Issues

I’m immensely proud to be endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund in the race for Congressional District 32.

My record on abortion rights is unmatched in this race. As the Vice Chair of the Women’s Health Caucus in the state house, I have a 100% voting record with Planned Parenthood Texas Vote. I’ve been supported by pro-choice groups like Annie’s List, NARAL, AVOW, and EMILYs List in every election.

I am proud to have voted against the state abortion ban and the law that would have put bounties on abortion doctors. I voted against funding fake women’s clinics intended to prevent women from abortion every time they came up for a vote.

In 2023, I authored HB 3744 to protect pharmacists from the state when prescribing abortion medication. I was proud to co-author and pass HB 916 which allows all Texas women with birth control prescriptions to finally get a 12-month supply of birth control instead of 3-month supplies. Last session, I also co-authored SB 370 which ended the state sales tax on feminine hygiene products.

I staunchly defend a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health decisions, including access to safe and legal abortion. I oppose any attempts to restrict or undermine reproductive rights and will work to ensure access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare for all women, regardless of their economic status or geographic location. When elected, I’ll join efforts to codify Roe v. Wade into law and to protect women and physicians from prosecution or unconstitutional travel bans while seeking abortion care.

Housing is a basic human need, and I support policies that increase access to affordable housing, prevent homelessness, and address housing discrimination. This includes expanding rental assistance programs, incentivizing the construction of affordable housing, and combating housing segregation. In Congress, I will also work to give potential homebuyers relief from enormous student and medical debts that prevent them from becoming the next generations of owners with real equity.

I support decriminalizing and legalizing cannabis, expunging past convictions, and implementing responsible regulations to ensure safe access and address social justice issues related to the War on Drugs. We must have more coherence and standardization of our federal laws regarding cannabis to end injustice and waste for American taxpayers.

As a state legislator, I co-authored and helped pass HB1535 which expanded the Compassionate Use Program and medical cannabis access for more qualified patients in Texas and raised the allowed limit for THC from .5 to 1%. I have also co-authored HB 3248 to decriminalize marijuana.

I authored HB 809 to allow veterans with PTSD to be qualified for medical marijuana and HB 1805 to allow patients to use marijuana in lieu of opioids for acute or chronic pain.

Now, more than ever we must act to strengthen the integrity of our elections to ensure that every voice is heard and every vote counts. Our democracy is under serious threat from voter suppression, dark money in politics, and foreign interference. I was proud to join my Democratic state house colleagues in 2021 when we broke quorum to slow down and reform the passage of bills that threatened voting rights for seniors, students, and disabled Texans.

I will continue to support measures that protect and strengthen our democratic institutions. If elected, I will move to immediately pass the Freedom to Vote Act. This comprehensive bill addresses voting rights reforms, campaign finance reform, and safeguarding the integrity of our elections.

I believe in investing in our public education system from pre-K through college, including increasing teacher pay, reducing class sizes, and providing resources for underserved communities. We must also address student debt and ensure access to quality education for all, which means real student debt reform at a congressional level. To retain and attract the next generation of educators, we must end the windfall provision that unfairly hurts educator’s retirement benefits and dissuades retired professionals from joining the ranks of those we sorely need to advance and compete as a workforce in the next century.

As a gay married woman, and adoptive mother to two wonderful kids, I know what it’s like to be up against the wall of discrimination in Texas. I am committed to advancing equality for all Americans regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. The fight for true equality is personal for me. I am proud to have helped kill 141 out of 144 anti-LGBTQ laws proposed by the Texas legislature last session. During my first term, I was named ‘Freshman of the Year’ by Texas Monthly for using the House rules to kill a bill that would allow companies to invoke religious discrimination to fire gay employees.

In Congress, my commitment to this fight will continue by supporting the Equality Act to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination nationwide. I’m proud to be endorsed by Equality PAC, the members of Congress who work to pass the Equality PAC into law, along with the Human Rights Campaign, LPAC, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas.

I believe in creating an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few. In Congress, I will support raising the minimum wage, closing the gender pay gap, investing in infrastructure and job training programs, and implementing progressive tax policies to ensure that corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share. Real equity also starts in early childhood education. We can already track student’s ability to succeed, and future earnings based on the critical years of 0-6. In Congress, I work to invest in early childhood education success for all kids and enough funds to pay their caregivers a great wage for the important work they do.
Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, and I support bold action to address it. Incentivizing further development of carbon recapture technology is something all Americans agree on and will be a priority for my office if elected to serve. We must heavily invest in smarter and equitable water use along with fighting pollution. I look forward to implementing policies that encourage sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural practices to conserve water and protect water supply quality.
I support diplomacy, multilateralism, and international cooperation to address global challenges and promote peace and stability. We must prioritize human rights, strengthen alliances, and engage in principled diplomacy to address conflicts, promote democracy, and advance American interests abroad. A renewed commitment to our foreign policy objectives throughout Central and South America is urgently needed to address why historic numbers of immigrants are crossing the southern U.S. border.

I am the only candidate for District 32 who has authored and passed gun violence reform legislation and I won’t slow down if elected to serve in Congress. I have earned the support of Everytown, Gun Sense Voter, and have been recommended by Moms Demand Action since I was first elected to public office in 2018. I’m proud of my F rating from the NRA and voted against 20 NRA bills while serving in the Texas legislature. In Congress, I’ll continue to advocate for common-sense gun safety measures such as universal background checks, safe storage measures like Ethan’s Law, closing gun show loopholes, and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

In 2023, I authored and passed HB 544 in the House. My bill would have required additional reporting for convicted domestic abusers trying to purchase firearms.

In the same session, I co-authored HB 2744, which is the only assault weapon gun control legislation to advance in Texas in years. This bill would raise the minimum age to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.

I also co-authored HB 220, which sought to create mechanisms for peace officers and court officers to reclaim revoked or suspended handgun licenses and by providing for the creation of a database for use by federally licensed firearms dealers to check if a handgun license has been revoked or suspended.

In 2023, I co-authored and helped pass HB 2242, the only gun safety bill to pass the House, which sought to require relevant information regarding the safe storage of firearms for the DPS Keep ‘Em Safe Texas Gun Storage Campaign.

Healthcare is a human right, and I support efforts to expand access to affordable, quality healthcare for all Americans. While serving in the Texas House, healthcare policy has been the focus of my legislative work.

I was proud to write and pass HB 755. My bill ends prior authorization by insurance companies for drugs prescribed to treat autoimmune diseases like HIV, arthritis, hemophilia, or Von Willebrand disease more than once annually. My bill cuts red tape and costs and will help doctors treat Texas patients without insurance in the way.

In 2021, Congress enacted legislation in 2021 giving states the option to provide 12 months of coverage through a state Medicaid plan amendment. I was proud to co-author and pass the bill to provide 12 months of coverage for mothers across Texas. HB 12 passed in 2023 and will help end the maternal mortality crisis for post-partum mothers in Texas by helping them access critical healthcare in the weeks and months after giving birth.

In 2023, I co-authored and helped pass HB 85 to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Texans everywhere. Our bill established the wholesale prescription drug importation program by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) in order to provide lower cost prescription drugs available outside of the United States to consumers in Texas at the lower cost.

In 2021, I became the first state house legislator to author a bill with bipartisan support for a Medicaid expansion bill in Texas. Live Well Texas was supported by more than 70% of Texans but was throttled by state leadership.

However, I didn’t let that stop me from passing patient safety bills, insurance reforms, and medical board reform legislation in the session to come.  In Congress, I won’t stop fighting either. We must get to work at building upon the Affordable Care Act, and exploring options for a public healthcare option to ensure everyone can get the care they need when they need it.

I’ve been a professional mediator and negotiator for over thirty years. When elected to Congress, I’ll work hard to get us back to the negotiating table on immigration reform and border security.

As a Democrat, I believe in comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, protection for Dreamers, and humane treatment at our borders. We must prioritize family reunification, address the root causes of migration, and ensure fair and just immigration policies that uphold our nation’s values.

We can strengthen our border with smart investments in technology and personnel rather than an expensive and ineffective border wall project that can never be completed. Legalizing our undocumented laborers puts all workers on a level playing field and brings in more taxes to pay down our debts.

In Congress, I’ll advocate for robust investment in infrastructure, including repairing and modernizing our roads, bridges, building high speed rail across Texas, expanding broadband access to rural and underserved communities, fighting for updated water infrastructure, and creating jobs with sustainable infrastructure projects.

While serving in the Texas house, bridging the digital divide has been a top priority for me. I am proud to have stood alongside my colleagues in supporting $1.5 billion in funding for high-speed broadband deployment in underserved communities.

Updating water infrastructure in the United States is crucial to ensure access to clean and safe drinking water for all citizens. Aging infrastructure can lead to leaks, contamination, and inefficiencies, posing significant health and environmental risks. Texas is posed to have another 20 million people in our population by 2050. In North Texas, we need a proven champion to be the leader of our fight for water security and conservation, and I’ll always be that fighter.

In 2023, I was proud to help pass the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, the country’s strongest data privacy protection bill, giving Texans control of their data and protecting us from cyber-attacks. I believe in harnessing the power of technology to drive innovation and create economic opportunities while also ensuring that it is used responsibly and ethically.

Blockchain technology and its applications are ushering in the next generation of the internet, allowing Americans to own their data, create wealth, and be stakeholders in the digital spaces of the future. Americans can benefit from crypto innovation. We must establish clear rules of the road for the crypto industry to build technology that benefits everyday Americans, while protecting consumers and ensuring equitable outcomes for all.

While recognizing the potential of blockchain technology, we must also address concerns. The status quo in crypto and digital assets is unworkable. Securities laws from 1933 are not fit for purpose to regulate 21st century technologies.

If Congress does not act, more and more Americans will be exposed to the risks of offshore and unregulated entities like FTX. Instead, the United States must lead the development of crypto and blockchain technology in the 21st century, rather than countries like Russia and China.

As a member of Congress, I will work to make sure the United States has regulatory frameworks in place that allow American values to define the future of the global financial system, while protecting consumers and ensuring no American is left behind.

The United States is the only major economy without adequate paid family leave, and I will work to change that if elected to serve District 32. All workers deserve paid family and medical leave. A moral society recognizes the importance of supporting families during critical life events. No one should have to choose between caring for a loved one and their job, and we must ensure that workers have the support they need to balance work and family responsibilities. In Congress, I’ll work to modernize the FMLA and support a minimum of 12 weeks of paid leave for American workers.

In 2023, I was proud to have voted for historic property tax relief to our senior homeowners in Texas. In 2021, I voted for SB 12 which gave our retired teachers a “13th check” to help ease the burden of inflation and no COLA increases for decades.

I am committed to protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, which are lifelines for millions of seniors. We must ensure these programs remain solvent and accessible, while also addressing issues like elder abuse, affordable housing, and healthcare costs that disproportionately impact older Americans. Elder law and care are some of the greatest challenges we will face in the coming years. After years of advocating for seniors and their families in my law firm and the Texas House, I am prepared to take care of those who have done so much for our country.

I am proud to have collaborated with veteran constituents in State House District 115 on passing cannabis reform legislation and efforts to direct workforce development funds back into North Texas. Our veterans and their families have sacrificed so much for our country. In Congress, I will work tirelessly to ensure they receive the support and services they deserve, including timely access to quality healthcare, mental health resources, and job training opportunities.
Paid for and authorized for Julie Johnson for Congress
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