>>About Hank
Congressman Henry “Hank” Johnson, Jr.
is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Committee
on the Judiciary, and the House Committee on Small Business. He was
elected to the historic 110th Congress and, in his first official
act, helped install Nancy Pelosi as the first woman Speaker of the
House.
During his first year in office, Hank has distinguished himself as
a thoughtful legislator advocating for the concerns of his constituents
and citizens across the nation. He voted to raise the minimum wage.
He fought for children’s health insurance, more Head Start funding,
and to reform “No Child Left Behind.” He secured Federal
funds for transportation, for medical facilities -- including Grady
Hospital, and for public safety in the District.
He pushed for foreclosure relief and to protect citizens from predatory
lending. He voted for tax relief for working families and to punish
gas gougers. Hank introduced ethics legislation and he supported stem
cell research. With bipartisan support, Hank authored and passed a
Resolution calling for an end to the 21-year conflict in Northern
Uganda.
A strong voice against the war in Iraq and for the fair treatment
of our troops, veterans and military families, he fought for military
pay raises, better benefits and quality medical care. Hank visited
the troops in Iraq during a time of intense warfare and the first
bill he introduced was to protect them. He vehemently opposed war
profiteering and worked to close the loopholes manipulated by U.S.
companies to avoid accountability while operating overseas.
Serving on the Judiciary Committee, Hank stood up for citizen’s
rights. He introduced legislation suppressing mandatory arbitration
agreements. He demanded fairness in the Jena 6, Genarlow Wilson, and
detainee treatment cases. And he led some of the most engaging discussions
in the hearings over dismissal of the U.S. Attorneys. When they refused
to comply with Committee subpoenas, Congressman Johnson pushed for
contempt citations for former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and
Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and he signed a Resolution urging the
resignation of Attornery General Alberto Gonzales.
On the Small Business Committee Hank advocated for a larger share
of federal contracts for small, minority and women-owned businesses.
He has encouraged “green” technologies to create jobs
and protect the environment. To prevent the export of U.S. jobs, he
opposed the Free Trade Agreement with Peru and demanded help for workers
who have been displaced by foreign labor.
Committed to constituent services at home in his first year, Hank
averaged one Town Hall meeting per month. He launched “Congress
on Your Corner,” and participated in a host of community events
to hear directly from constituents. His two District offices have
provided service for over 1,000 constituent cases ranging from passport
issues to Social Security complaints and postal service challenges.
Prior to his election, Hank served as a DeKalb County Commissioner
where he chaired the Budget Committee and a committee to coordinate
planning with the Board of Education.
For nearly three decades, in partnership with his wife, he was a
principal in Johnson & Johnson Law Group LLC, practicing law in
Decatur where he focused on criminal and civil litigation. For 12
years he served as a Judge in the Magistrate Court of DeKalb County
and by designation, he sat as a State Court Judge, presiding over
civil and criminal jury trials. The Georgia Supreme Court appointed
Hank to serve as a Special Master.
He earned his Juris Doctor at Texas Southern University, Thurgood
Marshall School of Law. He received his undergraduate degree from
Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) where he later served
as president of the Alumni Association, DeKalb Chapter. Hank is a
member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
In his first run for Congress, Hank unseated a 12-year incumbent
in a nationally watched primary runoff (59% to 41%). He won the General
Election with 75% of the vote.
Hank is married to Mereda Davis Johnson, Esq. and has two children.
