Republicans were left scratching their heads after House Speaker Mike Johnson invoked God at an event where attendees were working out ways to maintain the GOP majority in the House, a report said.
Johnson’s ‘Sermon’
Johnson was speaking at a Republican retreat at a hotel in Miami when instead of dealing with the political issue at hand gave what amounted to a “horrible sermon,” the Politico website reported.
Religion Themes
In his speech, the speaker focused on falling church membership and moral decline across the United States, two people who were at the event told Politico, speaking on condition of anonymity.
‘Not at Church’
One of those at the event said: “I’m not at church,” and said the speech was “horrible.”
‘Tried and Failed’
The attendee continued: “I think what he was trying to do, but failed on the execution of it, was try to bring us together. The sermon was so long he couldn’t bring it back to make the point.”
Other Issues Too
Another person who spoke to Politico said Johnson spoke at length about religious and historical matters, for around a third of his speech, with the remainder given over to border issues and discussing President Biden and GOP nominee frontrunner Donald Trump.
‘Tension and GOP Direction’
Politico also reported of the retreat that it “also featured notable tension between GOP conference leaders and Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-Va.), who argued in Miami that Johnson needs to lead Republicans in the direction that is favored by conservatives.”
President Biden as ‘God’s Will’
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican and devout Christian, said last October that Biden’s presidency was “God’s will.” He said: “I believe that scripture, the Bible, is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority. He raised up each of you. All of us. And I believe that God has allowed and ordained each and every one of us to be here at this specific moment.”
Biden Bipartisan Bill
Johnson is currently locked in a battle with the Biden administration over its bipartisan national security bill that aims to secure the southern border with Mexico and provide tens of billions of dollars in aid to war-torn Ukraine, Israel as it conducts a war against the Hamas militant group in Gaza and Asia-Pacific countries to help repel “aggression” by China.
It Will Not Be Rushed
Although the Senate has passed the bill, it has stalled in the House, and Johnson said it was “dead on arrival.” He later said he would not be “rushed” in passing the proposed legislation, blasting the Biden administration for its measures to provide a total of $95.3 million in overseas aid. “The Republican-led House will not be jammed or forced into passing a foreign aid bill,” Johnson said at a news briefing.
Bill ‘Does Nothing’ to Fix Border
Johnson also said that the proposed legislation would not solve the southern border issue, which has become a crisis in which record numbers of undocumented migrants are crossing into the United States from Mexico. They are then taken to cities such as Washington DC and New York for processing, but officials there say their resources have become strained due to the high housing and healthcare demands placed on them by the migrants. Johnson said the bill “does nothing” to fix the border problem.
Authority to Close Border
President Biden, who is seeking reelection in November and with immigration at the top of voters’ concerns, says the bill is essential to securing the southern border because it would give him the authority to close the border when it becomes “overwhelmed.” He said it would do that the moment it becomes overwhelmed. The bill also allows for the recruitment of additional agents to process arriving migrants.
‘No More Talking’
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre suggested that discussions about the national security bill between Johnson and the White House were unwarranted.
‘Johnson Negotiating with Himself’
She said at a press briefing: “What is there to negotiate? What is the one-on-one negotiation about when he’s been presented with exactly what he asked for? So he’s negotiating with himself.”
‘Horrendous Border Bill’
Trump has lashed out at the bill and urged Republicans not to vote for it. He wrote on his Truth Social account: “Only a fool, or a Radical Left Democrat, would vote for this horrendous Border Bill, which only gives Shutdown Authority after 5000 Encounters a day, when we already have the right to CLOSE THE BORDER NOW, which must be done.”
‘Death Wish’
He added: “This Bill is a great gift to the Democrats, and a Death Wish for The Republican Party. It takes the HORRIBLE JOB the Democrats have done on Immigration and the Border, absolves them, and puts it all squarely on the shoulders of Republicans. Don’t be STUPID!!! We need a separate Border and Immigration bill. It should not be tied to foreign aid in any way, shape or form!”
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