Senator Raphael Warnock met with Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday after Johnson requested a private conversation about comments Warnock made regarding the speaker’s Christian faith in a recent New York Times interview, marking a rare moment of cross-party dialogue on questions of religion and policy.
In the Times interview, Warnock, a Baptist pastor and Georgia Democrat, described himself as a “Matthew 25 Christian,” referencing the Gospel chapter where Jesus emphasizes the faithful’s responsibility to care for the hungry, sick, and foreign. He then criticized Johnson’s support for the GOP megabill passed last year, which included $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts.
“I don’t understand how you read that, say a long prayer, hold hands with your fellow legislators, and then cut a trillion dollars — $1 trillion — out of Medicaid calling it waste, fraud, and abuse,” Warnock said in the interview.
Leaving Johnson’s office after their approximately 30-minute meeting, Warnock said the two men discussed the same policy concerns in person. “We talked about the policy, and we agreed to disagree,” he told reporters. “But we also talked about our faith and our upbringing, and that, for me, was important because I think just at a human level it would help around this place if we had more authentic conversations across our differences.”
Warnock described the tone as “honest, candid” and “respectful.” He said the two men exchanged phone numbers and agreed to stay in touch, signaling a willingness to continue dialogue despite their fundamental disagreement on social spending.
Johnson, a devout evangelical Christian who frequently invokes faith in his leadership, issued a statement echoing Warnock’s emphasis on dialogue. “I was happy to meet with Senator Warnock today and have a positive, fruitful discussion about matters of faith and our different opinions regarding public policy,” Johnson said. “Such dialogue is important because it is always more productive to have these conversations face to face.”
The meeting reflects broader tension over how religious faith should inform fiscal policy. Warnock has repeatedly argued that Democrats have ceded religion to Republicans and that the Gospel demands prioritizing aid to vulnerable populations. Johnson, who often cites Scripture in defending Republican legislation, has defended the Medicaid cuts in the megabill as necessary fiscal discipline.
“I think there are people gathered in this building every week who go to church on Sunday,” Warnock said after the meeting. “And I just sometimes wonder what their preacher is preaching about. The gospels that I preach center the poor.”
Sources
- Politico — Warnock’s account of the meeting, Johnson’s statement, details of their discussion on faith and policy, and the approximately 30-minute duration
- The New York Times — Warnock’s “Matthew 25 Christian” remarks and his criticism of the Medicaid cuts in the GOP megabill
