DES MOINES, Iowa – The U.S. House of Representatives now has a Speaker of the House ending a three-week period of gridlock for the chamber, unable to advance any legislation while the seat sat vacant. All four members of Iowa’s U.S. House delegation voted for their Republican colleague, U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, to become Speaker of the House.
Johnson won elected after a 220 to 209 vote, three previous Republican nominees for Speaker were unable to obtain the 217 votes necessary to take up the gavel after a motion to vacate passed ousting former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from the office.
Johnson has represented Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District since 2017. He is the former chair of the House Republican Study Committee and is a two-term vice chair of the House Republican Conference. He currently serves on the House Judiciary and Armed Services committees.
A known ally of former President Donald Trump, he served on the former president’s defense team during his first impeachment trial. He also filed an amicus brief, signed by 100 of his House colleagues, in support of a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton following the 2020 election challenging the results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Supreme Court later dismissed that lawsuit.
Johnson is married with four children, worked as a constitutional law attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom and First Liberty Institute before being elected to office. He is a devout Christian and has supported numerous conservative measures while serving in the U.S. House.
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, congratulated Johnson, and then posted on X, “Now let’s put out our resolution condemning Hamas and supporting Israel.”
“Congratulations to our new Speaker, Mike Johnson of Louisiana. He has united our Conference around a plan to advance our conservative agenda by moving single-subject appropriations bills, supporting Israel, securing the border, and continuing serious oversight of the Biden Administration,” U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, said in a relased statement. “Mike is a Constitutional conservative, devout family man, and is dedicated to our conservative cause and principles and I look forward to working with him to advance Iowans’ priorities.”
“The recent chaos and dysfunction is inexcusable, but it is time to move forward and focus on our legislative agenda. If there is a silver lining to the past few weeks, it is the thoughtful ideas put forward by Speaker candidates to help Washington work better for the Americans we are lucky to serve. I am committed to delivering conservative results for Iowans and will work tirelessly to do so. Let’s get back to work,” she added.
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, in a video released on X, said now that a Speaker has been elected it is time for members to “roll-up their sleeves.”
He also criticized the process, calling the situation a “made-for-TV choas” that showed “partisan politics at its worst.”
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, also congratulated Johnson.
“Today, I proudly voted for Mike Johnson to serve as the 56th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Mike is a strong conservative who will guide our Republican majority and support our work to hold the Biden administration accountable, rebuild our economy, secure our border, and stand up to China. I have full confidence that, under Speaker Johnson, we will continue to uphold our Commitment to America and deliver for our families, farmers, main street businesses, and rural communities,” he said in a released statement.
