House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) expressed enthusiasm to get to work on President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda this year, which would include ending the grip of “the deep state” on the nation.
Johnson’s previewing the House’s work going into 2025 comes after he retained the gavel on Friday’s speaker vote, after which he met up with House Republicans on Saturday to discuss the “America First agenda.” Ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, House Republicans are planning how to address the biggest problems facing the United States, which include reviving the nation’s economy.
TRUMP PUSHING HOUSE GOP TO COMBINE RECONCILIATION BILLS INTO ONE PACKAGE
“Part of that is preventing the largest tax increase in U.S. history, which would happen automatically at the end of next year if we don’t get our ducks in a row, so we’re going to make sure that happens,” Johnson said on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. “We’re going to incentivize American companies to manufacture in the U.S. again, and we’re going to make sure that the regulatory burden and the red tape that has smothered our free market is reduced and eliminated. And we’re going to be dismantling the deep state all along the way. We’re going to restore American energy dominance. So many different pieces to this, Maria; they all have to work together, and, of course, the president has asked us, and really needs us, to address the debt limit crisis before that hits in June.”
The House speaker was asked about the possibility of raising or eliminating the nation’s debt ceiling in a massive bill that will be sent to Trump’s desk, to which he suggested would be possible, specifically citing how Republicans will not need the help of Democratic lawmakers to make it happen. He also stressed that while the debt ceiling would be raised, spending would not go up alongside it in its bid to cut spending.
When asked when the public could expect this bill to be on Trump’s desk, Johnson revealed that a vote in the House is being targeted for April and “maybe as soon as April 3.” Should it pass the House and then pass in the Senate, Trump can expect to have the bill on his desk by the end of April or the “worst-case scenario” being Memorial Day in May.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The House reelected Johnson as speaker on Friday after one round of voting, in which all but one of the House Republicans voted for him, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) being the only one not to join his party. After retaining the gavel, Johnson vowed to “reject business as usual and throw out the status quo” in leading the 119th Congress.
Trump had endorsed Johnson ahead of Friday’s vote, which comes ahead of the president-elect’s inauguration. On Friday afternoon, Trump issued a congratulatory message to Johnson, stating that he would be “a Great Speaker.”