Scott: House GOP Embraces MAGA Extremism by Electing Mike Johnson as Speaker

WASHINGTON, DC  – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after House Republicans elected Congressman Mike Johnson (LA-04) to be Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“At a time of crisis around the world, Congress needs a Speaker who will govern responsibly to make life better and safer for the American people. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy governed in a way that catered to the far-right MAGA extremists in the House Republican conference. During that time, we lurched from crisis to crisis. Many bills failed to pass. And the bills that did pass the House rarely had any chance of passing the U.S. Senate. All of this Republican-led dysfunction led to a downgrade of America’s credit rating. The removal of Speaker McCarthy wasn’t a cause of the dysfunction. It was a symptom of the Republican dysfunction.

“Mike Johnson has supported proposals to slash Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. He helped lead former President Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election and he supports criminalizing abortion across the nation. By choosing to elect Mike Johnson as Speaker, House Republicans have chosen to double down on MAGA extremism and dysfunction instead of forging a bipartisan path forward.”

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