Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON — At the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson recapped his travel to districts across the country during the August District Work Period, touted the rapid decline in crime in Washington, D.C. following President Trump’s crackdown, and discussed how Congressional Democrats are already seeding the ground for a government shutdown.
“D.C. residents and the residents of every major American city should be able to walk freely without fear of being mugged and violently assaulted and carjacked or shot at,” Speaker Johnson said. “I mean, this is common sense, and it’s clear this action is needed.”
Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here.
On the August District Work Period:
I spent the month traveling in my own district and 12 other states, we went quite literally coast to coast and got a great reception everywhere we went. In my district, I met with farmers who will benefit from the permanent relief from that death tax, and small business owners just like this, who can now plan for the future better because of tax certainty and increases in the small business deductions. In Nashville, Tennessee where I was, I met with tip workers who will keep more of what they earn thanks to the no tax on tips and no tax on overtime. They were overjoyed by that.
I was in Idaho Falls, Idaho, visited with a local manufacturer there who employs 5,200 people. One of the biggest, most impressive businesses nationwide. And thanks to this bill, they can now permanently deduct more of their critical investments in research and development on their products, and that will help their company and thereby create more jobs and help their workers. Whether you’re a farmer, a bartender, a stay-at-home parent, a law enforcement officer, a business owner, any profession in between, the legislation that we passed is going to benefit you. It’s going to benefit all Americans, because as we noted, it was written for lower- and middle-class earners. And they are going to feel the effects of that in very short order.
On President Trump’s Successful Crackdown on DC Crime:
Since President Trump took control of the DC Metro Police Department, the crime in our nation’s capital has fallen off a cliff. Here’s some stats. Carjackings are down 85%[…] robberies down 42%, violent crime down 25%. DC went 11 straight days without a murder […] Nearly 1300 criminals have been arrested and 135 illegal guns removed from the DC streets. DC residents and the residents of every big American city should be able to walk freely without fear of being mugged and violently assaulted and carjacked or shot at. I mean, this is common sense and it’s clear this action is needed. 81% of the people in this country believe crime is a major problem in large American cities, and we ought to do something about it. And we’re the team that will.
President Trump is clearly listening. His efforts have been so effective here in D.C. that Mayor Bowser, who is a Democrat, as you know, signed an Executive Order just yesterday, welcoming federal law enforcement in DC indefinitely. I hope my Democrat colleagues here will wake up and realize that crime is not a partisan issue. It can’t be. Violent criminals don’t know if you’re a Democrat or a Republican before they put a gun to the back of your head and demand you give up your keys. We can’t stand for that. And the Democrats should set aside their pride and stop defending violent criminals, which is amazingly what so many of them are doing right now, and work with the Trump Administration to put the safety of the American people first.
On Democrats Preparing to Vote to Shut Down the Government:
House Republicans are continuing the FY26 appropriations process and our efforts to responsibly fund the government while also cutting spending. Why? Because my friends, we have a $37 trillion federal debt. Now remember, we cut $1.6 trillion in the Working Families Tax Cut bill, and that was a huge leap forward because it’s the largest amount of savings ever achieved by any legislative body in the history of mankind. But it’s not enough. We must continue to spend more responsibly.
This week, we’ll bring up the energy and water appropriations bill to the floor, and Chairman Cole is diligently working to get all 12 of the appropriations bills out of his committee. As we always are, House Republicans are committed to keeping the government open. And unfortunately, it seems like not all the Democrats agree with that and they’re beginning to apply their government shutdown pressure. But I want you to remember one thing; all but one House Democrat voted to shut down the government in March, and we expect, sadly, that that may happen again. If the government shuts down, it’ll be because Congressional Democrats rejected common sense solutions to fund the government and instead caved to their far-left base. But I’m going to say this, I mean this sincerely. If Democrats are willing to work with us and think responsibly about how we can spend less than we did last year, then we are all open to that.
On Governor Gavin Newsom’s Attacks on Christians following tragedy:
In response to a video of Karoline Leavitt discussing the power of prayer amid great tragedy, the governor posted, “These children were literally praying as they got shot at.” I mean, why? Like, why would he do that? Why would you do that except that you were starving for attention? It’s detestable. Two children were murdered, more than a dozen were hospitalized. And Gavin Newsom’s response was to sneer and condemn those who seek out our creator at our darkest moments.
I just thought it was, I just thought it was evil. In fact, it’s indicative of such a profound moral decay that really the only hope for Gavin is prayer, ironically. And we’re told in scripture to do that as people of faith. We believe in the strength of prayer and intercession. It’s foundational to who we are as believers, and by the way, who we are as Americans. It’s woven into the fabric of our country, our deep Judeo-Christian heritage, and it’s something that we represent. And as a leader of the state with the largest Christian population in America, I will keep Governor Newsom and also the people of California in my prayers.
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