House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) shrugged off criticism of his Republican majority in the House of Representatives, saying that legislating is a “messy” process and that “we’re cleaning it up.”
On the heels of two high-profile failed votes for the House GOP, on impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and aid to Israel, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) declared that removing former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in October has “turned into an unmitigated disaster.”
Johnson spoke to reporters on Wednesday, saying he believed Massie’s critiques weren’t directed at him — but rather the chamber — and detailed the challenges of the narrow majority.
“Look, it was a mess — what happened here — but we’re cleaning it up. And Massie is one of my dear friends and colleagues. And I don’t think that this is a reflection on the leader,” Johnson said. “It’s a reflection on the body itself and the place where we come in this country.
“Look, the nation is divided. We lament that, right? The differences, the chasm between the two parties right now is wider than it’s ever been. And there are lots of emotions, and we live in the age of social media and 24-hour news cycle,” he added.
The House speaker assured that the “job will be done” even as tensions in the House Republican conference continue to mount, saying that the “entire world is counting upon us.”
“So we’re in a different time. But what we need to do in a time like this, a time of great challenge, is lead on principle, and that’s what we’re doing,” Johnson said. “The process is messy sometimes, but the job will be done, and we’re going to govern this country; it’s the greatest country in the history of the world.”
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“The entire world is counting upon us. We have steady hands at the wheel. We’ll get through it. Everybody take a deep breath. It’s a long game. We’re gonna get the job done,” he added.
Johnson was elected House speaker in October to replace McCarthy, who was ousted earlier in the month and has faced some of the largest obstacles of his short tenure this week, with back-to-back failed votes on key pieces of legislation.
