U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Benton, pointed to an economy “going gangbuster,” military spending increases and regulatory reform as among the high points of President Donald Trump and his nearly two years in office.
Johnson, 46, held a town hall meeting Thursday in Sunset attended by about 25 people.
“We hit another record high of the Dow Jones, stock market,” he said.
“I’ve think we’ve had 72 consecutive record closes of the Dow since last January,” he said.
Johnson said unemployment is at historic lows and the economy looks like it is going to grow over 4 percent this year.
Johnson credit a tax cut and regulatory reform as reasons for the economy’s performance.
“We dramatically reduced and simplified what was just a crazy complicated tax code,” he said. “When you do your taxes next spring for 2018 ... the estimate is that 90 percent of Americans are going to be able to fill out their tax returns on a document the size of a postcard.”
The tax cut included the largest corporate tax reduction in the country’s history, he said. Small and large businesses were included in the tax cut, he said.
For individuals, the standard deduction is doubled, he added.
Johnson took office in January 2016 representing the 4th District that stretches from the Arkansas border south to St. Landry Parish, encompassing 15 parishes.
Johnson faces an election in November and drew opponents: Ryan Trundle, a Shreveport Democrat; and Mark David Halberson, of Bossier City. Halberson did not state any party affiliation.
Johnson, who served in the state House of Representatives representing District 8 of Bossier Parish, described himself as a pro-life Christian at the town hall.
The pro-life movement is “very energized right now,” he said.
“Everybody is really excited about the composition of the Supreme Court and the change there,” he said.
“There is a lot of talk about a frontal challenge to Roe v Wade,he said.
Johnson expects Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to be confirmed. “There is nothing unknown about this guy. He has been on the court of appeals for many years. He has written over 300 opinions,” he said.
Military spending has been a priority and he noted his district includes Fort Polk and Barksdale Air Force Base, which has received $520 million to build an underground facility to store nuclear weapons, he said. About 800 jobs are involved in the facility, he added.
But Johnson noted the federal debt and deficit are the biggest crisis facing the nation.
After about an hour of speaking, Johnson said the federal debt probably grew by about $30 million.
The $21 trillion debt “means we are on a sinking ship,” he said.
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and interest on the debt are estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to be on their way by 2030 to require all of the government’s revenue.
Johnson said the tax cut and other action may help grow the economy to help pay for the obligations.
“I genuinely believe smaller government, less government, less regulation, less taxes makes the economy flourish again and that’s how you get to really climb out of that,” he said.
