Capitol Hill
US President-elect Donald Trump has endorsed Representative Mike Johnson to continue on in the role of House Speaker.
"Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!" Trump wrote in a social media post on Monday.
Johnson immediately replied with a statement on X, that he is "honored and humbled" to receive Trump's support.
And just momemts ago, Trump reiterated his support.
"A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election," he wrote on Truth Social.
As he entered the Capitol today, Mike Johnson told reporters that Americans are expecting Republicans to get to work, saying "we don't have time for drama".
He repeats that he's confident about his re-election odds and has touted his support from president-elect Donald Trump.
With just over two hours until the vote is scheduled, it's still unclear what Johnson's fate will be.
Stick with us and we'll bring you the latest.
Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York
The Speaker of the House is a powerful role that allows for near-total control over the chamber's functions.
The Speaker is both traditionally and historically a sitting member of the majority party, though this is not a constitutional requirement.
Therefore, in addition to leading the House of Representatives, they are also leader of the majority party in the chamber.
At a practical level, the Speaker sets the House's legislative agenda, controls committee assignments, sets the vote and work calendar, and is responsible for keeping their party members unified behind major initiatives.
Depending on the partisan makeup of Congress, they can make or break a US president's agenda, stymie opposition, and spearhead their party's biggest legislative initiatives.
Wielded effectively, the position of Speaker of the House is one of the most powerful in Washington.
Ana Faguy
Reporting from Washington DC
In order for current Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to be victorious in his re-election, he will need a simple majority vote of support.
Because the Republican majority is so narrow, Johnson can only afford to lose one vote of support from his own party.
That's already happened after Thomas Massie, a congressman from Kentucky, said he wouldn't back Johnson.
“You can pull all my fingernails out. You can shove bamboo up in them. You can start cutting off my fingers. I am not voting for Mike Johnson,” Massie said last night on former congressman Matt Gaetz's new television show.
Massie just needs one more person to join his dissent and Johnson's re-election could be at risk of failing.
If it does, we could see multiple ballots until a House Speaker is chosen.
Brandon Livesay
Reporting from New York
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the first day of the 119th US Congress, where all eyes will be on the vote for House Speaker.
Mike Johnson has Donald Trump's support for the role, but there's still a cloud of uncertainty over how many votes the Louisiana lawmaker might get from his fellow Republicans.
Johnson says he is confident he has the support, but it's a razor-thin majority for Republicans in the House of Representatives. Johnson can only afford to lose two votes from within his party (assuming everyone is present, nobody abstains, and all the Democrats vote against Johnson).
Thomas Massie has already said he's not voting for Johnson, so if one more Republican sides with Massie then it will start to get chaotic on the Hill.
It wasn't that long ago when Kevin McCarthy had to go through 15 rounds of voting before he was confirmed as Speaker, albeit in vastly different circumstances.
Stick with us as we bring you the latest news and analysis from a big day in US politics.