Larson Statement on the Election of Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after House Republicans voted to elect Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-04) as the 56th Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

“For the last three weeks, the House of Representatives, the Congress as a whole, and therefore, the American people, have been left with a government unable to function,” said Larson. “This happened because of the Republican maneuver to vacate the chair and their failure to elect a new Speaker. That changed today, and I commend them for overcoming their own political differences by electing Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House. 

“I congratulate Mike Johnson- his speech seemed to set a new tone and offered a path forward, which Democrats have been calling for over the last three weeks,” Larson continued. “We stand ready to work with him, while we remain cautious of their intent to cut America’s legacy programs, like Social Security and Medicare. Democrats will always keep a hand out to work together, but will never let them, through secret studies or political maneuvering, cut America’s critical social safety net that is our #1 anti-poverty program for the elderly, and for children. 

“I see a path forward where we can come together on critical funding for Israel, Ukraine, and the border during this time of global crises. I hope the newly elected Speaker will rise to the occasion that the office he now holds demands- it is past time for Congress to get on with the business of the country,” Larson concluded.