Official Statement on the Vote for Speaker of the House

This week, when members of the House of Representatives reconvene to vote for a speaker, they will have the opportunity to demonstrate their enduring commitment to our Constitutional system of government. While a handful of extremists have precipitated a crisis of leadership, an equally small number of courageous and reasonable actors have the opportunity to exhibit bipartisanship and restore faith in ethical governance. As leaders and members of Mormon Women for Ethical Government, we ask all members of Congress, regardless of party affiliation, to find a pathway to the election of a speaker who has proven they will support the peaceful transfer of power.

We are once again faced with a conflict within our governing bodies that would have previously seemed unthinkable. As citizens, we are asked to accept an impossible compromise — tolerate congressional leaders who have worked to undermine a legitimate election, or risk having no functioning government at all. It is important for our elected representatives to see this compromise for what it is — an extortionate lie.

Installing a speaker who previously voted against the certification of the 2020 election will compromise the security and stability of our nation. Those who worked to undermine the last election should not be trusted to oversee the next one. In the election for House leadership, it falls to members of the majority party to control their extreme factions. Key Republican members of the House must stand fast and work to elect a speaker who has demonstrated respect both for their colleagues and for legislative norms and processes. 

In addition, we earnestly plead with members of the Democratic caucus to work across the aisle with Republicans who are committed to upholding the rule of law. Any Democrat who votes to elect competent and ethical House leadership could reasonably claim to be a principled defender of good government, national security, fiscal responsibility, and respect for the individual citizens of this nation. These things must matter more than party politics.

We are in a moment when it feels as though much of the world is in chaos. Sadly, the chaos we are experiencing at home is being recklessly self-inflicted. It is time for our leaders to make choices that will benefit the nation, and the members of the U.S. House of Representatives can begin this week by choosing to vote in defense of Constitutional government. We ask that they prioritize preservation of the rule of law, protection of national norms, and an absolute and unshakable commitment to the peaceful transfer of power above all other political objectives. The people of our nation deserve no less from their leaders.

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