Mike Johnson expected to be ignored as he begs for 'decorum' at State of Union: report
House Republican leaders are asking lawmakers to behave during President Joe Biden's State of the Union address this Thursday.
Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) loudly heckled the president during last year's address, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called for "decorum" at this year's joint session of Congress, reported Axios.
"He's reminding us to be respectful of the institution," said Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO), "and to the president of the United States and the office, whether we agree or not."
Johnson asked members during a closed-door caucus meeting to "maintain a high standard of decorum," but some GOP lawmakers doubt their Republican colleagues can behave.
"Will they do it? Does the Baptist Church have a bus? Of course they do," said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN). "They did it to Trump and nobody said 'boo,' but when we do it, we're going to get made an example of."
Greene, in particular, will likely be unable to refrain from "spontaneous" outbursts during the speech, her colleagues say.
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"They're not going to tell her what to do," said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC). "She captains her own ship."
Greene grumbled, shouted and tried to start a chant of "build the wall" with Boebert, who was booed by fellow lawmakers for heckling the president when he mentioned his son Beau Biden, who served in Iraq and died from cancer in 2015.
Photos of the pair loudly heckling circulated widely on social media as emblematic of GOP dysfunction, and they drew widespread criticism from lawmakers in both parties.
"It's something that I think that there's a place," said Rep. Mike Braun (R-IN). "That's not the place to do that."
Johnson's behind-the-scenes effort to maintain decorum stands in sharp contrast to 2009, when the House passed a resolution of disapproval against Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), who shouted "you lie" at then-president Barack Obama.