Speaker Mike Johnson compared leading the slim Republican majority in the House Tuesday to being an overworked “mental health counselor” and “firefighter” constantly grappling with emergencies and lawmaker drama.
Johnson, who his wife, Kelly, divulged is a “really remarkable” portrait artist, painted an unglamorous picture of being the most important man in the House – marked by constant phone calls, a lot of take-out food and his teenage son being “embarrassed” to be dropped off at school by his dad.
“I don’t think any of us fully realized how much life was going to change in making the transition from the sort of rank-and-file member to Speaker,” Johnson (R-La.) said of his family, during an interview on the “The Katie Miller Podcast.”
“It’s an all-encompassing, literal 24-hour, 7-day-a-week, assignment,” the House speaker added.
The Johnsons explained how their lives have drastically changed since the Louisiana Republican was elected House Speaker, during an interview on “The Katie Miller Podcast.” The Katie Miller Podcast
The Louisiana Republican – a father of four – revealed that he relies on the same principles of parenting to deal with various personalities and factions in the lower chamber.
“We have this joke that I’m not really a Speaker of the House. I’m really like a mental health counselor,” Johnson said, “and so when the pressure gets turned up really high and then the stakes are so high and the votes are so tight, I just try to sit down and listen to everybody and figure out what their primary need is and how we can meet that.”
“And sometimes those are long counseling sessions, but we get that done,” he continued, adding, “it’s not unlike, I mean, it’s the same skills you use as a parent.”
Johnson and his wife both agreed that the most annoying part of being House speaker is the lack of any sort of lull.
“Hardly any downtime,” Kelly said.
“No, that’s right,” the speaker chimed in. “I mean, even when you think, like, the work of the day is done, and you put the phone down – I mean, this would be 11:30 at night – ring, ring … another crisis.
“You’re sort of like a firefighter in a way. You have to put out fires every, you know, every hour.”
Johnson lamented that his busy schedule and extensive security detail makes it virtually impossible to enjoy simple things, like going out to dinner at a restaurant with his wife. Michael Brochstein/ZUMA / SplashNews.com
Johnson described managing his work-life balance as a “daily triage.”
“We try to have order and schedule, but it gets blown up because there’s an emergency every 10 minutes,” he said. “And so we’re kind of in survival mode right now.”
Being second in line to the presidency requires Johnson to travel in “a three Suburban motorcade right now, with a tactical unit and a police car in front,” which he lamented makes it difficult to do hardly anything.
“It’s such an ordeal,” he said of having to run to the grocery or hardware store, so he “very seldom” goes out.
“It’s a big thing,” he said of being out and about, “and it just doesn’t really make it worth it, and that’s the sad part is you give up a big part of your life, you know?”
“I hate it because I’m just a regular guy, you know, but you’re not when you’re Speaker of the House,” Johnson acknowledged.
Kelly noted that her husband starts off his day by taking their 15-year-old son to school, which allows for “some good quality time together” – but Johnson was quick to point out the security escort required for that activity as well.
“Of course, it’s in a motorcade, so I have to drop him off a block away from school,” Johnson said.
Kelly, laughing, explained that their son “gets embarrassed” by dad’s security detail.
The couple was also asked about the unexpected benefits of being House speaker – and they were hard pressed to come up with any.
“You know, I would say there’s not a lot of perks,” Kelly said.
“There’s really not,” Johnson initially agreed, before expressing his fondness for the Speaker’s Balcony.
With the holidays coming up, Johnson noted that he hasn’t “had a vacation day in two years.”
When his wife argued that perhaps last Christmas he had a day off, the speaker shot back: “Maybe Christmas Day, but even then — yeah even then, last Christmas I’m taking calls from members with their drama.”