Rep. Sam Johnson

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). United States Congressman, Sam Johnson (TX, 3rd Dist) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... United States Congressman, Sam Johnson (TX, 3rd Dist) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The federal government of the United States was established by the United States Constitution. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The United States House of Representatives has 435 voting members elected for two-year terms from each of the states. ... The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as... Texas District 3 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that serves an area north and northeast of Dallas. ... Official language(s) None. ...

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. Nickname: Big D Official website: www. ... Southern Methodist University (also known as SMU) is a private, coeducational Methodist-affiliated university in University Park, Texas, (an enclave of Dallas). ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces. ... Thunderbirds Squadron ensign The USAF Thunderbirds perform an echelon pass. ...

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. Combatants Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) United States of America South Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand the Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~420,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead: 230,000 South Vietnamese wounded: 300,000 US dead... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with aerial warfare. ... The first proposals for the North American Aviation F-86 Sabre were made in 1944, but construction was not begun until after World War II. Many elements of German jet design were implemented in the Sabre, after the American liberation troops captured a number of working Messerschmitt Me 262 experimental... The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ...

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 and had no contact with any other American. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Torture is any act by which severe pain, whether physical or psychological, is intentionally inflicted on a person as a means of intimidation, a deterrent, revenge, a punishment, or as a method for the extraction of information or confessions (i. ...

Johnson recounted the details of his POW experience in his autobiography, Captive Warriors. Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... An autobiography (from the Greek auton, self, bios, life and graphein, write) is a biography written by the subject or composed conjointly with a collaborative writer (styled as told to or with). The term dates from the late eighteenth century, but the form is much older. ...

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. The Silver Star is a United States military decoration and is the third highest medal for valor. ... The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces which is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... The Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.) is a decoration for courage shown in air combat. ... The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. ... The Purple Heart is a U.S. military decoration awarded in the name of the President of the United States to those who have been wounded or killed while serving in, or with, the U.S. military after April 5, 1917. ... The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942. ...

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. The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. ... Congress in Joint Session. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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

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. Pork barrel, in a literal sense, is a barrel in which pork is kept, but figuratively is a supply of money; often the source of ones livelihood. ... An Individual Retirement Account (or IRA) is a retirement plan account that provides some tax advantages for retirement savings in the United States. ... Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) is a political lobbying group based in Washington, DC advocating a reduction in government waste. ...

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. Social Security in the United States is a social insurance program funded through a dedicated payroll tax. ...

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). The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Libertarian Party is a United States political party created in 1971. ...

2006 campaign

Johnson, like all House members, will be up for re-election in 2006, and has announced that he will run again. He will have an opponent in the Republican primary, Robert Edward Johnson, of Princeton and the University of Chicago, a database consultant and former economics professor and a strong opponent of the war in Iraq and the continuation of US troop presence there. The examples and perspective in this article do not represent a worldwide view. ... Robert Edward Johnson was born in Washington, D.C. on November 3, 1957. ... Princeton University is a coeducational private university located on an extensive campus in and around suburban Princeton, New Jersey. ... The University of Chicago is a private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. ... Combatants Republic of Iraq (Saddam Hussein regime), Baath Loyalists, Iraqi insurgency United States, United Kingdom, Coalition of the Willing, New Iraqi Army For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The Iraq War (2003-present) is an ongoing conflict in Iraq, which began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and...

The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Dan Dodd a West Point graduate who served two tours of duty in Vietnam. [1]. West Point redirects here; for other uses, see West Point (disambiguation). ...

Controversies

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.[2] February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: none Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: http://www. ... The presidential seal was used by president Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and former governor of Texas. ... Weapons of Mass Destruction is also the name of rapper Xzibits 2004 album. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18 km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ...

IRS audit of Texas group

On February 27, 2006, The Washington Post reported that Johnson had sent IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson a letter on August 3, 2004, stating that Johnson had "uncovered some disturbing information" and received complaints of possible tax violations by a Texas nonprofit group, Texans for Public Justice. Johnson said he was sure the IRS would follow up. "I ask you to report back your findings of each of these investigations directly to me," the letter said. IRS is short for U.S. Internal Revenue Service short for Indian Revenue Service short for Independent rear suspension, used in automobiles. ...

The nonprofit group is perhaps best known for its March 2003 allegation of illegal spending by corporations during former House majority leader Tom DeLay successful 2002 campaign for a Republican takeover of the Texas legislature -- claims that culminated last year in the indictment of DeLay and two campaign aides for money laundering and conspiracy to hide corporate donations. Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8, 1947) is a congressman from Sugar Land, Texas, a former House Majority Leader, and a prominent member of the Republican Party who recently announced he would soon resign his seat. ...

Johnson's letter to the IRS occurred after Barnaby W. Zall, a Washington lawyer, wrote a letter on July 19, 2004, to Johnson, complaining about the Texas nonprofit group and noting that the Johnson had "jurisdiction to review the Internal Revenue Service's supervision of tax-exempt organizations." Zall is close to DeLay: he was "of counsel" from 1990 to 1998 to the Williams & Jensen law firm, which has long represented DeLay's leadership political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority (ARMPAC). Zall is also a close friend of Barbara Bonfiglio, a principal at Williams & Jensen who was subpoenaed in January 2004 by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle as part of his inquiry into DeLay.

The IRS sent two auditors in 2005 to review the group's records; the reviewed lasted from January 2005 to early February 2006. No tax violations were found, according to a letter the IRS sent the group. The group's founder and director, Craig L. McDonald, said of the audit:

This audit was political retaliation by Tom DeLay's cronies to intimidate us for blowing the whistle on DeLay's abuses. Enlisting the IRS to intimidate critics is a dirty trick reminiscent of Richard Nixon. ... It is not a crime to report a crime, as we did with DeLay.

External links

• USA Today Profile
• Official site
• Official campaign web site
• The Smithsonian Institute'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