LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Representatives Steve Womack and Rick Crawford issued statements of support soon after Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker on Wednesday.
Johnson, of Louisiana, was a lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team and passed through the first ballot with sweeping support from all Republicans, ending for now the political chaos in their majority. Johnson then won the gavel 220-209 with a few absences.
Womack, who represents Arkansas's Third Congressional District, called Johnson a "good man, a devoted Christian, and a well-respected, capable conservative."
"Over three weeks ago, eight members of the GOP teamed up with all 208 Democrats to tank our progress and send Congress into unmitigated chaos," Womack said. "Today, we finally ended this madness by uniting as a conference to elect Mike Johnson as our speaker... I'm proud to support him as we get back to the business of America and respond to crises both at home and abroad."
Crawford represents the First Congressional District of Arkansas and said he's happy with the vote result. He's eager to resume work as "unity is one of our national founding principles."
"I was pleased to join my colleagues today in electing Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House of Representatives so that we can resume work on addressing the illegal immigration crisis at our southern border, a looming government shutdown in November, and a troubling destabilization in the Middle East that is unfolding following the brutal terrorist attack against Israel," Crawford said. "Solving these difficult problems will require far greater unity in Congress than we have seen recently."
Former Governor Asa Hutchinson also congratulated Johnson, saying he was "eager to see Congress get back to work."
The Democratic Party of Arkansas noted that Johnson was active in trying to overturn the 2020 election where Joe Biden won the presidency. He was one of 147 Republicans who to overturn the results. Johnson also voted against the investigation into the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
"Johnson is anti-choice and anti-civil rights," DPA Chair Grant Tennille said, "but he's for slashing Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In the end, Mike Johnson makes Kevin McCarthy look like Bernie Sanders."