Rep. Malliotakis applauds Johnson election as Speaker of the House
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) became Speaker of the House Wednesday, and Staten Island’s congresswoman is looking forward to getting back to work.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) applauded her colleagues for Johnson’s selection after nearly a month since far-right Republicans ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from one of the nation’s highest offices on Oct. 3.
“As someone who has publicly and privately advocated for an end to the House’s stalemate, I’m pleased to see our conference finally come together and elect Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House,” she said. “As vice chairman of the Republican Conference, Mike Johnson has proven to be the team-builder who can unite our conference across the Republican spectrum and he will take the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House head on to get conservative wins for the American people.”
Malliotakis raised concerns last week about whether Republicans would be able to reach a consensus on electing a new House Speaker as members of her party made their way through a series of possible choices — none of whom were able to get the necessary votes.
Shortly after it became known he would be House Speaker, Johnson addressed the media offering a vague vision of what Congress would look like under his stewardship.
“We’re going to serve the people of this country. We’re going to restore their faith in this Congress, this institution of government,” he said. “We have a very busy agenda.”
A staunch conservative, one of Johnson’s first tasks will be finding common ground with the Democrat-controlled Senate and President Joseph Biden to reach a government funding agreement ahead of a Nov. 17 deadline.
Also high on the House’s list, are funding needs for Israel and Ukraine. Biden, following an address to the nation last week, requested a massive $105 billion package for the nation’s allies and for needs at the southern border.
While Republicans found their new speaker, not everyone is excited about Johnson’s new role. The Louisiana congressman has drawn criticism for his stances on things like Social Security, LGBTQ+ rights and abortion, and his lead effort to overturn Biden’s 2020 election win.
The Staten Island Democratic Party took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to tell New Yorkers that they should be “horrified” of Malliotakis’ vote in favor of Johnson.
“Johnson voted against expanding [Veterans Administration] health care and cosponsored an anti-abortion bill with no exceptions for rape and incest,” the group wrote. “He has opposed LGBTQ+ rights and the election results.”