“We’ve heard enough talk. It’s time for action. Let’s finish the job.”
WASHINGTON — Ahead of final passage, Speaker Johnson delivered the closing argument for the One Big Beautiful Bill on the House floor, arguing for its swift passage and immediate transmission to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
“With the One Big Beautiful Bill, we can make this country stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before,” Speaker Johnson said. “Today, we can lay the cornerstone of America’s new golden age.”
Click here to watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks
Below are Speaker Johnson’s remarks as delivered:
You know, Ronald Reagan said one time that no speech should be longer than 20 minutes. And unlike the Democrat leader, I’m going to honor my colleagues time and be a little more brief than that. I just want to say something that many of us learned when we were children, we were taught it takes a lot longer to build a lie than to tell the simple truth.
My friends and colleagues on both sides of the aisle, we’ve waited long enough. Some of us have literally been up for days now, but this day, this day is a hugely important one in the history of our nation. We have a big job to finish, and that’s why we’re here on the week of July 4th, just a day before America’s birthday.
It was on that fateful day, as the Democrat leader acknowledged, that our Founders pledged their lives and their sacred honor to this grand experiment in self-governance that we are now here to steward. It’s an experiment that falls to us to guard and to protect it. We take that very seriously on this side of the aisle.
In just a few moments, we will remind the world why the American experiment still endures today and why its best days are still ahead of us. Mr. Speaker, with one big beautiful bill, we are going to make this country stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before, and every American is going to benefit from that. Today, we are laying a key cornerstone of America’s new golden Age.
Now listen, we have a few words of gratitude. First, scripture’s been cited a lot this morning, I think mostly out of context, but what I will say, one thing that we know about scripture is that we’re supposed to give honor where honor is due, and that’s what we do on this side of the aisle. I want to thank every single member of the House Republican Conference for their pouring their time and their heart, and their expertise and experience into this process. I want to thank all of our amazing staff members, all of them. Yes, their dedication, their endless hours, their hard work made this all possible.
I want to thank the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, who have basically lived with us now for the last few weeks. Their patience and persistence and their professionalism is greatly appreciated. Our country’s incredible cabinet secretaries have been involved as well. They’ve assisted us in countless ways throughout this process. Our Vice President, JD Vance, helped us navigate so many dire straits along the last several weeks through the House and the Senate, and of course, our bold, visionary, fearless President Donald J. Trump.
President Trump is the creator and the champion of the America First agenda. We will deliver upon that today. We’ve come a long way. We began this process really about 15 months ago. We had a sense, and we believed that we would have unified government. We would have this moment where the Republican Party would be given control of the White House and the Senate and the House. And we determined to ourselves that we would not waste that historic opportunity.
We’ve had spirited debates, we’ve had months of deliberation, and now we are finally ready to fulfill our promise to the American people. That’s what we are doing today. Now, look, before I respond to the allegations from across the chamber, I just want to take us back to a day that most of us will remember so very fondly for the rest of our lives. And that’s November 5th, 2024. That was election day, a fateful one for America.
The reason that was so important, the reason it was such a turn in history, is because the American people spoke with unmistakable clarity. We sensed it as we were all out campaigning. We saw that there would be a demographic shift in America, and that is exactly what the election yielded. We, in our party, had a record number of black and African American voters come to the Republican party. We had a record number of Hispanic and Latino voters come to the Republican party, a record number of Jewish voters and union workers, and suburban women and urban voters. They came out in record numbers to join the Republican party and the America First agenda with President Trump.
That election was decisive. It was a bellwether. It was a time for choosing. And I tell you what, the American people chose overwhelmingly, they chose the Republican Party. And the reason they did that, they didn’t come hesitantly. They came with hopeful anticipation. You know why? Because this is not your father’s Democratic party, okay? They went so far full speed to the far left and their radical woke progressive agenda, that nonsense that they tried to push on the people was rejected by the people.
These new voters came to us. They had enough of the Biden-Harris madness and all the things they were trying to hoist upon the American people that they just don’t believe in their hearts. And they were hopeful. They came to us with hope. They wanted to restore common sense and accountability. And we promised to them that we would do just that.
Those new demographics came to the Republican party because of open borders wreaking havoc on their communities. They came because of weakness at home that fueled instability abroad. And because trillions in reckless spending put the price of gas and groceries further out of the reach for hardworking Americans, it wasn’t right. President Trump and our Republican majority in Congress are fixing all of that right now.
President Trump said this week, we’re the hottest country in the world again, my friends. That is an objective truth. How about all the wins for the president in this party? Here’s just a sample from the last two weeks. The headline today will be the One Big Beautiful Bill passes the Congress. Okay? You gotta hold your applause. There’s too many wins. Are you getting tired of winning yet, no?
Fourth jobs report in a row exceeds expectations. The sample of the headlines, lowest monthly border encounters in US history. We close the border. Last couple of days, the new trade deal with Vietnam and all the countries of the world around the world lining up for that. UPenn agrees to ban biological men from women’s sports. And they ought to give a personal apology to every female athlete impacted by that nonsense. Gas prices are at a four-year low. My friends, the Air Force and Space Force both hit their 2025 recruiting goals three months early. Israel is agreeing to a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas, successful strikes on a Iran’s nuclear sites, handled that problem. Strength is back, America’s back. It’s resulted now in a ceasefire deal between Iran and Israel. The NATO countries are increasing their defense spending not just 2%, 5% of GDP. The president got involved and got a Rwanda-Congo peace deal. The Supreme Court ended nationwide injunctions. That conservative majority on the Supreme Court also allows third party or third country deportations. We’ve had a record high stock market, and we’re signing a China trade deal. That’s just the last two weeks. It’s the last two weeks.
So many simple truths to share and so little time to do it, because I want everybody to have a break here. But I just want to say this, it’s really nice to hear my Democrat colleagues suddenly take an interest in working Americans again. Did you pick up on that theme today? Let’s be clear. Working Americans stopped trusting Democrats a long time ago. That is a fact.
They’re looking to this side of the chamber. They’re looking to the Republican party and our principles to deliver the relief and the reform that they have long demanded, and they most certainly deserve. This big, beautiful bill fulfills all the promises in the American First agenda. It is the people’s bill. It is made for and shaped by the most diverse coalition of American voters in American history.
Today, we are making the dream of a government that puts the American people first, a reality. I would need this entire notebook to tell you all the great things in the Big Beautiful Bill. It is aptly named, but I’ll just tell you a couple of the highlights.
Record tax cuts for hard work in Americans. Historic savings at the same time to end reckless spending. We got energy dominance coming back to power our future. We have a secure border to protect American families. We have a strong military to restore peace through strength, and we have a government that is now accountable and responsive to the people. Once again, that’s what we are delivering for everyday Americans.
This means real positive change that they can feel, and they will feel much more when this bill is done. Families back home will have real relief, an average of $10,000 in their pockets, thanks to the largest working- and middle-class tax cut in the history of this great nation. That’s what we’re doing today.
You’ve got hardworking Americans like our waiters and our bellhops and our hairstylists. They’re going to keep 100% of their tips and overtime pay. That is money they earned. It does not belong to the government. It belongs to them, and they deserve to keep it. Small businesses that want to build and expand new factories, you know what they could do, now they can write off 100% of their investment. That will give us a lot more building. Young families who want to buy a home will be able to, thanks to historic savings that will put our country on a stronger financial footing. Pregnant women, children, seniors, single mothers, the disabled in the low-income Americans among us receiving Medicaid and SNAP will have the peace of mind of knowing that we’ve made these safety nets stronger with our reforms.
See, when Republicans are in charge, we bring common sense. We’re going to make sure that Americans who do need and deserve those critical programs won’t have to compete against people who can work but choose not to do so. That’s not right. This bill is going to put fairness back in the system. We are returning to common sense. We’re returning to what is good and decent that people know in their hearts, and that’s why they support it.
More Americans will be working, volunteering, and serving their communities because modest commonsense work requirements will restore dignity and purpose to those on taxpayer-funded benefits. The bill will also mean that safer streets are available in every zip code around the country because our border will remain fully and totally secure.
The Republican Party stands for law and order, and this is the side that stands with law enforcement, the brave men and women who are on the front line. The idea that those who put their own lives on the line to protect us would be assaulted for doing their jobs is unconscionable law enforcement will have the help of a border wall. Now that’s 100% complete.
Our immigration enforcement officers will get a boost from more manpower and resources and detention space so that detained illegal aliens are not released back into the streets like they were for the last four years. And our homeland can rest soundly again under the protection of President Trump’s golden dome. That’s what we’re investing in.
Look, any of these individual achievements would be historic victories for a Republican Congress or any Congress, and today we’re delivering on all of them in One Big, Beautiful Bill. That’s what Americans can count on when we pass this legislation, and that’s exactly what Democrats will vote to oppose today. That’s a fact.
We didn’t write this bill for the Democratic party or the elites or the media. This bill is for hardworking Americans, and they deserve it. I’m going to just say this as plainly as I can. This is a simple truth. If you’re for a secure border, safer communities, and a strong military, this bill is for you. If you’re for common sense, fiscal responsibility and reducing the deficit, this bill is for you. If you’re for fair and lower taxes, bigger paychecks, affordable gas and groceries, and restoring dignity to hard work, this is the bill for you.
It makes no difference whether our colleagues across the chamber speak for 25 minutes or 25 hours. They can’t change the truth. And today was about performance for some of them, but today, for us, is about results. It results that improve the lives of Americans, regardless of their race, religion, color, or creed. It does not matter. I tell you what Ronald Reagan used to remind us, you can always trust the American people, and we do trust the American people and they can discern the difference. What they saw on display here today is that Democrats deliver performances and Republicans deliver results.
Today, my friends, we are ready now. We are going to deliver what we were sent here to do, and every American will benefit from it.
In 1793, just steps from where we stand today, President George Washington laid the first cornerstone of the United States Capitol. Over 50 years later, on July 4th, again, members of this body gathered once again to lay a second cornerstone. Once more On July 4th, at the height of the Cold War, Congress laid a third cornerstone. And this week with this vote today on our nation’s birthday being tomorrow, we lay a fourth with this bill.
We can vote as stewards of that great legacy that we have inherited in this extraordinary nation that we are blessed to live in. We can lay another sturdy foundation for the future of this country, a future where working Americans can feel relief, where government can finally start living within its means again. And where the United States is safer, stronger, and more prosperous than ever before. Now, I’m going to say this, as they mock America and mock everything and mock the bill, we’ll see how the people feel about that.
So, listen seriously, as friends and colleagues across the aisle, what we celebrate tomorrow is our nation’s birthday. Let’s put the politics aside for a minute, and let’s reflect on our blessings. Tomorrow is the 249th birthday of our nation.
I mean this sincerely. I thank my colleagues for standing. We all should be united in that. We have squabbles and we have partisan debates and all of this. But at the end of the day, we’re all Americans, man. And we must believe that. We must know it. We must recognize that we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. It’s not even close.
My friends and colleagues, we are so blessed. We should not take it for granted. We live in the most free, the most successful, the most powerful, the most benevolent nation that has ever been on the face of the Earth. And there’s a reason for that. The reason that we are the greatest nation is because we were built on the ultimate foundation and the bold declaration that my friend Hakeem Jeffries articulated earlier. It’s true. We unite under that. The bold declaration that we do hold these truths to be self-evident. What is a self-evident truth? It’s something that’s obvious. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. It does not say born equal. It says created equal, and that it is our Creator. Yes, it is our Creator that gives us our rights. The powerful thing about that is we’re the first nation in the history of the world that acknowledge that our rights do not derive from government. They come from God himself.
You see those words up there, that motto, it says, “In God, We Trust,” right above the Speaker’s Rostrom. A previous Congress put that there in the early sixties in the height of the Cold War. There’s a visitor’s guide that people get when you do tours late at night. You’ve probably seen your constituents and visitors and friends get the guide. If you turn to about page 21, it explains why that’s there, and it says, “Congress voted to put that there as a rebuke to the Soviet’s worldview at the height of the Cold War.” Why? Because communism, socialism find their root in Marxism, and Marxism begins with the belief that there is no God. It’s wrong, and this Congress made us stand those many years ago, and we should do it again.
We’re different. We’re distinct. We’re exceptional because we acknowledge that right there, our motto, it doesn’t say “In Government, We Trust.” It says “In God, We Trust,” and we better remember that He has blessed us with His grand experiment in self-governance now for almost two and a half centuries, and by God’s grace, we are working hard, and we are delivering on our promise to make America great again.
This is without a doubt, the most important vote of this Congress, and I think this may be the most important vote that any of us take in our entire lifetimes. Everybody better remember it, however you vote today. My friends, the President of the United States is waiting with his pen. The American people are waiting for this relief. We’ve heard enough talk. It’s time for action. Let’s finish the job for him. Vote yes on the bill.
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