U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) was elected Speaker of the House today in a 220-209 vote.
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing) said she is relieved that a Speaker has been elected.
“After three weeks of infighting and paralysis, I’m relieved that the House of Representatives is open again to do the peoples’ business,” Slotkin said. “At a moment of great domestic and international turmoil, it’s critical that we move quickly to restart the work we were all sent here to do.
“That said, I have real concerns about our new Speaker.”
Saying that past behavior is often the best predictor of future actions, Slotkin said it is important to remember Speaker Johnson’s very recent record.
“A trained lawyer, he was one of the lead architects of the Congressional effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Speaker Johnson worked to bypass the will of a majority of American voters and keep Donald Trump in office by authoring the amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that tried to throw out Michigan’s 2020 presidential results, despite a bipartisan Board of Canvassers in Michigan certifying Biden won by over 150,000 votes,” Slotkin said. “And while over 100 of his peers joined in that effort, he will play a major role in certifying the 2024 election. While his words today were conciliatory, his actions are what I’m concerned about.”
Johnson supports a federal ban on abortion with no exceptions. He also opposes marriage equality.
“His votes against basic things like the PACT Act, which gave another 3.5 million veterans access to health care, give me pause,” Slotkin said. “But as always, for the House and for the country, I have hope.
“As I’ve said over and over, I am ready to work with anyone on concrete, bipartisan solutions to America’s many issues, as long as they act in good faith, and I stand ready to do that with our new Speaker.”
