Blame Mike Johnson for the stalemate in Congress

Whether it is punitive tariffs, aggressive immigration tactics or ill-conceived military actions, Congress has been remarkably obsequious in permitting President Trump to do anything he wishes — even when such actions blatantly violate the Constitution.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is ultimately responsible for such permissiveness.

This was most obvious with the president’s cavalcade of tariffs. The Supreme Court eventually ruled that the tariffs were unlawful. This only prompted Trump to take new actions to keep his tariffs in place, pushing the boundaries of the law and using other statutes to justify his agenda. Though the president has significant authority using executive actions, it is Congress’s responsibility to ensure that all such actions are legal and within the boundaries as set forth in the Constitution.  

Congress is not supposed to turn a blind eye to executive actions. The balance of power between the three branches of government (legislative, executive, judicial) is supposed to ensure that no one branch oversteps its authority and acts unlawfully.

During Trump’s current term, the government has had three partial shutdowns, including the longest full shutdown in the nation’s history. Johnson guaranteed the first shutdown by sending all members of the House home after they had passed a funding bill. This provided no avenue for further discussions with the Senate.

Although this provided House members with leverage, it also resulted in hundreds of........

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