Capito Says She Doesn’t Know New House Speaker, But Glad There Is One

One of West Virginia’s U.S. senators expressed relief that the House of Representatives has a new leader.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., welcomed the news that House Republicans, after four attempts in three weeks, elected a speaker this week, Mike Johnson of Louisiana.

Business had come to a halt in Congress, with funding for Ukraine and Israel on hold, as well as longer-term legislation to keep the government open past Nov. 17.

Capito, who served several terms in the House before she was elected to the Senate, said she looked forward to working with Johnson.

“I personally do not know Speaker Johnson, but I will be getting to know him, I’m sure, in the future,” she said.

Johnson succeeds Kevin McCarthy of California, who was ousted from the position earlier this month.