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Annabelle Gordon - CNP/Sipa USA/Newscom
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Just moments after picking up the gavel, newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R–La.) endorsed an idea that manages to be both eye-roll-inducing and really important.
"The greatest threat to our national security is our nation's debt," Johnson said during his first speech from the speaker's dais in the House chamber. "We know this is not going to be an easy task and tough decisions will have to be made, but the consequences—if we don't act now—are unbearable."
Then, Johnson promised to "establish a bipartisan debt commission to begin working on this crisis immediately."
This is, in some ways, a pretty silly idea. After all, Johnson is the newly elected leader of Congress, which is a group of elected officials from two political parties who have the constitutionally granted power to control the federal government's fiscal policies like borrowing and spending.