House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke to "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker on Sunday, claiming he was being left out of all of the negotiations between the Democrats and Republicans over the border and military funding bills. But one Senator says that's not entirely accurate. As it turns out, Johnson chose to be excluded.
Welker asked if he was offered a "briefing."
"No!" Johnson said. "I've had individual senators call and give me tips and offered things that are going on in the room, but we've not been a part of that negotiation. And I've been absolutely clear from day one — since literally the next day after I was handed the gavel in late October, what the functional equivalence of H.R. 2, what those are and why that was necessary to solve the problem."
CNN's Capitol reporter Manu Raju posted on the social media site "X" that Republican Sen. James Lankford (OK) was "invited to participate in the Senate talks but ultimately declined." According to Johnson, the House already approved its own bill.
"Lankford told me that Johnson was asked 'early on' whether 'you want to be engaged on this,'" recalls Johnson’s response, according to Lankford: 'He said the House has already spoken.'"
The reference was to the second House Resolution that the Republicans sought to pass for the year. Senators on both sides have called that bill a non-starter, Raju explained in his social media post.
Lankford also told Raju that Johnson was "loosely briefed" on the talks despite refusing to participate in the negotiations.
It was revealed in the past few weeks that Donald Trump has asked Republicans not to pass a border or immigration bill because he doesn't want President Joe Biden to have any successful legislation.
The legislation marks the first time in decades that Republicans and Democrats have been willing to come together on such legislation.
