Before President Trump's State of the Union address, Rep. Bill Johnson (R-06) spoke with Spectrum News 1 about his hopes for the speech, the border security debate, and his priorities back in his district. (You can watch the full interview in the video above)

Johnson said he wanted President Trump to focus on border security in his Tuesday night speech. He said he stands with the president and believes there is a national crisis at the southern border. 

But with another partial government shutdown only days away, Johnson said he wants the federal government to function and said he believes it would not have shutdown in the first place if Democrats were willing to come to the table.

Johnson said we should be able to secure the border and keep the government functioning at the same time. He said there is a growing number of Democrats who are also concerned about securing the border.

Ahead of the president's address, Johnson said Trump should speak about the economy, recent job growth, and how the U.S. is viewed on the world stage.

As for his main priorities, the congressman said he wants to continue his work on advancing energy policies and upgrading broadband Internet access in rural parts of his district -- saying he hopes to eliminate the urban-rural divide.

Johnson also said he believes the opioid crisis is still a major problem, and making sure we’re providing funding to programs that work and produce results is essential.

Overall, Johnson said his priorities haven’t changed as the new Congress settles in, but his tactics to get things done are different. He stressed the need to find common ground with his Democratic colleagues, who now hold the majority in the House.