House Speaker Mike Johnson faced an emotional on-air confrontation from a military mother who begged him to pass legislation ensuring troop pay during the government shutdown.
The call spotlights growing pressure on GOP leadership ahead of an Oct. 15 paycheck deadline, Politico reported.
Johnson took live calls Thursday on C-SPAN in a rare appearance for a House speaker, only to be met with an emotional plea from a military mom in Virginia urging him to act on troop pay as the government shutdown drags on.
"I'm begging you to pass this legislation," said Samantha, a caller who identified herself as a mother of two medically fragile children and wife to a veteran with PTSD from two Afghanistan tours. Her voice cracked as she warned, "My kids could die."
Samantha, calling from Fort Belvoir, said her family lives paycheck to paycheck and accused Johnson of ignoring military families' struggles.
"As a Republican, I'm very disappointed in my party, and I'm very disappointed in you, because you do have the power to call the House back," she said. "And I think it is awful, and the audacity of someone who makes six figures a year to do this to military families is insane."
Johnson responded with sympathy but maintained that Democrats are to blame for blocking troop pay.
"Samantha, I'm so sorry to hear about your situation," he said. "Democrats are the ones preventing you from getting a check." Johnson argued that Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, would block a standalone troop pay bill, calling such a move a "show vote."
Active-duty forces are set to miss their next paycheck on Oct. 15 unless Congress acts.
The House last month approved a seven-week continuing resolution that also included troop pay, but Johnson has refused to call lawmakers back into session.
Senate Democrats have not said whether they would support a standalone measure. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has indicated he would back the idea.
The White House, meanwhile, is preparing backup plans to ensure pay continues.
"The president has been clear that he is going to pay the troops," a White House official said. Asked whether he would encourage Congress to pass a separate bill, Trump said, "Probably. Our military will always be taken care of."
Johnson's C-SPAN appearance was the first live-caller event for a House speaker in 24 years.
While one caller praised his leadership, others pressed him on the Affordable Care Act, Republican Medicaid cuts and Trump's domestic deployment of National Guard troops.
Johnson said that Obamacare "did not do what was promised" and vowed Republicans would fix it rather than uproot it entirely.
He added that he had discussed health care reforms with Trump just a day earlier.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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