July 2010 Archives

ATLANTA, GA – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) is co-hosted a two-day community event on July 30 and 31 with Reps. John Lewis and David Scott to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure.

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In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Hope Now Alliance and NeighborWorks America, Rep. Johnson was pleased to hold Help for Homeowners at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

“High foreclosure rates have plagued us for years, tearing at the fabric of our neighborhoods and communities,” said Rep. Johnson, who has been fighting foreclosures since he was a county commissioner in 2001.

“I’m encouraged that we’ll have mortgage lenders on hand to begin the process of helping homeowners, who no fault of their own, have fallen behind on their mortgages,” he said.

More than 2,350 residents attended the free event that offered homeowners a chance to meet one on one with their lenders, find out if they qualify for President Obama’s Making Home Affordable program and offers the platform for struggling homeowners to work out other options with their lenders.

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Dear Friends,

I’m co-hosting a community event this weekend with Reps. John Lewis and David Scott to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure.

In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Hope Now Alliance and NeighborWorks America, we’re holding “Help for Homeowners” on Friday, July 30 and Saturday, July 31 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

High foreclosure rates have plagued us for years, tearing at the fabric of our neighborhoods and communities. I’m encouraged that we’ll have more than 20 mortgage lenders on hand to begin the process of helping homeowners, who through no fault of their own, have fallen behind on their mortgages.

The free event offers homeowners a chance to meet one on one with their lenders, find out if they qualify for President Obama’s Making Home Affordable program and offers a forum for struggling homeowners to work out other options with their lenders.

Homeowners seeking help are asked to bring the following documents:

● Monthly mortgage statement
● Information about other mortgages on your home, if applicable
● Two most recent pay stubs, documents of income you receive from other sources or most recent quarterly profit and loss statement if you are self-employed
● Two most recent bank statements
● Account balances and monthly payments for credit cards and other debts
● Estimates of your monthly expenditures (such as utilities, insurance and medical bills)

WHAT: “Help for Homeowners” Community Event

WHEN: Friday, July 30 from 1-7:30 p.m. | Saturday, July 31 from 8:30 a.m.- 3 p.m.

WHERE: Atlanta Marriott Marquis, International Level, 265 Peachtree Center Avenue,  Atlanta, GA  30303

For more information, call the Homeowners HOPETM Hotline at 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) or visit MakingHomeAffordable.gov or HopeNow.com.

MONEY FOR MARTA, GLENWOOD ROAD: I’m happy to report that among my appropriation requests for FY 2011, the House passed $3 million for MARTA and $450,000 for Glenwood Road improvements this week. Now the measure must pass the Senate to be finalized. MARTA will use the funds for buses, bus facilities and security improvements. The funds will be used for much-needed equipment updates, bus replacements and on-board security camera systems. The Glenwood Road Pedestrian Safety Improvement project will receive $450,000 to improve pedestrian safety along Glenwood from Candler Road to Covington Highway.

SMALL BUSINESS TAX CREDIT: More than 84 percent of Georgia small businesses with fewer than 25 employees will be eligible this year for tax credits to help pay the cost of employee health coverage, according to a new report issued by the consumer health organization Families USA and small business advocacy group Small Business Majority.

The tax credit program, a key element of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, targets small employers with up to 25 workers. In Georgia, this means 120,300 small businesses will qualify. Nationally, more than 4 million small businesses — 83.7 percent — are eligible now for the credit. For more on this program, click here.

FOCUSING ON VETERANS: If you’re a Georgia veteran who has a service-related disability, you might be eligible for faster service if your injury-related symptoms are growing worse. The Department of Veterans Affairs is offering a new program – Rapid Evaluation of Veterans’ Claims (REV) – only offered through the Atlanta Regional Office. For more on this, click here.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AND TEACHERS: To all our teachers in the Fourth District, I encourage you to explore what the Library of Congress has to offer online. There’s a “Teachers’ Page” designed exclusively for teachers that offer tutorials, interactive student activities and more. It also offers Webcasts and more than 85 lesson plans, plus access to more than 15 million unique primary sources. For more, click here.

LILBURN TURNS 100: Congratulations to Lilburn, which turned 100 on July 27! I look forward to participating in their celebration that will be held in September. I am also going to present a resolution to the House proclaiming July 27 as City of Lilburn Day. Through good times and bad, Lilburn continues to set the example of what’s best about America and Georgia.

NEGLECTED DISEASES OF POVERTY: I introduced a bipartisan bill this week to address a growing problem of parasitic diseases – mostly in poor, minority communities – along the U.S.-Mexico border, the rural South, Appalachia and distressed urban areas. The “Neglected Infections of Impoverished Americans Act of 2010” would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to Congress annually on the impact of these diseases, address their threat and make funding recommendations on how to eradicate them. My friend Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) is an original co-sponsor.

As always, thank you for your time and please help spread the word about our “Help for Homeowners” event this weekend. Thanks,

Hank
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) today introduced a bipartisan bill to address a growing problem of parasitic diseases – mostly in poor, minority populations – along the U.S.-Mexico border, the rural South, Appalachia and distressed urban areas.

The “Neglected Infections of Impoverished Americans Act of 2010” – H.R. 5986 – would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to Congress annually on the impact of these diseases, address their threat and make funding recommendations on how to eradicate them.

Some of the parasitic infections are spread by insects – such as Chagas disease or dengue fever. Others, such as toxocara and toxoplasmosis, are attained through contaminated animal feces, and still others thrive in soil, such as thread worms.

All of these neglected infections affect hundreds of thousands of mostly poor, minority residents with no health insurance. Infected people suffer from heart disease, lung ailments, birth defects, seizures, difficult pregnancies and child developmental problems.

“This legislation is a good first step in fighting these diseases by raising awareness,” said Rep. Johnson. “These are infections that we can treat, but we don’t have a good grasp on what impact these diseases are having on poor communities throughout the nation.”

Dr. Peter Hotez, a microbiologist at The George Washington University and President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, called the group of infections “a largely hidden burden of diseases.”

In a paper published in 2008 in the Public Library of Science Neglected Tropical Diseases, Dr. Hotez reported on surprisingly high rates of parasitic infections among the poor, particularly among minority populations, in the U.S.

“These are diseases that we know are at least as important as H1N1,” Hotez said. “Yet, they are on no one’s radar. These are not exotic diseases found only in developing countries. They are right here in our communities, and this legislation is desperately needed to help get a grasp on their impact.”

The bill, which was originally passed by the House in the Health Care Reform bill, was not included in Senate version that became law, and now goes to the Energy and Commerce Committee for review. Original cosponsors  include Al Green (D-TX), Donna Christensen (D-VT), Henry Waxman (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Bobby Rush (D-, G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Raul Grijalva (D-AR), Phil Gingrey (R-GA) and Donald Payne (D-NY).

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) voted to extend unemployment benefits to millions of Americans, including thousands of Georgians and Fourth District residents.

The measure passed the House on July 22, and now goes to President Obama’s desk for his signature.

But Republicans in the Senate blocked the bill for more than seven weeks while 2.5 million of Americans lost their benefits.

Last week, Johnson called on Georgia’s senators to pass the measure, which would extend unemployment benefits for Georgians, provide $1 billion for 350,000 youth employment jobs program and $2.5 billion in emergency assistance for needy families working in public and private sector jobs.

While the unemployment rate in the nation, state and Fourth District remains unacceptably high, Rep. Johnson said everything must be done to help residents bridge the gap.

“I speak with constituents all the time who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own,” said Johnson. “These benefits are crucial to help unemployed workers pay their mortgages and put food on the table.”

“Helping unemployed workers is not just the right thing to do for people, but it helps spur the economy. Republicans are eager to give the wealthiest Americans a tax break to the tune of $700 billion and not pay for the cuts, but they are unwilling to afford the same benefit for working Americans.”

According to the Georgia Department of Labor, 7,000 Georgians were losing their benefits each week that the Senate failed to act.

The state gives 26 weeks of unemployment insurance, and with the three extensions Congress has passed during the course of this recession, people can receive benefits for up to 99 weeks.

The bill extends the Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Extended Benefits programs through November 30, 2010 and retroactively restores benefits to some people who already lost their unemployment benefits.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) applauded as President Obama signed historic legislation to change the way Wall Street and the big banks conduct business.

One of the most sweeping pieces of financial reform legislation in decades, The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ends the era of abuses by big banks that have cost the American people 8 million jobs and $17 trillion in retirement savings and net worth.

It also creates a consumer financial protection bureau that puts American consumers first.

“Republicans and the Bush Administration looked the other way as Wall Street and big banks exploited loopholes and gambled with our money – costing working families in Georgia and across the country their homes, their jobs and their savings,” said Rep. Johnson. “These abuses stop now. This new law will hold Wall Street and big banks accountable and end taxpayer bailouts once and for all.”

The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act will help prevent the risky practices that led to the financial meltdown and stop large financial firms from gambling with Americans’ retirement, college savings and home values.  It ends “too big to fail” financial firms before risky and irresponsible behavior threatens to bring down the entire economy. 

The new law also will create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to protect Americans from unfair and abusive financial practices.  Just like the FDA does for food safety, the CFPB will set safety standards to prevent hidden credit card fees, deceptive “fine print,” and other financial abuses that have escaped oversight.
 
“This new law is about whose side you’re on,” said Rep. Johnson. “I’m on the side of working families – protecting consumers from fraud and providing Georgians with financial security. In voting against the bill and already advocating its repeal, Washington Republicans have shown they are on the side of big banks and Wall Street and letting America’s families and small businesses pay the price for Wall Street’s recklessness. After years of failed trickle-down policies, we can’t go back.”

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‘Agencia de Protección al Consumidor’  para proteger familias, pequeñas empresas

WASHINGTON, DC - El congresista Hank Johnson voto hoy para proteger a los consumidores frenando a Wall Street y a los grandes bancos que durante la presidencia de George W. Bush se salieron de control y no rindieron cuentas costándole 8 millones de empleos al país.

La Reforma Dodd-Frank Wall Street y el acta de protección al consumidor crea una nueva Agencia de Protección Financiera al Consumidor para proteger a las familias y las pequeñas empresas al asegurar que los préstamos bancarios, hipotecas y tarjetas de crédito sean justos, accesibles, comprensibles y transparentes.
"La reforma de Wall Street es un paso importante en nuestro camino hacia la recuperación", dijo Johnson.

"Esta legislación crea una nueva Agencia de Protección Financiera al Consumidor, faculta a los órganos de supervisión como la Comisión de Bolsa y Valores y ayuda a desmantelar  " las empresas demasiado grandes para quebrar.

En resumen, la reforma Wall Street evita los comportamientos y prácticas irresponsables que llevaron a la crisis financiera en el primer lugar. "

Como Presidente de la Subcomisión sobre Tribunales y poder judicial en políticas de competencia, el Represéntate  Johnson investigó el papel que desempeñaron las grandes instituciones financieras en la Gran Recesión.

Las recomendaciones de la subcomisión llevó a los legisladores a incluir en el proyecto de ley enmiendas que podrán fin a préstamos abusivos y a cerrar empresas financieras  "demasiado grandes para quebrar" antes de  que comportamientos riesgosos e irresponsables amenacen con derrumbar la economía.
 
"Sin embargo, debo añadir que me siento decepcionado de la carga  que está siendo desplazada a los gestores de fondos de cobertura comercial regular y a los bancos de la comunidad debido a las acciones de un senador. En lugar de cobrar impuestos a los grandes bancos y a los fondos de cobertura que causaron este problema, los senadores republicanos están usando el dinero del TARP que se suponía estaban dirigidos solamente hacia la reducción del déficit. Los miles de millones de dólares que habrían ayudado a pagar el déficit de ahora tendrán que venir del pueblo estadounidense”.

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Dear Friends,

A year and a half ago, our economy was on the brink of collapse. 

Since President Obama took office in 2009, we have stepped back from the brink of disaster. Where we were losing hundreds of thousands of jobs per month, now we are adding them, slowly but surely.  We have laid the foundations for a lasting economic recovery.

But times are still tough.  Small businesses are still suffering.  Unemployment remains outrageously high.  And I won't stop fighting for economic recovery until every Fourth District resident looking for a job finds one and small businesses are thriving once again.

That’s why I held a job fair in Rockdale County last week – my third in less than 14 months – and why I am working hard to bring home federal investment as one of the newest members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

It’s also why I supported the Recovery Act, which has helped save or create more than 84,000 jobs in Georgia since 2009 and is creating jobs throughout the Fourth District.

Don’t just take my word for it. Please explore our new interactive Recovery Act Map to see what projects are creating jobs in our community.

RECOVERY ACT AT WORK: Last week, I visited a road improvement project at the intersection of Lithonia Industrial Boulevard and South Stone Mountain Lithonia Road, where $16 million from the Recovery Act is creating 67 jobs and will soon improve traffic flow in that growing area of the District. Click here for more.

I also visited the home of Linda Felix and Fred Reams, who recently had their Stone Mountain home weatherized under the Recovery Act. Linda and Fred have cut her power bills in half thanks to their weatherization funded by the Recovery Act.

The Clarkston-based Partnership for Community Action received $8 million in Recovery funds and they are putting it to good use weatherizing 80 homes a month. This creates jobs for contractors performing the work, helps retailers who sell supplies, and reduces our dependence on fossil fuel and foreign oil all while saving residents money on their energy bills. For more, click here.

HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS: I’m holding a two-day “Save Your Home” event in conjunction with Congressmen John Lewis and David Scott on Friday July 30 and Saturday July 31 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.  The free event offers homeowners a chance to meet one on one with their lenders, find out if they qualify for President Obama’s Making Home Affordable program and offers the platform for struggling homeowners to work out other options with their lenders. For more, click here.

Hank                                              

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of his testimony today before the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) urged his colleagues to consider more investment in water infrastructure projects.

While Rep. Johnson praised the $4 billion for clean water projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – $120 million for Georgia – that helped create or save more than 340 jobs in the state, he said more needs to be done.

“I’m convinced that more funding is necessary for water infrastructure, especially in Georgia and my District,” said Rep. Johnson, who pointed out that Georgia received a “C” for wastewater, a “D+” for storm water and a “C+” for drinking water infrastructure in a report by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The report also found that Georgia’s drinking water infrastructure needs an investment of $9.02 billion over the next 20 years and that Georgia has $2.35 billion in wastewater infrastructure needs.

Closer to home, Rep. Johnson said timely investments in water resources projects could help put Fourth District residents back to work.

“In 2008, DeKalb County provided my office with a report listing 20 shovel ready water projects, totaling $1.6 billion,” he said. “These projects could be further along, and my constituents could go to work building them, with the adequate federal funding.  I know that the situation is similar in Rockdale and Gwinnet Counties as well.”

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CONYERS, GA – More than 300 Fourth District residents attended Rep. Hank Johnson’s (GA-04) and Rockdale County’s job fair in Conyers on July 9 at the Rockdale County Career Academy.

Local agencies and businesses – including the DeKalb County Police Department, Wal-Mart, Georgia Perimeter College and Georgia Work Ready – were on hand with jobs and assistance for residents seeking employment opportunities.

“I know times are still tough,” said Johnson. “That’s why it’s important that I held my third job fair in 14 months – because my staff and I will not rest until everyone who needs a job has one.”

Representatives from Goodwill Industries, the Veterans Administration, Georgia State University and Georgia Department of Labor were also on hand to provide assistance to job seekers.

RECOVERY ACT ‘CREATING JOBS IN THE FOURTH DISTRICT’

On July 7, Rep. Johnson toured project sites in the Fourth District funded by the Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA).

Johnson visited a road construction project and inspected a home recently weatherized thanks to funding from the ARRA, commonly known as the “stimulus package.”

The $16 million road and bridge construction project at the intersection of Lithonia Industrial Boulevard and South Stone Mountain Lithonia Road has created 67 jobs.

To view our interactive map of Recovery Act projects in the Fourth District, click here.

“I’m pleased this $16 million project – funded fully by the Recovery Act – is putting people back to work,” said Johnson. “And my job is to make sure funds keep flowing to this district to help grow our local economy and create jobs.”

At the Stone Mountain home of Linda Felix and Fred Reams – who had their home weatherized under the ARRA – Rep. Johnson met with members of the Partnership for Community Action, Environment Georgia, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority and weatherization experts to see how weatherization and energy audits are conducted.

Felix said the weatherization has cut her power bills by half.

“It’s through weatherization efforts like this that we can put people back to work, save residents money on their energy bills, cut our reliance on fossil fuels and help end our dependence on foreign oil,” said Johnson.

“This kind of holistic approach has us headed in the right direction.”

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CONYERS, GA – Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced today he will open a Conyers office for constituent services on Tuesday, July 13.

The office is located in Conyers City Hall in Rockdale County at 1184 Scott Street, Conyers, Georgia, 30012. The office will be open for business the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

“As Rockdale County continues to grow and thrive, we felt that we must do all we can to reach out,” said Rep. Johnson. “This way Rockdale citizen will have more options when receiving help with federal agencies.”

Congressional representatives can help constituents dealing with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Immigration, HUD, FEMA and the Veterans Administration, among other federal agencies.

For more information, call Rep. Johnson’s Lithonia office at 770-987-2291.

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Dear Friends,

Happy Fourth of July weekend!

This week, we passed comprehensive reform of Wall Street. Wall Street reform is an important step in our path to recovery. The bill creates a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to protect families and small businesses by ensuring that bank loans, mortgages and credit cards are fair, affordable, understandable and transparent.

This also empowers oversight bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and helps to dismantle firms that are ‘too big to fail.’ 

In short, Wall Street reform helps prevent the irresponsible behavior and practices that led to the financial crisis in the first place. For more on this bill, click here.

ROCKDALE JOB FAIR: Another important step to recovery is to ensure everyone who needs work has a job. That’s why my office is holding a job fair in conjunction with Rockdale County next week at the Rockdale County Career Academy on Culpepper Drive. Local, state and federal agencies will be on hand, as well as Georgia Perimeter College and Clayton State University.

WHAT: 2010 Job Fair and Career Expo
WHERE:   Rockdale County Career Academy, 1064 Culpepper Drive, Conyers, 30094
WHEN:   Friday, July 9, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

WEATHERIZATION JOB OPENING: The Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority is hiring a weatherization program manager. The Recovery Act has helped weatherize nearly 1,000 homes in the Fourth District since 2009. For more on this job opening, click here.

ROCKDALE OFFICE HOURS: We are opening a satellite Congressional office in Conyers City Hall on Tuesday, July 13 for constituent services. The office will be open the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is located at 1184 Scott Street, Conyers, 30012. For more information, call 770-987-2291.

EXTENDING HOMEBUYER CREDIT: As a part of our efforts to strengthen America’s housing market, Democrats created the successful first-time homebuyer tax credit. With the help of this credit, more than 4 million families have been able to achieve the dream of home ownership, and in doing so, given a boost to our economy. 

This week we passed legislation to extend the deadline for Americans already in the process of buying a home, but facing delays that would mean they no longer qualify for the credit.  Up to 180,000 homebuyers will now receive the tax credit they deserve, and our housing market will be strengthened as a result. For more, click here.

HEALTH REFORM HAPPENING NOW: On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the establishment of a new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) that will offer coverage to uninsured Americans who have been unable to obtain health coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Information on how to apply for the plan is available on HHS’ new consumer Web site -- click here. To learn more about the PCIPs available in Georgia, click here.

EARLY RETIREE REINSURANCE PROGRAM:  The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (OCIIO) is accepting applications for the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP).

Created by the Affordable Care Act as a bridge to the new health insurance marketplace established by the Exchanges in 2014, this $5 billion program will provide much-needed financial assistance for employers, including businesses, unions, state and local governments, and nonprofits, so retirees can get quality, affordable insurance. For more, click here.

TAX CUTS, HELP FOR THE UNEMPLOYED: I voted for H.R. 5618, Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act, which passed the House this week.  This emergency legislation would extend unemployment insurance benefits to millions of American families and hundreds of thousands of workers in Georgia.

But Senate Republicans continue to obstruct this legislation, turning their backs on Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Now we must wait for the Senate until after the July 4th break. For more, click here.

HOLDING BP ACCOUNTABLE: This week the House passed the SPILL Act, which will hold big oil companies more accountable. It will also ensure taxpayers aren’t bailing out BP to clean up this historic environmental catastrophe. I cosponsored the SPILL Act, which also addresses the legal liability issues arising from the spill. Click here to learn more.

PASSPORT FEES ON THE RISE: If you need a passport or it’s time to renew, now is the time to do it before the Department of State before their processing fees increase on July 13. To download a passport application, click here. A list of passport application acceptance facilities can also be found on the Web site.

PATRIOT EXPRESS LOANS ON RISE: In just three years, more than 6,000 U.S. Small Business Administration’s Patriot Express Pilot Loans have been issued. Expanded under the Recovery Act, the Patriot Loan program can be used by military members and their spouses to start or expand a small business. For more, click here.

Please help spread the word on the Job Fair, and please have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.

Hank
 

Today, HHS announced the establishment of a new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) that will offer coverage to uninsured Americans who have been unable to obtain health coverage because of a pre-existing health condition. 

Information on how to apply for the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan is available on HHS’ new consumer Web site, click here.

To learn more about the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan available to Georgians, click here.