Speaker Johnson Delivers Remarks at House Leadership Press Conference.

Thank you, Mr. Leader. Welcome, everybody. When President Trump said he was going to, we were going to usher in a new golden era for America, he meant it figuratively and literally. And we do want to thank all of our Olympic athletes who worked so hard and represented us so well in the Olympics. And the gold medal matches were really something to see. And you've heard a lot said about the hockey teams, the men's and women's gold. It was incredible. Both of them, you couldn't have scripted it better. Overtime games and the excitement and euphoria that happened afterwards. Millions of people watched those games across the world. And what a great moment it was for America. And it reminded us that we're all on the same team. And we hope that everyone will keep that in mind tonight because we are. The president called me Sunday night and he said, Mike, we got to make some changes. We need some more guests. OK, well, you know, the State of the Union is a very well attended event and the gallery is already full and we have a waiting list of people that want to be there. I said, Mr. President, how many people are you talking about? I think the whole team. OK, well, so we're going to work out logistics and somehow, some way we'll we'll squeeze in the hockey players tonight and it'll be a great moment for America. And it really is a symbol to all of us that we all play for America's team. And I hope everybody will remember that tonight, even as we stand in the midst of yet another painful and unnecessary Democrat shutdown of the government. I mean, it's almost unbelievable to us. Not one, not two, but now three government shutdowns in just the last 100 days. What in the world are they thinking? This time they've taken hostage, as you know, the Department of Homeland Security, the the department that is literally in its name. It's very indicative of its of its duties. It keeps Americans safe. And so funding for the agencies that protect our borders and mitigate disasters and help keep all of us able to walk down the streets without fear. That's the agency they've chosen to hold hostage. Well, before the funding deadline, Republicans, as you know, worked in good faith to pass a year long, full year funding for DHS. And we did that through a bipartisan committee process. Democrats in both the House and the Senate negotiated on that. And now Democrats in both chambers have reneged on that bipartisan deal. Just one week, just one week into this, the consequences of Democrat shutdown are already painfully clear. Look at FEMA. Their operations are really important right now. If they haven't noticed, we have an historic season of winter storms slamming the East Coast, even as we speak in the northern parts. TSA is having to make difficult resource decisions, as you've seen, and agents working another week without pay. Some of those are high stress positions. It's not right. It's not fair. The Secret Service, as you know, is charged among its other duties of protecting the president. And yet another armed attempt was made on his life just this weekend. This is not a game. I don't need to remind anybody. 2026 is an historic year for our country, and it'll be a great year of celebration. It'll be part of the big golden era, the 250th celebration, our birthday. But you're going to have, during the year, tens of millions of guests. We're hosting the FIFA World Cup in 11 cities around America. We have festivals and tournaments and so many highly attended, high profile events around the country. Obviously, obviously, we need the protection of a fully funded Department of Homeland Security. We shouldn't even have to say that. This gamut that Democrats are involved in is as foolish as it is dangerous. They cannot hold up that critical funding any longer. There is planning that's required for these events. There's all sorts of logistics involved and personnel as well. And it's time for Democrats to do their job before they risk the literal lives of the American people any further. Now, tonight, the president will deliver his State of the Union, and he said, as a preview, it may be a little long because there's a lot to talk about. There's a lot of wins to tout, and he's excited to do that. I'm honored to have with me one of my several guests, Trotter Hunt, who's standing here next to me. He's from Ruston, Louisiana, in my district. His business, like so many American businesses and some of the others represented here this morning, is already benefiting from our historic, big, beautiful Working Families Tax Cut. And certainty that he gets from this is what our pro-business tax cuts and incentives have delivered. And that's very helpful for everybody. We're grateful to Trotter for making the trip, and I'm honored to host him in the chamber tonight. So thank you for being here and bringing your beautiful wife and representing our district so well. This evening, the entire country will hear an update on the full scope of President Trump's transformational and historic first year back in office. The results speak for themselves. Why does he have so much to talk about? Because inflation is down, wages are up, investment is booming, the GDP is exceeding every expectation. Democrats, meanwhile, are going to host, count them, five separate counter-events, rallies of some sort, they call them, in lieu of tonight's address. For all of these theatrics, it doesn't matter how many little gatherings they have or where they stand or how high the volume is on the microphones, they have nothing to offer, nothing but their TDS agenda, the Trump Derangement Syndrome, and it's on full display. All they can say, all they can tell you about is how they oppose President Trump and thwart his agenda and shut down the government and protest everything, from the President's joint address to basic immigration enforcement, and they obstruct any meaningful progress for the sake of obstruction. It's the same tired playbook that they've run for a decade now. It's shameful that they would boycott an address. We don't do that. Republicans don't do that. It doesn't matter if there's a president from the opposing party. We don't skip out. Our constituents want and need us to be here. Every member of this house represents over 750,000 people. They're disenfranchised if you're not sitting in the seat to be a part of the role and the responsibility of Congress. I think it's shameful. Republicans have a far simpler and far superior message for Americans watching at home. We're putting more money back in your pockets. We're restoring peace through strength. We're defending our border and deporting criminal illegal aliens. We're standing up for American industry and manufacturing, and we're making American workers, not foreign countries, the clear winners in this American economy. Those are not talking points. That is what we have delivered. It's called Republican results, and we are proud to run on that message in this fateful midterm election year. So tonight, President Trump will demonstrate that Republicans are the only team working seriously to bring common sense back to our broken system. It's promises made, promises kept. And he's working, and we're all working together to make the country stronger, safer, and more affordable and more prosperous for all Americans. And many of them will be represented in that big, beautiful gallery tonight. The American people will see that reflected this evening and in the months ahead as we press forward on all of those promises and so much more. We're excited. It's a great time for America. Take a few questions.