San Antonio, Texas \u2014 House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned in San Antonio on Thursday for Republican congressional candidate Brandon Herrera, calling Texas’s 23rd Congressional District critical to maintaining the GOP majority in the U.S. House.<\/p>\n
The campaign stop also gave FOX SA the opportunity to question Johnson about border security in Big Bend National Park and concerns surrounding veterans’ health care in Military City, USA.<\/p>\n
Johnson also sharply criticized Democratic nominee Katy Padilla Stout, calling her a “radical.” Padilla Stout responded with a lengthy statement defending her family’s story and what she called the American dream.<\/p>\n
Herrera said Republicans are now focused on unifying the party after a contentious primary.<\/p>\n
“The biggest message that I think we’re trying to send with this event and doing things together is party unity,” Herrera said. “There are a lot of things going on, especially after a brutal primary on all sides. A lot of the priority now and the focus has to be bringing the party together.”<\/p>\n
Johnson said Texas will play a key role in determining control of Congress.<\/p>\n
“Texas is at the center of the strategy to ensure that the Republican Party maintains our majority in Congress,” Johnson said. “The 23rd District of Texas is a critically important seat for the future of America.”<\/p>\n
Johnson noted the district stretches from the edge of San Antonio across much of the Texas-Mexico border.<\/p>\n
“About two-thirds of the U.S. southern border is covered by this district,” he said.<\/p>\n
FOX SA also asked Johnson about concerns from Republicans and other residents who support stronger border security but oppose building a physical wall through Big Bend National Park.<\/p>\n
Johnson said the phrase “build a wall” should not always be interpreted literally.<\/p>\n
“When we say build a wall, in some respects, it’s a metaphor,” Johnson said. “It means we have to have a border that is secure.”<\/p>\n
Johnson said some portions of the border require physical barriers while others can be secured with technology.<\/p>\n
“There are portions that need and deserve a wall, and it’s been very effective,” Johnson said. “There are other ways that you can control the border… You can use drone technology, you can use a lot of the new tech that we have to ensure we’ve secured that border.”<\/p>\n
He also acknowledged that local concerns should be part of the discussion.<\/p>\n
“I think you have to take into account the local community’s concerns on that, but you’ve got to make sure you keep the border secure,” Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Herrera said his campaign has heard those concerns while traveling throughout the district.<\/p>\n
“We’re focusing on things like the Big Bend border wall and keeping Big Bend secure while also not ruining the natural beauty of one of the most beautiful places in the country,” Herrera said.<\/p>\n
He said voters have also raised concerns about water, data centers, and the New World screwworm.<\/p>\n
“These are not partisan issues,” Herrera said.<\/p>\n
FOX SA also asked Johnson what Congress is doing to reduce wait times for veterans seeking care in Military City, USA.<\/p>\n
The question came amid continuing concerns surrounding the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, including complaints about delays in care, access to mental health services, and veterans who have died by suicide on VA property.<\/p>\n
Johnson said veterans remain a top priority.<\/p>\n
“The veterans’ issues are top of mind for us always,” Johnson said. “We’re working to pass the Richard Star Act, which would allow more benefits for more veterans.”<\/p>\n
Johnson also pointed to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and said reforms are underway.<\/p>\n
“We know the VA’s health care for veterans is so important. It’s going to continue to be a top priority of ours,” Johnson said.<\/p>\n
He said changes could include personnel and physician staffing.<\/p>\n
“There’s a lot of good changes coming, some changeover in personnel. We’re changing out even at the level of physicians and surgeons… I think more good things are ahead.”<\/p>\n
Johnson concluded by saying veterans will remain a priority for the Republican-controlled Congress and administration.<\/p>\n
“I can promise you that this Republican administration and this Republican Congress prioritize those who have served and sacrificed to serve the rest of us.”<\/p>\n
Johnson also took aim at Democratic nominee Katy Padilla Stout, repeatedly criticizing her policy positions.<\/p>\n
He called Stout “a radical” and said she would be “in lockstep with the radical Marxist Democrats who are trying to take over the U.S. House.” He later described her positions as “crazy” and argued they do not reflect Texas values.<\/p>\n
Padilla Stout issued the following statement to FOX SA:<\/p>\n
“Upon hearing Mike Johnson’s remarks about me, I couldn’t help but laugh.<\/p>\n
I’m a mother of four who drives a minivan, and I’m active in all of my children’s PTAs. I attend church with my family on Sunday. I run a small business myself, and I would argue that, unlike what Mike Johnson said, my family and I are the epitome of the American dream.<\/p>\n
My father, who is an American citizen, worked in the fields as a migrant worker starting at the age of seven until he left for college. He attended community college and Texas State University before earning his law degree from St. Mary’s University.<\/p>\n
I am not just a second-generation American. I am a second-generation attorney, and that is the American dream.<\/p>\n
My grandfather on my mother’s side died while serving on active duty in the U.S. Army at the age of 36. He left my grandmother to raise five children on her own. They all went on to attend college, build successful careers and serve this community as teachers, paralegals and county employees.<\/p>\n
That is also the American dream, and that is the promise we make to our veterans and the families of those who serve.<\/p>\n
If you want to call that radical\u2014if you want to call helping children, clothing children, feeding children, having safe communities, and caring about others radical\u2014then I guess I am.”<\/p>\n
Race for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District<\/p>\n
Herrera said his campaign is focused on representing the district before Election Day by working with local leaders and federal agencies on issues affecting the region.<\/p>\n
He said those concerns include economic development, water resources, agriculture, and bringing more jobs to rural communities while protecting local resources.<\/p>\n
Johnson said Republicans will continue investing heavily in Texas’s 23rd Congressional District as they work to hold their House majority heading into November.<\/p>\n
Herrera became the Republican nominee after incumbent U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales failed to win the majority needed to avoid a Republican primary runoff. The race was overshadowed by a scandal involving Gonzales and former congressional aide Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide months before the election. <\/p>\n
Gonzales later admitted to having an affair with Santos-Aviles after previously denying the allegations. The admission prompted a House Ethics Committee investigation and calls from House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders for Gonzales to end his reelection campaign. Gonzales withdrew from the runoff, making Herrera the Republican nominee for Texas’s 23rd Congressional District.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"San Antonio, Texas \u2014 House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned in San Antonio on Thursday for Republican congressional candidate…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":392989,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[82,84,83],"class_list":["post-393497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-headlines","tag-san-antonio-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=393497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/392989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=393497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=393497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=393497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}