Fox News host Sean Hannity scolded House Speaker Mike Johnson for his failure to win the full support of his Republican congressional colleagues for his $1.6 trillion stopgap spending bill after several of them joined Democrats in opposing the SAVE Act – proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration.
Despite knowing the voter SAVE Act lacked support, having pulled a congressional vote on the subject for that exact reason last week, Johnson pushed ahead with including it in the budget bill under pressure from former President Donald Trump who demanded Republicans go so far as leverage a government shutdown to get the SAVE Act passed. The bill failed 220-202 on Wednesday with bipartisan opposition.
Appearing on Fox News following the vote, Johnson conveyed his disappointment, claiming the bill “would have funded the government and secured the election.”
He continued: “We ran the right play. We came a little bit short of the goal line. So now we’ll go back to the playbook. We’ll draw it up. We’re already hearing good ideas from our members and we have time to fix this and we’ll get it done.”
Hannity pushed back, unconvinced that Johnson could capture more votes on the issue with the looming September 30 deadline to get a funding bill passed: “You keep saying it’s the right play and you can’t get every Republican to vote for it. That’s your own party. What are their objections and how do you get them on board?”
Johnson squirmed in response: “Well, look, there’s a range of objections. You know, some people look for the perfect piece of legislation. Some people are philosophically opposed to continuing resolutions.”
The House Speaker then pivoted to blame Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democrat run Senate chamber for having “not done their job.”
He said: “There’s nothing that we can negotiate because they didn’t put anything on the table. And we have the end of the fiscal year, September 30th. So we’re pushed into this scenario, into this dilemma because of the Senate’s inability or unwillingness to do their job. Chuck Schumer’s to blame for this.”
More interested in what the budget’s failure to pass meant for Johnson, in the loss of majority control it represented, Hannity pressed: “And you did make the comment that you’re not going to be rolled by the Senate, which I like to hear. And then it just brings up the question of, okay, well, even if you increase your majority, what does this mean for you running for Speaker again if Republicans hold the House and, hopefully, even add to that majority? Does this hurt you in any way?”
Passing on the question, Johnson warned that a loss of majority in the House would hurt Trump, if he were to win the White House: “We have a small margin and that’s why we’re laser focused on growing that majority. It’s critically important. I want everybody to remember this. When Donald Trump is elected president, if the Democrats have the majority in the House, they will impeach him on the first day of office. That everybody knows what will happen here. We have got to grow the majority.”
Hannity teasingly flipped the script on Johnson, goading him into backing away from a government shutdown having wrongly gambled that it would allow him to strong arm the SAVE Act through.
The host asked: “Why are Republicans so reluctant to ever shut down the government? When they do shut down the government, it’s not really a shutdown. Nonessential workers get a furlough. They usually get back pay and essential workers keep working… Essential services continue and then people in the end end up getting a paid vacation. Why are people so reluctant against that?”
Johnson replied, arguing that military families and others who live pay check to pay check relied on their money coming through on time: “We need them to be doing their job and not going on furlough, and not having people not showing up for work because of not getting checks.”
He added: “I don’t think it’s going to come to a shutdown. I believe we can get this job done. Like I said, we go back to the playbook. We have time. We have time to get it done. And we’re going to deliver for the American people.”
Watch above on Fox News.
Have a tip for us? tips@mediaite.com
Local News
