Speaker of the House Mike Johnson will travel to London on January 20 to address the United Kingdom Parliament as part of America’s Semiquincentennial celebration, marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence.
Johnson will be the first U.S. Speaker of the House to deliver an address to Parliament. Announcing his upcoming trip, Johnson said, “As our nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of American Independence, I am honored and humbled by Speaker Hoyle’s invitation to address Parliament.”
He added, “The U.S. and the UK have stood together as pillars of peace and security across generations. We forged this important friendship in the great wars of the 20th century, but the true source of our strength comes from our shared commitment to individual freedom, human dignity, and the rule of law, which together form the exceptional, joint heritage of the English-speaking world.”
Johnson also stated, “As America begins its Semiquincentennial celebration, I will be happy to visit one of the great shrines of democracy itself, where the principles that launched the long struggle for American liberty were debated and refined.”
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons, commented on Johnson’s visit: “I am honoured in this 250th anniversary year of American Independence to welcome Speaker Johnson to Parliament.” He continued, “Fifty years ago, my predecessor Speaker Thomas invited Speaker Albert of the U.S. House of Representatives to Speaker’s House to mark the 200th anniversary.”
Hoyle further remarked: “I am pleased to continue to mark this important occasion and acknowledge the enduring close relationship between our parliaments and people. Our UK Parliament is sited just miles away from where the cross-Atlantic relationship began more than 400 years ago. The courage of the Founding Fathers, who set sail on the Mayflower for the New World, built a bridge and connections across the Atlantic, which continues until today.”
Mike Johnson has represented Louisiana’s 4th district in Congress since 2017 after succeeding John Fleming. Before his tenure in Congress, he served in Louisiana’s state legislature from 2015 through 2017. Born in Shreveport in 1972 and currently residing in Benton at age 51, Johnson earned both his undergraduate degree (1995) and law degree (1998) from Louisiana State University.
