Mike Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas. Texas is well represented, and the First District certainly is. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to introduce next for his first Special Order hour speech one of the bright lights in the new incoming class in the 118th Congress, Representative Mike Lawler from New York. He represents the 17th Congressional District there, which includes Rockland County, Putnam County, and portions of Westchester and Dutchess Counties. Before serving in the U.S. House, he represented New York's 97th District in the State Assembly and served on really important committees there--banks, education, housing. He has a broad range of experience. In the New York State Assembly--this is a neat statistic--he passed more bills than any other member of his conference. It really is a testament to his ability to work in a bipartisan, pragmatic fashion to approach the problems that we face. That is a skill that is going to come in handy here. He previously served as a deputy town supervisor and as a senior adviser to a county executive. He was also the executive director of the State Republican Party in New York--that is no small task--and did a great job there. He graduated from Manhattan College with degrees in accounting and finance. He was the valedictorian there, I would note, but his greatest accomplishment, of course, is his wife and daughter. They live in Pearl River. We are delighted to have Congressman Mike Lawler here. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from New York. School choice is such an important issue. I love what he said: Education is the civil rights issue of our time. So well said. Madam Speaker, there is a theme here tonight. We brought in incoming Members of the freshman class of the 118th Congress from the largest States, I think. It is not just a coincidence that we chose them for that duty tonight. We have had Texas and New York, and we will go to Florida next. I am delighted to introduce a new Member from there, Representative Cory Mills. I will tell you just a little bit about him. He is a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star. He left his home State of Florida to serve his country in uniform and then served further our U.S. State Department and other government agencies in both Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, he served with the 82nd Airborne Division and was a member of the Joint Special Operations Command, Combined Joint Task Force 20 in Iraq. He spent significant time there, 7 years of service in Iraq and approximately 2 years in Afghanistan. He served in the Kosovo campaign in 2000. He has traveled to the front lines of Ukraine during the Russian invasion to provide information for USAID and Department of State officials. He is a busy guy. President Trump appointed him to the Pentagon as a Department of Defense adviser and foreign policy expert. With his wife, I love that he, in the private sector, cofounded PACEM Solutions International LLC and PACEM Defense LLC. We love that he is here with us because he is a husband and a father, a patriot and a combat veteran, an entrepreneur, a foreign policy expert, and a true American conservative. We are going to have a lot of work for him to do. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mills).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and I thank him for his service to our country. We are glad he is here. Madam Speaker, we have many bright lights from Florida. Another one that I would like to introduce next is Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who is here to serve her first term. She represents Florida's 13th Congressional District. She is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and the Second Amendment Caucus, and is already very busy here on the grounds. She is the first Mexican-American woman elected to the United States Congress to represent the big State of Florida. She was raised by a single mother in one of southern California's low-income neighborhoods. She tells the story often that she experienced firsthand the devastating consequences of radical, Big Government policies in cities like the one she grew up in. It was a tough childhood. She joined the military at a young age and she went on to graduate from the University of West Florida with a bachelor's degree in biology. She served in the U.S. Air Force, and that is where she met her husband Andy, who is a Bronze Star recipient who earned a Purple Heart when enemy combatants shot at him in Afghanistan. She brings an extraordinary work ethic and an inspiring life story and her fresh perspective to our Republican Conference. We are so happy to have her join our group here and our conservative cause. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Luna).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. That is such an important issue and we can't talk about it enough. Thank you for drawing the Nation's attention to it tonight. Madam Speaker, our final new Member that we wanted to introduce tonight comes from another big State, and that is California. I want to tell you a little bit about Representative Kevin Kiley. He serves the people of California's Third District in the House. He is from that district. He was born there. He attended the local public high school there. His mom was a special education teacher. I guess that inspired him because he began his career as a 10th grade English teacher at Manual Arts High School in inner city LA. He chaired the English Department there. He led his students to significant academic gains and he founded an award-winning speech and debate team. After graduating law school, he helped prosecute the civil case against China's Huawei Technologies for intellectual property theft. He defended the Constitution in California courts--we have that in common. We did a lot of that work in the courts before we came to Congress. He became a prosecutor and he represented the people of the State of California against violent felons as a deputy attorney general. He was first elected to the California State Assembly in 2016, and he did some significant work there in his tenure. He introduced significant school choice legislation. He authored ground-breaking new laws and protections for sexual assault victims, and privacy and criminal justice reform, and freedom of speech. In fact, in 2020, he was named the National Legislator of the Year for that work for advancing economic freedom. I could go on about his bio, but I do want to mention this one little minor note. He has a bachelor's degree from Harvard, a law degree from Yale, and a master's in secondary education from Loyola Marymount. Clearly, he is overqualified to serve in the U.S. Congress, but we are glad he is here. I think he brings a lot to this body and will be an extraordinary Member. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Kiley).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. California's Third District is well-represented as everyone can see. Madam Speaker, as is also obvious by the sample of new Members that we presented here tonight from New York, Florida, California, and Texas, this is an extraordinary class of Republican Members who have joined our conference here in the Congress. We look forward to serving with them. These will be fateful days for our country, and there is much hard work ahead in the 118th Congress. Madam Speaker, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of my commonsense legislation, H. Con. Res. 3. I am really proud that this bill has been included among our very first bills that will pass in this Congress. For Chairman Nadler, or Ranking Member Nadler now, I am happy to say, to stand here and suggest that this does not fulfill the will of the American people or is somehow not the right thing to do is absurd. This resolution is very simple, and its language is clear. It condemns the attacks that have been committed against pro-life facilities, groups, and churches in the wake of the leak of the Dobbs opinion and the subsequent decision. It also calls upon the Biden administration to take action now to bring the perpetrators to justice. Who could be opposed to that? In recent years, there has been an alarming trend of more and more attacks on pro-life organizations and individuals. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, the problem became much worse. We have seen a significant increase in targeted violence against places and people who provide care for pregnant women and their unborn children. Here are just a few of the more than 100 incidents that have taken place just in the last several months: May 5, last year, a Catholic church and school in Armada, Michigan, was vandalized with satanic symbols and messages calling for the death of Republicans. May 8, the Oregon Right to Life office was firebombed. May 26, seven high school students in New Jersey were suspended after physically assaulting another student holding a pro-life sign. June 26, a pro-abortion extremist was charged with attempted murder in Los Angeles. July 7, Sacramento, a pregnancy care center was threatened by a man with a machete. September 24, in Lake Odessa, Michigan, an elderly pro-life volunteer was shot while canvassing door to door to discuss an abortion ballot proposal. January of this year, just several days ago, a pro-life billboard was defaced with the words ``kill them kids'' in Portland, Oregon. This last one that I wanted to mention is personal to me. On July 11, pro-abortion activists vandalized the Women's New Life Clinic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They spray-painted anti-life messages on the walls. Being located right next to the abortion provider in Baton Rouge at the time, the largest in our State, this clinic has offered hope to countless pregnant women by counseling them on all of their options and not pushing them to abort their unborn children, as the clinics do. I am proud to call many of the leaders of that clinic in Baton Rouge personal friends. We have to stand for them and stand against violence, vandalism, personal threats, and intimidation. Nationwide, there are over 2,700 pregnancy care centers providing essential services in all 50 States. They serve millions of women every year. They have over 10,000 medical professionals supporting them. They do not deserve the treatment they have endured, and they certainly deserve that this Congress condemn the violence committed against them. Since there has been so little accountability for the leaked draft Dobbs opinion and the ensuing violence and intimidation against pro- lifers that have followed, we are making the position of Congress clear today. We condemn violence, property damage, threats, and intimidation tactics, and these clear violations of Federal and State laws must be prosecuted. We have the opportunity before us today to start to push back against the mob that has targeted the groups and individuals that care for women and their unborn children. Republicans are ready to act. I am so proud that over 100--I think nearly 130--Republicans so far have cosponsored this. It will pass, and it should, and it will be a shame if our Democratic colleagues do not join us in this condemnation of violence. The question is, will they? Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the resolution.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Once again, House Republicans are eager to stand for the most vulnerable among us, the unborn. We are the party of life, and we are proud of it. There is no difference between an infant born alive after a failed abortion and an infant born into the arms of loving parents. Those two babies deserve to be treated with the same level of excellent medical care. Yet, abortionists have demonstrated a lack of interest in preserving the lives of babies who enter the world alive and supposedly under their care. We know what happens in these clinics. By way of just one example, lifenews.com reports that an abortion provider in Minnesota was recently asked by a woman 22 weeks pregnant and considering an abortion what that provider would do if her baby were taken out while his heart was still beating. The abortion provider responded: ``We don't tell women this . . . but if we was to proceed with the abortion and the baby was to come out still alive . . . most likely, we will break the baby's neck.'' That is chilling and barbaric, but our Democratic colleagues will not admit that. They will vote against it today. Watch the board. It will be shocking, and it will be true. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would make it a Federal crime for abortionists to kill or fail to provide care to babies who survive abortions. Madam Speaker, I encourage all of our colleagues to support this critical legislation. As was said, it should pass unanimously, but it won't.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte), my friend, and Chairman Grijalva for helping us on this. I rise in support of this bill, H.R. 6427, the Red River National Wildlife Refuge Boundary Modification Act. I urge my colleagues to support it, as well. As has been explained here, it is a straightforward bill that addresses a very simple problem. For years, the Red River Wildlife Refuge in northwest Louisiana, my home turf, has been a boon for hunters and outdoorsmen and other recreationists. Just last year, it hosted over 209,000 visits. That is greater than the population of Shreveport, Louisiana, which is the largest city in my district. Thousands of these visitors went to the refuge for the express purpose of hunting and fishing. The refuge truly has contributed to Louisiana's status as a sportsman's paradise. This is a sentiment that we in Louisiana hold so dear, we print it on every license plate. The refuge's stated goal is to provide for the restoration and conservation of fish and wildlife habitat, including migratory birds, as has been explained here, that all come within the Red River Valley ecosystem. However, the refuge's current structure is insufficient to meet the goals set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, especially for migratory waterfowl. As we stand here today, the refuge can only support about one-third of the birds it is intended to support. So my bill would help address this deficiency by modifying the refuge boundary to include a 3,300- acre tract of privately owned land for the purpose of eventually incorporating the tract into the refuge. This boundary modification would not alter the authorized acreage of the refuge, and it would still keep the refuge well within its current authorized use and size. The Fish and Wildlife Service anticipates this tract would dramatically increase the number of migratory waterfowl the refuge is able to support. The bill will also benefit the local economy through partnerships with agricultural producers, greater access by the public to hunters and other recreationists, and greater waterfowl distribution throughout the region, as populations radiate from the refuge. We spent a tremendous amount of time speaking with all the stakeholders on this issue and collecting their feedback. State and local support for this legislation includes all of the State senators and representatives who represent the area, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the Louisiana Forestry Association, several members of the local Caddo Parish Commission and nearby landowners. This bill is pro-conservation, pro-hunting, pro-agriculture, and pro- outdoor recreation, so we believe it truly is a win-win-win. I thank the chairman, the ranking member, the gentleman from California, and all the Natural Resources Committee for working with me on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friends for joining us on the floor tonight at this late hour. It has been a long day on Capitol Hill, but there are things that need to be said here. It is December again, and of course that means that we are in the homestretch of a new Congress, this Congress, the 117th. The homestretch of any Congress, as we know, is when the threat of bad legislating is at its most pronounced. We have certainly seen all that here this week. Government appropriations have been taken hostage by Democrats who want to spend even more. They seem to have forgotten about the trillions of dollars that have already been spent earlier this year. The NDAA has been taken hostage just today by Democrats who think the right to vote is under some sort of secret threat. I guess they didn't pay attention to the massive voter turnout in Georgia just yesterday. Here tonight, they rushed through a rule to codify same-sex marriage and create a private right of action that will vilify and supercharge attacks on people of faith. Madam Speaker, this lame duck session is doing serious and lasting harm to our Republic, and I guess it is a fitting end to this--what really has been a disastrous Congress overall under Democrat rule. We have with trillions upon trillions in government spending, sending inflation for all American families soaring. We have had votes on immensely consequential, complex, thousand-plus- page bills, handed to us just hours before those votes. We have had Members dial into congressional hearings from their bedrooms and basements and even while on vacation in Europe--proxy voting. Thankfully, this is all about to come to an end, mercifully in less than a month. The American people have spoken and the American people have given Republicans control of this body to provide accountability and produce results. Madam Speaker, this is a legislative body and it is high time for this body to get back to the work that we are supposed to be doing for the American people. Come January, that is exactly what we intend to do. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues for joining us here today to talk about all of it. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Tennessee (Mr. Rose).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. That is so well said. There are so many issues to cover. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the doctor for highlighting that. It is such an important issue, and just one more example of so much that has gone wrong here. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I really do have the honor to yield next to a friend and colleague who will be retiring at the end of this Congress. Since 2005, he has represented the dozen counties stretching nearly 120 miles down Texas' eastern border with Louisiana. I represent one of his neighboring districts over that border; and in our region and, in fact, I can say nationwide, Congressman Louie Gohmert is a household name. Prior to his election to Congress 9 terms ago, he served as a district judge in Texas, and Chief Justice of the Twelfth Court of Appeals of Texas. He is also a captain in the U.S. Army. He served our Nation bravely. Judge Gohmert has been a bold defender of America's founding principles his entire life and career; and whether he is leading a debate in our House Judiciary Committee, or in the Natural Resources Committee, or setting the example for all of us with his tireless advocacy here on this House floor, Louie Gohmert has been a consummate servant for the people and for our great Nation. Madam Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentleman from the great State of Texas (Mr. Gohmert), my friend and my colleague.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for his comments. He has been a great example for that, and that was a fitting end to a long career and a lot of hours here on this floor articulating the truth and standing for America's founding principles. Madam Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff), another good friend, colleague, and a patriot. Recognizing A. Keith McDonald

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for fitting into the hour and honoring Mayor Keith McDonald. He sounds like a faithful public servant and one I wish I had the pleasure of knowing. We commend him on his long public service, and it is fitting that we do that on the night that we are bidding farewell soon to our friend and colleague, Congressman Louie Gohmert, as well. These are the kind of faithful public servants that the Founding Fathers had in mind, that they would serve selflessly for a long tenure and give themselves to their community. Madam Speaker, I know the clock has wound up and I am out of time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank my defense fellow, Jay Hurst, for a year of exceptional service to our office and to our Nation. Jay joined us in January, and he has enriched our office with his invaluable insights and great company. He was instrumental in the NDAA process and meeting with Members and staffers from offices across Capitol Hill, and achieving great wins for our State, Louisiana, and our country. Although he was only with us for a year, Jay instantly became like family to us, mentoring our interns and making complex military issues understandable for staff. In his spare time--he didn't have much--he also published scholarly articles on military matters on a number of pressing policy questions. Jay is leaving us for the Pentagon, where he will undoubtedly carry on the high standard of excellence that he brought to our office. My friend will be missed and prayed for. I thank him for all of his service.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the tenure of my longtime scheduler, director of operations, and policy adviser, Ruth Ward. After 6 extraordinary years on Capitol Hill, Ruth is leaving public service for a new opportunity, and she is also adding a second baby to the family in the process. My wife, Kelly, and I have known Ruth for many years and have admired her work and exceptional talents long before she joined our team after my election to Congress in 2016. Ruth has been more than a consummate professional and office coordinator. She has brought faithful perspective and wise counsel. She has mentored countless young staffers, and she has opened her home to those who are away from family during the holidays. Ruth has been like family to all of us. Everybody on Team Johnson will miss her presence terribly. Madam Speaker, we thank her for her invaluable contributions to the people of our home State of Louisiana and ensure her that she and Richard and their young family will remain in our prayers as they pursue the next steps in their journey. We are grateful, Ruth. Thank you for a job well done.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about this for the reasons that are stated. There are a lot of people who are confused about it because what they have done here is they have taken three pieces of legislation, three titles, and merged them into one. I don't have a problem with two of the three. In response to Ms. Lofgren, I think that antitrust enforcement provision is okay because currently it is not explained what the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation can transfer are State AGs' antitrust cases that arise under Federal laws to other jurisdictions. That title would prevent that from happening. We are okay with that. I voted for that in committee. But one of the other titles here is the disclosure of subsidies by foreign adversaries. We didn't get any regular order on that. We didn't get to actually debate that, mark it up in committee. The substance of that one is okay because it would require parties to notify when they receive subsidies from countries that are threats to the U.S. when filing a merger. We all agree on that. The problem is, the thing we are so concerned about, is what Ranking Member Jordan has just talked about, the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act. For folks who are trying to follow this back home, this would change filing fees paid by companies seeking regulatory approval for mergers. It would reduce the fees for deals valued under $1 billion, and it would raise them for the larger mergers, over $1 billion. Now, here is the problem. All of this sounds fine so far, but here is the problem. There are no restrictions on the use of the additional funding that is generated by these fees. And the FTC and the DOJ will have even more power to institute their bad policies. This is not a de minimus amount. We are talking about $1.5 billion over 5 years. That is a lot of money. Just so you know, since President Biden took office, the FTC has pursued radical goals beyond its jurisdiction. One Commissioner said she supports prioritizing FTC investigations relating to systematic racism and rulemaking for racist practices. These are very amorphous terms. They have been abused and used for all sorts of nefarious purposes. Republican Commissioner Wilson described Democrat goals as rooted in ``a unified worldview that draws heavily on . . . Marxism.'' That is at the FTC. Some of the actions of the Chair, Lina Khan, are just outrageous, what she has done. The DOJ, of course, has indeed been weaponized. We have been talking about that in committee. We have been laying out the evidence, and we will be presenting that to the American people in the new Congress that begins in January. If what the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, Mr. Nadler, said is true, that they are ``in desperate need of more resources,'' maybe they could have not spent money and resources by siccing the FBI and all the U.S. Attorney's Offices on parents who are going to school board meetings to object to curriculum that their kids are being exposed to and mandates, school closures, and all the rest. This is outrageous. These institutions have been weaponized, and the people are losing their faith in them. We cannot, in good conscience, stand on this floor and send them $1.5 billion to engage in more of this madness. We have no choice but to oppose the legislation for that reason, and I think it is a good one. I think most of our colleagues are going to agree.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, by direction of the House Republican Conference, I send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and express my admiration for my friend, Mr. Gerry May. He is the man behind the ``Hometown Patriot'' series on our locally owned ABC-TV affiliate in Shreveport, Louisiana, KTBS. ``Hometown Patriot'' is a program that chronicles the stories of Louisiana's veteran community. To date, they have aired over 500 veteran stories, and many more are yet to come. These stories are critical because they preserve our historical record, and it is a tribute to all who have served this country so patriotically and so favorably. ``Hometown Patriot'' will ensure that future generations of Louisianians will be able to better understand the service of these heroes, and it will keep their stories alive for many years to come. Mr. May himself has a long history of excellence in broadcast journalism, from covering Louisiana politics to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, to the Saints during their triumphant Super Bowl win. This history of impactful journalism has even landed Mr. May in the occasional Hollywood movie bit role. I thank Gerry for running ``Hometown Patriot'' and making sure our veteran community has an advocate in our local media. We can never thank them enough. Keep up the great work.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, this is a great reminder that this is real pain for real people. This is not a game here. What we do affects the lives of all of our constituents, all Americans, and we have a responsibility to fix it.

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Thank you for highlighting that. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the State of California (Mr. LaMalfa), a good friend of mine.