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providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. up next, remarks by speaker johnson. this news conference is about half an hour. ms. stefanik: good morning. the elite colleges and universities continue to fail to condemn anti-semitism and protect jewish students on campus. just look at the abject failure of columbia's president to enforce their own code of conduct that they gave lip service to to the latest education and workforce hearing. the anti-semitic mob took over an academic building.

the leadership has lost complete control. it is a disgrace and it is untenable and we as house republicans will hold them to account. i will continue to lead on this issue and house republicans will expand our efforts on oversight with additional committee chairs. we have an announcement later today. also in new york, we are now in week three of bragg's witch-hunt. the first criminal trial of a former president of the united states. it is crystal clear from the opening arguments and evidence that this extraordinarily weak case is blatant law fair and election interference at the height of the presidential campaign. while the violent crime heightens in new york, they brought bogus charges against president trump for the nonfelony booking of a nuisance claim as a legal expense. under this bogus leerl they this somehow impacted the action election. this was baseless that it was previously base passed -- passed over by the federal election

committee and alvin bragg himself. but a top political appointee in the biden justice department was deployed to bragg's office to go after joe biden's top political opponent and the republican nominee donald j. trump and the case is in front of the democrat judge merchant who donated to biden's campaign and whose daughter is raising tens of millions off this unprecedented case. this is corrupt election interference to its core. even a former clinton federal judge said judge merchant must accuse -- recuse. what was his response? he re-tal indicated against president trump with an unconstitutional gag order. last week the house judiciary committee, under chair jim jordan, released a scathing report highlighting bragg's political investigation and prosecution of president trump, calling it a direct threat to our republic. democrats' corrupt and desperate witch-hunts against president trump must come to an end. this is law fare and blatant election interference and the

american people know it. that's why today i filed an official complaint with the department of justice office of professional responsibility on joe biden special counsel jack smith for his clear and illegal efforts of election interference. we will fight the democrats' unjust lawfare and expose this corruption whether it's in new york, atlanta, or here in washington, d.c. this is an important responsibility of over oversight. in addition to this important oversight work, legislatively, house republicans are continuing to lead on behalf of the american people. this week on the house floor we have a series of bills to protect america's public lands while ensuring the safe, reliable development of our natural resources. we are also marking the start of national small business week, the backbone and economic engine of our country. so today we're joined by two chairs, our chairman of house natural resources committee, bruce westerman, and chairman of small business committee roger williams to discuss in more detail. i am proud to turn it over to

chairman williams. ms. williams: thank you very much. this is going to be a great week. we have the national small business week ahead of us. and i will tell you small business makes up the backbone of this country. 75% of the workforce, 75% of the payroll is generated by small business. we're going to be highlighting small businesses this week and talks about the jobs it creates and talks about the role the private sector plays in frankly saving our country. small business is in every industry and it's in every community. so tomorrow, we're going to have an hbc 201, 14 businesses from across the country coming to the capitol to show what they do and how they do it and maybe talk about the great things that's happening to them and some of the regulations that are choking them to death. we'll have bakers, we're going to have destillers, we'll have ammo makers displaying their products and talk about the challenges they're facing. i will tell you, there are plenty of challenges from this administration. since joe biden got into office

there is $1.3 trillion of regulations put on main street america. $1.3 trillion. at a time it's hard to hire people right now, we have to spend 200 million man-hours to offset the $1.3 trillion that the biden administration has put on the small business. we'll talk about that. the goal of the committee, we have a bipartisan committee doing great things together but our goal is to be a voice for main street, be a bipartisan committee, be probusiness, cut regulations and lower taxes. cutting regulations puts more money into the hands of the customer. we have to lower taxes. we have to make sure that taxes stay low because lower taxes mean more cash flow to the business. so a lot of things are happening. we want you to come by and see it. it's a great time in america to honor small business, the backbone of this great country. with that in mind, it's an honor to do -- to deliver congressman westerman, my dear friend from america. mr. wester man --man --

westerman: thank you, roger, thank you, elise. it's a privilege to be here to talk about something that's very important about our public lands. you know, it wasn't too long ago we passed the explore acupuncture, a very -- explore act, a very bipartisan bill, and it's bicameral. it's over in the senate right now, and it shows that there's a desire from the public in america to experience our public lands but we're dealing with an administration that it seems like every week they're coming out with a new rule or a new regulation that restricts access to our public lands. just two weeks ago, biden's bureau of land management enacted a final rule that would cut off access for hundreds of communities that depend on multiple use of their public lands. and this administration is threatening the rural way of life. we're fighting back with bills like congressman curtis' west act. this week we're advancing important solutions to help meet the skyrocketing global demand for minerals and resources. with

china, russia, and other adversaries having their malign influence across the globe, we need to say yes in my backyard for america's abundant natural resources. you know, as you look at demand for minerals and rare earth elements, especially with the push to a more electrified economy, it's -- we're blessed in america because we have every element and mineral that we need here in america. the problem is it's in the ground and this administration would rather buy these things from china and our adversaries than to develop them here in the u.s. and we're pushing back against that. we're also promoting access to federal lands and returning power back to the states, the tribes, and local leaders who know these lands best. this is the only way we'll implement true conservation for generations to am co. i look forward -- generations to am co. i look forward to the passage of these very important bills and i

will turn it to our whip emmer. mr. emmer: for more in an a week, the world has watched as pro-terrorist, anti-semites as american universities exud some of the clearest acts of bigotry against jewish students on campus since the late 1930's in nazi germany. from forming human chains around jewish students to block them from walking on campus to chanting for the total annihilation of israel, to promoting hitler's final solution, it's safe to say these demonstrations are not a movement for peace as some of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have disgustingly referred to them. they are movements of pure anti-semic -- anti-semitic violence. and let's take note of those who endorsed these pro-terrorists, anti-semites. a terrorist organization, hamas, the world's leading state sponsor of

terrorism, iran, and members of the squad, including my colleague from minnesota, ilhan omar, not exactly good company. congressman -- congresswoman omar encouraged these movements for hate at the university of minnesota twin cities campus, promoting me to inquire with the university about its plans to keep jewish students safe. she then continued to pour gas on the fire when she visited columbia to publicly suggest that some jewish students are pro-genocide. let me be clear. by embracing pro-terrorist extremists, ilhan omar is encouraging violence against jewish students. there should be zero tolerance for anti-semitism on our college campuses, in our communities, or anywhere across our country. joe biden has tried to play both sides of the fence by defending everyone involved. since president joe biden, far left congressional democrats, and ivy league administrators have decide to choose hamas over

public administrators, we'll vote on congressman mike lawler's legislation that holds these anti-semites accountable by holding anti-semitism as any other act of discrimination. our house republican majority will once again take a stand where others have failed. i can only hope that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will choose to be on the right side of history and join us. and with that i turn it over to our leader, steve scalise. mr. scalise: thank you, whip. last week i brought a number of members of congress from around the country down to south louisiana to look at some different energy facilities throughout south louisiana. we went to chevron's anchor platform in the gulf of mexico. a facility that's going to be coming online in the next few months to produce over 70,000 barrels of oil a day. and while we were excited to be there, what is disappointing is that because president biden continues to cancel

legislatively mandated lease sales, fewer of those kind of projects will be coming online. and what that means is our country, america, will now be more reliant on foreign nations because we still have a growing demand for oil, for natural gas, for all forms of energy. and if president biden takes american energy off-line, that means we have to get it from other countries, which president biden has done. he's made us more dependent on countries like russia, like iran, like saudi arabia. and so when you look at, you know, if he's worried about carbon footprints, there is no lower carbon footprint to produce oil in the world than in the gulf of mexico. we should be doing more projects like that, not fewer. then, we went to the mouth of the mississippi river, the venture global project, which is one of the largest l.n.g. export facilities in the world. over $20 billion of privately funded capital to build a

massive facility. it shows you what american ingenuity can do. again, exciting to look at it, exciting to know what our country can do to not only produce natural gas, lower the cost for families here at home, but then export it to our friends around world. a lot of the natural gas at that venture global facility is going to be going to europe when it's completed. the problem is, again, because president biden's policies, now he's put in essence a ban on l.n.g. exports. and while he tries to deny to all of you that it exists, they told us right down the street, literally right down the mississippi river, there is a huge plot of land where they could build another facility even larger. again, over $20 billion privately funded, and they would have contracts for over 20 years in place to go tomorrow if they could get the permit but they can't because this administration refuses to do it. and why is that important? again, it doesn't mean that farrell gas isn't going -- doesn't mean gas isn't going to

be used anywhere in the world. it means that vladimir putin will be using natural gas to germany and poland. natural gas that america could be providing to our allies. our allies would much rather get that natural gas from us, and it would help lower gas prices here. it would lower energy costs for families when they heat or cool their homes. it would also create really, really good jobs here in america but joe biden keeps saying no to american energy which means vladimir putin gets to sell that natural gas to those european countries, putting billions of dollars in the pockets of vladimir putin. why would joe biden continue to do it? it begs the question. it's why we're bringing these bills that bruce westerman's committee sent out of the natural resources committee, so we don't have to rely on china for car batteries, for goodness sake, for oil or natural gas. again, these bad decisions by the biden administration don't just raise costs for families,

which by the way they do they're crushing low-income families in america. but they have also have serious implications on america's energy security. anwr, great american energy in alaska. the people of alaska, by the way, want the project to go forward but joe biden continues to say no to that american energy. which only emboldens people like vladimir putin. why does joe biden want to continue to help vladimir putin and hurting alaskan families and other families in america? we'll continue to fight for these hardworking families who are struggling to stand up to the anti-semitism. we're going to have a press conference later to talk about the growing concerns on our college campuses where college presidents are failing miserably to protect jewish students and their ability to be safe just to go to school, just to go to

class. these presidents are failing them and we're going to talk more about that later and the man who's leading that effort is our speaker, mike johnson. mr. johnson: well, thank you, mr. leader. thank you, all, for being here this morning. this is a pivotal time in the country. the speaker's job is to be all across the country and to be in as many districts as possible with our incumbents and our candidates and we do all of that. over the last week i spent time in my district in louisiana but i also traveled to nine different states and we went from the deep south to the midwest and even to new york city and everywhere we go there is an energy out there among the people that they're very animated because the people are simply fed up. they're fed up with the way things are going. they're fed up with the open border and all the catastrophe that is brought upon the country. they're fed up with the rising crime rate making it unmanageable for hardworking familiar leets. they're -- families. they're fed up with the weakness we're projecting on the world

stage at a very dangerous time. the reason our adversaries are acting so provocatively is because this administration is unable or unwilling to show strength on the world stage. and that same vacuum of leadership is being felt at this really critical time, this moment in our cultural history, in the history of our country with regard to the rise of anti-semitism. we desperately need, the country needs clear, moral authority. we need the president of the united states to speak to the issue and say this is wrong. what's happening on college campuses right now is wrong. it is un-american. it is not who we are. the president seems unable or unwilling to do that. the vice president, the same thing. chuck schumer, who is the highest ranking jewish official in the history of the united states, is not speaking to this issue. and that is why we feel a direct obligation to do that. the congress has a role. we went to columbia university on wednesday. we faced that hostile crowd to speak clearly with clarity and conviction and consistensies

about this issue. -- consistency about this issue. i used to be a constitutional attorney. i used to deal with free speech. this is not the free marketplace of ideas. this is open threats to jewish students because of their faith and who they are. jewish students are unable to go to class. the administration at columbia acknowledged that because they canceled classes for fear of physical safety of their students. then, they came up with this hybrid solution, which is even more discriminatory because it's only the jewish students who are then admonished and encouraged not to come to class. that's not right. before we went out and had the press conference, we met with a large number of jewish students there on the campus at a safe house off campus. they expressed their angst with all of this, their concern, their fear for their safety. and the intuitive feeling that we all have that this is not right and it needs to be called

out. we thent met and -- we then and met with the college president and told her it's time to resign. if she can't control that campus -- the first responsibility of an administration on a college campus is the safety and security of their students. if one fails in that obligation, they have failed entirely. columbia is out of control. this in the last several hours, overnight, i think they overtook a campus building, they're occupying a building now. they're unable to operate the university at a time when the students are preparing for their financial exams. it's unfair, it's unright, it's unsafe, and it must stop so we called for the police to come in and take care of it. if they're unable, then we need the national guard. we have to have control of college campuses. this is a commonsense matter. the american people understand it. the crowd in columbia was chanting for hamas. they're waving hezbollah flags, hamas flags. hamas endorsed the crowd and the protest within an hour before we began to speak there on wednesday. this thing's out of control, and the administrators who are

allowing this need to be removed and we got to get control of these campuses. end of story. and we're going to continue to call this out. we're going to continue to call it for what it is. another thing that the american people are very frustrated, of course, as the leader mentioned, as all of us have referenced, is this administration's war on american energy. that's effectively what it has been. since the day joe biden walked into the oval office and started issuing his barrage of executive orders, they have gone after the very lifeblood of the economy. energy security is national security. and request his executive orders and the most recent ones where he's paused l.n.g. exports, he's empowering our adversaries. vladimir putin's war machine is being funded by european nations who are having to make contracts with him because they can't get liquified natural gas from the u.s. they desperately need it. they want it, and we are making the decision through joe biden. joe biden has made the decision that he will hamper our own economy and energy production.

why? because he's appeasing radical environmental activists in his party. this appeasement strategy isn't working. it's not working on the world stage when you appease iran and criticize israel. it should be the other way around. it is not good when you deny the basic facts of what's good for the american people. it's time for change. and we're going to continue to call it out. we're going to continue to pursue legislation. we'll continue to pursue the support of our small businesses, as chairman williams said. the lifeblood of the u.s. economy is also small business. 75% of jobs provided by them. and they are being crushed by regulations from these out-of-control agencies. we're going to be working on every one of these things through the house republican majority showing the american people what we're for and drawing a contrast so they can see clearly what our side is for, what the republican party stands for, and what the other side does. with that i'll take a few questions. the reporter: reporter: house

democratic leadership said they'll table to vacate. mr. johnson: it's the first i heard of it. i have to do my job. we have to do the right thing. what the country needs right now is a functioning congress. they need a congress that works well, works together and does not hamper its own ability to solve these problems. so we saw what happened with the motion to vacate the last time. congress was closed for three weeks. no one can afford for that to happen. and you know, so we need people who are -- who are serious about the job here and to continue to do that job and get it done. so, you know, i have to do what i believe is right every day and let the chips fall where they may. reporter: mr. speaker, did you have any conversations with leader jeffries either through directly or an emissary before the national security supplemental came where you would receive democratic support if the motion to vacate have come up? mr. johnson: no. i was laser focused getting the

supplemental up and done. i had colleagues come up to me saying we won't stand for this, shut the house down. of course, i acknowledged that. i have not requested assistance from anyone. i've not focused on that at all. reporter: were there deals made? mr. johnson: no. reporter: mr. speaker, would you continue to serve as speaker by having the support of democrats and effectively keeping your job because of democratic support? mr. johnson: listen, the speaker of the house serves the whole body. i am a conservative republican. a life-long conservative republican. that's my philosophy is, that's what my record is, and we'll continue to govern on these principles. you hope you have the support of everyone, the entire country, but, you know, like i said, i got to do my job and continue to keep my head down. this is a very serious time for the country. we're not playing games here. the world is on fire because of all the things that we talked about today. we shouldn't be playing politics

and, you know, engaging in the chaos that looks like, you know, that's intrigue here. we need to do the job that the framers intended for congress to play. that's what i'm about and continue to do every day and we'll keep the wheels of government functioning. reporter: mr. speaker, thank you. switching to the campus protests, can you talk about as a constitutional law guy, can you talk about how you think about some of these protests? what is permissible for these pro--palz -- pro-palestinian protesters and what's not permissible? mr. johnson: i used to litigate the fine are contours. the university is intended to be the free marketplace of ideas. it's where you should have vigorous debate, thoughtful debate. consideration of weighty issues and often you'll have very different opinions. vigorous disagreement. that's all great. that's what the first amendment protects. this is not that. what these students are doing is shutting down the campuses. you

know, taking control of buildings. they are threatening their students' lives. they are chanting, "death to america." at some point you cross the line, and they have. this is not protected free speech. what this is doing is violating the rights of others. jewish students who are merely on campus trying to get an education, who are playing by the rules. they can't -- they're impeded from going to class. they're impeded. they're told not to go on the university campus where they are paying tuition and they have valid i.d. cards to be. when you cross that rubicon and you begin to threaten the lives and intimidate and harass people to the point where they cannot engage in their freedom, then that is unlawful. there is time, place, and manner, restrictions that the law has long respected to where there are places and times for speech -- free speech events. this is not even close. this is not a close call and for these university administrators not to acknowledge that, at least stefanik has donaghy rowic

work in the house education and workforce committee hearings and those clips have gone viral because she asked university administration, some of the elite universities, some of the top universities in america, if they could simply say that the calling for the genocide or the elimination of their fellow classmates closes -- crosses the line or not and they couldn't say it. they equivocate each time. it's shocking to the american people. it's shocking to us and we got to re-establish where the lines are here. this is out of control, and i think everybody in america -- every person of good conscience understands that. when we were on campus at columbia, we saw flyers, the jewish students had flyers that they had taken off poles and trees that is literal images of the nazi in the 1930's. one of them had a skunk with a star of david on. eliminate these people. stamped on the bottom, columbia university. this is out of control. we got to -- we got to protect

the innocent students there and we got to say clearly, without any equivocation, that anti-semitism is wrong and we need to stamp it. i think it's incumbent on every leader to do and it's shocking to me that the president of the united states will not take that. one last question. reporter: thank you. i just want to get your thoughts on many democrats in the house calling for congress to, quote, prioritize babies, toddlers and families by reinstating things like the child tax credit, investing in childcare and improving infant and early childhood and mental health resources. i think your response, then, i wonder if congresswoman stefanik could respond on that as well. mr. johnson: i will say this, there are lots of ideas out there. what we stand for, what our party stands for is the support of families. we support infants and children and there's an appropriate role to play in that. the devil is always in the details on legislation so i am not exactly sure what they're proposing. but all of us are looking at those avenues. we want to support families.

that's good public policy in every way the government can. the best way, often for government to do that, is to step back and allow the local and state officials to handle their business at that local level. we want to encourage flur ishg families and -- flourishing families. and you don't want to penalize what some of our backwards tax policies have done over the years. you want families to flourish. you'll continue to see us as a top priority. do you want to add to that? ms. stefanik: sure, we're proud to be a co-family conference. there are -- pro-family conference. one is rural childcare, home-based childcare, that's an issue that i worked with my colleagues on the education and workforce committee. but the economy, the border, crime, these issues, these crises caused by joe biden, they impact every family. and particularly, when it comes to economic issues, in a district like mine where the median income is about $50,000

for a family, you're seeing increases in diaper costs. you're seeing increase in formula, the lack of access to baby formula, and we've highlighted that as house republicans and we'll continue to highlight these crises impacting families. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2024] national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> coming up, house democratic leaders tabling the motion to remove mike johnson. they address campus protests and reproductive rights. this is about 20 minutes.