Today, following over three weeks of Republican infighting and multiple failed attempts to elect a Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) released the below statement:

“For over three weeks, House Republicans have endlessly bickered and fought with each other, stalling the critical work that the American people expect us to accomplish. Today, House Republicans chose extremism over pragmatism and bipartisanship by electing Congressman Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House.

“Johnson is a fervent election denier who wants to criminalize abortion, strip away basic rights from our LGBTQ+ community, and slash Social Security benefits. While I’m thankful that we can finally get back to work, there is no justification for the chaos and dysfunction of the past 22 days. Republicans had ample opportunity to work with Democrats to find a mutually acceptable path forward but as usual, they ultimately caved to the most extreme wing of their party.”