On Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, I’m speaking with Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson.
Johnson is the first Speaker of the House in the history of the United States Congress to take over mid-service. Before serving in Congress, Johnson worked as a constitutional lawyer for 20 years, serving with Alliance Defending Freedom as a litigator and spokesperson. He was elected to the Louisiana State House in 2015 and to the U.S. Congress, serving Louisiana’s 4th district, in 2016. Following the removal of Speaker Kevin McCarthy in October 2023, Johnson became the 56th Speaker of the House.
The circumstances leading up to his election reflect the challenges the U.S. is facing domestically and abroad. Johnson says, “This is the greatest collection of challenges probably in the modern era – maybe since World War II, maybe the Civil War. We are in unprecedented times. I regard myself as a wartime speaker.”
Johnson learned to fight for higher principles from the womb. He calls himself “the product of an unplanned teen pregnancy” because his parents became pregnant their junior year of high school. Growing up, Mike learned the value of hard work, honor and sacrifice through his father’s example. When Mike was twelve years old, his father was critically burned and permanently disabled in an industrial explosion that killed one of his coworkers. Mike’s father lived with chronic pain for decades and died from cancer three days before Johnson was elected to Congress in 2016.
Johnson has been on the front lines of the “culture war” since entering Congress, defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and biblical values, including traditional marriage. Where does he find his strength to stand for what’s right against such stiff opposition?
Johnson cites Micah 6:8 as his daily personal admonition: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” He says, “The Bible encourages us to pray without ceasing, which to me is really a reminder for us to maintain the right attitude before God, to seek his wisdom and guidance, and to walk humbly with him. I try to do that every day.”
It was a privilege to meet with Speaker Johnson in his Washington, D.C. office to discuss his faith, his family, and his service in government. Hear our full conversation on your local radio station, online, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or listen on our free phone app.
Mike and his wife, Kelly, have been married for 25 years and have four children. Kelly is a teacher and licensed pastoral counselor.
Participating in the political system is a privilege people in many countries don’t enjoy. Our republic is a responsibility “for us to keep,” as Benjamin Franklin warned us we must do. I encourage you to stay in touch this political season by checking out the Daily Citizen. It’ll provide you with timely and relevant analysis of current events and cultural trends from a biblical worldview.
