Mike Johnson’s legislative record suggests a conventional conservative pro-Israel outlook, but he’s largely untested as a leader on Middle East policy issues
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), the new House speaker who rocketed from relative obscurity to second in line to the presidency last week, made a last-minute appearance at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s conference in Las Vegas on Saturday — his first event outside of Capitol Hill as the House’s leader.
“I want to tell you and I want to affirm what’s already been said here, that we are going to stand like a rock with our friend and our ally Israel,” Johnson said in his remarks to the pro-Israel crowd. “The reason I wanted to be here is because I want you to know that we are resolved on behalf of Israel.”
Johnson described Hamas as “barbaric and evil,” and the Israel-Hamas war as a conflict between good and evil, and light and darkness.
“They have no regard for life at all — it’s demonic,” he continued, “and we have to defeat them.” Johnson said a cease-fire would not be possible until “Hamas ceases to be a threat to Israel.”
Johnson said the House would pass a standalone supplemental Israel funding package in the coming week — a change from previous expectations that the Senate would move first to pass a funding package that’s likely to set up a fight with Senate Democrats and Republicans who favor combining Israel and Ukraine aid.
Johnson has also said he plans to offset the Israel funding with budget cuts elsewhere in the government — an unusual move for emergency spending that’s meeting Democratic opposition. He has not previewed his plans for the tranche of humanitarian aid designated for Gaza, which has met with stiff opposition from Republicans.
Johnson said that the 16 House members — specifically calling out members of the Squad — who voted against or “present’ on a pro-Israel resolution in the House last week “underscore an alarming trend of antisemitism… both globally and even here, shamefully in the United States.”
“The world’s oldest prejudice has become mainstream now, thanks to academia and mainstream media and fringe government figures,” Johnson said.
