Bill Johnson (Ohio politician)

Lieutenant Colonel Bill Johnson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Charlie Wilson
Personal details
Born	(1954-11-10) November 10, 1954 Roseboro, North Carolina
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	LeeAnn Johnson; 4 Children[1]
Residence	Marietta, Ohio[1]
Alma mater	Troy University[1] Georgia Institute of Technology
Religion	Protestant[2]
Awards	Meritorious Service Medal Air Force Commendation Medal National Defense Service Medal
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1973–1999
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel

William Leslie "Bill" Johnson (born November 10, 1954) is an American politician who has been the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 6th congressional district since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life, education, and business career

Born in Roseboro, North Carolina in 1954,^[2] Johnson grew up on family farms. He entered the United States Air Force in 1973, married Wanda Florence Porter April 30, 1975. They had 3 children, Joshua Daniel Johnson born 1976; Julie Florence Johnson born 1978 and Jessica Leslie Johnson born 1983. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after a military career of more than 26 years. He graduated summa cum laude from Troy University in Troy, Alabama in 1979, and he earned his Master’s Degree from Georgia Tech in 1984. During his tenure in the U.S. Air Force, Johnson was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Squadron Officers School, and Air Command & Staff College. Bill is also a recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. As Director of the Air Force’s Chief Information Officer Staff at U.S. Special Operations Command, Johnson worked directly with senior congressional and Secretary of Defense representatives, as well as top leaders within the various U.S. intelligence communities, to ensure America’s Special Operations forces were adequately equipped to carry out critical national security missions.^[3]

He co-founded Johnson-Schley Management Group, an information technology (IT) consulting company that increased revenues by more than 200% in just three years under his leadership. In 2003, he left the company to form J2 Business Solutions, where he provided executive level IT support as a defense contractor to the U.S. military. From 2006 to 2010, he served as Chief Information Officer of a global manufacturer of highly electronic components for the transportation industry.^[4]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2010

In May 2010, Johnson defeated two primary opponents to earn the Republican nomination.^[5] In the general election, Johnson won his bid by a 50–45%^[6] margin against incumbent Charlie Wilson. He began his term in the 112th United States Congress on January 3, 2011.

2012

In November 2011, Wilson filed a rematch in the newly redrawn 6th District.^[7] Johnson defeated Wilson once again in a heavily contested race 53% to 47%, and began his second term in January 2013.

2014

In 2014, Johnson faced off against heavily-recruited Democrat Jennifer Garrison, a former State Representative and lawyer from Marietta, Ohio.^[8] Johnson defeated Garrison handily 58% to 39% with Green Party candidate Dennis Lambert taking 3%. Johnson began his third term in January 2015.

2016

Johnson was re-elected to a fourth term in the 2016 general election, defeating Democrat Michael Lorentz, the mayor of Belpre, Ohio by a margin of 71%-29%.^[9]

Tenure

Bill Johnson is a member of both the Conservative Republican Study Committee and the centrist Republican Main Street Partnership.

During the 112th Congress, Johnson's "Veteran's Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act" was passed into law.^[10] Additionally, the House passed Johnson's "World War II Memorial Prayer Act" which would require the prayer President Franklin Roosevelt gave on D-Day to be placed on the World War II memorial.^[11] The House also passed Johnson's "Stop the War on Coal Act" which would stop the creation of any new rules that threaten mining jobs.^[12] Both pieces of legislation have been sent to the Senate for consideration.

Johnson is also the sponsor of H.R. 4036, the "Pass a Budget Now Act" which would cut the pay of legislators if a budget is not passed by April 15 of each year.^[13]

Abortion

In the 2010 Ohio Primary Election Candidate Survey, Johnson stated, "I am pro-life, and I oppose abortion except in the case of rape, incest, and when the mother's life is in danger. Additionally, I support parental notification and a ban on partial birth abortions." During his 2010 and 2012 general elections, Johnson received the endorsement of the Ohio Right to Life PAC.^[14]

Gun Issues

A lifelong member of the National Rifle Association, Johnson opposes restrictions on gun ownership. He was endorsed by the NRA in 2012.^[15]

Health care

Johnson opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Gay Marriage

Johnson opposes the legalization of gay marriage and believes that it “undermines the integrity of the American family.” ^[16]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade
  • Subcommittee on Environment and Economy
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
• United States House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
  • United States House Science Subcommittee on Space

Legislation sponsored

• Community Fire Safety Act of 2013 (H.R. 3588; 113th Congress) – Johnson introduced this bill into the House on November 21, 2013.^[17] The bill would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from requiring that all new fire hydrants in the United States be lead-free beginning in 2014.^[18] Johnson referred to the EPA's ruling as "absurd" and said that "it is unconscionable that the EPA has put our public safety at risk because during the hot summer months sometimes, somewhere kids may play in fire hydrant water."^[19]
• Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America (H.R. 2824; 113th Congress) – Johnson introduced this bill into the House on July 25, 2013.^[20] If passed, the bill would amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to require state programs for regulation of surface coal mining to incorporate the necessary rule concerning excess spoil, coal mine waste, and buffers for perennial and intermittent streams published by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement on December 12, 2008.^[21] Supporters of the bill argue that it will be good for jobs, save the government money, and improve U.S. energy production by preventing the Obama Administration from introducing more coal regulations.^[22] Opponents of the bill described it as a bill that would require "OSM to implement the flawed 2008 Stream Buffer Zone rule and prevent the agency from improving that rule for a minimum of seven years."^[23]
• Improving Trauma Care Act of 2014 (H.R. 3548; 113th Congress) – Johnson introduced this bill into the House on November 20, 2013.^[24] It is a bill that would amend the Public Health Service Act, with respect to trauma care and research programs, to include in the definition of "trauma" an injury resulting from extrinsic agents other than mechanical force, including those that are thermal, electrical, chemical, or radioactive.^[24]

Electoral history

References

External links

• Congressman Bill Johnson official U.S. House site
• Bill Johnson for Congress
• Bill Johnson at DMOZ
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 6th congressional district
Beall Clendenin Hitchcock Sloane McArthur Thomson Creighton Muhlenberg Creighton Vinton Morris St. John Dickinson Wood Bell Green Ellison Emrie Cockerill Howard White Clarke Smith Sherwood Hurd Cox Hill Ritchie Hill Boothman Donovan Hulick Brown Hildebrant Scroggy Denver Fess Kearns Polk Davis McCowen Polk Miller Harsha McEwen Strickland Cremeans Strickland Wilson Johnson