Johnson Will Soon Have a Single-Vote Majority—What Does This Mean for Congress?

As the speaker faces an ouster threat, he also presides over a deeply divided Republican conference making him more reliant on Democrats to pass legislation.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) attends a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on April 16, 2024. Julia Nikhinson/AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON—After a string of retirements and an expulsion, House Republicans will soon hold the slimmest majority in modern history.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is leading a Republican conference that can spare only one defection in a party that has already dethroned its own speaker over internal divisions.