Republicans are putting together an “aggressive playbook” for the new Congress that could result in the “most consequential” run in recent years, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a new interview.
The plan is predicated on the stated expectation that Republicans hold the House and win control of the Senate and the White House in the November election, a result that would give the GOP a strong hand come January.
“What we’re planning right now is we’re designing a very aggressive playbook for the legislative agenda in the new Congress,” Johnson told The Hill this week.
Johnson called himself an “optimist” and said he believes Republicans are “going to win the White House, the Senate and the House, so I think there’ll be a lot of energy and excitement behind that.”
Democrats currently lead the Senate, but only because a handful of independents caucus with them. Republicans hope to gain a couple seats, some of which are in “toss-up” territory, as rated by the Cook Political Report.
The presidential election is poised to pit former President Donald Trump against Vice President Kamala Harris now that President Joe Biden has dropped out. Polls, so far, signal a close race.
And in the present Congress, Republicans control the House, though with a slim margin that has allowed a small group of defectors breaking ranks to threaten or even blow up close votes.
Johnson indicated that he feels bullish about the GOP’s chances in the lower chamber, though the speaker tempered expectations by stating that he does not think a 35- or 40-seat majority is in the cards.
“It’s not possible anymore, because the number of swing districts has been reduced dramatically due to gerrymandering and redistricting,” he said in reference to the “red wave” idea.
Johnson said he believes Republicans can have “an exponential increase in our majority.” Such an edge over the Democrats would be “very helpful,” he added.
“So if we have [a] unified government, what we’re also planning in the midst of all this is a very aggressive first 100 days agenda for the Congress,” Johnson said.
The speaker said he told colleagues and Trump that Republicans can “have the most consequential presidency and Congress of the modern era if we win all this, because we have to fix everything.”
He added, “The Biden-Harris administration has made a mess of every area of public policy.”
Post a Comment