Mike Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. So well said, as always. I think one of the key words you said was purposeful. These crises are not happenstance. These are direct results of policy choices. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), my good friend.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. It is so well said. It is as if they are incentivizing lawlessness. That is exactly what we are seeing, and everybody knows it. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), my friend.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. It is not partisanship. We are sharing the facts. He is exactly right. I would encourage my colleagues--there are so many who want to speak, and it is a target-rich environment with so many crises. We are going to try to stick to 2 minutes on these yields. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, the gentlewoman's remarks are well-said. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Georgia (Mr. Carter). Georgia is the home of the new national championship football team.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde), home of the new national championship football team.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Fitzgerald), another seasoned, very effective legislator.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gimenez), who we refer to as ``The Chief.''

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Steel).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko), one of the true border states that sees all of these crises firsthand.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for her so well-said remarks. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas, (Mr. Mann).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that plain talk from Kansas. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), who is one of the brightest and most respected Members of Congress.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, Americans do deserve so much better. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. I thank the gentlewoman for her principled leadership. It has been effective, and we are grateful she is here. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the State of Texas (Mr. Weber).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Brand `em. I like it. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller), who is another very effective legislator.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Spartz), one of the smartest and hardest working Members of Congress.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her comments. Madam Speaker, what my colleagues have illustrated here in this Special Order is the crisis that we have in this country. We are on the anniversary now of 1 year of far-left Democratic rule in Washington. We have a unified government. The far-left Democrats are in charge of the White House and both Houses of Congress. Elections have consequences. The American people can see it for themselves. Every poll across this country shows us. They know that it is crisis upon crisis upon crisis. You have heard my colleagues illustrate so many of those here this afternoon. If we had hours upon hours we could continue all night. The economic crisis last year: Inflation cost the average worker nearly two paychecks. An energy crisis: The national average for a gallon of gas rose 49.6 percent for the year. A border crisis: Because of the Democrats' open border policies, every State is now a border State. An education crisis: President Biden promised to reopen schools in his first 100 days but his administration secretly worked with teachers' unions to keep the schools closed and label parents as domestic terrorists. A crime crisis: Over a dozen U.S. cities had a record-high homicide rate in 2021. A COVID crisis: Although President Biden promised to shut down the virus, many Americans continue to struggle to find tests, and, of course, many schools remain closed because of this. A national security crisis: Because of President Biden's weakness on the world stage, our adversaries in Beijing, Tehran, and Moscow are stronger today and they are in power. We could go on and on and on. I am out of time, Madam Speaker, but I will just point out again, the latest poll that was released just this morning didn't look at just numbers. They asked the American people to give a letter grade to the President. Thirty percent of Americans give the President an F, a failing grade, and more Americans give him an F than give him an A or a B. This is a failed Presidency. These are failed policies. We are living under the crises that they have created. It is time for this to come to an end. We are grateful to the American people for recognizing this, and we look forward to bringing our solutions to bear at the election cycle this fall. Madam Speaker, our Special Order hour has concluded, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 5746, which contains the text of H.R. 4, the so-called John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. With H.R. 4, Democrats are attempting to orchestrate yet another radical and unprecedented Federal power grab over State-administered elections, this time under the guise of updating the Voting Rights Act. But the history here is so important. Upon its enactment in 1965, the VRA employed extraordinary measures to address pervasive State resistance to removing radically discriminatory barriers that did at that time prevent minorities from exercising their right to vote. But here is what is important: After exhaustive review in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court's Shelby County v. Holder decision recognized an obvious fact when examining the Voting Rights Act: Things have changed dramatically since 1965. Of course, that fact should be celebrated. The Court reasoned that requiring States to preclear election law changes today based on conduct a half century ago was an unconstitutional invasion of State sovereignty. Republicans are thrilled the VRA worked. The truth is that more Americans from minority communities are voting now than ever before, and overall voting registration remains sky high. In fact, voting registration disparities between minority and nonminority voters in States like Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana are below the national average--and get this--lower than Democrat-run States like California, New York, and Delaware. However, Democrats would have you think exactly the opposite. They want to bring preclearance back through H.R. 4 and have all the States seek approval from Merrick Garland's Justice Department before they can make any changes to their election laws or redistricting, regardless of whether that jurisdiction has a history of discrimination or not. Again, this is a blatant Federal power grab. These bills are contrary to the Founders' intent, the plain text of the Constitution, and if they are fully implemented, they will further erode Americans' faith and confidence in our government institutions. We remain hopeful that the people of our country will see this. We urge a ``no'' vote today.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, just this morning, we learned that inflation rose 7 percent over the past year, the highest rate since 1982. We have empty shelves, and we have unfilled jobs due to the labor shortages across the country. Schools are shutting down again, crime is soaring in our cities, and faith in our institutions is in rapid decline. What are Washington Democrats focused on? They want to blow up the rules of Congress so they can pass their extremist agenda to federalize local elections, legalize ballot harvesting, ban voter ID requirements, and fund their own campaigns with precious taxpayer dollars. It is truly unbelievable to the people back home. Chuck Schumer says this is a response to the 2020 election and the State election laws passed in 2021. That is obviously not a true statement, because the bill they are peddling was first introduced in 2019. Joe Biden says it is to stave off the reemergence of a second Jim Crow era in States like Texas and Georgia which passed election integrity measures this year. But that is a ridiculous charge. Literally, it is the opposite of the facts that any person can verify with a single internet search. The truth is, Georgia's law has more days of early, in-person voting than Joe Biden's own home State of Delaware. The 2020 election saw the highest turnout of voters in 120 years, and according to the Pew Research Center, 94 percent of Americans agree it is ``easy to vote.'' There is no widespread voter suppression in this country, and everybody knows it. In fact, voter registration disparities between minority and nonminority voters in States like Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana are below the national average and lower than Democrat-run States like New York, California, and Delaware. Those are the facts. For Democrats, the only problem they are seeking to solve is the problem of how to secure for themselves more votes. We have heard in New York, Democrats recently voted to allow foreign citizens to vote in American elections. You heard it right. It is a blatantly unconstitutional scheme that defies the most basic rule of our system. Seventh grade civics: American elections should be decided by American citizens. New York's ridiculous new law has been challenged in court. We don't know what the outcome of that is going to be, but we can all take a stand here tonight to reaffirm to the people of this great Nation that their legally cast votes will not be watered down and negated by the ballots of noncitizens. Madam Speaker, if the previous question is defeated, Republicans will amend the rule to provide for consideration of a resolution that acknowledges this simple truth: Allowing illegal immigrants and noncitizens the right to vote devalues the franchise and diminishes the voting power of United States citizens. We all have an opportunity to go on record right here tonight to make our positions on that issue clear. I urge my colleagues to reaffirm the rights of U.S. citizens and vote ``no'' on the previous question.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the good work and friendship of the American Judicial Alliance. AJA and its founder, Judge Darrell White, have been working tirelessly to introduce the tradition of the Harlan Bible by donating these Bibles to our nation's courtrooms and institutions, including to this chamber. Justice John Marshall Harlan set this precedent by donating his very own Bible to the Supreme Court back in 1906, and since then, every justice has signed this Bible after taking the oath of office. Justice Harlan is probably best known for being the ``Great Dissenter'' and specifically for his role as the lone dissenter in Plessy v. Ferguson's unjust `separate but equal' precedent. His personal transformation made him an impassioned supporter for civil rights during his 34 years on the Court. It was Justice Harlan who stated: ``Our constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.'' By donating these Harlan Bibles, AJA is honoring the legacy of Justice Harlan's fight for justice, recognizing that our inalienable rights come directly from our Creator, and restoring faith in our Nation's courtrooms. May God continue to bless the American Judicial Alliance as it endeavors to share the Harlan Bible and its important message of justice, mercy, and faith to the American people.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my good friends and community leaders who have been serving my hometown of Shreveport for a remarkable 75 years. The CPA firm--Heard, McElroy and Vestal--has been an integral part of our community since 1946. In fact, founding partner Charles McElroy served as one of the first Chairman of the Louisiana Certified Public Accountants. From the very beginning, the firm has established itself as a ``pillar of trust, integrity and competence.'' Their firm is now one of the largest public accounting firms in Northwest Louisiana. This firm and its over 100 employees have worked faithfully for the people of Louisiana every day and have continued to be a cornerstone for our region. We are blessed to have their mission of accounting excellence and commitment to integrity as a part of our community. I thank my friends for serving so well for all these years, and happy 75th anniversary.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Republican Conference, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. He is so right about that. The hardworking American families are feeling the pain from Tennessee all the way to California. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte), my good friend.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. It is a shame that China is being assisted by these Democrat policies, even as they openly challenge us. Another thing Ronald Reagan warned us about is that weakness invites aggression. This is a dangerous game. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Bentz).