WASHINGTON -- This time was supposed to be different.

Johnson, of Louisiana, has been working diligently to prevent defeat, spending New Year’s Day at Mar-a-Lago as he positions himself alongside Trump. The speaker often portrays himself as the “quarterback” who will be executing the political plays called by the “coach,” the president-elect.

Two holdouts were convinced to change their minds and support Johnson after all the first-ballot votes were initially cast.

Mike Johnson is fighting for his political life, again. The Louisiana Republican’s hold on the House speaker's gavel and his position as second in line to the presidency will be tested Friday when a new Congress convenes.

The policy was left out of last week’s proposed package but Rep. Johnson quietly included the ban in the final rules.

After South Carolina Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace made a spectacle of transgender people’s access to bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol at the end of the 118th Congress last year, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has quietly announced a rule restricting bathroom usage in the 119th Congress.