In the News

United States Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana's 4th Congressional District is adamant in his support of American war veterans.

During his Town Hall Meeting at the War Memorial Civic Center in DeRidder on Thursday, Johnson expressed his disdain for the way veterans have been treated in the United States, noting he is doing everything possible to fix what is a broken Veteran Affairs Administration.

"It is both shameful and inexcusable how veterans have been and are treated in this country," Johnson exclaimed. "We need to protect and take care of our veterans. We need to support our veterans and treat them with the respect they are due."

Several veterans were in attendance at Thursday's Town Hall. Many of them told their horror stories to Johnson, not of their respective war experiences, but their constant battles with the VA.

Johnson conveyed to the veterans that he and many other Congressmen are working on a solution to fix the issues within the VA because it is most definitely "a broken system."

Johnson also spoke positively about the accomplishments of the first 175 days of the Donald Trump presidency, noting the country is heading in the right direction, thanks to saving billions of dollars by cutting wasteful spending, while also reforming regulatory laws, which helps businesses get started quickly.

"The stock market set an all-time high last week and consumer confidence is at a 12-year high," Johnson said. "We have added almost $80 billion dollars to the defense budget and we have created hundreds of thousands of new jobs. It is our job to help ensure that the American dream is for everyone."

According to Johnson, there are four primary agenda items he and the rest of Congress need to complete, including strengthening the military, regulatory reforms, health care reform and tax reform. The first two have been dealt with convincingly thus far, with the battle over health care far from over.

He noted premiums have increased in Louisiana by over 120 percent and the number continues rising everyday as costs continue to skyrocket, as well as deductibles.

"We have a crisis now," Johnson said. "A total of 83 companies have pulled out of Obamacare."

Johnson said the American Health Care Act recently passed through the House of Representatives will go a long way in reducing the costs of health care nationwide, along with providing for competition between companies.