United States | Walking the line

Mike Johnson has his old job back, for now

But the GOP has the tightest House majority in nearly a century

Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson
Photograph: Aaron Schwartz /CNP/ Polaris/ Eyevine
|WASHINGTON, DC

The first week of the 119th Congress, which convened on January 3rd, revealed some important truths about how power will be exercised in Washington over the next two years. Donald Trump won’t always get his way on Capitol Hill, though any Republican opposing his preferences will also usually claim to be supporting the president. And even though Mr Trump isn’t all-powerful, it will be hard for anything to happen without him.

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This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Walking the line”

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