Welcome Speaker Johnson
Washington Examiner
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Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) ascension to the presidential line of succession was so fast that he was not able to find a flight for his wife to be at the Capitol for his acceptance speech. A relative unknown until last week, there is much everyone outside of Louisiana has to learn about the new leader of the House Republicans.
He is coming into office at a perilous time. The authorization for funding the federal government expires in a matter of days, our ally Israel is under constant rocket attack, and Russia continues its assault on Ukraine.
So far, he seems up to the task. His first words as speaker were gracious and bipartisan. He told Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), “I know we see things from very different points of view, but I know that in your heart, you love and care about this country and you want to do what’s right, and so we’re going to find common ground there.”
He has since said the first bill he would bring to the floor would be legislation ensuring that Israel has everything it needs to prevail over the barbarism of Hamas and the entire network of Iranian terror clients destabilizing the region.
He also promised a vote on aid to Ukraine, including a statement that shows he understands the stakes in that conflict. “We can’t allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine, because I don’t believe it would stop there,” Johnson said the day after he was sworn in. “And it would probably encourage and empower China to perhaps make a move on Taiwan. We have these concerns. We’re not going to abandon them.”
On spending, Speaker Johnson has made a commitment to form a bipartisan debt commission to address the federal government’s growing deficit problem. Such an action may make it easier for him to find the conservative votes he will need to keep the government running past Nov. 17.
Johnson should be given the chance to make good on his promises, to work with Jeffries on a bipartisan basis to aid Israel and Ukraine and reach an agreement to keep the government funded.
Some people are determined to deny Johnson a chance to prove himself and succeed, and they are doing so on the most reprehensible grounds.
President Joe Biden’s first press secretary, Jen Psaki, attacked Speaker Johnson from her new perch at MSNBC. She played a clip of Johnson calling himself a “Bible-believing Christian. … That’s my worldview.” Psaki responded, “You heard that right, the Bible doesn’t just inform his worldview, it is his worldview. It’s not just his political ideology that should scare us. Johnson is basically a Christian fundamentalist.” Psaki’s words betray her ignorance, intolerance, and prejudice.
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It shouldn’t have to be said, but there is nothing wrong with the Bible informing one’s worldview. That is, indeed, the heart of Christian doctrine. Our nation was founded by Bible-believing Christians. Despite what some Democrats such as Psaki believe, having faith, and using faith to understand the world, is not disqualifying for leadership. Most Americans prefer a leader who believes in a higher power.
The circumstances of Johnson’s election were abnormal, but unlike House Democrats, he did not vote with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the speakership. He is making the best of a difficult situation and his colleagues should help him out as much as they can. We wish him success.