Press Releases

WASHINGTON — This morning, at the House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson addressed Democrats’ recent inflammatory rhetoric, Democrat leadership laying the foundation for a government shutdown, the disinformation and overreaction to the DOGE effort, and House Republicans’ efforts to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here

On Congressional Democrats’ inflammatory rhetoric:

I want to start this morning by addressing a few things we've heard this week from our Democrat colleagues. It's been pretty surprising. Here's a few quotes: “shut down the city,” “we are at war,” “we're going to fight it in the streets,” “this is what the beginning of a dictatorship looks like.” This is their reaction to the flurry of activity that's come out of the new administration.

The President is doing exactly what he said on the campaign trail that he would do, and he's delivering on that. We're a big part of that, and we're going to do it as well. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party truly is seemingly lost. They have no rudder; they have no vision. They have no clear leader. The only message they have is anti-President Trump, and we've all seen that that's a failed strategy time after time.

On Congressional Democrats laying the foundation for a government shutdown:

This week, Democratic leadership sent a letter to their members that you all saw, that the media characterized as a ‘war plan’ to take on President Trump. In the letter, the Democrats laid out the foundation for a government shutdown. That's their plan to stop President Trump, and the question we're all asking is, why do they want to stop him? Is it because President Trump is working to bring more oversight to USAID for its mismanaged spending? Is it because he's using the threat of tariffs to negotiate with trade partners and secure our borders? Is it because DOGE is looking at contracts and helping to carry out President Trump's promises of making government more efficient?

By laying the foundation for a shutdown in the way that they are, the Democrats are changing their tune on government shutdowns. Remember, they're the ones that are apoplectic all the time about the terrible harm that it would enact on the country. But because President Trump is doing exactly what he said he would do, they've changed their tune, and I think you all should be asking them about that change of heart and the hypocrisy that is just on open display.

On overreaction to the DOGE effort:

I'm a fierce advocate and defender of Article I. I mean that. Look, we are the legislative branch. There's a reason the founding fathers put the Congress, the legislative branch as the first Article in the Constitution, and we're going to vigorously defend that. But what's happening right now? I think there's a gross overreaction in the media to what is happening. The executive branch of government, in our system, has the right to evaluate how executive branch agencies are operating and to ensure that not only the intent of Congress, in funding mechanisms, but also the stewardship of precious American taxpayer dollars, is being handled well. That's what they're doing by putting a pause on some of these agencies and by evaluating them, by doing these internal audits, that is a long overdue and much welcome development. That's what the American people demand and deserve, and that's what's happening. 

So, we don't see this as a threat to Article I at all. We see this as an active, engaged, committed executive branch authority doing what the executive branch should do. They have broad discretion in all the funding, as you all know, because you follow this. When Congress funds an agency, they give broad discretion to the executive branch on how it's administered. They're using that authority right now in a way it hasn't been used in a long time. So, it looks radical. It's not. I call it stewardship. I think they're doing right by the American taxpayer, and we support that principle. When it comes to the point of codification and legislation and all the rest, that will be evaluated, and all those things. But right now, I think they're acting within the scope of their authority. 

On the HALT Fentanyl Act:

This week, we’ll be continuing our efforts to protect American communities by voting on the HALT Fentanyl Act, which will permanently schedule fentanyl and all fentanyl related substances as schedule 1 narcotics. Why is that important? Because it empowers law enforcement to seize those deadly drugs and go after their distributors and stop the flow. It is an unspeakable tragedy that has now gone on for over four years. We have more than 200 Americans lose their lives every single day, on average, to fentanyl. And it's a crisis that demands our immediate action, and that's what the President is doing. 

That's what we're doing. The HALT Fentanyl Act builds on President Trump's efforts from earlier this week to secure our border, southern and northern borders, and keep illicit drugs out. Republicans are taking decisive, strong and immediate action to rid American communities of this poison. Elections have sometimes very positive consequences, and that's what you're seeing here.