House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) appeared on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on Thursday morning to take calls from viewers, the first in his position to do so in more than 20 years.
Johnson answered calls from Democrats, Republicans, and independents, with a special line open for federal workers. Most of the calls were respectful, and questions stayed along party lines.
Republicans praised Johnson’s work on the short-term spending deal the House passed in September, while Democratic callers asked him why the GOP isn’t working with Democrats to negotiate and reopen the government after it shut down on Oct. 1. Other callers expressed concerns with the lapse in funding for medical care and the military.
The last time a speaker took questions from C-SPAN callers was in 2001, from former Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert. Former Democratic Speaker Tom Foley appeared six times between 1990 and 1993. Former Democratic Speaker Jim Wright was the first speaker to take live calls on C-SPAN in 1987 from students in Fort Worth, Texas.
Former GOP Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Johnson’s predecessor, did not take calls from C-SPAN listeners during his 269 days in the position.
Johnson kept his cool during the calls and most of the time went over the allotted time to answer each question.
Several calls were focused on President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to blue cities such as Chicago and Portland. Republicans have held up the federal takeover of Washington, D.C., as a blueprint for how Trump’s move to send troops to several big cities can make cities safer.
Johnson said everyone in the district is “smiling” and the sun is shining brighter thanks to troop presence, a remark that caused one caller concern.
“Hearing you say that everyone is smiling in the cities where troops, our National Guard, has been rolled into feels dystopian and insane to hear you say that,” a Democratic caller said. “That’s not actually my question, I just needed to say that.”
Johnson did not stray from GOP messaging on the government shutdown, insisting that the blame is on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats to reopen the government.
Johnson insisted there was nothing he could do to negotiate a better product and said he wouldn’t bring the House back to vote on separate legislation to fund the military. The remarks come after news that as many as 77 House Democrats signed a letter asking Johnson to bring up legislation to pay military personnel.
Samantha, a Republican and a military mother from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, called to berate Johnson over the absence of funding for military families. Military personnel will not receive their first paycheck since the shutdown, which is scheduled for Oct. 15, if Congress cannot pass a spending deal.
“I’m begging you to pass this legislation. My kids could die,” she said.
“As a Republican, I’m very disappointed in my party, and I’m very disappointed in you,” she added. “You could stop this. You could be the one to say, ‘Military is getting paid.’ The audacity of someone who makes six figures a year to do this to military families is insane.”
Johnson said he sympathized with her but dismissed the idea, saying it would be a “show vote” that would provide Democrats with political cover after all but one voted against the GOP’s continuing resolution.
“They all voted on the record three weeks ago to stop pay for the troops,” he said. “They’re desperate to try to get on the record, but that would be a show vote for Democrats. They do not care about it.”
SENATE DEMOCRATS CAUTIOUS WITH SHUTDOWN DEMANDS AS JEFFRIES FACES HOUSE BACKLASH
On the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, Johnson once again dodged a question about whether he supports a one-year extension. Instead, he pointed to comments from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) that a one-year extension is “laughable” and a nonstarter. He has since clarified those remarks, but several Republicans and Democrats have undercut him, stating that every option should be explored.
A handful of Republicans have signed a bill for a one-year extension of the credits, but Johnson and other members of GOP leadership have shown little interest in an extension. Johnson has repeatedly insisted that Obamacare needs heavy reforms and that negotiations between and within the parties on how to move forward on the credits that expire at the end of the year.
