A eaker floor vote is expected after the house gavels in at on eastern time today. Watch live coverage here on cspan. Up next, a cspan interview with representative mike johnson from 2017. He talks about being a new member of congress. His family, and community in louisianas fourth congressional district. This is about 10 minutes. Guest we wound up with the largest winning percentage in 50 years in my district. We are blessed and privileged to be here. Host tell us about what made you decide to get into this race. What was the ultimate deciding factor . Guest im the father of four children. Under the age of 16. My wife and i have invested all of our adult lives in trying to make better opportunity for them. As all parents do. And i come from the state of louisiana. Relative terms a poor state. Or one of the less well off. Say that. Least well off. There is a lot of concerns in my district. I represent 15 parishes or counties in louisiana. 760,000 people. There is a lot of cultural differences along that big area. Geographic aira. Their concerns are the same. Thats the Common Concerns about the jobs and the economy. We need more opportunity for economic mobility. A pathway out of poverty for more people. And create new opportunities for everyone. The American Dream should still be within our grasp. It hasnt been in recent years. National security and the sthret of terrorism and all these threat of terrorism and all these things are the universal concerns. We look at that. We had something to offer and put ourselves out there and the people sent us here to do that good work. Host what is the difference between serving as a state representative and what you experience here serving in washington, d. C. Guest there is a lot of similarities. People say whats the most surprising thing about serving in congress. To be honest people are surprised to hear this back home when i say it, its the level of collegiality you find amongst the colleagues here. Its not just within the various conferences but even across the aisle n our freshmen class for an example its a great experience. 55 of us came in tofplgt we work really well together. We developed real friendships. There is a common sense of unity over our purposes. Our freshman retreat we talked about how we wanted to change the tone in washington and raise the level of civility. I drafted a document called a commitment to civility. 53 out of 55 freshmen members signed on to that. We literally made a contract with one another that we would raise the level of decorum around here and treat one another with dignity and respect. Even when we disagree, do it in an agreeable fashion. That sets an important example. Host that national day of civility, how does it play among those who have been here for a while. Leadership. What was the reaction . Guest everybodys gotten behind t we are in a different era now. After the shooting tragically a few weeks back, Steve Scalise is from louisiana, dear friend of mine for over 20 years, that got everybodys attention. You saw even in National Media over the last few weeks there has been a lot of discussion about the sort of general lamentation that people have at the level of discourse here is ultimately leading to violence now. Large majority of the American People, over 3 4 of the American People now believe thats true. There is a recognition we have to change that. Its been really tkwrat filing gratifying and encouraging to see people from different parties, different political ideas and persuasions agreeing on the idea we need to do this better. Thats what the founders envisioned and intended. That level of statesmanship we used to regard and resphebgt in this country respect in this country i think we can get back to that. Host ultimately, aside from the unity you want to pursue, you want to make an impact as an individual, as a freshman particularly, how do you go about doing that . Guest you put your head down, get your work done. I think there is an opportunity for everyone in an environment like this who is serious about making necessary reforms. Recognize we have serious challenges in this country. We are the most free, most prosperous, most successful nation in the history of the planet. Yet we have these tremendous challenges in front of us. Those who are willing to roll up their khraoefrbs sleeves, put in the work. I was in this Office Working until about 12 45 also night. Got up at 5 30. Thats what the job requires to do it right and well. That can make an empact. We are seeing that. Host how do you keep yourself centered . Guest you keep perspective. And you remember why you came here and who you represent. Thats a motivating factor to know that these tremendous challenges that we are facing, we are offering Real Solutions and we are doing it on behalf of the people who dont have always a voice. We are their voice in effect. When tkpweu home on a break i do town halls, we did three over the july 4 recess, and many meetings around the district. To be in front of the people we represent and to remember, these are rear struggles we are real struggles we are having on the ground level back home. We have an opportunity, historic opportunity, to fix some of those things and thats what keeps you going. Thats the motivation, the fuel. It doesnt feel like hard work sometimes even though it is because we know that there is such a tremendous impact that can be made. Thats what keeps you going. Host when you are here, since you have been here, who have you looked to as a role model . Who have you reached out to to learn things or get some shorthand as far as how things work . Guest we are blessed in the republican conference, those in leadership are very accessible. One of the best things i do, i tell the people back home, im one of those guys that lives in my office. In the morning we all meet up in the gym. Thats where the showers are. Where all the real action takes place. There is no staff, no media. Its just members. You can approach leadership or anyone there and talk about policy, ideas. Its a great thing. Its bipartisan in the gym, too. You get to form your relationships with folks. Thats been great. There are so many people who i think get great pleasure in helping a mentor, helping. This morning i had a breakfast with doug collins, most Senior Member from georgia. Hes one in particular who has been really great about reaching out and trying to help us learn the ropes. Its made us all more effective. We are grateful. Host before the incident that mr. Scalise guest hes been a great friend. Advisor of mine since we were in college at l. S. U. He was several years ahead of me. We have known each other a long time. And hes always been one of my great advisors. And hes very generous with his time. Im not unique because so many people have said that about the whip. Thats just who he is as a person. Its a great considered asread to the him. Host whats the piece of advice hes given you . Guest he said be careful about your early alliances you make. That you need to assess the whole scope and situation before you get marginalized or labeled. Thats been some key advice. You want to be regarded in congress as one who is levelheaded and someone who will evaluate everything on its merits and not just stake out a position in a corner somewhere. We have been very deliberate about doing that. I think thats what the voters expect. Host you mentioned your family. Tell us about them. Guest i have been married to my wife for about 19 years. We have four children. We are just really blessed that they are back home. I can do the thing on the weekends. And the tprerbs few days off we have precious few days off we have. Im molested my family is into this. They see it as a calling as i do. So families have to be long suffering in this in a role like this. They are. And gods been gracious to us to cover our bases. Im justtkeurpbl a blessed man. Host is it difficult to keep connection with them on the daytoday things that families go through . Guest its hard to miss baseball games and practices. We use face time. Technology is great because i see my children virtually every night before they go to bed. Talk to them and catch up with their day. That makes a difference. It is great to get home and open the front door and have the 6yearold run up, daddy. Then they call come up in turn and do that. It keeps it allows you to keep perspective and remember why we are doing this. Aim doing this jobtkeurpbl doing this job for them im doing this job for them. So they have the same opportunity and country we appreciate and enjoyed. I think my kids in their own way understand that. They are really into what we are doing. Host as far as committees, what committee do you serve on, what do you hope to bring to them . Guest im on judiciary because my background in constitutional law. Thats a Great Committee because it has such broad jurisdiction over so many things. Affecting our country. Everything from criminal law to maintaining of our civil rights, constitutional rights. All the way everything to border security, immigration. Criminal justice system. Lots of authority there. Its an important committee. Im grateful to be there. And the subcommittees there dealing with those hot button issues. And Natural Resources which is important for the state of louisiana. I was really grateful to get a vice chairmanship there of the Oversight Committee and we are doing important work there. Those are key positions for our state. We have within grateful we have been grateful for the assignment. Host how is the p oboy gumbo market . Guest its not louisiana, ok. There are lots of things that masquerade as cajun food that are not. We get home enough to get the real stuff. We do washington, d. C. , mardi gras here every year and draw thousands of people who come to sample the real stuff. We got a taste of louisiana here on the hill. Host representative mike johnson who serves the state of louisiana, thanks for your time. [ctions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2023] [captiong performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsle for its caption content and accuracy visit ncicap. Org] on capitol hill republicans have picked representative mike johnson as their nominee for house speaker. He received 12votes in a secret balloelection and had minimal opposion during internal roll call vote. He becomes the frth republican nominee since representative Kevin Mccarthy was ousted from the position more than three weeks o. The fourterm congressman from louisiana currently serves as the vice chair of the house reblican conference. A speaker floor vote is expected after the houseavels in at noon eastern time today. You c watch live coverage here on cspan. The radio and Television Correspondent association i hosting its annual dinner this evening to award journis for the coverage of the january 6 committee investigation, and on the ground reporting of e russian invasion of ukrne the event will also include entertainmentrocomedian tyler fisher. Watch the dinner live starting at 7 30 p. M. Eastern on. Free cspan now video app or online at cspan. Org. Tonight President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden host a state dinner honoring australian prime minisr well show highlights from thevent including the prime ministers arrival to the white house, the guest arrivals on the red carpet, and dinner toast. Watch tonight 11 p. M. Eastern on cspan. On the free cspan now video app, or online at cspan. Org. A healthy democracy doesnt just look like this. It looks like this. Where americans can see democracy at work. When citizens are truly informed, our republic thrives. Get informed straight from the source. On cspan. Unfiltered, unbiased, word for word. From the Nations Capital to wherever you are. Because the opinion that matters the most is your opponent own. This is what democracy looks like. Cspan, powered by cable. A recet is highlighted in a recent story, looking at the view of congress in light of the speaker election