WASHINGTON – Association of Equipment Manufacturers Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations Kip Eideberg issued the following statement after Representative Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“The Association of Equipment Manufacturers congratulates Representative Mike Johnson on his election as the 56th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Speaker Johnson has faithfully served the people of Louisiana for the past six years, and we look forward to working with on commonsense solutions to the many challenges Americans are facing every day.

“Over the past two weeks, we have witnessed the results of attention-seeking antics and selfish motives by a few members of Congress. As our country continues to face challenges at home and abroad, we need leaders with the courage to reject toxic political extremes and put our country first. We encourage Speaker Johnson to lead by example and begin his tenure by reaching across the aisle to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to address the many pressing issues that have been left unresolved as the legislative process ground to a halt. With government funding set to expire on November 17, our country can ill afford a repeat of the past 22 days.

“Equipment manufacturers look forward to working with Speaker Johnson and his team to advance policy solutions that invest in rural America, bolster our global competitiveness, address our country’s labor shortage, and create family-sustaining American jobs."