Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected Speaker on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. He secured 220 votes, compared to 209 for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)

Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected Speaker on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. He secured 220 votes, compared to 209 for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

Johnson is the first Republican to be elected Speaker with no GOP defections since John Boehner in 2011 and after a prolonged deadlock among the Republicans. He is the first speaker from Louisiana and the second youngest speaker in history, at 51 years old. He is also a staunch conservative who has been a loyal supporter of former President Donald Trump. Johnson’s election as Speaker is a victory for the conservative wing of the Republican Party. He has pledged to make the House “more conservative” and to fight against the Biden administration. Johnson is also expected to be a strong ally of former President Trump. It is still too early to say what impact Johnson’s election as Speaker will have on the House. However, it is clear that he is a conservative leader who is committed to advancing the agenda of the Republican Party.

A low profile Law maker

Johnson is a little-known lawmaker who has served in the House since 2017 about 6 years. He is a conservative member of the Republican Party who is known for his loyalty to former President Donald Trump.

Mike Johnson had never chaired a major committee in the House of Representatives before becoming Speaker.

He was a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, and he chaired the Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution and Civil Rights. He was also Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

However, none of these committees are considered to be “major” committees in the House. Major committees are typically those that have a significant impact on legislation, such as the Appropriations Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee.

I am honored to have been elected the 56th Speaker of the House. It is time to come together to deliver for the American people! pic.twitter.com/gQSSIfXgeR

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) October 25, 2023

Johnson’s Lack of Experience:

Johnson’s lack of experience chairing a major committee was one of the criticisms leveled against him when he was elected Speaker in 2023. However, he has argued that his background as a lawyer and his experience on the Judiciary Committee make him well-qualified for the role.

Freedom Caucus, the largest conservative caucus in the House.

Mike Johnson has close ties to the House Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative Republicans who are known for their willingness to challenge the leadership of their own party. Johnson has been a vocal supporter of the Freedom Caucus’s agenda, and he has voted with the group on key issues such as the budget, immigration, and gun control.

The election of Johnson as the Speaker of the House was with the support of the Freedom Caucus. This was seen as a victory for the group, as it gave them a powerful voice in the House leadership.

However, Johnson has also been critical of the Freedom Caucus at times. He has argued that the group can sometimes be too obstructionist, and he has called for them to be more willing to compromise with the Democratic minority.

Overall, Johnson has a complex relationship with the Freedom Caucus. He is a close ally of the group, but he also has some disagreements with them.

Johnson voted with the Freedom Caucus to oppose the budget deal that was negotiated by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden in 2023.

Johnson voted with the Freedom Caucus to support a bill that would have overturned Roe v. Wade.

Johnson has criticized the Freedom Caucus for its opposition to some of President Biden’s nominees to key positions in the government.

Despite these disagreements, Johnson has maintained close ties to the Freedom Caucus. He has met with the group regularly, and he has worked with them on a number of legislative initiatives.

It remains to be seen how Johnson’s relationship with the Freedom Caucus will evolve as he serves as Speaker of the House. However, it is clear that the group will play a significant role.

Mike Johnson with Wife and Children.

As a state Legislature:

Johnson has a long history of working in Louisiana. He served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2015 to 2017, where he was Vice Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a member of the Select Committee on Leadership.
As a state legislator, he received top awards from business and industry, limited government, and pro-life and pro-family groups.

Prior to being Confirmed for House Speaker: In the U.S. House of Representatives, Johnson served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. He is also the Vice Chairman of the House Republican Conference. In these roles, Johnson has worked to advance the interests of Louisiana, Securing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal investments for Louisiana’s military installations.

Fighting against the Biden administration’s agenda
Work against Natural Disasters Securing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal investments for Louisiana’s military installations Supporting legislation to help Louisiana recover from natural disasters
Advocating for pro-life and pro-family policies Fighting against the Biden administration’s agenda Johnson is a strong advocate for Louisiana and its people. He is committed to working to improve the lives of all Louisianians.
Awards as a State Legislator: As a state legislator, he received top awards from business and industry, limited government, and pro-life and pro-family groups.

Controversy

Johnson’s support for Trump has made him a controversial figure. He has been criticized by Democrats and some Republicans for his close ties to Trump. However, he remains popular among Trump supporters and is seen as a rising star in the Republican Party.
Mike Johnson has been involved in a number of controversies throughout his career.
In 2018, he was criticized for making a comment about the NFL kneeling protests that was widely seen as racist.

As a state legislator, he received top awards from business and industry, limited government, and pro-life and pro-family groups.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Johnson serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. He is also the Vice Chairman of the House Republican Conference. In these roles, Johnson has worked to advance the interests of Louisiana, including:

Securing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal investments for Louisiana’s military installations
Supporting legislation to help Louisiana recover from natural disasters
Advocating for pro-life and pro-family policies
Fighting against the Biden administration’s agenda
Being a staunch supporter of Donald Trump since his 2016 presidential campaign. He has repeatedly praised Trump and defended his policies, even when they have been controversial.
Supporting the overturn of the 2020 election, results as Trump’s most vocal allies.
Signing an amicus brief supporting a Texas lawsuit that sought to invalidate the election results in four swing states.
Voting against certifying the 2020 electoral vote count, even after the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
Opposing January 6th House Select Committee, which is investigating the attack on the Capitol.
Refusing to cooperate with the Select Committee calling it a “witch hunt” and has refused to cooperate with its investigation.

Johnson’s support for Trump has made him a popular figure among Trump supporters. He is often referred to as “MAGA Mike” and is seen as a potential successor to Trump in the Republican Party.

He was one of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
He served as a surrogate for Trump during the 2016 campaign, appearing at rallies and speaking on his behalf.
He has defended Trump’s policies, including his travel ban on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries, his tax cuts, and his appointment of conservative judges to the federal courts.
He has attacked Trump’s critics, including the media, the Democrats, and the “deep state.”
He has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
He also served as a member of Trump’s impeachment defense team in 2020.

Education and Career

Mike Johnson has a law degree from Louisiana State University (LSU). He graduated from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU in 1998. He also has a bachelor’s degree from LSU, which he obtained in 1995. Before that, he attended Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport, Louisiana, and graduated in 1990.
He spent more than 20 years as a constitutional law attorney, fighting on the front lines of the culture wars, successfully litigating high-profile cases in courts nationwide to defend and preserve the fundamental freedoms and conservative principles that define America. He also served as legal counsel, policy analyst, and national media spokesman for some of the nation’s most prominent conservative organizations, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Louisiana Family Forum.
He was a college professor at Louisiana College, a private Baptist college in Pineville, Louisiana. He taught constitutional law and other courses for (2004-2017) 13 years in the Division of History and Political Science. He also served as the dean of the Pressler School of Law at Louisiana College, which was an attempt to establish a Christian law school in the state. However, the project was abandoned in 2014 due to accreditation issues and legal disputes. Mike Johnson started teaching at the Helms School of Government at Liberty University in 2018, while still serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has continued to teach at Liberty while serving in Congress.
Johnson started practicing law in 1999, after graduating from the Louisiana State University Law Center. He practiced law in Louisiana until 2017, when he was elected to Congress.
Johnson has said that he enjoys teaching and that he plans to continue to do so for as long as he can.

Here is a timeline of Johnson’s academic and legal career:

1999: Starts practicing law in Louisiana
2004-2017 Starts teaching at Louisiana College, a private Baptist college in Pineville, Louisiana.
2017: Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
2018: Starts teaching at the Helms School of Government at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia, located in, Campbell County.

While in Louisiana, Johnson had successfully managed his college professorship with his legal profession by carefully managing his time and priorities. He has also been able to draw on his experience as a lawyer to inform his teaching.

Johnson’s dual career has allowed him to make a significant contribution to both the legal profession and the field of education. He is an inspiration to many people, and he shows that it is possible to achieve success in multiple fields.

He has continued his teaching while in the House of Representative while also teaching in the Helms School of Government at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia, located in, Campbell County starting 2018.

Passion for Teaching:

Mike Johnson started teaching at Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana in 2004. He taught there until 2017, when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Johnson was able to juggle his legal practice with teaching by carefully managing his time and priorities. He also taught his classes in the evening, which allowed him to continue practicing law during the day.
In an interview with the Louisiana Baptist Message, Johnson said that he was able to manage his teaching and legal career by being “disciplined” and “organized.” He also said that he was “passionate” about both teaching and practicing law, which helped him to stay motivated.

Here are some specific tips that Johnson has shared about how to juggle multiple careers:

Be disciplined and organized. This means setting aside specific times for each of your careers and sticking to those times as much as possible.
Be passionate about your work. This will help you to stay motivated and focused, even when things get tough.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re struggling to juggle multiple careers, don’t be afraid to ask for help from your colleagues, friends, or family.

Johnson taught in Louisiana before teaching at Liberty. He taught at Louisiana College from 2004 to 2017, and he started teaching at Liberty in 2018.

He left his position as a college professor in 2014 and ran for public office, first in the Louisiana state legislature, where he served for two years before being elected to Congress in 2016. He quickly rose in the ranks of the House Republican Conference, holding various leadership positions such as deputy whip, vice chair, and chairman of the Republican Study Committee. He also served on influential committees such as the House Judiciary Committee and the House Armed Services Committee.

Some theConstitutional Cases he won:

Perry v. Schwarzenegger: Johnson was part of the legal team that represented the proponents of Proposition 8, a California ballot initiative that defined marriage as between one man and one woman, in a federal lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ultimately dismissed it on procedural grounds, leaving in place a lower court ruling that struck down Proposition 8.
Town of Greece v. Galloway: Johnson was part of the legal team that represented the town of Greece, New York, in a lawsuit challenging its practice of opening its town board meetings with sectarian prayers. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the town, holding that such prayers do not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment as long as they do not coerce participation or denigrate other faiths34.
Hobby Lobby v. Burwell: Johnson was part of the legal team that represented Hobby Lobby, a Christian-owned craft store chain, in a lawsuit challenging the contraceptive mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which required employers to provide health insurance coverage for certain contraceptives that Hobby Lobby considered to be abortifacients. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, holding that closely held corporations can claim religious exemptions from federal laws that burden their religious beliefs56.
Louisiana Science Education Act: Johnson was the author and sponsor of a Louisiana state law that allows public school teachers to use supplemental materials to critique scientific theories such as evolution and climate change. The law was passed in 2008 and has been challenged by various groups who claim that it promotes creationism and undermines science education. However, no court has ruled against the law so far .
One of the most important cases that he won was Hobby Lobby v. Burwell, which challenged the contraceptive mandate of the Affordable Care Act. This case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, a Christian-owned craft store chain, holding that closely held corporations can claim religious exemptions from federal laws that burden their religious beliefs. This case was important for Mike Johnson because it affirmed his stance on religious liberty and pro-life issues, as he argued that the contraceptive mandate violated the rights of conscience and free exercise of religion of Hobby Lobby and other employers who objected to providing certain contraceptives that they considered to be abortifacient. This case also set a precedent for other lawsuits involving religious objections to federal laws and regulations, such as the Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell case, which involved a group of Catholic nuns who also challenged the contraceptive mandate. Mike Johnson praised the Supreme Court’s decision in Hobby Lobby v. Burwell as a “historic victory for religious freedom” and a “major blow to Obamacare”. He also co-sponsored a bill called the Conscience Protection Act, which aimed to protect health care providers from being forced to participate in abortion or other procedures that violate their moral or religious beliefs.

Some of the elections Mike won are:

He won the 2016 election for Louisiana’s 4th congressional district, defeating Democrat Marshall Jones with 65% of the vote1.
He won the 2018 election for Louisiana’s 4th congressional district, defeating Democrat Ryan Trundle with 64% of the vote2.
He won the 2020 election for Louisiana’s 4th congressional district, defeating Democrat Kenny Houston with 71% of the vote3.
He won the 2022 election for Louisiana’s 4th congressional district, defeating Democrat Ben Earl Looney with 69% of the vote4.
He won the chairmanship of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative lawmakers, in 2019, defeating Rep. Tom McClintock with 112 votes to 665.
He won the vice chairmanship of the House Republican Conference, the party’s leadership team, in 2021, defeating Rep. Drew Ferguson with 113 votes to 1066.

Family:

Father James Patrick Johnson was a firefighter and the founder of the nonprofit Percy R. Johnson Burn Foundation. In a 2023 interview, Johnson said:”My father was a hero. He put his life on the line every day to protect others. I learned so much from him about courage, sacrifice, and service. I am so proud to be his son.”
Mike Johnson’s father, James Patrick Johnson, was a firefighter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was burned and disabled in the line of duty in 1979, and later went on to found the nonprofit Percy R. Johnson Burn Foundation.
Johnson’s father’s experience as a firefighter had a profound impact on him. He has said that his father’s courage and dedication to public service inspired him to pursue a career in politics
Mother Jeanne Johnson is a retired teacher.
Siblings: Brother Chris Johnson is a financial advisor. Josh Johnson is a real estate agent. .Sister Laura Johnson is a nurse. It is important to note that this information is based on publicly available information and may not be completely accurate.

Mike Johnson’s Wife and Family:

Spouse: Kelly lara Johnson ( married 1999) is a licensed pastoral counselor and lecturer on family-related issues. She is also a former school teacher. Children: Hannah Johnson is in her second year of law school at Louisiana State University Law School.
Hannah Jonson ( 23)
Abigail Johnson ( 21) is in her senior year at Louisiana Tech University and plans to attend law school after graduation.
Jack Johnson (18) is a student at Louisiana State University and is interested in pursuing a career in business.
Will Johnson(12) is a student at Benton Middle School and has not yet decided on a career path.
Parents: James Patrick Johnson (deceased) and Jeanne Johnson
Siblings: Chris Johnson (brother), Josh Johnson (brother), Laura Johnson (sister)

Parents:

Mike Johnson’s father and mother are James Patrick Johnson and Jeanne Johnson. They were married for several years and had 4 children, including Mike Johnson.
However, they divorced when Mike Johnson was young, which he said was a traumatic experience for him and his family He also said that his parents’ divorce motivated him to choose a covenant marriage with his wife Kelly, which is a type of marital arrangement that makes obtaining a divorce more challenging compared to the standard American legal process. He said that he wanted to avoid the stress of divorce on his family and encouraged his friends to do the same thing.
His father James Patrick Johnson, who was a fire fighter, a burn survivor himself, who was critically burned in a 1984 explosion at the Dixie Cold Storage facility. He founded with his wife, the Percy R. Johnson Burn Foundation, a nonprofit organization in 1985 to meet the physical, emotional and financial needs of burn patients and their families in the Ark-La-Tex area.
The foundation provides various services such as counseling, support groups, financial assistance, medical supplies, transportation, lodging, and summer camps for burn patients. The foundation also raises awareness and educates the public about fire safety and prevention. The motivation behind the foundation was to help other burn survivors and their families cope with the challenges and hardships of recovering from burn injuries
Mike Johnson’s father, James Patrick Johnson died on December 7, 2016, at the age of 63. He passed away peacefully in Shreveport, Louisiana, after a long, brave battle with pancreas cancer.
Mike Johnson’s ohe siblings are brothers, Chris Johnson and Josh Johnson, and two sisters, Laura Johnson and Bethany Johnson Bethany Johnson is an artist and writer who has published several books and paintings.
Mike Johnson is married to Kelly Lary, who is a licensed Pastoral Counselor, a lecturer on family-related issues, and a former school teacher.
She also co-hosts a podcast with her husband called “Can America Be Saved?”.
She and Mike have been married since 1999 and have four children together: Hannah, Abigail, Jack and Will. Their daughters are attending college, while their sons are living with them in Bossier Parish.

Covenant Marriage

Mike Johnson and his wife Kelly agreed to a “covenant marriage” when they got married, which is a type of marital arrangement that makes obtaining a divorce more challenging compared to the standard American legal process. A covenant marriage is a marriage entered into by one male and one female who understand and agree that the marriage between them is a lifelong relationship. Couples are required to go through counseling, and divorce can only happen under certain extenuating circumstances. Mike Johnson said that he chose a covenant marriage because he wanted to avoid the stress of divorce on his family, as his own parents were divorced. He also said that he encouraged his friends to do the same thing.
Mike Johnson’s mother is Jeanne Johnson, who is still alive as of November 2021.
Mike Johnson and his wife Kelly are both evangelical Christians who belong to the Southern Baptist denomination. They have been involved in various Christian groups and causes, such as defending religious liberty, opposing abortion and same-sex marriage, and promoting biblical creationism.
They are a devout Christian family who attend First Baptist Church in Bossier City, Louisiana. They enjoy hunting, fishing, and spending time with their family.