Congress

Mike Johnson Tempers Expectations About What a New GOP Majority Can Actually Achieve

In a sit-down interview with NOTUS at the Republican National Convention, Mike Johnson cast doubt on repealing Obamacare, passing a national abortion ban and achieving Trump’s immigration policies. He also talked about Ukraine, taxes and Project 2025.

Mike Johnson speaking on the first day of the 2024 RNC.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks during the Republican National Convention. Paul Sancya/AP

By Reese Gorman

July 19, 2024 05:00 AM

When you ask Speaker Mike Johnson about his future agenda for this upcoming Congress — a Congress that Republicans expect to have unified control over, with Donald Trump sitting in the Oval Office — the Louisiana Republican brings up some regrets about the past.

Johnson entered the House of Representatives at the start of 2017, just as Trump was entering the presidency. And at the time, the congressman expected Republicans to make some big moves in Trump’s first 100 days.

“I came in as a bright-eyed freshman and went up to Speaker Ryan and said, ‘Oh, we’re going to repeal and replace Obamacare? Where’s the bill?’” Johnson told NOTUS on Thursday during a sit-down interview at the Republican National Convention.