Mike Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I am very grateful for those comments. Mr. Perry is exactly right. He mentioned Economics 101. Some of our colleagues would do well to go take a refresher course. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde), who represents Georgia's Ninth District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, out of business.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, the Biden administration Democrats continue to push policies that pay people more to stay at home than go back to work, so the results are not surprising at all. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry), who represents Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman covered a lot, and he is right, this crisis we have, the jobs and the economy was so preventable. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), one of my heroes in the Congress.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Always.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, that is a great reminder of who the President serves, and it is confounding to us that he doesn't understand these basic truths. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), who represents Tennessee's Second District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank Captain Higgins for those impassioned words. He is exactly right. One of the things that is so heartbreaking, frustrating, unconscionable about this is we can solve this crisis at the border pretty simply. All we need the White House to do is reimplement the Trump-era policies because that increased border security, it discouraged illegal immigration and it reinstituted law and order, and we can do that, but they won't. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), who represents Georgia's First Congressional District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, that is such an important point. The evidence is mounting that China is indeed responsible for the COVID crisis, and we must hold them accountable. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins), who represents the Third District, and is the third Louisianan on the floor now.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, despite the obvious magnitude of that big problem on the border that we have seen and talk about all the time, hammering home that theme, there have been zero visits to the border by the President or the border czar, the Vice President. In fact, when Kamala Harris was asked in an interview this week if she planned on visiting the border, she laughed about it. But I tell you, those Customs and Border Patrol agents will tell her that it is no laughing matter. I am grateful that Mr. Babin brought that forward tonight. Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose), my good friend, who represents the Sixth District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Keller is correct. When we were kids, they taught us the value of a dollar. That is not what our Democrat colleagues are teaching anymore. Now they are subscribing to what we call fantasy economics, modern monetary theory and all the rest. Mr. Keller is exactly right, and I am so grateful that he brought that word tonight. Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), representing the 36th District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, my friend from Arizona is exactly right. This crisis with China and the Chinese Communist Party is perhaps the greatest threat that we face as a people today, and we need the White House to stand strong. I am so grateful she brought that good word. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller), who represents Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, ``reckless'' is a word we hear over and over tonight and as we talk to our constituents because there is no better word to describe what is happening with this administration. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gimenez), the former mayor of Miami who represents Florida's 26th Congressional District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, my friend said it so well. This administration either doesn't understand those fundamentals of the economy or doesn't care. It is very perplexing. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird), who represents Indiana's Fourth Congressional District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. The American people are counting on us, and they deserve a President who will ensure their safety, security, and freedom, both here at home and abroad. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. C. Scott Franklin), who represents Florida's Fifth Congressional District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, during my time tonight, my colleagues and I will address the major crises happening here at home, happening close to home, and now happening abroad. Our message tonight will cover many topics, but the theme is consistent. These crises are self-inflicted. There are the direct results of disastrous policy decisions from the Biden administration. We have a large number of Members who want to participate tonight, so I will begin immediately by yielding to the gentleman from central Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), my good friend.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, my friend is exactly right. That language is dangerous, and our colleague that he referenced is contributing to the foreign policy crises that have developed rapidly over the last few months. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, my friend is exactly right. The people do know better, and the pain hardworking Americans are feeling is very real. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser), who represents Pennsylvania's Ninth Congressional District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I will need to summarize, then. I am delighted to have had so many of my colleagues here tonight to help us sound the alarms and inform the American people what is going on here. We have a crisis here at home. We have a crisis on the southern border. And we have multiple developing crises abroad. You heard the broad spectrum of all those tonight, Mr. Speaker. Whether it is our concern about jobs in the economy with the rising inflation, with this humanitarian crisis with young children and traffickers and drug cartels at the border, or whether we are talking about this administration's critical foreign policy blunders, you can summarize it all, Mr. Speaker. Maybe it was summarized best tonight by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry). He said in one phrase: We have a leadership crisis. We certainly do. But I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, all these issues and everything that my colleagues talked about tonight can and should be addressed in a bipartisan way. All of us on this side of the aisle want to do that. We are anxious to do that. We should all want Americans to get back to work. We should all want to end the humanitarian crisis at the border. We should all want to achieve peace through strength on the international stage. It is time for President Biden and it is time for our Democrat colleagues to work with Republicans for the American people. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), who represents Texas' First Congressional District.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains on the clock?

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Gohmert is exactly right. And the scope of that tragedy is something that is hard to wrap your mind around. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mooney).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere gratitude to one of the most valued and dedicated members of my team, Jack Walecki. After over 4 years of service to our country and the people of Louisiana's Fourth Congressional District, Jack is going to be leaving our D.C. office to pursue a law degree at Pepperdine University. For the past 2\1/2\ years, and through some of the most historically significant events in recent memory, I have relied upon Jack's steady counsel as my lead staffer for judiciary issues. His level head and steadfast commitment to his work have been instrumental in helping to right the ship in truly tumultuous times. More importantly, Jack's easy-going, quintessentially California attitude will leave a lasting mark on our team. We will sorely miss his obscure cultural references and random tidbits of knowledge that would make a trivia master's head spin. We are all saddened to see Jack leave, but we are also delighted to see him take this next step in his life. Mr. Speaker, I thank Jack for all his work and dedication. God has great plans for your life. Our family and staff wish him all the best. Onward, my friend.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gentlewoman from Illinois' 15th District (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, on this somber occasion, we rise to honor the late Buddy Roemer. He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1943. He was a Harvard- educated reformer with big ideas. He represented Louisiana's Fourth Congressional District here in the House from 1981 to 1988. He served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana, and he was a former candidate for President of the United States. He passed away at the age of 77 on May 17, 2021. Please join us in a moment of silence in honor of his public service and his important contributions to Louisiana and our Nation.