After 21 days without a speaker, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson has been selected as the new Speaker of the House. Representative Johnson is a steadfast conservative and the least experienced Speaker of the House in the modern era, according to a Nov. 4 NBC News article. Johnson was not well known prior to his election as Speaker, even with many of his constituents and some colleagues because he didn’t hold any important positions in congress.
Johnson is the first speaker from Louisiana. His congressional district, Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District, which covers most of the western part of Louisiana, is a very conservative area. He joined Congress in 2017 and is a part of the Judiciary Committee and the Armed Services Committee. Johnson has one of the most conservative voting records in the House and has voted against many bipartisan bills, according to an Oct. 26 NPR article.
He has a history of voting to limit the right to abortion and has been outspoken on his opposition toward same-sex marriage. He has explained to many reporters that he uses his Christian faith and belief in the Bible to make political decisions, which has drawn a lot of criticism.
Johnson has not made any moves as speaker so far, but many are ready to see how he will take on this role.
