Sam Johnson

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For other persons named Samuel Johnson, see Samuel Johnson (disambiguation).

Sam Johnson

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 3rd district
In office 1991-present
Preceded by	Steve Bartlett
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	October 11, 1930 (age 76) Dallas, Texas
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Shirley Johnson
Religion	Methodist

Samuel Robert "Sam" Johnson (born October 11, 1930) is an American politician. He currently is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the Third District of Texas (map).

1 Biography
2 Political positions
3 2004 campaign
4 2006 campaign
5 Controversies
- 5.1 WMDs
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Biography

Johnson grew up in Dallas, Texas and graduated from 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 with the Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying demonstration team.

He is a veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars as a fighter pilot. In the Korean War, he flew F-86s in 62 combat missions. In the Vietnam War, Johnson flew F-4s.

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 tortured.

Johnson recounted the details of his POW experience in his autobiography, Captive Warriors.

A decorated war hero, Johnson was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, one Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, and three Outstanding Unit Awards.

After his military career, he established a home-building business and served in the Texas State Legislature. He has represented Texas' Third District in the United States Congress since 1991.

Johnson is married to the former Shirley L. Melton, of Dallas. They are parents of three children and ten grandchildren.

[edit] Political positions

In the House, by some views, Johnson had the most conservative record for three consecutive years, opposing pork barrel projects of all kinds, voting for more IRAs and against extending unemployment benefits. However, Citizens Against Government Waste rated him in 2004 as having a much less conservative voting record on fiscal matters, ranking eight other Texas Republicans as 'taxpayer heroes' having higher rankings than Sam Johnson, ranking him as merely 'friendly' to taxpayers.

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 pensionand health benefits for employees.

[edit] 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 Party 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).

[edit] 2006 campaign

Johnson ran for re-election in 2006, defeating his Republican opponent Robert Edward Johnson in the Republican primary, 85% to 15%. [1] [2]

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 [3] and Claytor served in Operation Southern Watch in Kuwait in 1992. [4]

Johnson retained his seat in a decisive victory, though by a smaller margin than in years past. Johnson received 62.5% of the vote, while Democrat Dodd received 34.9% and Libertarian Claytor received 2.6%.

[edit] Controversies

[edit] WMDs

On February 19, 2005 at a church pancake breakfast in Allen, Texas, Johnson relayed a conversation he had with President George W. Bush in which he claimed the WMDs must still exist, that they were in Syria, and personally volunteered to fly a jet over Syria and drop two nuclear bombs. Eleven days later he clarified his comments to say that he was "kind of joking" about the matter.[5]