Republicans finally rallied behind a new standard-bearer Wednesday as the US House of Representatives elected its 56th speaker -- ending weeks of party infighting that paralyzed Congress in a period of international and domestic crisis.
Louisiana's Mike Johnson, a staunch ally of Donald Trump and who spearheaded legal efforts to overturn the 2020 election, won unanimous support from his party to lead the lower chamber of Congress and draw a line under the chaos.
New US House speaker announces resolution supporting Israel as first bill
The new Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives told lawmakers Wednesday that his first act leading the chamber would be to introduce a resolution supporting Israel in its conflict with Hamas militants.
"The first bill that I'm going to bring to this floor in just a little while will be in support of our dear, dear friend Israel, and we're overdue in getting that done," Louisiana congressman Mike Johnson said in his acceptance speech, warning that America's "greatest ally in the Middle East is under attack."