Sam Johnson
Encyclopedia
Samuel Robert "Sam" Johnson (born October 11, 1930) is an American politician
and a retired career U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot. He currently is a Republican
member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from the 3rd District
of Texas
(map). The district includes much of northeastern Dallas, as well as Plano
, where he lives.
and Southern Methodist University
. He served a 29-year career in the United States Air Force
, where he served as director of the Air Force Fighter Weapons School and flew the F-100 Super Sabre
with the Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying demonstration team. He commanded the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing
at Homestead AFB, Florida and an air division at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, retiring as a Colonel
.
He is a veteran of both the Korean
and Vietnam War
s as a fighter pilot
. During the Korean War, he flew 62 combat missions in the F-86 Sabre
. During the Vietnam War, Johnson flew the F-4 Phantom II
.
In 1966, while flying his 25th combat mission in Vietnam
, he was shot down over North Vietnam
. He was a prisoner of war
for seven years, including 42 months in solitary confinement. During this period, he was repeatedly torture
d.
Johnson was part of a group of about a 11 prisoners known as the "Alcatraz Gang": George Thomas Coker
, George McKnight, Jeremiah Denton
, Harry Jenkins, James Stockdale
, James Mulligan, Howard Rutledge, Robert Shumaker, Ronald Storz and Nels Tanner; which was separated from other captives and placed in solitary confinement for their leadership in resisting their captors. "Alcatraz" was a special facility in a courtyard behind the North Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, located about one mile away from Hoa Lo Prison. In Alcatraz, each of the 11 men were kept in solitary confinement, where cells measured 3 feet by 9 feet that had a light bulb kept on around the clock and they were locked each night in irons by a guard.
Johnson recounted the details of his POW experience in his autobiography
, Captive Warriors.
A decorated war hero, Johnson was awarded two Silver Star
s, two Legions of Merit
, the Distinguished Flying Cross
, one Bronze Star
with Combat "V" for Valor, two Purple Heart
s, four Air Medal
s, and three Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
s. He was also retroactively awarded the Prisoner of War Medal
following its establishment in 1985. He walks with a noticeable limp, due to an old war injury.
After his military career, he established a homebuilding business in Plano. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives
in 1984 and was reelected four times. On May 8, 1991, he was elected to the House in a special election caused by eight-year incumbent Steve Bartlett
's resignation to become mayor of Dallas. He won a full term in 1992 and has been reelected seven times. He has never faced substantive opposition in what is arguably the most Republican district in the Metroplex; the 3rd has been in Republican hands since 1968. In fact, the Democrats did not even field a candidate in 1992, 1994, 1998 or 2004.
Johnson is married to the former Shirley L. Melton, of Dallas. They are parents of three children and ten grandchildren.
In 1990, Johnson was inducted into the Woodrow Wilson High School
Hall of Fame.
Congressman Johnson serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute in Basic Life Principles
, a non-denominational, Christian organization established by Bill Gothard
for the purpose of resolving youth and family conflicts. In October 2009, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society rewarded Johnson the National Patriot Award, the Society's highest civilian award given to Americans who exemplify patriotism and strive to better the nation.
projects of all kinds, voting for more IRAs
and against extending unemployment benefits. The conservative watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste
has consistently rated him as being friendly to taxpayers. Johnson is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
Johnson is a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee
, and joined Dan Burton
, Ernest Istook
and John Doolittle
in refounding it in 1994 after Newt Gingrich
pulled its funding. He alternated as chairman with the other three co-founders from 1994 to 1999, and served as sole chairman from 2000 to 2001.
On the Ways and Means Committee, he was an early advocate and, then, sponsor of the successful repeal in 2000 of the earnings limit for Social Security
recipients. He proposed the Good Samaritan Tax Act to permit corporations to take a tax deduction for charitable giving of food. He chairs the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations, where he has encouraged small business owners to expand their pension and benefits for employees.
Johnson is a skeptic of calls for increased government regulation related to global warming whenever such government interference would, in his mind, restrict personal liberties or damage economic growth and American competitiveness in the market place. He also opposes calls for government intervention in the name of energy reform if such reform would hamper the market and or place undue burdens on individuals seeking to earn decent wages. He has expressed his belief that the Earth has untapped sources of fuel, and has called for allowing additional drilling for oil in Alaska.
ran against Johnson. Johnson won overwhelmingly in a highly Republican district. Johnson garnered 86% of the vote (178,099), while Jenkins earned 8% (16,850) and Vessels 6% (13,204).
, 85% to 15%.
In the general election, Johnson faced Democrat Dan Dodd
and Libertarian Christopher J. Claytor. Both Dodd and Claytor are West Point
graduates. Dodd served two tours of duty in Vietnam and Claytor served in Operation Southern Watch
in Kuwait in 1992. http://www.claytorforcongress.org It was only the fourth time that Johnson had faced Democratic opposition.
Johnson retained his seat, taking 62.5% of the vote, while Democrat Dodd received 34.9% and Libertarian Claytor received 2.6%. However, this was far less than in years past, when Johnson won by margins of 80 percent or more.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
and a retired career U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot. He currently is a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from the 3rd District
Texas's 3rd congressional district
Texas District 3 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that serves a suburban area north and northeast of Dallas. It encompasses a large portion of Collin County including McKinney, Plano, and Frisco, and the northeast corner of Dallas County including parts of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(map). The district includes much of northeastern Dallas, as well as Plano
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
, where he lives.
Biography
Johnson grew up in Dallas and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High SchoolWoodrow Wilson High School (Dallas)
Woodrow Wilson High School is a public secondary school located at 100 South Glasgow Drive in the Lakewood neighborhood of East Dallas, Texas in the ZIP code 75214. It was named in honor of former U.S. president Woodrow Wilson, who died just three years before the school building was completed...
and Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
. He served a 29-year career in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, where he served as director of the Air Force Fighter Weapons School and flew the F-100 Super Sabre
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
with the Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying demonstration team. He commanded the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing
31st Fighter Wing
The 31st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Third Air Force. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy where it is also the host unit....
at Homestead AFB, Florida and an air division at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, retiring as a Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.
He is a veteran of both the Korean
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
s as a fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
. During the Korean War, he flew 62 combat missions in the F-86 Sabre
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
. During the Vietnam War, Johnson flew the F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
.
In 1966, while flying his 25th combat mission in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, he was shot down over North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
. He was a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
for seven years, including 42 months in solitary confinement. During this period, he was repeatedly torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d.
Johnson was part of a group of about a 11 prisoners known as the "Alcatraz Gang": George Thomas Coker
George Thomas Coker
George Thomas Coker is a retired US Navy commander, honored with the Navy Cross for his leadership as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, and a Distinguished Eagle Scout noted for his devotion to Scouting....
, George McKnight, Jeremiah Denton
Jeremiah Denton
Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. is a retired United States Navy rear admiral, naval aviator and a former Republican U.S. senator, for the state of Alabama...
, Harry Jenkins, James Stockdale
James Stockdale
Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale was one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the United States Navy.Stockdale led aerial attacks from the carrier during the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Incident...
, James Mulligan, Howard Rutledge, Robert Shumaker, Ronald Storz and Nels Tanner; which was separated from other captives and placed in solitary confinement for their leadership in resisting their captors. "Alcatraz" was a special facility in a courtyard behind the North Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, located about one mile away from Hoa Lo Prison. In Alcatraz, each of the 11 men were kept in solitary confinement, where cells measured 3 feet by 9 feet that had a light bulb kept on around the clock and they were locked each night in irons by a guard.
Johnson recounted the details of his POW experience in his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Captive Warriors.
A decorated war hero, Johnson was awarded two Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
s, two Legions of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
, the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
, one Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
with Combat "V" for Valor, two Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
s, four Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
s, and three Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Outstanding Unit Award
The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1954. The award is presented as a ribbon to any command of the U.S...
s. He was also retroactively awarded the Prisoner of War Medal
Prisoner of War Medal
The Prisoner of War Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was authorized by Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on 8 November 1985...
following its establishment in 1985. He walks with a noticeable limp, due to an old war injury.
After his military career, he established a homebuilding business in Plano. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
in 1984 and was reelected four times. On May 8, 1991, he was elected to the House in a special election caused by eight-year incumbent Steve Bartlett
Steve Bartlett
Harry Steven "Steve" Bartlett is the President and CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable, an advocacy group lobbying the U.S. Congress on financial services legislation. He is a former U.S...
's resignation to become mayor of Dallas. He won a full term in 1992 and has been reelected seven times. He has never faced substantive opposition in what is arguably the most Republican district in the Metroplex; the 3rd has been in Republican hands since 1968. In fact, the Democrats did not even field a candidate in 1992, 1994, 1998 or 2004.
Johnson is married to the former Shirley L. Melton, of Dallas. They are parents of three children and ten grandchildren.
In 1990, Johnson was inducted into the Woodrow Wilson High School
Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas)
Woodrow Wilson High School is a public secondary school located at 100 South Glasgow Drive in the Lakewood neighborhood of East Dallas, Texas in the ZIP code 75214. It was named in honor of former U.S. president Woodrow Wilson, who died just three years before the school building was completed...
Hall of Fame.
Congressman Johnson serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute in Basic Life Principles
Institute in Basic Life Principles
The Institute in Basic Life Principles is a non-denominational, Christian organization in Oak Brook, Illinois that serves as an umbrella organization for several ministries. IBLP was established by Bill Gothard for the purpose of resolving youth and family conflicts...
, a non-denominational, Christian organization established by Bill Gothard
Bill Gothard
William W. Gothard is an American Christian minister, speaker and writer, and the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles , notable for his ultraconservative teachings...
for the purpose of resolving youth and family conflicts. In October 2009, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society rewarded Johnson the National Patriot Award, the Society's highest civilian award given to Americans who exemplify patriotism and strive to better the nation.
Political positions
In the House, Johnson is an ardent conservative. By some views, Johnson had the most conservative record in the House for three consecutive years, opposing pork barrelPork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
projects of all kinds, voting for more IRAs
Individual Retirement Account
An individual retirement arrangement is the blanket term for a form of retirement plan that provides tax advantages for retirement savings in the United States...
and against extending unemployment benefits. The conservative watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste
Citizens Against Government Waste
Citizens Against Government Waste is a 501 non-profit organization in the United States. It functions as a think-tank, 'government watchdog', and advocacy group for fiscally conservative causes...
has consistently rated him as being friendly to taxpayers. Johnson is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
Johnson is a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
, and joined Dan Burton
Dan Burton
Danny "Dan" Lee Burton is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the , serving since 1983. He is a member of the Republican Party....
, Ernest Istook
Ernest Istook
Ernest James Istook Jr. is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 5th congressional district. He held his congressional seat for 14 years, completing seven terms in the House...
and John Doolittle
John Doolittle
John Taylor Doolittle , American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009, representing . In the 109th Congress, he held a leadership role as the Deputy Whip for the Republican party in the House...
in refounding it in 1994 after Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
pulled its funding. He alternated as chairman with the other three co-founders from 1994 to 1999, and served as sole chairman from 2000 to 2001.
On the Ways and Means Committee, he was an early advocate and, then, sponsor of the successful repeal in 2000 of the earnings limit for Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
recipients. He proposed the Good Samaritan Tax Act to permit corporations to take a tax deduction for charitable giving of food. He chairs the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations, where he has encouraged small business owners to expand their pension and benefits for employees.
Johnson is a skeptic of calls for increased government regulation related to global warming whenever such government interference would, in his mind, restrict personal liberties or damage economic growth and American competitiveness in the market place. He also opposes calls for government intervention in the name of energy reform if such reform would hamper the market and or place undue burdens on individuals seeking to earn decent wages. He has expressed his belief that the Earth has untapped sources of fuel, and has called for allowing additional drilling for oil in Alaska.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Ways and MeansUnited States House Committee on Ways and MeansThe Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...
- Subcommittee on HealthUnited States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on HealthThe U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Health is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.-Jurisdiction:The House Subcommittee on Health has general jurisdiction over bills and resolutions relating to issues within the scope of the Subcommittee's jurisdiction, and has...
- Subcommittee on Social SecurityUnited States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social SecurityThe Subcommittee on Social Security is a subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:From the House rules...
(Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Health
Caucus memberships
- Immigration Reform Caucus
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- Public Pension Reform Caucus
- Sportsmen's Caucus
2004 campaign
Johnson ran unopposed by the Democratic Party in his district in the 2004 election. Paul Jenkins, an independent, and James Vessels, a member of the Libertarian PartyLibertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
ran against Johnson. Johnson won overwhelmingly in a highly Republican district. Johnson garnered 86% of the vote (178,099), while Jenkins earned 8% (16,850) and Vessels 6% (13,204).
2006 campaign
Johnson ran for re-election in 2006, defeating his Republican opponent Robert Edward Johnson in the Republican primaryPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, 85% to 15%.
In the general election, Johnson faced Democrat Dan Dodd
Dan Dodd
Dan Dodd is a former Democratic member of the Ohio House of Representatives who represented the 91st District from 2007 to 2010. A lawyer by trade, Dodd practiced with Robert J. Dodd, Jr. Co. LPA in New Lexington, Ohio...
and Libertarian Christopher J. Claytor. Both Dodd and Claytor are West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
graduates. Dodd served two tours of duty in Vietnam and Claytor served in Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
in Kuwait in 1992. http://www.claytorforcongress.org It was only the fourth time that Johnson had faced Democratic opposition.
Johnson retained his seat, taking 62.5% of the vote, while Democrat Dodd received 34.9% and Libertarian Claytor received 2.6%. However, this was far less than in years past, when Johnson won by margins of 80 percent or more.
2008 campaign
Johnson retained his seat in the House of Representatives by defeating Democratic nominee Tom Daley and Libertarian nominee Christopher J. Claytor in the 2008 general election. He won with 59.74% of the vote, an unusually low total for such a heavily Republican district.2010 campaign
Johnson won reelection with 66.3% of the vote against Democrat John Lingenfelder (31.3%) and Libertarian Christopher Claytor (2.4%).External links
- U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson official House site
- Sam Johnson for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- USA Today Profile
- The Smithsonian Institution's Tribute To Sam Johnson
- Texas Nonprofit Is Cleared After GOP-Prompted Audit: Group Says Probe Was 'Political Retaliation' by DeLay Allies, Washington Post, February 27, 2006