About Eddie Bernice Johnson

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson represents Texas's 30th Congressional District, which is entirely within Dallas County and encompasses a large portion of the city of Dallas as well as the entire cities of Desoto, Lancaster, Wilmer, Hutchins, and Balch Springs. Portions of the cities Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Glenn Heights, Ferris, and Ovilla and are also in the district.

The Dallas portion of the district is home to the Downtown central business district and Arts District, as well as the neighborhoods of Fair Park, Cadillac Heights, the Cedars, Uptown, Oak Lawn, Bachman Lake, Urban Park, Pleasant Grove, Joppa, South Oak Cliff, Deep Ellum, Munger Place, Swiss Avenue, Lower Greenville, Forest Hills, and West Dallas.

Congresswoman Johnson is widely recognized as one of the most effective legislators in Congress.  She is credited with originally authoring and co-authoring more than 120 bills that were passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by the President.

In 2007, Congresswoman Johnson has been appointed by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James L. Oberstar (D-MN) to serve as Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment during the 110th Congress. Congresswoman Johnson has been a member of the House Transportation Committee since being sworn into office in January 1993. The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over water conservation, pollution control, infrastructure, and hazardous waste cleanup. Among other laws, this Subcommittee is also responsible for reauthorizing the Clean Water Act.  Congressman Johnson is also a member of the Aviation and Railroad Subcommittees.

She is currently a Senior Democratic deputy whip, chairwoman for the Texas Democratic Delegation, chair for the House Metro Congestion Coalition, co-chair for the North America’s Supercorridor Caucus and co-chair for the TEX-21 Congressional Caucus, which is a forum to address Texas’ transportation needs through the reauthorization of TEA-21.  In addition, Congresswoman Johnson served as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus during the 107th Congress. 

From 2000-2002, Congresswoman Johnson was the Ranking member of the Science Research subcommittee. She remains a senior member of that subcommittee in addition to serving on the Oversight subcommittee. Johnson, who ranks third in seniority on the Science Committee, serves as a leader in drafting and supporting legislation dealing with scientific research, development, and policy.  

Since coming to Congress, Congresswoman Johnson has earned the reputation of being a stateswoman on U.S. foreign policy and worked to improve human rights around the globe where her acclaimed initiative “Women for World Peace” has been nationally and internationally recognized.

Congresswoman Johnson studied nursing at St. Mary's College at the University of Notre Dame and earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from Texas Christian University in 1967. She received a master's degree in public administration from Southern Methodist University in 1976 and subsequently served as the chief psychiatric nurse at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Dallas. Congresswoman Johnson was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1972 and became the first woman in Texas history to lead a major Texas House committee, the Labor Committee.

Congresswoman Johnson has a long-standing reputation for providing excellent constituent services. Her district offices in downtown Dallas specialize in working with all federal departments and agencies to assist citizens in solving a wide range of individual problems.

As an advocate for workers, children, and families, she was recognized and appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve as regional director of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1977. In 1986, she was elected a Texas state senator, becoming the first African American female from the Dallas area to hold this office since Reconstruction. She is now in her eight term representing the citizens of the Thirtieth Congressional District of Texas.

Congresswoman Johnson counts among her greatest accomplishments her son Kirk and three grandsons, Kirk Jr., David, and James.