Press Releases

 On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-04) testified before the House Armed Services Committee on the importance of funding missions at Barksdale Air Force Base, home to the Air Force Global Strike Command, and Fort Polk Army Base, home to the Army Joint Readiness Training Center. Specifically, Johnson advocated on behalf of the I-20/I-220 interchange project that will pave the way for construction of a new Weapons Storage Area critical to Barksdale and our nation’s security efforts. Additionally, Johnson spoke in support of building a new Joint Operations Center at Fort Polk.

Following his testimony, Rep. Johnson released the following statement:

“Following nearly a decade of cuts, the Trump administration and 115^th Congress have once again prioritized the military and our men and women in uniform. With rogue nations escalating in their aggression, it is imperative we maintain peace through strength and support vital military installations throughout the nation.

“Specifically, Barksdale Air Force Base and Fort Polk have continually proven to be indispensable assets for our military efforts both at home and abroad. Their priorities ensure the survivability of our nation’s strategic nuclear deterrents and maintain a robust and capable ground force. I thank Chairman Thornberry and the committee for working closely with me to ensure the critical needs of Louisiana’s military installations are met in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act.”

A video of the full testimony can be found here.

The text of his testimony can be found here.

Background

Since coming to Congress, Johnson has visited both Barksdale Air Force Base and Fort Polk Army Base on multiple occasions to assess their needs. He has attended several Department of Defense briefings at the Pentagon and continuously advocated for Louisiana’s Fourth District military installations to top military leaders.

Johnson also testified before the House Armed Services Committee on behalf of Barksdale and Fort Polk last year as well as the House Appropriations Committee. These efforts contributed to securing necessary funding to modernize the B-52 fleet at Barksdale and helped preserve the important role Fort Polk plays in our nation’s military training.