Editing Sam Johnson (section)

==== Tenure ====
In the House, Johnson was an ardent [[Conservatism (United States)|conservative]].<ref name=AP/><ref name=Swartsell/> By some views, Johnson had the most conservative record in the House for three consecutive years, opposing [[pork barrel]] projects of all kinds, voting for more [[Individual Retirement Account|IRAs]] and against extending unemployment benefits. The conservative watchdog group [[Citizens Against Government Waste]] consistently rated him as being friendly to taxpayers. Johnson was a signer of [[Americans for Tax Reform#Taxpayer Protection Pledge|Americans for Tax Reform]]'s [[Taxpayer Protection Pledge]].<ref name ="ATR">{{cite web|title=The Taxpayer Protection Pledge Signers 112th Congressional List|url=http://s3.amazonaws.com/atrfiles/files/files/091411-federalpledgesigners.pdf|publisher=Americans for Tax Reform|access-date=November 30, 2011}}</ref>

Johnson was a member of the conservative [[Republican Study Committee]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Member List|url=https://rsc-walker.house.gov/|publisher=Republican Study Committee|access-date=December 21, 2017|archive-date=January 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101195017/https://rsc-walker.house.gov/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and joined [[Dan Burton]], [[Ernest Istook]], and [[John Doolittle]] in refounding it in 1994 after [[Newt Gingrich]] pulled its funding.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Cabal That Quietly Took Over the House|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/the-cabal-that-quietly-took-over-the-house/276213/|first=Tim|last=Alberta|date=May 24, 2013|access-date=May 27, 2020|magazine=The Atlantic}}</ref> He alternated as chairman with the other three co-founders in the late 1990s.<ref>{{cite news|title=The NEA's Uphill Battle|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/04/10/the-neas-uphill-battle/086192ef-b3be-4daf-a81f-8bbe6dc4d97e/|first=Jacqueline|last=Trescott|date=May 25, 2020|access-date=May 25, 2020|newspaper=April 10, 1997}}</ref>

In November 1997, Johnson was one of eighteen Republicans in the House to co-sponsor [[1997 impeachment resolution by Bob Barr|a resolution]] by [[Bob Barr]] that sought to launch an [[Impeachment inquiry in the United States|impeachment inquiry]] against President [[Bill Clinton]].<ref name="pace1">{{cite web |last1=Pace |first1=David |title=17 in House seek probe to impeach president |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/498562556 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=The Record | agency= The Associated Press |access-date=4 March 2021 |language=en |date=6 Nov 1997 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="hutcheson"/> The resolution did not specify any charges or allegations.<ref name="hutcheson">{{cite web |last1=Hutcheson |first1=Ron |title=Some House Republicans can't wait for elections |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/197738955 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Asheville Citizen-Times |agency= Knight-Rider Newspapers |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=17 Nov 1997}}</ref> This was an early effort to [[Federal impeachment in the United States|impeach]] Clinton, predating the eruption of the [[Clinton–Lewinsky scandal]]. The eruption of that scandal would ultimately lead to a more serious effort to impeach Clinton in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barkham |first1=Patrick |title=Clinton impeachment timeline |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1998/nov/18/clinton.usa |website=The Guardian |access-date=6 March 2021 |language=en |date=18 November 1998}}</ref> On October 8, 1998, Johnson voted in favor of legislation that was passed to open [[Impeachment inquiry against Bill Clinton|an impeachment inquiry]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Roll Call 498 Roll Call 498, Bill Number: H. Res. 581, 105th Congress, 2nd Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998498 |website=clerk.house.gov |publisher=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |access-date=1 March 2021 |language=en |date=8 October 1998}}</ref> [[Impeachment of Bill Clinton|On December 19, 1998]], Johnson voted in favor of all four proposed [[articles of impeachment]] against Clinton (only two of which received the needed majority of votes needed to be adopted).<ref>{{cite web |title=Roll Call 546 Roll Call 546, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998546 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |access-date=6 March 2021 |language=en |date=19 December 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Roll Call 545 Roll Call 545, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998545 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |access-date=6 March 2021 |language=en |date=19 December 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Roll Call 544 Roll Call 544, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998544 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |access-date=6 March 2021 |language=en |date=19 December 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Washington |first1=U. S. Capitol Room H154 |last2=p:225-7000 |first2=DC 20515-6601 |title=Roll Call 543 Roll Call 543, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998543 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |access-date=6 March 2021 |language=en |date=19 December 1998}}</ref>

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 (United States)|Social Security]] recipients. He proposed the Good Samaritan Tax Act to allow corporations to take a tax deduction for charitable giving of food. He chaired the [https://web.archive.org/web/20050624182242/http://edworkforce.house.gov/members/109th/mem-eer.htm Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations], where he encouraged small business owners to expand their [https://web.archive.org/web/20050624173626/http://edworkforce.house.gov/press/press109/first/06jun/pensionintro060905.htm pension] and<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.00525:health |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719105212/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.00525:health |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 19, 2012 |title=Bill Summary & Status – 109th Congress (2005–2006) – H.R.525 – THOMAS (Library of Congress) |publisher=Thomas.loc.gov |date=July 27, 2005 |access-date=August 29, 2010 }}</ref> benefits for employees. In December 2016, Johnson introduced [https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/6489?r=37 H.R. 6489], a bill that would increase [[Social Security (United States)#Benefits|Social Security payments]] to low-income beneficiaries while reducing payments to high-income beneficiaries and would gradually add two years to the [[Retirement Insurance Benefits#Full retirement age|minimum age]] for receiving full retirement payments.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Richard W. |last2=Smith |first2=Karen E. |title=Comparing Democratic and Republican Approaches to Fixing Social Security: An Analysis of the Larson and Johnson Bills |url=https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/103288/comparing-democratic-and-republican-approaches-to-fixing-social-security_0.pdf |publisher=Urban Institute |date=December 2020 |access-date=24 April 2023}}</ref><ref>"[https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/6489?r=37 H.R.6489: To preserve Social Security for generations to come, reward work, and improve retirement security]". ''United States Congress''. December 8, 2016; retrieved December 12, 2016.</ref>

Johnson opposed calls for government intervention in the name of energy reform if such reform would hamper the market and or place undue burdens on individuals seeking to earn decent wages.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sam Johnson on Energy & Oil|url=https://www.ontheissues.org/TX/Sam_Johnson_Energy_+_Oil.htm|access-date=May 27, 2020|work=On the Issues|publisher=Snopes}}</ref> He called for allowing additional drilling for oil in [[Alaska]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Moderate Republicans balk at refuge drilling|url=https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Moderate-Republicans-balk-at-refuge-drilling-1921184.php|first=Bennett|last=Roth|date=November 9, 2005|access-date=May 27, 2020|newspaper=Houston Chronicle}}</ref>

After the death of [[John McCain]], Johnson became the only Vietnam-era prisoner of war serving in Congress.<ref>{{cite news|title=McCain marks 40th anniversary of POW release|author=Catalina Camia|agency=USA Today|url=http://www.armytimes.com/mobile/news/2013/03/gannett-mccain-marks-40th-anninversary-pow-release-031413|newspaper=Army Times|date=March 14, 2013|access-date=March 15, 2013}}</ref>

In December 2017, Johnson signed a letter from Congress (along with 106 other Congress members) to [[FCC]] Chairman [[Ajit Pai]] supporting his plan to repeal [[net neutrality]] ahead of the commission's vote.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://energycommerce.house.gov/news/letter/letter-fcc-restoring-internet-freedom/|title=Letter to the FCC on Restoring Internet Freedom|date=December 13, 2017|work=ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE|access-date=December 14, 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=December 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214144732/https://energycommerce.house.gov/news/letter/letter-fcc-restoring-internet-freedom/|url-status=dead}}</ref>