Mike Johnson and Republicans hold a press conference

[0:00] Good morning everyone, thank you for being here. [0:21] I am not Lisa McClain, Vice Chair Blake Moore, we'll excuse her today with some flight issues. [0:27] This weekend, Americans will mark Memorial Day, as we all know, remembering the men and [0:32] women who never came home from war. [0:35] They gave their lives, not for recognition or politics, but for this country and something [0:38] bigger than themselves. [0:40] We can never repay that sacrifice, but we can make sure that it is never forgotten. [0:44] And we can make sure that families that they left behind, and the men and women who continue [0:48] to serve, are supported in a real and meaningful way. [0:51] And that commitment doesn't end when the uniform comes off. [0:54] So in Utah, one of my constituents, Terry Skow, has continued to serve as a role model in [1:00] the veterans advocacy. [1:01] He was instrumental in reopening a state veterans house and office. [1:05] He helped create four new veterans homes in the state, and he even inspired his own sons [1:10] to serve. [1:11] He's making sure those who carried the burden of war don't have to carry it alone. [1:16] That's what honoring service looks like. [1:19] Not just remembering the fallen, but standing with those who came home. [1:23] And that's exactly what House Republicans are focused on. [1:26] Last week, we pushed forward and passed the MilCon VA Appropriations Bill. [1:29] The first bill of the fiscal year 2027, because taking care of our service members, veterans, [1:34] and their families should always be the first thing that we do. [1:37] This week, we're continuing that work with common sense legislation to strengthen veterans' [1:42] benefits, protect those who served, and deliver on promises we've made, because this is what [1:47] common sense leadership looks like. [1:49] You honor sacrifice not just with words, but with action. [1:53] And that's where a clear contrast is. [1:54] Our Republican priority will always be to be putting government ahead of Americans. [1:59] Our priority is the American people, the American family, the working family, the veterans' [2:03] family, and the like. [2:05] Bottom line, we will always stand for those who stood for us, not just on Memorial Day, [2:10] but every single day. [2:10] And with that, I hand it over to, out of the great state of Texas, Mr. Jake Elsey. [2:15] Thank you, Blake. [2:20] It's indeed an honor to be standing in front of you. [2:23] I'm not worthy to be able to talk to you today on behalf of my fellow veterans and those who [2:27] didn't come home, but I hope that my words honor them and their families. [2:32] I spent 20 years in the world's finest Navy as a helicopter and fighter pilot, and then [2:39] I got to serve here one of only 11,000 Americans. [2:43] It is indeed an honor to be talking to you today. [2:49] You know, as Blake said, we passed the MILK on VA bill 400 to 15. [2:54] So when you out in the audience today get to speak about what we do and don't do here, [2:58] I want you to keep in mind that while there's clickbait out there all the time about how [3:01] divided we are, understand this one thing, that Americans come together. [3:04] I don't know who the 15 were, who decided to vote no on this bill, but 400 Americans in [3:09] the House of Representatives, Republican and Democrat, chose to honor and serve them. [3:13] And serve our veterans, $900 million going to, uh, to advance medical care, $2 billion going [3:20] to, uh, improving our, uh, facilities in the VA, second amendment rights for our veterans [3:26] in there, 400 to 15. [3:27] We do good work in here. [3:30] Also as Blake mentioned, we got a bill on Thursday and Friday addressing benefits for survivors [3:36] and veterans second amendment rights. [3:38] But since we are on a Memorial Day, I would be remiss if I didn't mention to you as we [3:43] go about our business every day and we've got a weekend coming ahead of us that, uh, [3:47] is full of joy and sales. [3:49] I want to point out a couple of people. [3:51] When I deployed with Morgan Luttrell, my brother in Iraq in 2006, I was with team five as a JTAC. [3:58] This young man right here, Clark Schwedler, I'm reminded of him every day and I hope to honor [4:02] his service, how I conduct myself up here. [4:04] I wear him on my wrist. [4:05] I chose this picture because Clark Schwedler didn't have anybody but that dog. [4:09] He had his parents, but he lost his life, gave his life for both the Iraqis and the American [4:13] people on April 6th of 2007. [4:16] He didn't get to come home. [4:18] I chose the dog picture because he brought that back. [4:20] His teammates brought that back to him and his parents got to keep that dog. [4:23] But I want you to say his name either loudly or quietly to yourself, Clark Schwedler, because [4:28] that's what Memorial Day is about. [4:31] On the same operation on April 6th, Mike Day got shot 27 times, 27 times, 16 to the body, [4:40] 11 in his plates. [4:42] The plates fell off as they took him off. [4:44] He got knocked out by a grenade. [4:46] He came back, but he didn't come home and in 2023, he took his own life. [4:54] So I just want to point out that when we're talking about what this week is about, over [4:58] a million Americans have given their lives so you and I can go about life so that I can [5:02] watch my son play baseball and play catch with him. [5:05] So I can take my daughter to go see her next school, next college, and so that I can come [5:10] home from very difficult weeks here and hold my wife. [5:15] Keep in your minds, say their names, keep them in your memories on this Memorial Day. [5:20] I yield to Tom Emory. [5:21] Thank you, Jake. [5:28] Too often we forget the price of freedom. [5:32] It is thanks to the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women in our military that we get [5:37] to wake up each day in the greatest country on the face of the planet. [5:41] That's why House Republicans are committed to delivering for our nation's veterans, their [5:45] families and their surviving spouses who've made the ultimate sacrifice. [5:52] This week, as you've heard, we're going to vote on two bills that will do just that. [5:56] American heroes and their families should not have to worry about making ends meet. [6:01] President Tom Barrett's HR 6047 is a much-needed, long-overdue expansion of benefits for severely [6:09] disabled veterans and veterans' surviving spouses. [6:14] Sadly, they have not seen an increase in benefits in over 20 years, even as the cost of living [6:21] has continued to go up. [6:23] This is unacceptable. [6:25] This week, House Republicans will right this wrong, ensuring that no veteran or veteran's [6:31] family gets left behind. [6:33] House Republicans will also vote on the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act led by VA Committee [6:38] Chairman Mike Boss. [6:40] It's simple. [6:42] Veterans deserve the same constitutional rights as every other American. [6:46] Right now, veterans who get help managing their benefits can be stripped of their Second [6:52] Amendment rights by Washington bureaucrats. [6:57] No judge, no due process, no court ruling. [7:01] This isn't just insane. [7:03] It's anti-American, and it's an affront to the Constitution. [7:07] Thankfully, Chairman Boss Bill will protect the Second Amendment rights of our nation's veterans [7:11] by restoring due process. [7:14] It's common sense, it's constitutional, and it's time to get it done. [7:18] As we approach Memorial Day, a time for our nation to remember the men and women who [7:23] made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, House Republicans are proud to stand with [7:28] our veterans and their families because they so bravely stood for us. [7:32] And with that, I turn it over to our leader, Steve Scalise. [7:35] Thank you, Webb. [7:41] And I really want to thank my colleague and dear friend, Jake Elzey, for those warm words [7:47] and really kind of reminding everybody what Memorial Day is really all about, why we pause [7:53] to pay tribute to those men and women, especially who gave their lives, who did not come home. [8:00] And obviously, you know some of them served with them. [8:04] And it wears even heavier on your heart, but it wears on all of us. [8:08] And so we remember them. [8:11] We will say prayers for their family. [8:14] But we're also taking action. [8:16] And the bills, as the whip mentioned, that we're bringing to the floor chairman boss committee. [8:22] The Veterans Affairs Committee is dedicated to making sure that we're properly taking care [8:27] of our men and women in uniform, but especially those who don't make it back. [8:32] And the fact that the survivor benefits have not been adjusted for decades is an embarrassment. [8:38] And we correct that oversight that has gone on for way too long by bringing that up to [8:45] where it needs to be to help those families who don't have their loved ones with them, [8:50] but still have bills to pay, have kids to raise. [8:54] And that's an important bill, the Second Amendment protections of all people who should have those. [9:00] It surely should be those who fought to defend the rights that we have. [9:04] They surely should not have less rights than American citizens who did not participate in [9:10] our military. [9:12] And so that bill at least gives them equity and parity to make sure that our veterans are [9:18] not treated less than every other American citizen when it comes to Second Amendment rights. [9:24] We'll bring in a number of other bills too. [9:25] Of course, we're waiting on the Senate to finish the reconciliation bill. [9:29] They are going to go through the Votorama tonight. [9:31] Hopefully, they get it all wrapped up by tomorrow. [9:33] We stand ready to move as soon as the Senate is finished, and we've adjusted our schedule [9:39] to be here longer for that. [9:42] The housing bill that we're going to be voting on today is really, really important to lower [9:47] housing costs for all American families. [9:49] This is a bill that French Hill, the Financial Services Committee, did incredible work on to [9:55] make sure we got the policy right. [9:57] Clearly, there were some differences between the House and Senate. [10:00] You see many of those problems were addressed in the changes in the amendments that Chairman [10:06] Hill is bringing forward in the bill that is on the suspension calendar today. [10:10] I think you're going to see a very strong vote, which shows that all of us want to see [10:15] lower housing costs, but we need to change laws. [10:18] We need to simplify some of the laws so that we can lower those housing costs. [10:22] This is something that every American in this country is going to be happy to see, to have [10:28] lower housing costs. [10:29] One of the bills you're going to be able to watch a really interesting vote on tomorrow [10:34] is the Women's Museum. [10:37] We're bringing a National Women's Museum. [10:38] Shouldn't be controversy at all, except for the fact that the Democrat Women's Caucus has [10:44] now come out against a Women's Museum. [10:47] And you would ask why that doesn't make any sense, and it doesn't, but it shows you how [10:52] crazy the other side is right now and how void of common sense the Democrats are. [10:57] There is one condition that is in that bill that they took objection to. [11:02] Now you think about it, everybody for years have been asking for a Women's Museum to be [11:07] created, and in the creation of it they said the only people that can be honored in a Women's [11:12] Museum are biological women. [11:14] And because that word biological women is in there, every Democrat woman came out against [11:20] the bill. [11:21] So let's see how they explain that to people back home who would say, what world are you [11:28] living in where you don't want to pay tribute to women? [11:32] And we're going to have that vote anyway, but it shows you how far their party has strayed. [11:37] You saw that vote last week on Law Enforcement Week. [11:40] We, again, pay tribute to our men and women in uniform who keep our communities safe. [11:44] The police, a lot of them are up here from all over the country. [11:47] We had a resolution by Zach Nunn to pay tribute to our men and women in law enforcement. [11:54] Unbelievable that 86% of Democrats voted against that resolution. [11:59] So when people go back home and say they support the men and women in blue, you don't support [12:05] them when you vote no on a resolution that pays tribute to our men and women in uniform. [12:10] So the defund the police movement is alive and well in the Democrat Party. [12:14] When 86% of Democrats last week voted against cops, it was disgusting to watch. [12:21] But I think police and anybody who supports men and women in uniform all across the country [12:26] were watching that vote. [12:28] One more example, the sharp contrast between Republicans moving common sense legislation [12:34] and Democrats going off the deep end of crazy, totally void of common sense. [12:40] With that, the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. [12:41] Thank you, Mr. Leader. [12:45] I want to talk a little bit about what's ahead of us, but I wanted to just take a moment to [12:51] reflect on something that just happened. [12:52] It was on Sunday a few days ago. [12:54] We had the Rededicate 250 event on the National Mall. [12:58] It was really an extraordinary thing. [13:00] Many thousands of Americans came out to participate in that historic event. [13:04] It was a welcome opportunity to recommit ourselves to the cause that our founders fought and died [13:09] for 250 years ago. [13:12] And sadly, too many young Americans are no longer taught the moral and religious foundations [13:16] of our extraordinary country. [13:17] And that is the source of our greatness, the reason we became the most free, most successful, [13:23] most powerful, most benevolent nation in the history of the world. [13:26] But evidently, some of the mainstream media missed all that history lesson as well. [13:30] And I just wanted to comment. [13:31] It was brought to my attention yesterday that MSNOW, formerly MSNBC, mocked me in a big segment [13:37] they had. [13:39] And the reason they mocked me was because in my remarks, I led the prayer of rededication [13:43] on them all. [13:45] I stated the self-evident truth that our rights do not derive from government. [13:48] They derive from our creator. [13:50] And they had this entire segment about how ridiculous that was and what a crazy notion. [13:55] And isn't Johnson such a crazy fundamentalist, et cetera. [13:59] The best part is that was literally quoting from the Declaration of Independence. [14:03] So let me take this opportunity. [14:04] I want to just direct my friends in the mainstream media to the second paragraph of our nation's [14:08] birth certificate, the Declaration, which remains the most foundational and consequential [14:12] sentence in all of American history. [14:15] We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, they're endowed [14:18] by their creator with certain and illegal rights, among those rights to life, liberty, [14:22] and pursuit of happiness. [14:24] It shouldn't be too much to ask that the people who talk about politics on TV, on a network [14:30] that millions of Americans tune into, have a basic understanding of America's political [14:34] foundations. [14:36] I hope this serves as a friendly reminder to every American that the best civic education [14:40] is not from your favorite TV anchor or late night host, okay? [14:43] It comes from our founding documents. [14:45] You ought to go read the Declaration and the Constitution and the Federalist Papers and [14:49] the other foundational texts that shape and guide our country. [14:54] And as we approach the 250th birthday of the greatest nation in history, I encourage all [14:59] of us to revisit those founding documents. [15:01] It's really important. [15:02] It's really important. [15:03] The founders believed that in order to keep a constitutional republic, to maintain the republic, [15:07] you had to have an informed and engaged electorate. [15:10] The people, the government of, by, and for, the people ourselves, the people have to be engaged. [15:15] They have to know basic civics. [15:16] They got to know their foundations. [15:18] And quite clearly, we need that review. [15:21] At least some of the media do, okay? [15:22] All right. [15:23] Regarding this week on reconciliation, on housing, on women's museum, et cetera, we've got a [15:30] very consequential week ahead of us here. [15:32] There's a lot going on, as you know, and the leadership team's covered it here. [15:35] Republicans are still on track to complete the reconciliation process on time by the June [15:40] deadline that we set, and Leader Scalise talked about that. [15:44] We're going to fully fund immigration enforcement and border security in our reconciliation bill. [15:50] Again, it's worthy of note that is rather a shocking proposition. [15:54] The Democrats don't want to have anything to do. [15:57] Think of it. [15:57] They don't want to get one dollar, one penny, to border enforcement, border security, and immigration enforcement. [16:04] So, sadly, we've got to do that ourselves. [16:06] We don't yet know exactly what form that bill will take, because it's still going through [16:10] the parliamentary process there and working through the committees and the floor vote. [16:15] But we'll process it as soon as we get it, and we're anxiously awaiting it in the House. [16:19] We expect that that's going to happen here by Thursday. [16:23] That's the hope. [16:24] House Republicans also voting this week on that bipartisan bill to lower the cost of housing [16:28] for working families. [16:29] And we worked really hard on that, and it has been bipartisan. [16:33] Increased housing costs and lack of quality supply are two issues that impact nearly every [16:38] American family. [16:39] And the House will vote tomorrow in a strong bipartisan package that will put more American [16:43] families into homes. [16:44] It's going to increase the supply, and it's going to make it easier for local banks to [16:49] deploy capital in their own communities. [16:51] And all those things are going to help with the cost of living, help with affordability. [16:55] This is going to be a big thing for the people. [16:56] The House and Senate remain closely aligned on getting the best possible product to the President's [17:00] desk, and we'll do that in very short order. [17:03] On the Women's History Museum, I'll just say we're going to take that up. [17:07] Nicole Malliotakis, representative from Staten Island, worked very hard on this and drawn [17:11] a big coalition of people. [17:13] I think it has almost maybe 270, 280 co-sponsors at this point. [17:17] The Smithsonian American Women's History Museum. [17:20] Now, Nicole and others have done a lot of good-faith work for years on this. [17:24] 230 bipartisan co-sponsors is the actual number right now. [17:28] But suddenly, in spite of that, Democrats are all backing out. [17:31] And you heard Leader Scalise talk about this. [17:33] It's just an incredible thing. [17:34] Why are they backing out? [17:35] Simply because the bill reinforces an objective truth that a museum for women, get ready, should [17:43] showcase only women. [17:44] Okay? [17:45] That's the concept. [17:46] It got them all riled up. [17:47] Here's the language of the common sense amendment that was added to the bill that made all the [17:52] Democrats run for the hills. [17:53] Quote, the museum shall be dedicated to preserving, researching, and presenting the history, achievements, [17:59] and lived experiences of biological women in the United States. [18:04] The addition of the word biological made them all run for the hills. [18:07] I mean, if that's controversial in the Democratic Party, we're in serious trouble. [18:12] The party that purports to support women demanding that the museum include biological [18:19] men. [18:20] The Democrats may be okay ceding control of their party to the most radical, far-left people [18:24] in the country, but Republicans are not going to be any part of that. [18:27] We're not going to stand for it. [18:28] But neither are the overwhelming majority of Americans who still believe in common sense. [18:33] Finally, Memorial Day, I'm so grateful for Jake Elsley, our colleague. [18:38] He was a top gun pilot. [18:39] He looks the part, doesn't he? [18:40] Straight out of Central Casting. [18:41] He's got the great voice and all that. [18:43] But the fact that he comes up here and speaks from the heart and talks about all those who've [18:47] served and paid the ultimate sacrifice is a really serious thing. [18:51] And I want to – we give credit where credit's due, and I want to thank our Republican House [18:54] chairman Mike Bost and Representative Tom Barrett worked on these two bills that will safeguard [19:00] the constitutional rights of American veterans and deliver meaningful relief to Gold Star families. [19:05] At a time when the world faces grave threats, not the least of which include Iran, the largest [19:10] state sponsor of terror, every one of us is keenly aware that American strength and freedom [19:15] are not free. [19:16] And they're paid for by the selfless service of military personnel who serve our nation every [19:22] single day. [19:23] And we're reminded of that fact. [19:25] We're going to pause to remember those and their families, those who paid the ultimate [19:29] sacrifice for our freedom. [19:30] We benefit from their heroic work every day, and we should never take that for granted. [19:34] Real quick word on the primary results last night. [19:36] That's the big political news, of course. [19:39] Last night, just in a nutshell, I talked with the president late last night after everything [19:45] was – all the dust was settling over all the elections. [19:48] And we talked about how his endorsement is the most powerful in the history of politics. [19:51] I mean, anywhere in the world. [19:52] I think it's just a phenomenon. [19:54] I wasn't involved in the Kentucky primary, Thomas Massey's primary. [19:58] The leadership team wasn't because he's an incumbent. [20:00] But the president certainly made his opinion known, and I'm not surprised by the results [20:04] there. [20:05] The president knows what's at stake in this fall's elections, and he and I need conservative [20:10] patriots here ready to help us continue saving America. [20:13] And that's why we're working hand-in-hand to defend and grow this House Republican majority. [20:18] I'm convinced we're going to do that. [20:19] I'm thrilled about three more of our endorsed candidates who are going to do just that. [20:23] They advanced last night, Ralph Alvarado in Kentucky, Houston Gaines, and Jim Kingston [20:28] in the state of Georgia. [20:29] All three of those are going to be great members next year as we defend and grow this majority. [20:33] And at the same time, this is what's really important for everybody to be paying attention to. [20:36] There's an effect happening around the country, and you all heard me summarize it this way. [20:41] The best way to describe it, in short summary, is that there are many Mamdani's popping up [20:45] all around the country running for Congress as Marxist, openly as Socialist Marxist. [20:51] And it's a race to the far, far, far left. [20:54] And as we say all the time, this is not our father's Democratic Party. [20:58] This group has been taken over. [21:01] I mean, Democratic Party's been totally taken over by the far left. [21:04] And Hakeem Jeffries and the team here can't do anything about it. [21:07] In fact, Republicans are the only ones that can stop them from destroying our country, [21:11] and that's why we must and we will win. [21:15] But they continue to nominate some extremely radical candidates last night. [21:19] Even people, there's a candidate in Pennsylvania stolen from his own family, [21:23] and he won the primary on the Democrat side. [21:25] They're going to lose these swing districts. [21:27] And in summary, I'll just, we'll go to questions, but in summary, this is what it boils down to. [21:31] You've heard the leaders say it. You've heard all of us say this over and over and over. [21:34] This is a contrast election, okay? [21:36] And at the end of the day, the American people have to just look at this. [21:39] It's contrast between common sense and crazy. [21:42] We're going to ask the people. [21:45] I mean, as all of our candidates and our incumbents are out in the field, [21:48] they're just, ask the questions. [21:49] Do you want to keep the team in charge who secured the border, [21:52] got dangerous criminal illegal aliens out of your communities and brought down crime, [21:56] that got American energy dominance going again, that returned us to peace through strength, [22:00] that has put all the conditions in the economy to make your life better [22:04] and bring down the cost of living and higher paychecks and higher tax refunds [22:08] and got men out of women's sports and little girls' locker rooms [22:11] and into trans surgeries on minors? [22:13] Do you want to keep that team, that party in charge of Washington? [22:17] Or do you want to turn it over to the people that want to do the opposite [22:20] of all those things I just described? [22:23] It's a serious contrast. [22:24] It's a serious, serious chasm, a widening chasm between the two parties [22:28] that didn't exist here even 20, 30 years ago. [22:31] But this is where we are, and you've got to keep America on track, [22:34] and that's what this election is about. [22:35] Okay, be quiet. [22:36] Yeah, for sure. [22:37] The message is that we're advancing America's first agenda, the American first agenda. [23:14] It's about bringing the country back, and America is back, [23:17] and that's because we've been running an agenda, again, based on common sense [23:20] that achieves so many of those things I just said and more. [23:25] We need people here who understand that, who are not trying to carve out their own lane [23:31] and do something that's destructive or counterproductive, I think, to the agenda. [23:37] And that's what's happened. [23:38] I mean, that's the message. [23:40] We have gone out very careful with candidate recruitment to recruit patriots, [23:44] people who are selfless, many veterans who are coming in to serve, [23:48] people who have been accomplished in their community, done things selflessly, [23:51] servant leadership in their community. [23:53] We have accomplished state legislators or local legislators and, you know, [23:58] accomplished businesspersons. [24:00] We have an incredible array of people. [24:03] The one thing they all have in common, they're not monolithic, [24:05] they don't agree on every issue, but they believe in the core principles of our party. [24:10] What is the Republican Party? [24:11] What is American conservatism? [24:12] What is the Republican Party? [24:14] It's individual freedom, limited government, the rule of law, peace through strength, [24:17] fiscal responsibility, free markets, and human dignity. [24:20] You don't ask much more of anybody. [24:21] But you've got to hold the core principles that made us the great nation, [24:24] greatest nation in the history of the world. [24:26] I never ask anybody to violate a core principle, but they have to, you have to, [24:32] you have to give up on some of your personal preferences sometimes [24:35] because you're in a deliberative body and you have 434 colleagues, okay, other people. [24:39] So that's the message. [24:41] It's nothing more than that. [24:42] The President has the strongest endorsement in the history of politics, as I mentioned. [24:46] But we don't demand loyalty to the President. [24:49] What I demand as Speaker of the House is loyalty to our core principles, [24:52] the principles of our party, which are the principles of America. [24:55] And that's what we're standing for. [24:56] Jay. [24:57] What do you want to see happen here? [24:58] If it doesn't end up in this bill, are you going to do a supplemental for Secret Service? [25:23] They said they need money regardless of what that means. [25:24] Well, look, funding for Secret Service is essential. [25:25] The President has now survived a third assassination attempt in just a few years. [25:29] We're obviously in a heightened threat environment. [25:31] This is a different time than it's ever been. [25:33] And so we need all of our law enforcement adequately funded, [25:36] certainly Homeland Security and certainly Secret Service. [25:39] So we'll look at that. [25:40] I don't yet know, as I said, I don't know what will be included in the second reconciliation bill, [25:45] the final details of it. [25:46] We should know that in a few hours and we'll process what we get, [25:49] and then we'll look at the next issues. [25:51] I mean, what they're asking for to harden the security at the White House and elsewhere [25:56] to make sure that Secret Service can protect the President, the Vice President, [26:00] and the Executive Branch officers is a critical function. [26:03] That's not a partisan thing at all. [26:04] I mean, everybody has to acknowledge it's necessary and important, [26:07] and we'll figure out how to make it happen. [26:09] We don't know any of the details of that settlement fund. [26:30] The Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche, testified yesterday, [26:33] and he gave a lot of detail, and I'll just defer to what he said, [26:35] because he obviously knows a lot more about it than I do. [26:38] He said, let me tell you what he said. [26:40] He said they are setting up a fund to compensate all Americans who have been the subject, [26:47] the target of lawfare or weaponization of the federal government. [26:51] Again, that's not a partisan proposition either. [26:54] Everybody should support that. [26:55] He did not say who will be eligible. [26:57] There's many details to be filled out on that, and I'm not going to comment on it until that. [27:01] I'm not going to comment on that until it comes out. [27:03] Yes, ma'am. [27:04] Last question. [27:05] Yeah, look, I talked to Tom, it's been a few weeks ago now, on the phone, [27:18] and he sounded good and optimistic, and we're expecting him back here soon. [27:22] He's had a medical issue, and he's going to be fully transparent and disclose all that. [27:26] I mean, that's what he told me. [27:28] But I don't even know the details, and I have to respect that. [27:33] It's members' personal privacy on whatever matters they're dealing with. [27:37] But we expect to have him back soon. [27:39] We've missed him. [27:40] He's a great member of Congress. [27:41] He'll get reelected because he comes from a long history, a legacy in his family of faithful public service. [27:47] Things happen to people individually in their health and otherwise, and they deal with challenges, and they get right back. [27:51] That's what champions do. [27:52] Tom Kane is one of them. [27:53] Proud to stand with him. [27:54] He's going to get reelected, and we look forward to welcoming him back here very soon. [27:57] Thank you all. [27:58] Appreciate it. [27:59] Thank you. [28:00] Thank you.