House Speaker Mike Johnson delivered his first floor speech, pledging to follow former President Donald Trump’s lead and oppose the bipartisan border security package currently being negotiated in the Senate. In his speech, Speaker Johnson criticized the Biden administration for not taking sufficient executive actions to address the border crisis, while the administration maintains that congressional action is necessary to address the issue.
Speaker Johnson also expressed dissatisfaction with the Senate compromise, referring to it as a 'so-called' deal, and arguing that it does not represent transformational policy. These remarks have generated pushback from senators, including Republicans, who assert that the Senate deal indeed addresses border crossings effectively. Senator James Lankford, the top GOP negotiator in the Senate, dismissed Speaker Johnson's criticisms as incorrect.
