On Wednesday, Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) recently updated his constituents on the recent events leading to the selection of a new Speaker of the House. Palmer, who had been a candidate for Speaker himself at one point, said that Mike Johnson is “exactly the right person to lead the House.”
“It has been a busy few weeks in Washington, D.C., with most of the activity revolving around selecting a new Speaker of the House,” Rep. Palmer wrote. “I am glad to report we selected Mike Johnson of Louisiana to serve in this role. Mike and I knew each other before either of us were elected to Congress. He is the real deal and, I believe, exactly the right person to lead the House at this very difficult time. He is someone committed to making the changes we desperately need to make. He is also committed to a conservative policy agenda that is long overdue in Washington.”
“For the first time in history, the Speaker of the House was removed from their position using the motion to vacate,” Palmer said. “During our search for a new Speaker, several options were considered. I was a strong supporter of Jim Jordan due to his leadership abilities and conservative principles. Unfortunately, not all Republicans were willing to unite around him for Speaker. After this, I put my name in the hat for Speaker. Our party doesn’t need a personality as a leader; we need a plan and steady, conservative leadership. I introduced the ‘Palmer Principles,’ my plan for major changes to our appropriations process to prevent the introduction of big omnibus appropriations bills. Once the remaining candidates committed to similar principles, I removed my name from consideration in efforts to help us find a majority candidate as soon as possible.”
“Speaker Mike Johnson is a principled, unwavering conservative who will live out his faith in God as he serves the country,” Palmer concluded. “I am looking forward to working with him to help lead our country forward.”
Mike Johnson is 51 years old and was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, the eldest of four children. His father was a firefighter who was disabled on the job. He graduated from Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport, received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from LSU, and then a law degree from LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center. Johnson became a constitutional lawyer and rose to become a senior attorney and partner at Kitchens Law Firm in Minden, Louisiana. He was also a litigator and spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund (later Alliance Defending Freedom; ADF). From 2004 to 2012, Johnson was a trustee of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Johnson also was a college professor and a conservative talk radio host.
In February 2015, Johnson was elected to the lower chamber of the Louisiana legislature. In 2016, Johnson was elected to represent Louisiana’s 4th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was reelected in 2018, 2020, and 2022. He entered Congress in the same election that elevated Republican Donald Trump to the White House. Johnson soon became a member of the president’s inner circle, regularly joining the entourage that flew with the president on Air Force One. He has a 92 percent rating from the Conservative Political Action Conference (formerly American Conservative Union) and an A” rating from the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America organization.
Gary Palmer has qualified for a sixth term in the United States Congress, representing Alabama’s Sixth District.
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