House Speaker Mike Johnson has developed a playbook for a Republican-controlled Congress to jump-start Donald Trump’s second-term agenda.
Mr. Johnson said the game plan for a Republican-controlled Washington will “put points on the board quickly.”
“We’d be prepared to lead on Day One in the new Congress,” Mr. Johnson said in an interview with The Washington Times. He called the trifecta of a Republican-run House, Senate and White House a “magic” moment for the country.
Mr. Johnson, who marked the anniversary of his election as speaker on Thursday, said his game plan will also help him keep the gavel come January.
“I don’t think we can afford to change coaches or quarterbacks,” Mr. Johnson said. “And so I think what is going to be important for our success is continuity of leadership, and that’s what I’m going to offer.”
The playbook addresses the top issues for voters: immigration and the economy.
The Louisiana Republican said border security will be the top priority, with Mr. Trump using aggressive executive authorities to end the chaos. The House would follow “with some really strong border security legislation,” likely similar to the Secure the Border Act, or H.R. 2.
The measure passed the House in 2023 but languished in the Democratic-run Senate, and President Biden threatened to veto it. Mr. Johnson scoffed at a bipartisan border package written by three senators late last year. The bill died amid opposition from senators on both sides of the aisle.
“They never sent it to us. They couldn’t pass it,” Mr. Johnson said. “So H.R. 2 was a border security bill. That’s a different piece of legislation [than] immigration reform. We really need both. But we’ve got to secure the border first, and I think there’s going to be an immediate and urgent priority.”
Next will be a focus on the economy.
Mr. Johnson said Republicans would seek to extend the Trump-era tax cuts slated to expire at the end of 2025. He prioritized manufacturing in the U.S. to gain an edge over China and envisions energy policy changes, much of which would be contrary to the Biden-Harris administration.
A big part of that agenda would be overhauling the federal regulatory apparatus.
“A major focus of the next Congress and the administration is dramatic regulatory reform,” Mr. Johnson said.
Republicans must win the House for the game plan to work. With just over a week until the Nov. 5 elections, that is far from certain.
Conventional wisdom in Washington predicts Democrats gaining the House majority and Republicans taking control of the Senate. Mr. Johnson, however, ardently believes Republicans will maintain their grip on the lower chamber and increase their three-seat majority.
Whether Democrats or Republicans win the House majority, the contest will likely be tight. Large majorities for either party are unlikely this year.
The speaker said Republicans could reach a double-digit majority if they perform well in the elections and get a boost from Mr. Trump.
“I’m convinced that I am going to have a larger majority to work with,” he said. “The specific number, I’m not sure.”
Mr. Johnson’s future as speaker partly hinges on whether he can deliver another term with Republicans in control. It also depends on whether he has won over conservative critics such as Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Mr. Massie and Ms. Greene tried to use the motion to vacate to oust Mr. Johnson, similar to how Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California was booted from the job in October 2023.
The rule, which has been blamed for much of the dysfunction in Congress, will be under intense scrutiny when the majority party writes the rules for the next Congress.
Mr. Johnson said it is not his place to dictate the changes if Republicans control the chamber in January.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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