As the 119th U.S. Congress begins its term Friday, the country finds itself on the brink of historical, positive change — if the Republicans voted into leadership can uphold their campaign promises. They were elected to eradicate the bureaucratic failures of the last four years, govern, and put the people first. It is now up to them to do so, and it starts with Friday’s vote for speaker of the House.
“Owing to past neglect, in the face of the plainest warnings, we have entered upon a period of danger,” former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously once said. “The era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing and baffling expedience of delays, is coming to its close. In its place, we are entering a period of consequences. We cannot avoid this period, we are in it now.”
The opportunity is there for Republicans — they just have to seize it. The 119th Congress could be one of significant reform and meaningful change, or it could be another example of bureaucratic malaise. With a healthy assumption that the GOP prefers the former instead of the latter, they can start by uniting Friday around House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). A vote for Johnson will be a vote to end the era of procrastination and delays.
People voted for reform, efficiency, and leadership, not political bickering. Healthy debate is exemplary and should be welcomed. However, there is also time to present a united front and get to work. Compromise was a keystone for the Founding Fathers at the Constitutional Convention in 1787; it should also work for Republicans in the 119th Congress.
But don’t just take my word for it — heed the advice of a vocal Johnson critic, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). In a video posted to her X account, the congresswoman announced her intentions to support Johnson and explained the rationale behind her pivot.
“You all have seen me disagree with Mike Johnson at times,” Greene said. “You’ve seen me fight against him at times. But you want to know something else? Here’s what I recognize. For the past four years, all of you, and myself included, have put blood, sweat, and tears into electing President Trump.
“All of you are sick and tired and fed up, out of the drama and all of the garbage that comes out of Washington, D.C.,” Greene conitnued. “After two terrorist attacks on our nation, where innocent people were killed and after four years of unbelievably horrific government policies, and now that we’re in $36 trillion in debt, all of you at home, and myself included, are ready for the drama to end.”
Greene then encouraged her colleagues in the House to support Johnson.
“Let’s put aside our pride. Let’s put aside our egos. And let’s put aside the infighting. It’s time to come together as Republicans, and it’s time to do whatever it takes to make sure that we deliver the mandate that the American people told us to do. That’s why I’m excited tomorrow. I cannot wait to get started. I’ll be voting for Mike Johnson. I will be looking ahead in complete hopefulness and working as hard as possible.”
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Greene is correct, and Republicans should follow her lead and unite. She is the voice of reason in these chaotic times. The country just experienced a terrorist attack. There are concerns about other terrorist cells in the country. There are hostilities abroad, a porous border, numerous instances of perceived government corruption, a floundering education system, and ineffective leadership by those elected to office. To paraphrase a notable idiom, the barbarians aren’t just at the gate — they are everywhere, looking for ways to tear down the U.S.
As Churchill said, we are in a period of danger. As Greene noted, we need action, we need leadership, and we need proper governance.