The House of Representatives finally settled on a new speaker of the House by selecting Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a 220-209 vote, elevating a low-key figure with a minimal record on fiscal issues to a post that is second in line to the presidency.

The decision capped off a historic 22-day odyssey and saw the Louisianan win the gavel only after the failure of three speaker-designees before him.

He will now lead negotiations with the Senate and White House on issues like a possible government shutdown next month and Biden administration proposals to spread new foreign aid around the world.

After taking the gavel, Johnson previewed some of the government spending fights to come in his inaugural speech by saying "this is not going be an easy task and tough decisions will have to be made."

When it comes to the looming shutdown, the 51-year-old Johnson has already sketched out a plan for the talks in a document distributed during his campaign. Johnson, who had been GOP conference vice chair, opened the door in that letter to a short-term measure to keep the government operating into 2024 past its current deadline of Nov. 17.

"I would propose a measure that expires on January 15 or April 15," he wrote in his letter to colleagues leaving out key additional information such as what funding levels he would push for on a longer-term deal.

A preview of the Democrats' view of Johnson came Wednesday morning from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who told an audience of activists at the Center for American Progress IDEAS Conference that Johnson has a "pleasant demeanor" but that it belies a voting record "as extreme as the most extreme members of their conference with very few exceptions."

'We have to change the way that the Biden administration is administering the economy'

Johnson is a former constitutional law litigator who has put most of his focus on legal issues during his time in Congress and is perhaps best known for his efforts to help then-President Trump overturn the 2020 election.

He has also staked out a series of positions on cultural issues rooted in his religious conservative views.

Johnson’s record on fiscal issues is thin at best. Just one example: The "free markets" section of his website hasn’t been updated in almost two years with the last entry coming around 2021’s debate over Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Another section of his website is about fiscal responsibility. That’s a bit more up-to-date and includes comments that don’t entirely take a government shutdown off the table.

"We have to change the way that the Biden administration is administering the economy," he told Breitbart in September.

Johnson has also expressed deep skepticism about any additional aid to Ukraine, an issue he will surely confront in the coming days. A group called Republicans for Ukraine, which aims to rally support for the war-torn nation following Vladimir Putin’s invasion, has highlighted Johnson’s repeated votes against Ukraine funding and gives him a grade of "F" on the issue.

By contrast, Johnson has posted repeatedly to express support for US aid to Israel and is seen as likely to push to separate any money for Israel and Ukraine in the weeks ahead.

The Biden administration recently asked Congress for $106 billion to support its efforts around the world from Ukraine to Israel to US allies in the Indo-Pacific region looking to stand up to China.

A reputation centered around cultural issues — and defending Donald Trump

Johnson represents the northwest corner of his state with a district that includes the city of Shreveport. He is only in his fourth term in Congress, making him the least-experienced speaker in over 100 years and he has focused most of his public comments in recent months on issues like the investigation into President Biden’s son Hunter and a possible impeachment of Biden himself.

"There is much more to come," he posted in September of impeachment efforts. Johnson serves on the House’s committee on "Weaponization of the Federal Government" led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

As a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, Johnson also championed an effort that was ostensibly about religious freedom but was seen by many as an effort to legalize discrimination against the LGBTQ community. In Congress, Johnson voted against a bill to codify same-sex marriage.

He is also a close ally of former President Trump and voted to decertify the 2020 election. Johnson led an amicus brief when a group of GOP lawmakers tried to band together to support an effort by the state of Texas to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania. The case was eventually tossed for a lack of standing.

On Tuesday when a reporter attempted to ask Johnson about his efforts on behalf of Trump’s election denialism, GOP lawmakers began loudly booing and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) yelled at the journalist to "shut up," according to video of the exchange.

"Next question," Johnson himself said without responding to the question.

This post has been updated with additional developments.

Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

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