For Immediate Release
June 24, 2025
Contact: Taylor Haulsee
WASHINGTON — This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson addressed President Trump’s historic ceasefire agreement, the constitutionality of the strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, and the necessity of passing the One Big Beautiful Bill to bolster American national defense.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill is a generational investment in American military might, and we need to get it to President Trump’s desk as soon as possible,” Speaker Johnson said.
Watch the Speaker’s full remarks here
On President Trump securing a ceasefire deal:
Over the weekend, President Trump fulfilled what was a bipartisan, longstanding national security priority by carrying out successful strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Everyone around the world applauded this expertly performed duty by our extraordinary unmatched military. Some of them applauded loudly and openly, and some of them quietly, but everybody except the evil regime in Iran knows this was the right thing to do. It’s important to remember who we’re discussing here. Evil is the right word. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism on planet Earth. The Iranian regime has been responsible for thousands of American deaths over the years, and an untold number of maimings with roadside bombs all over the Middle East. They have funded and propped up terror proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, and their stated goal is the death and destruction of America. And of course, Israel.
That’s why for decades, presidents have talked tough on Iran. They’ve talked tough. President Clinton said, “I believe all the Western nations have an overriding interest in continuing to threat posed by Iran.” President Obama said, “I have stated that Iran will never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.” President Biden said, “We will not, let me say this again, we will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.” But it was President Trump who did more than talk. He acted, and it was long overdue. And his decisive action led to a weakened and vulnerable Iran that gives them no other choice than to come to the table, which they refused to do in good faith before the President secured a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. And despite the temporary disruption this morning, we believe that will hold. Peace in the Middle East has never been closer within our grasp. And that is something that we should all embrace and applaud.
On the President’s authority as Commander in Chief:
Let me be clear and be as clear as possible: The strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities were clearly within President Trump’s article II powers as Commander in Chief. It shouldn’t even be in dispute. Allow me to put my constitutional law hat on for a moment because that’s what I used to do, because both the law and the precedent are important for everyone to understand here. The framers of our constitution never intended for the President to seek the approval of Congress every time he exercises his constitutional authority under Article II as Commander-in-Chief. Alexander Hamilton argued in Federalist Number 70, just for one example, that “energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government. It is essential to the protection of the community against foreign attacks.”
This is why the framers did not explicitly set restrictions on the President when it comes to using military force. They understood something very practical about our matchless legislative body here in our constitution. The way the Congress was set up, they knew it would be a deliberative body, and they knew that process by necessity would take time. And in an emergent and imminent situation, time is not something we always have the luxury of. And so they, they, they wanted in moments of danger and conflict abroad for one single hand of authority to have that authority to act decisively and effectively.
On the War Powers Act:
Many respected constitutional experts argue that the War Powers Act is itself unconstitutional. I’m persuaded by that argument. They think it’s a violation of the article II powers of, of the commander in chief. I think that’s right. If you look back at the founders’ intent, you read the Federalist Papers, you read the records of the Constitutional Convention, I am I think that is right. And many more scholars believe the President is, is correct to use this executive authority in exactly the manner that he did over the weekend.
I am a jealous guardian of Congress’s Article I Authority. We are the defenders of it here, and we take it seriously, and I always will be. But exercising the authority to declare war isn’t something we’ve done since World War II. And everybody in this room knows since then, we’ve had more than 125 military operations from Korea and Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. They have occurred without a Declaration of War by Congress. Presidents of both parties have exercised that authority frequently. A few recent examples: President Biden ordered strikes on Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. President Obama launched an eight month long bombing campaign in Libya to oust Gaddafi. President Clinton initiated air patrols and airstrikes in Bosnia and a bombing campaign in Yugoslavia. Every one of those actions were taken unilaterally and without prior authorization from Congress.
The bottom line is the commander in chief is the president, the military reports to the President, and the person empowered to act on the nation’s behalf is the president. And the last few days have unfolded exactly as the law outlines, and as history has demonstrated, and as the framers of the Constitution intended.
On the One Big Beautiful Bill’s defense provisions:
While Congressional Democrats feign concern about the safety and wellbeing of U.S. service members, House Republicans are working to deliver legislation that actually accomplishes that and supports them. I think it’s really important that amid this global threat landscape that we point out, there’s never been a better time for a piece of legislation, a once in a generation opportunity, legislation like the one Big Beautiful Bill. This bill funds President Trump’s Golden Dome to bolster long range missile defense capabilities. How many of you know that’s kind of important right now. It accelerates the modernization of our nuclear deterrent. Couldn’t have a better time for that. And it revitalizes our defense industrial base.
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