The day following the US Supreme Court’s June 2016 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Louisiana resident Mike Johnson rejoiced over his state’s new abortion provider sanctions. On June 25, the Republican cried out on X, formerly known as Twitter, “The right to life has now been RESTORED!” “Perform an abortion, receive a $10–$100,000 fine, and one to ten years of hard labor in prison.”
Republican opposition to abortion is now practically a job requirement. Yet even by the standards of his own conservative colleagues, Johnson, the recently appointed speaker of the House, is an ardent opponent of abortion.
Following weeks of turmoil in the House and the abrupt resignation of California Republican Kevin McCarthy, Johnson was elected to the speakership.
Additionally, Johnson has persisted in supporting a number of anti-abortion bills at a time when many Republicans in Congress are attempting to silently ignore abortion out of concern for the blowback from their people over the proliferation of abortion laws.
Johnson has co-sponsored legislation to outlaw 15-week abortions nationwide and to outlaw the most popular type of second-trimester abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Additionally, he co-sponsored legislation that would have cut off federal funding to Planned Parenthood, required healthcare providers to inform women that they might be able to “reverse” their abortions—a notion that science has not been able to corroborate—and made it illegal for anyone to transport a minor across state lines for a legal abortion without notifying the minor’s parents.
Johnson supported a law that classified fetuses as human beings and maintained that life began at conception. Large portions of US law could be overturned by so-called “personhood” measures. For instance, fetuses may be claimed as tax dependents under Georgia’s six-week abortion restriction, which contains language pertaining to persons.
Johnson even co-sponsored a bill in 2021 that would have outlawed abortions performed beyond around six weeks of pregnancy on a nationwide level. The law would have permitted abortions in situations where a physical condition endangers a woman’s life, but not when a psychological issue is at play.
Strong anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has rated Johnson’s congressional record a “A+.”
Marjorie Dannenfelser, the organization’s president, congratulated Johnson right away on Wednesday.
“We are ecstatic about Speaker Johnson’s election and anticipate collaborating closely with him to advance national protections for unborn children, assist mothers, and expand the pro-life House majority in 2024,” the statement read.
In his roles as an activist, state legislator, litigant, and member of Congress, he has fearlessly defended life. With these impressive qualifications, he will be able to steer the pro-life cause in this thrilling and demanding new chapter of House history as speaker.
