America’s new House speaker should concern many, and in particular, women. His beliefs are not merely old fashioned, they are borderline dystopian.

The international community watched in awe as the United States finally elected Mike Johnson (Louisiana’s 4th congressional district) as the 56th Speaker of the House after its 18th round of voting just this year. If you have never heard of Johnson, you are not alone. The least divisive candidate for the GOP, he is also less experienced than nearly every speaker of the house in modern history, only currently serving in his fourth term and having never chaired a House standing committee.

Most media coverage suggests Johnson’s strong role in voting against the certification of the 2020 election of Joe Biden as president, and his role in a legal team defending Donald Trump in both House impeachment hearings, was consequential. This point, to be sure, overplays Johnson’s candidacy, particularly since there were over 10 candidates who ran for speaker this election, and nearly all of them played similar roles in defending the candidacy and legitimacy of Donald Trump as president. The true driving force behind the rallying of support for Johnson was, arguably, far more concerning: his stance on women’s issues.

Understanding women’s rights in the US today must begin with the recognition that these concerns extend far beyond the landmark Roe v. Wade case (the constitutional right to abortion). The overturning of Roe v. Wade, alongside the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to uphold the ruling that the Constitution does not confer the right to abortion, garnered extensive global media coverage. This decision raised alarms not only for the erosion of women’s bodily autonomy, but also for the increasing influence of far-right lawmakers on national policies. Much of the media, however, largely overlooked leading developments surrounding the overturn, such as the proposed Tennessee bill of April 2022 to eliminate age requirements for marriage. Equally alarming, the Texas bill, SB-8, which passed only months after the Roe v. Wade decision, and offered a $10,000 bounty to individuals who report those involved in illegal abortions (which are often unbelieved miscarriages), went largely unreported. Even before the overturn of the Roe v. Wade decision, Texas exhibited a maternal mortality rate comparable to third-world countries, at 35.8 per 100,000 live births. Since the overturn, the Commonwealth Fund has found that maternal death rates increased by 62 percent, with a 10 percent rise in infant mortality. In a country often lauded as a beacon of human rights and progressiveness, women and children may not be far from facing life-threatening conditions in hospitals because they don’t meet the criteria for a “medical emergency” in pro-life states.

Mike Johnson’s role in this complex landscape has been pivotal. He is often celebrated for his “18th century values,” as acknowledged by the Louisiana Right to Life forum. He has argued that maintaining these values is essential for the survival of the republic, asserting that without them, the nation would falter, a belief he sees reflected in today’s society. Johnson’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, propagate scientifically inaccurate information about the reversal of abortions, and support for legislation declaring that life begins at conception are critical, galvanising platforms within the now divided GOP. What truly solidified Johnson’s appeal, however, was a recently resurfaced statement he made in May 2022 during a House of Representatives session. He contended that:

Roe v. Wade gave constitutional cover to the elective killing of unborn children in America, period. You think about the implications of that on the economy. We’re all struggling here to cover the bases of social security and Medicare and Medicaid and all the rest. If we had all those able-bodied workers in the economy, we wouldn’t be going upside down and toppling over like this.

Johnson’s unique perspective, which suggests that anti-abortion measures have economic benefits, enjoys strong support within the GOP. This assumption that enforced births will yield “able-bodied” children seems to brush over other inconvenient truths, such as the nation’s worrisome maternal and infant mortality statistics, exacerbated by inadequate access to affordable medical care.

If that isn’t reminiscent enough of “The Handmaid’s Tale” (a dystopian novel where fertile women are forced to produce children for the ruling class in a patriarchal, totalitarian ‘new’ America), Johnson’s endorsement of a porn monitoring app, Covenant Eyes, adds another layer of concern. This app, which the lawmaker personally employs with his son, goes beyond mere monitoring. It identifies explicit keywords in Google searches, detects explicit imagery in photos and videos, and sends blurred images and coded messages to designated “accountability partners” to maintain individuals on the intended path. While one might consider this a personal choice, Johnson has advocated for the broader societal employment of the app—releasing sex offenders on the condition that they install Covenant Eyes on their devices and designate their parole officers as accountability partners. Covenant Eyes has openly declared that this practice violates their terms and policies, yet currently, five states employ this religious software for surveillance in courts. Already, there have been concerning errors, suggesting that not enough testing or regulation exists for these platforms. In one instance, the software flagged mistaken websites of one Indiana man, leading to his incarceration. The court also forced the entire family, including the wife, mother-in-law, and two children to download the app. When the court order took effect, probation officers received screenshots of everything on their phones, from videos of their 14-year-old daughter to innocuous activities like shopping for underwear. The family now fears communicating with their lawyer, as they worry the app may breach attorney-client privilege.

Significant concerns have also arisen regarding data privacy, including the potential sale of flagged private images to third parties, and the possibility of national security breaches resulting from Speaker Johnson’s use of the app. Despite these pressing concerns, neither Johnson nor Covenant Eyes has provided detailed security information.

As Speaker of the House, Johnson wields formidable influence on the legislative process. He possesses the authority to decide which bills and issues come to the floor for debate and voting, thereby shaping the policy agenda. This means that his alignment with conservative and pro-life groups can result in the prioritisation of bills that seek to restrict women’s access to abortion and reproductive healthcare or by simply not bringing pro-choice bills to vote. Johnson can also influence the composition of key House committees that play pivotal roles in crafting and shaping legislation, making it possible for him to appoint members who share his views on issues central to women’s rights.

Additionally, the Speaker of the House plays a crucial role in determining the House’s posture in negotiations and interactions with the Senate and the executive branch. This power extends to budget negotiations and appropriations, where Johnson’s preferences for the allocation of funds can impact programs related to women’s healthcare and support systems.

America’s new House speaker meets much of the MAGA criteria advocated and bullied into the public by the Trump team and the former president. But Johnson is also much more calculated and dogmatic; characteristics that, when put together, are likely to transform into a further reduction of women’s rights in America. The convergence of Johnson’s political ideology and his influential position as Speaker suggests that the landscape of women’s rights in the country is at a critical turning point.

Emily Mosley is the National Operations Manager at the Australian Institute of International Affairs. She is the recipient of the Congressional Award Gold Medal and the George H.W. Bush Daily Point of Light Award for her work in GOTV initiatives and political advocacy.