Washington, DC — The Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) released the following statement today after Representative Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Speaker Johnson led the House Republican amicus brief in Texas v. Pennsylvania, which attempted to give legal aid and comfort to Donald Trump as he worked to overturn the 2020 election in the courts and as his allies later tried to do with violence on January 6th.

Speaker Johnson is also a significant leader in trying to ban abortion nationwide, consistently  co-sponsoring radical anti-abortion access legislation. Johnson’s elevation as House Speaker signifies that Republicans will continue down their anti-abortion access path that endangers patients and providers across the country.

Statement from DAGA Co-Chairs Delaware AG Kathy Jennings and Nevada AG Aaron Ford:

“House Speaker Mike Johnson has a dangerous agenda: he was a ringleader in trying to overturn the 2020 election, and he’s at the tip of the spear in trying to ban abortion nationwide.

“House Speaker Mike Johnson’s role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election is deeply concerning to us. Our Democratic Attorneys General were on the frontlines of the fight to protect our election – from winning a national injunction to ensuring the U.S. Postal Service properly delivered mail-in ballots, prosecuting the rare cases of voter fraud, and winning a variety of legal battles in state courts to ensure the 2020 election was safe and secure.

“Speaker Johnson’s role attacking abortion access continues the GOP’s decades-long fight to ban abortion nationwide. Democratic AGs have fought back in state and federal court to protect abortion access and medication.

“The fault lines are clear: Democrats believe in protecting and defending American democracy and the rights and freedoms of every American. Hard-right Republicans, including their party’s soon-to-be nominee for President and their newly elected Speaker of the House, support attacking our elections and criminalizing reproductive health care nationwide.”

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