WASHINGTON (AP) – Just after 3 AM, hours before the House vote, President Donald Trump highlighted his top priority. “A big and beautiful bill.” House Speaker Johnson hurried down Capitol Hall with his security detail and aide. He paused momentarily.
“Do you want to see it? Prayer room?” he asked an Associated Press reporter.
This inquiry answered another question regarding his leadership approach. Did his faith guide him? It was a tumultuous process.
“It feels like a cathedral at night,” he said as he moved towards the nearly concealed entrance. “It’s the most beautiful thing in the Capitol.”
He entered the code and walked inside.
“Just pray.”
The room, modified in the 1950s, is situated just off the second floor office of the House Speaker, centrally located in Capitol at the western edge of the National Mall.
“I’ve put in a lot of laps this week,” Johnson remarked. “I just pray…that’s what the founders did.”
As Wednesday evening transitioned into Thursday morning, a representation of the first president, George Washington, was seen on a small altar, his tall figure depicted on one knee in stained glass.
“In times of significant challenges, they knelt down and sought God’s guidance. That’s what we’re doing,” Johnson stated. “I am confident that God has presented us with the opportunity to save this great republic.”
Johnson, a conservative Christian, stands out even among the more visibly religious leaders in the House. He was an unexpected choice for the Republicans’ leadership after they ousted their previous speaker nearly two years ago. When Johnson emerged as the choice, Republicans gathered around him to pray. He sees himself as the leader of the “servants.”
Determined to advance Trump’s bill through the House, the Speaker established a voluntary deadline—Memorial Day—and continued pushing ahead despite firm resistance from Democrats and skeptics in his own GOP.
As the deadline loomed, he remained undeterred. He prayed.
“It feels like we have a vision of where we should go. You just chart a course and patiently lead everyone there,” he explained.
“I’m not really afraid.”
The Speaker often reflects on probing questions during conversations.
“Are you afraid of failures?” he was asked.
“I’m not really afraid,” he replied. “We understand we must accomplish this mission.”
The Speaker articulated the importance of this initiative for the nation and his faith in its “core principles.”
“What we’re working towards is reclaiming them,” he affirmed. “Our passage is evident in what we do every day.”
However, his proposed laws faced criticism, particularly regarding potential cuts to Medicaid and food stamps.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that around 8.6 million people could lose medical coverage, and 3 million per month may stop receiving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“They account for those to whom work requirements apply,” he noted. “If they don’t work, well, you know.”
However, some individuals, particularly older single men, may struggle to find work or re-enter the workforce.
The new 80-hour work requirements or community service apply to healthy adults up to age 64, with various exceptions. Some parents of children aged seven and older must meet work requirements to receive SNAP support.
“We have limited resources,” he stated. “So we’re trying to care for the vulnerable.”
“Are you concerned this goes against your personal beliefs?”
“We’re helping people,” he replied. “For a healthy individual to do their job, it boosts their personal dignity. It’s beneficial for their own goals. It’s a win-win-win.”
“Lots of patience”
The Congressional debate occurs amid a quest for a greater unity across the United States and globally. People remain as politically and economically divided as ever, longing for a sense of community that seems to be slipping further away.
House Democrats resisting Johnson and his party were unwilling to cede moral ground to Republicans or Trump, opposing what they term “the big and ugly bill.”
“This is the United States of America. It’s the richest country in world history. It’s cruel to take food from the mouths of children and everyday Americans,” House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries asserted in a lengthy speech prior to the vote.
Before invoking the Gospels of Matthew 25:35-40, Jeffries insisted Congress could aim higher than this “ruthless” and “un-American” bill.
“I believe there are people of faith on both sides of this aisle,” he stated. Jeffries of New York.
“Jesus emphasizes the importance of standing up for the lost, abandoned, poor, sick, suffering, homeless, and strangers,” he added. “I can’t visit the synagogue, mosque, or church like I do, but I’ll go to church on Sunday to pray, then come to Washington, DC, and prey on Americans for the rest of the week.”
In just a few hours, the bill was on an unstoppable trajectory towards passage. For now, Johnson’s reflections were winding down as he closed the door to the prayer room behind him.
“So, how did you manage this? How did you rally the Republicans?”
“A lot of patience,” Johnson responded.
“What about your meeting with Trump at the White House?”
He indicated that would be a conversation for another day. With the prayer room secured, the House Speaker shared key codes, allowing others to seek prayers at the Capitol if needed. He turned the corner, passed through the side hall of the Capitol, and returned to his office.
Source: apnews.com