OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
9:20 AM – Friday, December 5, 2025
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has sworn in Representative Matt Van Epps after he won a special election in Tennessee.
Van Epps (R-Tenn.) was sworn in on Thursday morning, two days after winning the election to succeed former Representative Mark Green (R-Tenn.), who previously served as Tennessee Department of General Services Commissioner. Green resigned in July for a private sector job opportunity.
The new congressman defeated Democrat Tennessee state Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Tenn.) by roughly 9 points, despite President Donald Trump winning in the district by 22 points last year.
Republicans now hold a 220-213 majority in the lower chamber of Congress, though their hold will slip again in January with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) exit.
“We cannot take anything for granted. Since I became speaker, I presided over some of the smallest majorities in history. Every seat counts,” Johnson (R-La.) had told Fox News on Monday.
Upon Van Epps’ victory on Wednesday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, “Such a terrific Victory for Matt Van Epps, and his wonderful family, last night. He will be a fantastic Representative for the Great State of Tennessee for many years to come!”
Johnson faced backlash immediately upon his swearing-in of Van Epps after the 50-day wait to swear in Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who won a special election to claim her late father, former Representative Raúl M. Grijalva. The speaker cited the record-setting 43-day government shutdown, when the House was not in session, for the delay in this instance.
“Remember when he made Adelita Grijalva wait 50 days?” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee wrote on X.
Van Epps delivered his first floor speech at the ceremony on Thursday, affirming the Christian and conservative values he plans to bring to the chamber.
“I come to this distinguished body as a Christian, a husband and a father and an Army special operations helicopter pilot with nine combat tours who has seen firsthand what makes this nation exceptional,” he said. “America’s strength comes from our enduring belief that freedom is worth fighting for and from our commitment to protect and empower the hard-working families who make the American dream possible.”
The new congressman promised to promote President Trump’s “America First” agenda, asserting that his voters “didn’t send me here to just give a speech. They sent me here to deliver, and that is exactly what I intend to do.”
“Fun fact: He took the oath on a hot pink Bible that belongs to his daughter. With her name on it!” Johnson told reporters. “I have not seen that before.”
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