January 2011 Archives

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  House Judiciary Committee member and former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced today his support of President Barack Obama’s nominations of a Georgia federal public defender and a U.S. Magistrate Judge to serve as district judges on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

The nominations, which require Senate confirmation, were announced January 25.

“I am pleased that President Obama has nominated two highly qualified candidates to the Federal Bench in the Northern District of Georgia,” said Johnson, lifelong attorney and former judge. “He has taken time to get it right – right on diversity and right on qualifications.”

United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Georgia Linda T. Walker and staff attorney at the Federal Defender Program for the Northern District of Georgia
Natasha Perdew Silas were nominated to judgeships vacant since early 2009.

Walker has served as magistrate judge since 2000.  Prior to her appointment to the bench, she worked for Fulton County in several capacities — as Deputy County Attorney from 1992 to 1997, as county attorney from 1997 to 1999, and as director of the County’s Board of Registration and Elections in 1999. 

Judge Walker worked as a litigation associate at the firm of Webb & Daniel in Atlanta from 1990 to 1992.  From 1989 to 1990, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable G. Ernest Tidwell of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.  She received her J.D. in 1989 from the University of Georgia School of Law, her M.S. in 1987 from Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University), and her B.S. in 1983 from Southern University.

Silas has worked as a Federal Public Defender since 1994, during which time she has tried more than 20 cases to completion. She previously worked as a litigation associate at the law firm of Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan in Atlanta from 1992 to 1994. Silas received her J.D. in 1992 from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.S. in 1988 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

More than 3,500 civil and criminal cases were filed in 2010 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, headquartered in Atlanta. The district is allotted 11 judgeships.

Federal district court judges, appointed under Article III of the Constitution, are nominated by the president, confirmed by the Senate and serve lifetime appointments upon good behavior. Their current annual salary is $174,000.

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WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement following today’s hearing on the Department of Defense’s proposed budget reductions and efficiencies initiatives:

"I applaud the Department of Defense for proposing a reduction of $78 billion in defense budget growth through 2016 and challenging the armed forces root out waste and inefficiency in military spending,” said Johnson. “This Committee and the Congress must play our Constitutional role in defining the scope and specifics of cuts, but Secretary Gates is advancing an admirable initiative.

“As we complete our withdrawal from Iraq and begin to draw down in Afghanistan, the Pentagon will have to share the burden of getting our fiscal house in order.

“It is refreshing to see Defense leadership coming to grips with this new reality and proposing steps, if only baby steps, to adapt to it.”

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WASHINGTON – Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) issued the following statement following President Obama’s State of the Union Address on Jan. 25, 2011.

“I share the President’s vision of an America that invests in its people by providing access to education and health care needed to lead the world in productivity and innovation,” said Johnson. “And I share the President’s call for investments in cutting-edge 21st century infrastructure and clean energy.

“There is no doubt that the economy we preside over today is better than the one we inherited. An economy that was shrinking is growing again. Instead of rapid job loss, more than a million private sector jobs were created last year. But we know we must do more to ensure that America and its workers can compete and win in the 21st century.”

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Congressman: Funds support housing, job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care for homeless

 LITHONIA, GA – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) today announced more than $2.2 million in Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants to provide permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons as well as job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care in Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District.

Called “Continuum of Care” grants, the funds are awarded competitively to local programs that help homeless Americans break cycles of homelessness and poverty.

“The recession has taken a huge toll,” said Johnson. “As our economy recovers, we must ensure everyone – no matter their circumstances – benefits from our efforts. These programs help people reach their personal goals and establish independence.”

“There is a tremendous need on our streets and in our shelters among those experiencing both long-term homelessness as well as families confronting a sudden economic crisis,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “These grants are the life blood for thousands of local housing and service programs that are doing the heavy lifting to meet President Obama’s goal of ending homelessness.”

The grants will fund programs throughout the Fourth District, including Action Ministries, Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Rainbow Village Inc., Our House Inc., Initiative for Affordable Housing, Jerusalem House, Progressive Redevelopment, Zion Keepers and Salvation Army.

“Some of these programs help our disabled veterans,” said Johnson. “We should do all we can to help those who have sacrificed to protect us to live more fulfilling lives.”

Tyese Lawyer, executive director of Our House Inc. in Decatur, which provides child care for homeless families, said the grant award will go a long way.

“Children are often forgotten in the homelessness crisis,” said Lawyer. “These funds allow us to provide a loving, safe, early learning environment, where parents can confidently leave their child while Our House helps parents seek employment and permanent housing.”

Photo courtesy of The Atlanta Voice: HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan (right) Mtamanika Youngblood, President/CEO of Sustainable Neighborhood Development Strategies, Inc., and U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson listen to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed talk about what rebuilding efforts talking place in the Pittsburgh community recently.

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Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) voted against repeal of health care reform.  According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, if enacted, the repeal would increase the country’s deficit by $230 billion in the coming decade.

“In the middle of a recession, my top priority is job creation and supporting policies and programs that help my constituents. I am not in favor of taking health care benefits and security away from hard working Americans.

“I’m voting against the House Republicans' repeal of health care reform because I was sent here to protect and represent my constituents, many of whom stand to be left without health coverage.

“I’m talking about constituents like Lisa Ryan, a former school teacher from Decatur, who suffers from the debilitating disease Lupus.

“With enactment of the Health Care Reform Act in 2010, Lisa was given immediate access to insurance through the interim high-risk pools – which provides access to quality, affordable health care to people with no insurance who have pre-existing conditions. If that benefit were suddenly taken from her, she would be in real trouble with managing her disease, keeping her financial house in order and dealing with the emotional strain and pain that, have for too long, dogged more than 30 million Americans without adequate insurance.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that health care reform saved her life.

“Why would anyone think that I would want to once again allow insurance companies to discriminate and deny health care to my constituents? I am not going back and neither are the American people.”

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As seen in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tuesday, January 18

The attempted assassination of my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was an attack on all Americans, our Constitution, and our way of life.  It was also a wake-up call.  Our culture of violence and our zero-sum political discourse, unhinged by the extreme and hateful rhetoric of shock jocks and demagogues, threaten the Republic.

Last week, Nancy Pelosi handed the House Speaker’s gavel to John Boehner. Though Democrats lamented loss of the House, all Americans should appreciate the peaceful transfer of political power, a basic goal of our Constitutional system and something rarely achieved in the history of nations. We had a spirited national debate. There were disagreements. The people spoke, and their will was respected and upheld.  The principle that civic disagreements must be resolved in the courts, the legislature, and the ballot box – not through the barrel of a gun – is fundamental to the American way of life.

By substituting violence for political advocacy, the shooter who grievously wounded Congresswoman Giffords and killed six Americans attacked not only innocent people but our democracy itself.  The dark irony of the attack’s setting – a “Congress on Your Corner” meeting, at which Congresswoman Giffords made herself available to hear the concerns of her constituents – only underscores the point.

This week our prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, the families of those killed and wounded, and all those still fighting for their lives in Arizona.

While we pray, we must recognize this despicable act as a wake-up call. Acts of political violence are not without precedent in American history, but they have come at moments when deeply divisive forces and events test our mettle as a democracy.

This is such a moment.

This plot was hatched in a toxic political climate permeated by vitriol and, in some cases, marked by deeply disturbing calls to near insurrection. The paranoid delusions of the alleged shooter could only have been deepened by the rock-bottom tone of our national debate, which erodes civic trust and incites extremism.

Tempting though the political blame game may be, partisan attacks dishonor the victims of this crime. It is not difficult to identify the sources of incitement and extremist rhetoric in our politics, and I call upon all of those who have played fast and loose with civility to earnestly reconsider their words and deeds. 

It is a time for demagogues to search their souls and change course. Indeed, it is a time for all of us to search our souls. Politicians of all stripes sew anger and division. Angry words can lead to angry acts, and political leaders should set a tone befitting a nation that prides itself on commitments to tolerance and democracy.

Beyond the political realm, this tragedy should provoke new reflection on the crass attitudes toward violence that make our country an uglier, more dangerous place. What happened in Tucson on Saturday happens all too often on the streets of our cities, where gunshot and assault victims die anonymously, with no television coverage or national moments of mourning.  Often there is only a grieving mother, brother, or child. 

None of this is news. But it is well worth acknowledging and reconsidering it in light of Saturday’s tragedy.

We can do better. For all the horror of Saturday, we would do a disservice to the victims and to the nation if we did not seize this moment, look within, and put a better foot forward.

Awakened by this horrific violence, we should renew our shared determination to defend our democracy, strengthen our commitment to civility even in the face of disagreement, and affirm our belief that we are all Americans – no matter our views on health care, taxes, financial regulation, foreign policy, or abortion.  Let those who profit from division and fan the flames of distrust and discontent reconsider their actions. 

And let us seek peace.
 

LITHONIA – Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) issued the following statement to honor the memory and legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“As we begin to heal from the tragedy in Arizona last weekend, let us put the lessons Dr. King taught us – peace, love and non-violence – to work in our communities.”

“When Dr. King confronted those who dealt  injustice, he and many others that fought for our civil rights were thwarted, jailed, beaten, ridiculed and threatened. They were called rabble-rousers, Communists, disturbers of the peace and worse. Many people stood by and did nothing.

“It is no wonder then that Dr. King said, ‘In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.’

“Whatever else we remember about Dr. King, we should recall that he chose not to remain silent in the face of injustice. Can we say the same about ourselves?

"When anyone is treated without respect, without fair play, without kindness, we must not remain mute. We should follow the suggestion of Dr. King: ‘With our faith, we will transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.’

Pictured above: Hank urges residenst to live out the creed of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the MLK day Rally at The Champion Middle School in Stone Mountain on Monday, Jan. 17.

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Madame Speaker, I rise to support H.Res. 32.

I am deeply shocked and saddened by this horrific tragedy.

As a fellow Member of the class of 2006, I have gotten to know Congresswoman Giffords well and have developed enormous respect for her intellect and her love of this country.  She and I have served together on the House Armed Services Committee and she was even gracious enough to share her blanket with me as we braved the cold during the Inauguration of President Obama.

I am praying for Gabby, her family, staff and the other victims of this senseless act of violence.

As the former Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy, I would also like to say a few words about Federal Judge, John Roll, who lost his life on Saturday. 
Judge Roll was known as even-handed jurist who was with Congresswoman Giffords the day of the shootings to press for funding to relieve overcrowding in his district.

Judge Roll was appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, and had served as chief judge of the District of Arizona since 2006.  Judge Roll had been a life time servant of his community and his State.  He was 63 years old.  As Chief Justice John Roberts said, “Judge Roll’s death is a somber reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it.”

While we grieve, we must also recognize that violence has no place in our public life.  We must stand up against creeping violence and aggression in our political discourse.

As those feelings are expressed during debate and campaigns, we must act constructively to rebuild our economy together and avoid heated rhetoric that tears us apart and can push already disturbed individuals over a dangerous edge.

On Saturday, our nation saw the type of political violence most Americans ascribe to a war zone or a failed state.

Let me reiterate that the only way out of a political discussion is through open debate or the ballot box.

As this Congress looks to the political disagreements in the road ahead, I must ask my colleagues and all Americans to understand and consider the consequences of heated rhetoric and to make sure we discuss issues in a peaceful and constructive manner.

I encourage my colleagues to take appropriate caution, but to hold constituent meetings and do the job we were elected to do without fear.

To do otherwise would allow the gunman a small taste of victory and would diminish our democracy.
 

As seen in the Huffington Post

Health Care Reform: Correct, Constitutional, and not Going Anywhere

Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04)

In the past two years, President Obama and Congress have invested heavily in economic recovery, pulling America back from the brink of a second Great Depression and laying the foundations for renewed growth.

The recovery is in progress. But in the shadow of a global financial crisis and a deep recession, unemployment remains high and the American people need Washington to stay focused on job creation.
Americans will no doubt be confused by the priorities of the new Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Will they dedicate the first month of the 112th Congress to job creation, as we did in the 111th?  No.  House Republicans have announced their top priority: to deny millions of low-and middle-income Americans health care and increase the deficit by repealing health care reform, a signal achievement of the previous Congress. 

Their effort is doomed to fail; the Senate will not pass nor would the President sign any such law.  But House Republicans will nevertheless pay lip service to the Tea Party activists who put them in power by forcing a vote on repeal.

Opponents of health care reform have rallied around a Constitutional objection to the “individual mandate,” the provision of the reform law that requires Americans to purchase health insurance.  They argue that Congress has no Constitutional authority to mandate coverage.

They are wrong.

The powers of the Congress are enumerated in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.  Among them are the powers to raise and maintain the military, to declare war, to print and manage the currency, to establish federal courts and to make bankruptcy laws. 

Critically, this section also grants Congress broad power “to regulate commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States.”  Congressional power to regulate interstate commerce is one of two key Constitutional foundations of the health care law.  Under existing case law, Congress has clear authority under the commerce clause to regulate health care and health insurance, which undeniably impact interstate commerce and contribute more than 17 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product.

The other Constitutional foundation of the health care law is the final Congressional power enumerated in Article I, Section 8: the power of Congress to “make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers.”  Congress not only can regulate the health insurance industry; it can establish the laws necessary and proper for carrying out that regulation.

The individual mandate is an essential plank of health care reform, whose core objectives are expansion of access to quality, affordable care and prohibition of insurance practices that deny necessary care to sick Americans. 

A key – and popular – provision of reform is the ban on discrimination against patients who are already sick.  Without the individual mandate, Americans could abuse this provision by waiting to get insurance until after they are diagnosed with an illness. Insurers would be required to cover care even though the consumer had not been paying premiums to cover the expense. The cost of that care would be passed along to those who are already insured, hospitals, taxpayers and doctors.  Such a system would be incoherent, ineffective and unfair.

Only through the individual mandate can we implement the ban on discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions and help millions afford coverage.  It is a necessary provision of common-sense regulations that expand Americans’ access to care and stop abusive insurance practices.  It is necessary, proper, and falls squarely within the powers of Congress enumerated in Article I.

This debate may well be headed to the Supreme Court.  But decades from now, Americans will wonder what all the fuss over health care was about.  We passed legislation that expands access to insurance for millions of Americans.  It will prevent death from treatable illness for Americans who previously could not afford care.  It saves the taxpayer money, and it is Constitutional.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson today released the following statement on the first anniversary of Haiti’s devastating earthquake:

“I visited Haiti to observe elections late last year, and it’s clear that much work remains undone,” said Johnson, who visited Haiti over the Thanksgiving weekend to observe elections and receive a briefing on the cholera outbreak.

“Thousands are still living in camps and more than 1.3 million people remain homeless. The cholera epidemic is still a major public health challenge. Major roads remain impassable and normal life is on hold due to enormous piles of rubble that are impeding movement and construction. Just five percent of the 22 million cubic yards of heavy debris has been removed.  At that rate, it will take 19 years to clear the debris.

We must stay focused on reconstruction, we must continue to provide aid, we must hold Haiti’s political leaders accountable and we must promote humane refugee policies to deal with displaced persons. I remain steadfastly committed to helping Haiti stabilize its infrastructure, political life and its economy.”

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Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) released the following statement Saturday, Jan. 8 after news that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others were shot at an event in Tucson, Arizona, this morning:

 LITHONIA, GA – “My heart is broken. I am deeply shocked and saddened,” said Johnson, who was elected to Congress with Giffords in 2006. “I am praying for Gabrielle, her family, staff and the other victims of this senseless act of violence.”

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Rep. Hank Johnson gave the following remarks on the House floor on Wednesday, Jan. 12

H.Res. 32 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives
with respect to the tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona, on January 8, 2011

Madame Speaker, I rise to support H.Res. 32.

I am deeply shocked and saddened by this horrific tragedy. 

As a fellow Member of the class of 2006, I have gotten to know Congresswoman Giffords well and have developed enormous respect for her intellect and her love of this country.  She and I have served together on the House Armed Services Committee and she was even gracious enough to share her blanket with me as we braved the cold during the Inauguration of President Obama. 

I am praying for Gabby, her family, staff and the other victims of this senseless act of violence.

As the former Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy, I would also like to say a few words about Federal Judge, John Roll, who lost his life on Saturday. 
Judge Roll was known as even-handed jurist who was with Congresswoman Giffords the day of the shootings to press for funding to relieve overcrowding in his district. 

Judge Roll was appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, and had served as chief judge of the District of Arizona since 2006.  Judge Roll had been a life time servant of his community and his State.  He was 63 years old.  As Chief Justice John Roberts said, “Judge Roll’s death is a somber reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it.”

While we grieve, we must also recognize that violence has no place in our public life.  We must stand up against creeping violence and aggression in our political discourse.

As those feelings are expressed during debate and campaigns, we must act constructively to rebuild our economy together and avoid heated rhetoric that tears us apart and can push already disturbed individuals over a dangerous edge. 

On Saturday, our nation saw the type of political violence most Americans ascribe to a war zone or a failed state. 

Let me reiterate that the only way out of a political discussion is through open debate or the ballot box. 

As this Congress looks to the political disagreements in the road ahead, I must ask my colleagues and all Americans to understand and consider the consequences of heated rhetoric and to make sure we discuss issues in a peaceful and constructive manner. 

I encourage my colleagues to take appropriate caution, but to hold constituent meetings and do the job we were elected to do without fear.

To do otherwise would allow the gunman a small taste of victory and would diminish our democracy.  
 

Dear Friends,

As the 112th Congress gets underway and we kick off the new year, let's take a moment to look back at the 111th Congress.

In two years, we worked hard to move America forward, create jobs, and end the recession – investing in recovery to rebuild the worst economy in 60 years. There is much left to do, but we made important strides forward.

We fought for working Americans in the face of relentless opposition by Wall Street, Big Oil, and the health insurance industry. Despite well-financed opposition, we enacted landmark achievements for the middle class in job creation, small business tax cuts, health care, Wall Street reform, veterans’ health care, and child nutrition. I am proud to have served during this historic Congress, one of the most productive in decades.

The accomplishments include:

Economic Recovery and Creating Jobs: The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, passed early in the 111th, helped create more than 3 million jobs nationwide and more than 80,000 here in Georgia. We continue to invest in our infrastructure, small businesses, green energy, education and manufacturing. Ninety-five percent of American workers received a tax cut. For an interactive map of Recovery projects in the Fourth District, click here.

Consumer Protection: The Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights and Wall Street Reform are already protecting consumers from abusive fees and penalties, and ending taxpayer-funded bailouts for banks that are “too big to fail.”

Fair Pay: I was proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that will boost women’s rights to fair pay and other workers for that matter, who challenge unfair pay.

Affordable Health Care: Not only will 32 million more Americans have access to quality, affordable care, but the law prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against Americans with pre-existing conditions, strengthens Medicare and will save us money in the long run. I also introduced the Neglected Diseases of Poverty bill that will help our nation track and eradicate parasitic diseases that are making a comeback in our poorer communities, and was proud to help Georgia receive its share of funding under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act. I will vote to protect the progress we've made on this front in the 112th Congress.

Starting this year, the vast majority of people with Medicare will see several new benefits, including free annual wellness check-ups, recommended preventive services preventive services without cost-sharing and discounts on prescription drugs in the Medicare Part D  “donut hole.” In addition, new rules will hold insurance companies accountable so more of your premium dollars go to health care, and you’re more protected from unreasonable rate hikes. For more, click here.

Helping Homeowners: We passed the Helping Families Save Their Home Act that builds on the President’s initiative to stem the tide of foreclosures with significant incentives to lenders, servicers and homeowners to modify loans. Our district office has helped hundreds of constituents work with their lenders to help save their homes.

National Security and Veterans: Our troops received a 3.4% pay raise under the Defense Authorization; we repealed the discriminating “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, increased resources for veterans’ health care and strengthen the GI Bill.

Clean energy jobs and the environment: I was glad to see our renewable energy grant program extended for another year that helps local companies like solar-panel manufacturer Suniva in Norcross continue to grow and create jobs.

As we prepare for the 112th Congress, I pledge to continue working to level the playing field between you and Wall Street, fight to keep the gains we’ve made with access to affordable health care and work with all my colleagues until every Georgian who needs work can find a job.

Thank you,

Lawrenceville Highway office in Tucker closing

 LITHIONIA – As state and local officials cut back during difficult economic times and as cuts to congressional office budgets are being finalized in Washington, D.C., Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) is reorganizing his district offices to consolidate resources and streamline constituent services.

The Lawrenceville Highway office in Tucker is closing as of Dec. 23. All constituents’ calls and services will be transferred to the main office in Lithonia. The phone number for the office in Lithonia will remain 770-987-2291.

Congressman Johnson’s office is exploring the possibility of one or more satellite offices in the Tucker area, like the one it has in Rockdale County partnering with Conyers City Hall.

“Providing excellent constituent services will remain at the core of our mission,” Rep. Johnson said. “This consolidation will streamline our offices and save taxpayers money but without sacrificing service. We are committed to being good stewards of taxpayers’ resources, and we are making cuts to our budget just like everyone else.”

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