At the first weekly House Republican Leadership press conference of 2026, Speaker Mike Johnson addressed several topics, including the recent House Republican policy summit, Democratic reactions to events in Venezuela, and the passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa.
Speaker Johnson highlighted differences between Republicans and Democrats on tax policy. “Every Democrat, remember this too, voted for record tax increases, while every Republican voted for record tax cuts and refunds to the people,” he said. “And we hope everybody remembers that simple fact the next time the Democrats start talking about trying to make life more affordable and all this. There’s only one party actually doing that, it’s the Republican Party.”
Johnson discussed the Agenda 250 policy forum held by House Republicans at their kickoff summit. He described it as productive and noted strong unity within the conference. He cited Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s comments about economic prospects for 2026: “2025 merely set the table. The feast and the banquet will be in 2026. It’s going to be a blockbuster year.” Johnson stated that provisions from recent legislation would provide significant tax refunds to American families and prevent what he called a historic tax increase.
He contrasted Republican priorities with those of House Democrats, referencing internal Democratic debates over U.S. actions in Venezuela following the ousting of Nicolas Maduro. Johnson criticized Democrats’ response: “They claim they didn’t like Maduro either. But because President Trump took action… they’re now critical of it.” He urged Democrats to acknowledge positive outcomes for freedom after Maduro’s removal.
Addressing concerns about constitutional authority regarding military action in Venezuela, Johnson said: “The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war… but we are not in a war in Venezuela.” He explained that under current law, Congress was properly notified about military operations.
Johnson also commented on the death of Congressman Doug LaMalfa at age 65, calling him a dedicated representative who served Northern California faithfully.
Mike Johnson has represented Louisiana’s 4th district in Congress since 2017 after replacing John Fleming (https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/J000298). Before his time in Congress, he served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2015 to 2017 (https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/156097/mike-johnson). Born in Shreveport in 1972, Johnson lives in Benton and holds both undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University.
