Bill Johnson (Ohio politician)

Elections

Tenure

Bill Johnson is a member of both the Conservative Republican Study Committee^[6] 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.

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.^[7]

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.^[7] Both pieces of legislation have been sent to the Senate for consideration. Johnson sponsored 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.^[8]

Abortion

In a candidates' questionnaire in 2010, Johnson wrote, "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.^[9]

Gun Issues

A lifelong member of the National Rifle Association, Johnson opposes restrictions on gun ownership. He was endorsed by the NRA in 2012.^[10]

Health care

Johnson opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and supports repealing it.^[11][12]

Environmental issues

At a 2016 House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Environmental Protection Agency regulations, Johnson called the agency "un-American" and accused it of "draining the lifeblood out of our businesses." Johnson's statement prompted criticism from Democratic members on the committee.^[13]

Same-sex marriage

Johnson opposes the legalization of same-sex marriage, stating that it "undermines the integrity of the American family."^[14]

Immigration and refugees

From the beginning,^[15] Johnson supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order to impose a temporary ban on entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, characterizing it as necessary to prevent terrorist attacks.^[16] After the federal courts struck down the initial executive order, Johnson supported a replacement executive order imposing a revised travel ban.^[15]

Scott Pruitt

In April 2018, Johnson defended EPA head Scott Pruitt who at the time was embroiled in a number of investigations over ethics violations.^[17] While Pruitt was being grilled, largely along party lines, during an April 2018 hearing about the ethics concerns, Johnson said, "I think it's shameful today that this hearing has turned into a personal attack hearing and a shameful attempt to denigrate the work that's being done at the EPA and with this administration". Public officials should have ethical standards "beyond reproach ... but so should members of Congress", he added.^[17][18]

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

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Arts Caucus^[19]
• Congressional Western Caucus^[20]

Legislation sponsored

• Community Fire Safety Act of 2013 (H.R. 3588; 113th Congress) – Johnson introduced this bill into the House on November 21, 2013.^[21] 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.^[22]

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."^[23]

• 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.^[24] If passed, the bill would have amended 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.^[25] 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.^[26]

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."^[27]

• Improving Trauma Care Act of 2014 (H.R. 3548; 113th Congress) – Johnson introduced this bill into the House on November 20, 2013.^[28] 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.^[28]