After ousting Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy in October, far-right conservatives in Congress pushed through Mike Johnson to become the 56th Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mike Johnson is an extreme conservative who has tried to ban abortion nationwide, push anti-LGBTQ+ policies and rhetoric, and gut support for public education. 

Today, we’re spreading the word about Mike Johnson and his out-of-touch and extreme priorities. 

Here are five times Mike Johnson was the worst:

When He Celebrated the Overturning of Roe v. Wade 

When the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade was leaked in May of 2022, it was devastating to women, health care providers, and advocates for reproductive freedom all around the country. For out-of-touch Mike Johnson, however, it was a day of celebration. 

On his podcast Truth Be Told, Johnson described the day as “promising” and discussed his plans to help “compel” people to support restrictive abortion laws. Johnson has an extreme anti-choice voting record from his time in Congress and has made it clear that he intends to push for a nationwide abortion ban as Speaker of the House. 

When He Voted Against Affordable Health Care

Instead of fighting to keep health care more affordable and accessible, Mike Johnson has done the opposite. In Congress, he pushed for legislation that sided with big pharmaceutical companies and put corporate profits over the needs of everyday working families. 

To make it worse, Mike Johnson voted against the historic legislation passed by progressives that gives Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. And he voted against capping the cost of insulin.

When He Attacked Gender Affirming Care

On July 27th, 2023, Mike Johnson appeared on The Perkin’s Show, a far-right radio show hosted by an anti-LGBTQ+ conservative think tank. He went on a rant against gender-affirming care for trans and queer people and villainized doctors who provide care to minors.  

Johnson’s hateful rhetoric is dangerous and unacceptable as a leader in the House.  

When He Tried to Overturn the 2020 Election Results

In 2020, Mike Johnson played a leading role in seeking to overturn the presidential election results. Johnson recruited House Republicans to sign an amicus brief supporting a Texas lawsuit urging the Supreme Court to invalidate the election results in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan and spread conspiracy theories about the integrity of the election. 

Having a Speaker of the House who doesn’t support the results of a democratic, free, and fair election is unacceptable and dangerous. 

When He Attacked Public Education 

Mike Johnson is a strong opponent of public schools and has actively worked toward promoting “school choice” options that gut public education funding. Last year, Johnson even sponsored a bill that was the national version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which would persecute LGBTQ+ students and teachers in public schools.  

We Need to Hold Conservatives Accountable

Mike Johnson’s extreme and out-of-touch policies are unacceptable. 

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Together, we’ll hold conservatives accountable and work to create a better Minnesota.