A Republican military spouse lit up House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) during an appearance on CSPAN's "Washington Journal."
The Louisiana Republican appeared Thursday morning on the program to face questions about the ongoing government shutdown and the health care funding impasse keeping Democrats from backing a GOP budget bill, and a woman from Virginia called in to express her disappointment with Johnson's leadership.
"So my question orcomments are related to what yousaid yesterday about not beingopen to pass any legislationuntil we make sure that themilitary gets paid, I want youto hear a little bit about myfamily," said the woman, who said her name is Samantha. "I have two medically fragilechildren,I have a husband who activelyserved his country.If we see a lapse in pay, mychildren do not get themedication that is needed forthem to live their life, so we live paycheck-to-paycheck.I heard you say that you sidewith President Trump and I justread an article that says hewholeheartedly believes thereneeds to be legislation put inso that we do not miss apaycheck.You have the power to do that."
"As a Republican I amdisappointed in my party and inyou because you do have thepower to call the House back," she added. "You refused to do that.I am begging you to pass thislegislation.My kids could die.We don't have the credit becauseof the medical bills that I haveto pay it regularly.You could stop this and youcould be the one that could saythe military is getting paid.I think it is awful for someonewho make six figures a year todo this to a military family."
Johnson tried to reassure the caller that he shared her concerns and would take any action necessary to prevent her family from missing a paycheck.
"I am sorry to hear aboutyour situation, and the reason I have been soangry – and they've been calling me out on media, 'Johnson's angry,'" Johnson told her. "And I am angry because of situationslike yours. I have a big military district, my district is the home of the Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base and Fort Polk, the Joint Readiness Training Center. I have one of the biggest military districts, military families, in America.I have a lot of airmen andsoldiers who are deployed rightnow and have young families athome and children in healthsituations like yours.This is what keeps me up atnight."
"I want you to hear somethingclearly, the Republicans are theones delivering for you," he added. "We had a vote to pay the troopsand it was the continuing resolution three weeks ago. Every Republican but two voted to keep the governmentopen so your paycheck can flow.Every Democrat in the Houseexcept for one voted to close. Democrats are the onespreventing you from getting acheck.If we did another vote on the floor to pay troops, it's not a lawmaking exercise because Chuck Schumer will holdit up in the Senate.He is demonstrating by voting now six times tokeep the government closed anddoes not want the troops to bepaid, and you should listen tohis comments last night, as reported this morning.He is enjoying this.He said every day gets betterfor us, quote-unquote. Chuck Schumer and the Democrats arepreventing your family fromgetting the care they need, not Republicans. My heart goes outto you."
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