House Republicans on YouTube: Weekly Republican Address: Lisa Billy (R-OK)
Oklahoma Rep. Lisa Johnson-Billy (R), a member of the Chickasaw Nation, delivered the weekly address for the national House Republicans on Saturday. Johnson-Billy opened her remarks with "Chokma," the Chickasaw word for hello. She shared her heritage in the Chickasaw Nation as well as Choctaw Nation and said she was the first Native American, the first woman and the first Republican elected to her district. "I know I may not be a familiar face in Washington. But our leaders need to hear from people outside of Washington—the people who make this country run, who grow our food and pay the taxes and raise the families," Johnson-Billy said. "These are the people I know and represent."
Oklahoma Rep. Lisa Johnson-Billy (R) delivers the House Republican weekly address on March 26, 2016. Still image from YouTube
Johnson-Billy noted that she served two terms on the Chickasaw Nation Legislature, as did her father, Frank Johnson. They remain the only father and daughter to serve at the same time. "When government fulfills its responsibilities, that’s what allows the people to create opportunity—the opportunity to learn more, to find a job, to start a business," Johnson-Billy said. "And what opportunity ignites is hope. That’s what pushes people through difficult times." Johnson-Billy, who was inducted into the Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame in 2009, is in her 16th year in the Oklahoma Legislature. During her tenure, she created the first Oklahoma Native American Caucus and has served as the co-chair. She also has served on the joint House-Senate Committee on State-Tribal Relations. This year will be Johnson-Billy's last as a state representative due to term limits.
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