WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) today released the following statement after Republican Rep. Michael Johnson (LA-04) was elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives after weeks of GOP chaos:

“From the moment Republicans gained a majority in the House, Americans have endured unnecessary and costly chaos at the hands of extreme MAGA Republicans. Republicans have used default and shutdown threats to force a radical agenda on American families. Now, the MAGA wing has elevated one of its most extreme members to Speaker.

“Speaker Johnson’s record is very concerning for my Tampa Bay neighbors as he has voted to gut Social Security and Medicare, criminalize abortion, repeal marriage equality, and abandon our allies. Johnson was intimately involved in the effort to throw out fairly-cast votes in 2020 Election, which should be disqualifying to serve as Speaker.

“Time is of the essence to address the many challenges facing Americans.  I will continue to urge a bipartisan path forward in the coming days to end the chaos caused by MAGA extremists, and do the work we were sent here to do.”