Interview With Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD); DeSantis Kicks Off 2024 Campaign In Iowa; War Comes Home to Russia As Drones Hit Moscow; Sources: 11-Year-Old Mississippi Boy Shot By Police Speaks Out

Interview

REP. DUSTY JOHNSON (R-SD): Well, I don't talk about what happens in Republican caucus meetings, but I would tell you that I've talked to dozens of members in the last couple of days. They've read through the 99-page bill. I think they're excited about $2 trillion worth of savings and they're excited about unlocking American energy with real permitting reform.

Of course, you've got some loud colorful voices opposed to it, but welcome to Washington. We don't let anything be easy around here.

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JOHNSON: Yes, sort of a majority of Republicans will support this bill, Other than the $2 trillion for the savings I mentioned, and the unlocking of American energy, it is also the largest ever claw back of funds from the executive branch and the work requirements that Melanie mentioned, which is a big part of growing this economy. You're going to have certainly some Republicans vote no, but the majority are going to back the speaker and they are going to back this, which is the best debt ceiling deal that Republicans have ever cut.

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JOHNSON: Frankly, most members of the House Freedom Caucus are trying to tamp down that kind of speculation. I think they understand that we've got a lot of things we still have to get done in this, the 118th Congress, and having another 15-round leadership battle in the middle of it would not be helpful to actually putting more conservative wins on the board.

But I'd also say this, Kevin McCarthy is not in any way scared of this conversation. Admittedly, the media is talking about it a lot more than members of Congress are, but when the media asked him about, you know, motion to vacate and internal political machinations, he is focused on one thing, avoiding default and cutting this $2 trillion with the spending. We're going to get it done tomorrow.

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JOHNSON: Listen, I don't want to insult the other half of the negotiation. I mean, they were smart people. This was clearly an environment though, Anderson, where President Biden made a major strategic miscalculation in refusing to negotiate for 97 days.

It drifted us really close to the deadline. I think it caused many Americans to believe that he was being stubborn and intransigent, and I think it really -- it put his negotiators in a weaker position than if they just would have come to the table a hundred days ago.

As a result, I think Republicans got a lot of concessions. Frankly, I don't think you can argue the Republicans clearly got more concessions out of this debt ceiling deal than any other deal that's been done.

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JOHNSON: Thank you.

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