Speaker Johnson on what he’d say to Americans concerned House can’t do “basic functions”: “It’s just simply not true.”

While addressing the press on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was asked what he would say to Americans concerned that Congress “isn’t able to do basic functions” after back-to-back failed votes in the House Tuesday night.

“Well, it’s just simply not true,” Johnson replied. “We’re governing here. Sometimes it’s messy.”

Under Johnson’s leadership, the GOP-led House was not able to pass articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas or a $17.6 billion standalone Israel aid bill, leading to both bills failing on the floor.

“The framers anticipated that you would have a system where people with very different philosophical viewpoints, that come from different parts of the country, and different constituencies, would have different ideas on how to resolve their problems,” the House Speaker continued. “But what they also anticipated is that we’d be able to get in a room and arm-wrestle over public policy and come to consensus to move the ball forward for the most people. That is what’s happening here.”

“You’re seeing the messy sausage-making — the process of democracy — play out. And it’s not always clean, it’s not always pretty, but the job will be done at the end of the day,” Johnson added.