“I’m proud to support the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge or STOCK Act, which prohibits members of Congress, their staff, executive branch employees, and any other person from trading stocks based on information not available to the public. Although I have a few reservations about House Republican attempts to water down the bill, I trust the final bill will be improved and strengthened when it comes out of the conference committee.”

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 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced today that he earned a 94 percent voting record on The League of Conservations Voters (LCV) 2011 National Environmental Scorecard. The 2011 Scorecard works to turn environmental values into national priorities.

Johnson's 95 percent lifetime score is the highest among the 15 members of the Georgia Congressional delegation.

“Protection of our imperiled planet is a central challenge of our time,” said Johnson. “I’m very proud of my record.”

Last summer, Rep. Johnson, his Congressional Progressive Caucus colleagues and the Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC) held a mini-filibuster on the House floor to fight against the interior appropriations bill (H.R. 2584, FY 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations Act) because it made draconian cuts to environmental programs and changed long standing policy for the betterment of polluters.

Johnson called the bill “nothing more than an attempt to remove 40 years of federal laws that protect our seas, air, land, and wildlife.” 

LCV agrees with Rep. Johnson, saying the 2011 Scorecard reflects the most anti-environmental session of the U.S. House of Representatives in history, featuring unparalleled assaults on our nation’s bedrock environmental and public health safeguards.
 
“In 2011, the House Republican leadership unleashed a truly breathtaking and unprecedented assault on the environment and public health, the breadth and depth of which have made the current U.S. House of Representatives the most anti-environmental in our nation’s history,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski.

“LCV is grateful to the Obama administration, allies in the Senate and House, and the millions of people across the country who helped to ensure that the House leadership did not succeed in gutting our nation’s cornerstone environmental and public health protections in 2011.”
 
For over 40 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health and energy issues.
 
The full 2011 National Environmental Scorecard can be found at www.lcv.org/scorecard

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 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) today announced he will serve as co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. House Rare Earth Caucus with U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman (CO-06).

The Rare Earth Caucus is comprised of Members of the U.S. House of Representatives committed to securing U.S. supply of rare earth elements.  Critical to clean energy and defense manufacturing, rare earth elements are strategic minerals used to produce technologies such as wind turbines, advanced batteries, powerful magnets, and military radar systems.

Currently, China accounts for 97 percent of global rare earth element production and in recent years has restricted rare earth element exports.  The Chinese monopoly is a strategic vulnerability for the United States that could undermine national security and competitiveness in the defense and clean energy sectors.

• READ: National Geographic reports, “China’s rare-earth minerals monopoly gives it key clean energy supply role” - http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101001-energy-rare-earth-metals/

In 2011, Rep. Johnson introduced the Resource Assessment of Rare Earths (RARE) Act of 2011, cosponsored by Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Rep. Edward Markey (MA-07), which directs the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct a three-year global mineral assessment of rare earth elements.

One of 25 bills included in House Democrats’ “Make it in America” agenda, most of the RARE Act was included in the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2011 (H.R. 2011), which passed the Republican-controlled House Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support in 2011.

• READ:  L.A. Times coverage of Rep. Johnson’s “RARE Act” - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/03/rare-earth-elements.html

“A strong rare earth policy will reduce our dependence on supply from China and support American jobs,” said Johnson. “I look forward to building bipartisan support with Congressman Coffman to secure U.S. supply and promote domestic production of rare earth elements.”

Johnson, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, said he plans to use the FY13 National Defense Authorization Act to advance U.S. rare earth policy.  “We’ve got to move aggressively on rare earths, and the defense bill is a great vehicle for it,” said Johnson.

Current member of the Rare Earth Caucus include: Rep. Mike Coffman (CO-06), Rep. Robert E. Latta (OH-05), Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (MD-06), Rep. Paul A. Gosar (AZ-1), Rep. Devin Nunes (CA-21), Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01), Rep. Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Rep. Steve King (IA-05), Rep. Dave Loebsack (IA-2), Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02), Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Rep. Cynthia M. Lummis (WY-at large), Rep. Tom Latham (IW-04), and Rep. Don Young (AK-at large).

The staff contact for rare earth policy in Congressman Johnson’s office is Jonathan Ossoff (mailto:jonathan.ossoff@mail.house.gov), senior legislative assistant.

###
 

“Black History Month is a chance for everyone to study and learn about the role African-Americans played in our history and contemplate their contributions to our future. Black history is American history – you can’t have one without the other.

I celebrate the past accomplishments of iconic historical figures such as Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, W.E.B. DuBois, Shirley Chisholm and Thurgood Marshall.

But I also respect – beyond measure – people like my colleagues Rep. John Lewis, Rep. James Clyburn, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. Charles Rangel and Rep. Barbara Lee who are even now, along with President Obama, working to deliver on the promise of civil rights, equality, and justice so that everyone has an equal and fair shot at success and the American Dream. “

###

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act restored basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers, ensuring any woman facing unfair treatment would have their day in court.  With women making up nearly half of the labor force and mothers increasingly serving as the primary or co-breadwinners for American families, the wage gap hurts families, businesses, and communities. 

Today, with women still earning an average of just 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, more must be done to level the playing field for all workers, said Johnson.

“The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act strengthened America’s families – because equal pay is not simply a women’s issue; it’s a family issue,” Johnson said.  “For our nation’s women, our work is far from complete. We must act now to build on Lilly Ledbetter, fight discrimination wherever it exists, and put an end to this basic injustice in our economy and society.”

Democrats are committed to taking further steps to eliminate the wage gap and expand equality for women. To meet these goals, President Obama established the Equal Pay Task Force, which is working to ensure that existing equal pay laws are vigorously enforced across the country. It is now time for the 112th Congress to enact the Paycheck Fairness Act to give new teeth to the Equal Pay Act and provide women additional tools to fight pay discrimination.  America’s women can’t wait.

“This law is not just about gender discrimination – it’s about fairness for all American workers and families,” said Johnson.
 
 

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“In my five years in Congress, I’ve never seen such an outpouring of genuine goodwill as I witnessed last night on the House floor for Gabby Giffords in her appearance at the State of the Union speech. I’ll never forget huddling with her against the bitter cold on that historic Inauguration Day on January 20, 2009.  Her strength and message of civility are an inspiration to the world. 

“Gabby will be greatly missed. I wish her, and her husband Mark, all the best as they open a new chapter in their lives. I hope and trust that one day she will return to the public service she loves so much.”

###

“I agree with the President – this is a make or break moment for the middle class and for those trying to reach it. We can go back to an economy that favors the few built on outsourcing, bad debts and phony profits or can we build an economy in President Obama’s vision – an economy built by American workers, powered by American energy and reflecting American values.

“It is remarkable what President Obama has achieved in his first three years. He inherited an economy in freefall. Unemployment has fallen from 10% during the President’s first year in office to 8.5% today. Consumer confidence has more than doubled since the President took office and more than 3.2 million private sector jobs have been created in the last 22 months.

“We’re making progress, we’re building momentum, and we know what we have to do to rebuild a sustainable American economy with a thriving middle class and opportunity for all.”

###

“An activist Supreme Court, misusing its authority by legislating policy from the bench, ignored decades of legal precedent when it ruled in 2010 that corporations have the same constitutional right of free speech as people.

In doing so, the Court opened the floodgates for unlimited, unregulated and undisclosed secret corporate spending to influence the outcome of elections – local, state and federal – throughout America. Citizens United also enabled the use of foreign corporate money for the same purpose. The effect of this devastating decision has been to enable corporate money to dictate public policy so that it favors wealthy business interests, and millionaires and billionaires, over the interests of working people.

I fully support legislative efforts to return control of the political process back to the people. That is why I cosponsored H.J. Res 90, the OCCUPIED Amendment: Outlawing Corporate Campaign Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy, which would overturn Citizens United, return campaign finance regulation to the government and outlaw corporation campaign spending.

Powerful special interests and their lobbyists should not be able to drown out the voices of the American people and sell our Democracy to the highest bidder.”

###
 

On the first anniversary of the passage by House Republicans of the Health Reform Repeal Act, Rep. Johnson said:   “If Republicans had been successful in taking away benefits that Americans enjoy today, 2.5 million young adults would have lost their health coverage; 17 million children would have lost their protections; 24 million seniors would have lost their free preventative care; and 2.7 million seniors would pay more for their drug costs.”   

Added Rep. Johnson: “As health care reform continues to be implemented, it is expanding coverage and lowering costs for millions of American households. I will continue to fight against GOP efforts to repeal patients’ rights that would put the insurance companies back in charge.”

Benefits already enjoyed by Americans include:

► Coverage for 2.5 million young adults. Under reform, already 2.5 million young adults have been able to stay on their parents’ health plan until their 26th birthday, instead of being uninsured.
► Lower drug costs for 2.7 million seniors.  Under reform, 2.7 million seniors have already received a 50 percent discount for their brand-name Rx drugs while in the ‘donut hole,’ with an average savings of $569 per senior per year.
► Lower health care costs for more than 24 million seniors.  Under reform, more than 24 million seniors have already received one or more free preventive services under Medicare, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, or a free annual Wellness Visit.
► Guaranteed protection for up to 17 million children with pre-existing conditions.  Under reform, insurance companies are now prohibited from discriminating against children with pre-existing conditions.

Benefits of the Affordable Care Act in the Fourth District:

► Provides coverage for 153,000 uninsured residents.
► Provides health care credits to up to 166,000 households.
► Reduces costs of uncompensated care by $98 million.
► Improves employer-based coverage for more than 350,000 residents.
► Improves Medicare for 65,000 residents/Closes the donut hole.
► Allows more than 15,000 small businesses to obtain affordable care.

The health reform law put Americans and their families in charge of their health care.  By contrast, the GOP repeal bill would put insurance companies back in charge – repealing key new consumer protections for Americans and their families.  For example, a successful GOP repeal effort would mean:

► Allowing insurers to once again arbitrarily drop individuals from coverage simply because they get sick;
► Allowing insurers to once again place a lifetime limit on coverage – a limit that, in the past, has forced families into bankruptcy when a serious illness has struck; and
► Allowing insurers to once again impose low annual limits on coverage, increasing costs for families.

The GOP repeal effort would also repeal key provisions that hold insurance companies accountable and achieve savings for consumers. For example, a successful GOP effort means:

► Repealing holding insurance companies accountable by eliminating the requirement that insurers spend at least 80 percent of premiums covering medical services – rather than CEO pay, profits, and administrative costs, and eliminating the requirement that insurers that fail to meet the 80 percent test must provide a rebate to their customers, beginning this year; and
► Repealing holding insurance companies accountable by eliminating the requirement that insurers must publish on the internet justifications for any premium increases they are seeking that are more than 10 percent, with outside experts publicly evaluating whether these increases are justified.

“As health reform continues to be implemented, it is already benefiting millions of Americans in important ways,” Rep. Johnson stated.

###
 

“Republicans in Congress have no one but to blame themselves for the denial of the Keystone Pipeline application because of the arbitrary and artificial deadlines they imposed on the process. The Keystone Pipeline was never about jobs and energy independence – it was about taking the dirtiest oil on earth through a pipeline to the Gulf Coast and shipping that oil abroad. I’m glad President Obama stood up for the American people, the environment, clean air and for the health and well being of the people and wildlife living near the pipeline.”

###
 

 LITHONIA – Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) honored the memory and legacy of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by attending services for the civil rights icon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce and the Rockdale Branch of the NAACP Breakfast and the NAACP MLK parade and rally in Stone Mountain, Ga., where he served as Grand Marshal.

“Martin Luther King Jr. offered us a message of peace, and inspired us to respect our neighbors not as members of a given race, but as fellow human beings," said Johnson. “His mission was to ‘end the long night of racial injustice’ – his dream a vision of common purpose and common humanity.”

“This year, in Washington, we finally unveiled the magnificent Martin Luther King National Memorial. In doing so, Dr. King has now taken his rightful place in the pantheon of heroes honored on our National Mall, standing between the memorials to Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. ”

Johnson started the day in Rockdale County, attended the morning ecumenical services at Ebenezer Church downtown and later traveled to Stone Mountain to be Grand Marshal of the parade and rally.

“Dr. King died fighting for workers’ rights,” said Johnson. “He taught us how to live and die, to speak up, speak out and find a way to get in the way of injustice.”

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With the Oct. 16, 2011, dedication of the MLK Memorial on our National Mall in Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. takes his rightful place in the pantheon of American heroes.  The King Memorial, which stands between the Jefferson and Lincoln monuments, now occupies the same hallowed ground as those esteemed Presidents.  It is the first and only monument on The Mall not created for a president or recognizing a war.  It is a blessing that the champion of peace stands forever in our collective national memory.

As we gather Monday to honor the work of Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, we pause to reflect on the struggle against prejudice, hatred and intolerance. May we not forget that Dr. King not only labored in the vineyard to ensure that people of different races were treated fairly -- he also toiled to ensure that the poor were respected and that workers of every creed and background were treated justly.

While we have made great progress, we know there is “A Mission Still to Fulfill.” Once again, we rededicate ourselves to keeping the dream alive and fostering peace and equality.

It is my distinct honor and I am humbled to serve on Monday as the Grand Marshal of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade in Stone Mountain. The parade has become a remarkable tradition in that small village made famous in the “I Have a Dream Speech.”  As we go forth today, and because of  Dr. King’s work and legacy, we can joyfully  say, “Let Freedom Ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia” and throughout our nation and the world!

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Rail Schedules and Stations:  http://itsmarta.com/rail-schedules-or-route.aspx 

Routes and Scheduling Information hotline and e-mail: (404) 848-5000, Email: schedinfo@itsmarta.com. Hours: Monday - Friday: 7:00 am until 7:00 pm Sat, Sun. Holidays: 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.

Traffic Assistance:
Use Georgia 511 to receive free traffic and travel information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It provides state route and interstate information, plus estimated Atlanta travel times. Speak to live operators to report incidents or request assistance.
 

Georgia will receive an estimated $60 million this year – $27 million of which was released late last month.

Rep. Johnson wrote a letter Dec. 2 to House leadership urging more funding for LIHEAP after funds were exhausted in Nov. 2011 due to increased demand by seniors and disabled residents.

“This funding is crucial for low-income families who are still struggling to makes ends meet,” said Johnson. “I understand the importance of helping folks during the cold winter months.”

LIHEAP assists low-income households, including families with children and seniors, with their home-energy needs such as heating in the winter, cooling their homes in the summer, and insulating their homes to make them more energy efficient and reduce their energy costs.

Rep. Johnson warned that as more cuts are made to the social safety net, programs like LIHEAP will see even more cuts in the future.

According to the National Energy Assistance Director’s Association, Georgia is getting 70 percent of what it got in FY011 for LIHEAP.

“In the current budget-cutting climate in Congress, it looks like programs such are LIHEAP are going to continue to experience extreme budgetary pressures,” said Johnson.

To read Johnson’s letter, click HERE.

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“I’m proud to join President Obama and Secretary Shinseki in announcing this victory for veterans in metro Atlanta,” said Johnson.

The customized vehicles – which are equipped with confidential counseling space and a state of the art communication package – travel to communities to extend VA’s reach to veterans, service members and their families.
 
Atlanta’s Mobile Vet Center will provide services throughout metro Atlanta, including DeKalb, Rockdale, and Gwinnett counties. 

Since 2007, Rep. Johnson’s office has held two Veterans Expos and secured more than $3 million in benefits for veterans in his district. Johnson said he plans to have the Mobile Vet Center at his next Vet Expo in 2012.

For more information, go to www.vetcenter.va.gov.

Rep. Hank Johnson is a member of the House Armed Services and Judiciary Committees.

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“Today I’m pleased to confirm that the U.S. military mission in Iraq has ended. After 8 years of war, our forces are coming home with honor.

I honor and thank our men and women in uniform, who fought with characteristic courage and professionalism. They and their families, who have carried such a heavy burden, will be reunited for the holidays. More than 1.5 million have served in Iraq, 32,226 have been wounded, and 4,487 have died. These sacrifices will never be forgotten, and today – above all else – my thoughts are with the families whose loved ones won’t be coming home and those family members called upon to care for the wounded.

I commend our Commander-in-Chief for making good on his commitment to lead a responsible end to our mission in Iraq.”

Rep. Johnson is a member of the House Armed Services and Judiciary Committees.

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“We have sworn to uphold our Constitution of the United States of America – regardless of which committee [we] serve on. Yet we are about to give our seal of approval to a bill that gives the military the authority to hold American citizens captured abroad on suspicion of terrorism and to hold them indefinitely without trial.  This is a codification of an unfortunate Supreme Court ruling … and it gives that ruling statutory legitimacy.

“Mr. Speaker, we must reject indefinite detention of Americans and defend the Constitution. … No matter how you spin it, it’s wrong. It’s unjust, it’s Orwellian, and it’s not who we are.

“The bill also makes the military, not civilian law enforcement authorities, responsible for custody and prosecution in the military courts of foreign terrorist suspects apprehended within the United States.  This provision disrespects and demoralizes our law enforcement officers and prosecutors who are responsible for protecting our national security using the United States criminal justice system and process which has been effectively used repeatedly to investigate, arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate individuals who are convicted of terrorism.  Imagine you’re an FBI agent or federal prosecutor with a tremendous record finding, arresting, convicting, and locking up terrorists. Now you are told to step aside so that the military can do your job for you.

“The military is a machine of war. Not a law enforcement agency. That’s why the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the FBI, the Director of the CIA, the head of the Justice Department's National Security Division, and the Secretary of Defense himself oppose this provision. …  Terrorism is a crime and our law enforcement authorities – our prosecutors, our judges – are more than up to the task.  This bill ties the hands of law enforcement, militarizes counterterrorism on our own soil, and makes us less safe.

“Mr. Speaker, our constituents sent us here to provide for the common defense, yes. But they also sent us here to safeguard their liberty. So I ask my colleagues to think long and hard about this vote. And I ask the staff watching this on C-SPAN to think long and hard before making their recommendations.  Reject indefinite intention, empower civilian law enforcement and defend the constitution. I yield back.”

Video of Johnson’s speech is available HERE.

Rep. Johnson serves on the House Armed Services and House Judiciary Committees.

 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Nineteen members of the U.S. Congress today wrote U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging that the United States insist on a full investigation of credible reports that senior Sierra Leonean officials offered permission to conduct illegal and destructive logging operations in exchange for bribes. 

In their letter (which is attached to this press release), U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights Ranking Member Donald Payne, and 17 colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives asked that Secretary Clinton push the Government of Sierra Leone to launch a full and transparent investigation.  They also requested that the Department of State report to Congress with information regarding the progress of the Sierra Leonean investigation.

A recent report aired by Al Jazeera English, "Africa Investigates - Sierra Leone: Timber!," showed footage of individuals claiming to act on behalf of Sierra Leonean Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana soliciting bribes in exchange for permission to conduct illegal and destructive logging operations, although permitted logging was suspended.

The Government of Sierra Leone initially said it would launch an inquiry through its Anti-Corruption Commission and domestic law enforcement, but there has been little visible progress.

"These reports are very disturbing," said Johnson.  "Our relationship with Sierra Leone requires faith in the integrity of its leadership."

A 2006 European Union report identified illegal logging as the leading cause of environmental degradation in Sierra Leone, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2010 Global Forest Resources Assessment reported that Sierra Leone lost old-growth forest at a rate of 3.21% per year -- the fifth fastest rate of old-growth forest loss in the world.

Members of Congress who signed the letter: Rep. Hank Johnson, Rep. Donald Payne, Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., Rep. Maxine Waters, Rep. Yvette Clarke, Rep. Charles Rangel, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Rep. Frederica Wilson, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Rep. Keith Ellison, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. James Moran, Rep. Russ Carnahan, Rep. James McGovern, Rep. Peter DeFazio, Rep. Betty McCollum, and Rep. John Lewis.

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 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-4), U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich (NM-1), and more than 35 colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives tonight sent an urgent letter to House and Senate Armed Services Committee leaders and conferees opposing provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act that would authorize indefinite detention of Americans and tie the hands of domestic law enforcement in terrorism cases.

The letter opposed Sec. 1034 of the House-passed defense authorization and Secs. 1031 and 1032 of the Senate-passed bill.

Sec. 1034 of the House bill would authorize the use of military force against broadly defined adversaries substantially exceeding the scope of such authorizations already in law.  The expanded authority would have no geographical limits and provide authority for open-ended armed conflict. 

Sec. 1031 of the Senate bill would authorize indefinite military detention of suspected terrorists without protecting U.S. citizens’ right to trial.  Sec. 1032 of the Senate bill would require that suspected foreign terrorists be taken into custody by the military instead of civilian law enforcement authorities, denying civilian law enforcement authorities the flexibility necessary to conduct effective counterterrorism operations.

“These provisions have no place in our law,” said Johnson, who serves on the House Armed Services and Judiciary Committees.  “If we include this language, we're on a slippery slope.”

“I strongly oppose mandating military custody and allowing for indefinite detention without due process or trial,” said Heinrich, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. “These provisions are deeply concerning and would risk putting American citizens in military detention, indefinitely. In short, this authority is at complete odds with the United States Constitution.”

House and Senate conferees are meeting today to finalize the Defense authorization bill. It is anticipated that the conference report will be voted on by the House this coming Thursday, December 15.

To read the letter, click HERE. See below for a list of signatories thus far:

Rep. Hank Johnson
Rep. Martin Heinrich

Rep. Earl Blumenauer
Rep. Judy Chu
Rep. William Lacy Clay
Rep. Steve Cohen
Rep. John Conyers
Rep. Diana DeGette
Rep. John Garamendi
Rep. Raúl Grijalva
Rep. Alcee Hastings
Rep. Maurice Hinchey
Rep. Mike Honda
Rep. Barbara Lee
Rep. John Lewis
Rep. Ben Ray Luján
Rep. Carolyn Maloney
Rep. Jim McDermott
Rep. James McGovern
Rep. Jerrold Nadler
Rep. Charles Rangel
Rep. Ed Towns
Rep. Bobby Rush
Rep. Jose Serrano
Rep. Henry Waxman
Rep. Brad Sherman
Rep. Jesse Jackson
Rep. Nydia Velazquez
Rep. Donald Payne
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton
Rep. Louise Slaughter
Rep. Gwen Moore
Rep. George Miller
Rep. Sam Farr
Rep. Peter Welch
Rep. Betty McCollum
Rep. Hansen Clarke
Rep. Keith Ellison
Rep. Pete Stark
Rep. Peter DeFazio
 

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 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) today introduced his bipartisan “Part D Beneficiary Appeals Fairness Act” (H.R. 3613), which would give seniors on Medicare Part D who rely on ‘specialty tier’ drugs an appeals process when dealing with the high costs of these prescriptions.
With the period of open enrollment for Medicare Part D ending yesterday, seniors are continuing to see their health plans place drugs used to treat chronic illnesses on specialty tiers.

Private and employer health insurance plans classify prescriptions using tiers to differentiate among generic, brand name and “non-preferred” brand name drugs. Any medication costing more than $600 is automatically placed on a specialty tier that requires patients to pay from 25 to 33 percent or more – rather than a flat rate.

For many seniors on a fixed income, these life-saving drugs for everything from cancer to rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis can cost upwards of $1,700 per month. Seniors who can’t afford the medication often go without treatment.

“How can we look our seniors in the eye – people suffering from leukemia, Crohn’s disease or multiple sclerosis – who are required to pay more in prescriptions than they bring home each month – and say ‘sorry, you’re out of luck. It’s either food on the table and roof over your head or the life-saving drugs – you can’t have both,’ ” said Rep. Johnson.

“We appreciate Congressman Johnson being a long-standing champion of Medicare beneficiaries who live with severe chronic conditions and are faced with very high cost-sharing for their medications,” said Sandra Raymond, President and CEO of the Lupus Foundation and leader of the MAPRx coalition. “This bill is the first step to bringing fundamental fairness to these beneficiaries.”

MAPRx is a coalition of beneficiary, patient advocacy, family caregiver and health professional organizations committed to improving access to prescription medications and safeguarding the well-being of beneficiaries with chronic diseases under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Amy Melnick, vice president of Advocacy for the Arthritis Foundation, also a member of MAPRx, said, “the Arthritis Foundation is grateful to Rep. Johnson for introducing this legislation, which not only raises awareness of the discriminatory nature of the specialty tiers in Part D for people with chronic conditions, but, more importantly, also establishes a critically important appeals process or “tiering exception” so that Medicare beneficiaries can appeal the placement of their medications into a specialty tier.”

The president and chair of the Alliance for Biotherapeutics, Abbie Cornett said specialty tiers are creating barriers in access to care and are a threat to all patients who rely on biotherapeutics and other lifesaving therapies. “This legislation is a great way to help our most vulnerable seniors with severe and often chronic conditions,” she said.
 
Johnson called his bill, which has gained the support of 33 co-sponsors, “a common sense, limited approach to ensure that we keep the promises we made to our Medicare seniors.”

Co-sponsors include: John Conyers (D-MI); Barbara Lee (D-CA); Mike Honda (D-CA); Raul Grijalva (D-AZ); Marcia Fudge (D-OH); Louise Slaughter (D-NY); Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-Washington, D.C.); Keith Ellison (D-MN); John Lewis (D-GA); Walter Jones (R-NC).

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To read the letter, click HERE.

To read about Rep. Waters' bill, click HERE.

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) today introduced the bipartisan “Safe Roads for America Act,” (H.R. 3536) which improves the brightness and size (retro-reflectivity) of traffic signs so drivers can see them more clearly at night. Lou Barletta (R-PA) is the lead Republican sponsor.

The bill ensures that bipartisan legislation approved in 1992 establishing timelines to upgrade road signs’ retro-reflectivity is implemented.

“As our population ages, we need to make our road signs more readable at night,” said Rep. Johnson. “Someone 60 years old needs 10 times the amount of light to see at night as someone who is 19, according to the American Automobile Association. Safe Roads helps make our roads safer by ensuring seniors and everyone can see roads signs more clearly at night.”   

Johnson said brighter signs will give drivers more critical decision-making time and help cut emergency response times. The bill maintains reasonable deadlines for the safety upgrades and makes funds more accessible to the states to fulfill the bill’s requirements.

“Having almost two decades of experience in the road construction industry, I know how important reflectivity and increased visibility are to motorists, especially older drivers,” said Rep. Barletta. “This common-sense bill will make our nation’s roads safer for everyone, and it ensures that states and municipalities can afford these important safety upgrades.”

The Federal Highway Administration estimates these upgrades will cost $37 million over 10 years.

American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) Chairman Joe Jeffrey noted, “Reps. Johnson and Barletta’s leadership on this vital legislation will help to continue the reduction of roadway fatalities and serious injuries nationwide.”

Original sponsors include: Reps. Lou Barletta, R-PA; Bob Filner, D-CA; Rush Holt, D-NJ; Russ Carnahan, D-MO; John Lewis, D-GA; Fortney Stark, D-CA; Jason Altmire, D-PA; Charles B. Rangel, D-NY; Chellie Pingree, D-ME; Timothy Bishop, D-NY.

Among the organizations supporting the bill are AAA, AARP, Allstate, American Highway Users Alliance, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Traffic Safety Services Association, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Easter Seals, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Nationwide, National Trooper Coalition, National Organizations for Youth Safety, Transportation for America, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

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I rise today with great sadness to recognize fallen Doraville Police detective corporal Robert “Shane” Wilson, a citizen of  great distinction in my district.

Responding to a home invasion November 14th, he was tragically involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver.
 
An 8 year veteran, Officer Wilson was just 27 years old.

As a member of the SWAT team, he served his community courageously and honorably.  He was well-liked and respected by his fellow officers.

He was also a loving husband, father, brother and son from a family steeped in law enforcement.  In his off hours, he loved to play the drums and piano. He also composed music.  Friends say he was upbeat and always smiling.

All Georgians are affected by this great tragedy but our thoughts and prayers go out especially to his family, friends and colleagues.  Robert Shane Wilson was one of the best.   He will be greatly missed.

Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time.

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For more information on the Emergency Alert System, please visit http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm.

 LITHONIA, GA – Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) today congratulated Young People Matter Inc. (YPM) for receiving a grant award of more than $540,000 from the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children & Families to operate an emergency youth shelter in Stone Mountain.
 
YPM is the first emergency youth shelter in the Fourth District where youth can receive help 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and one of the few groups statewide whose mission is to seek runaways and homeless children on the streets and provide comprehensive care.
 
The three-year grant was awarded Sept. 30 and will run through 2014. The funding will help open and operate Open Hearts Shelter.
 
“This youth shelter has the potential to dramatically improve the lives of at-risk youth,” said Johnson. “There’s not a lot we do more important than helping vulnerable children find comfort, stability and a path back to normalcy. I’m proud of the compassion of the people in Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District, and I will continue fighting to make federal resources available that improves the lives of vulnerable children in our community.”
 
Simone Joye, founder and executive director of YPM, said the Open Hearts Shelter will serve children 10 to 18 in DeKalb, Rockdale and Newton counties.  
 
“It is estimated on any given night there may be 2,500 kids under the age of 18 living on the streets in metro Atlanta, and they are hidden in plain view,” said Joye.

“No child should ever have to sleep on the streets," she said. “When they do, they are at greater risk for exploitation and abuse. This funding, along with the technical assistance provided by HHS/ACF, will help us provide a safe place for youth to take refuge.”

In addition to the six-bed shelter, youth in Open Hearts care will also be provided food, health screenings, education assistance as well as counseling, case management and aftercare services.

For more information on Young People Matter, click HERE.

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“This day has been a long time coming. Like so many young people, Sergeant Shalit signed up to serve his country and defend his people. He has been through hell, he has displayed tremendous courage and resolve, and I welcome word of his release.”

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 WASHINGTON – With Georgia’s small businesses in mind, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) today introduced “The Fairness and Transparency in Contracting Act of 2011.”

The bill will ensure that federal small business contracts go to genuine small businesses instead of subsidiaries of large companies. “The Fairness and Transparency in Contracting Act” is a direct result of more than 15 investigations that exposed widespread abuses in the federal small business contracting programs.

The Small Business Administration Inspector General found in 2002 that at least 4.4 percent of 1,000 contractors awarded federal funds designated for small businesses did not meet basic requirements to receive those contracts. 

To correct this, “The Fairness and Transparency in Contracting Act” would modify the definition of a small business in the Small Business Act by including the additional requirement that no publicly traded company can qualify as a small business. It also allows a person to file a complaint if they have evidence that a small business contract was improperly awarded.

“Large companies need to stop masquerading as small businesses to get government contracts,” said Johnson. “Especially given how many small businesses are struggling in this economy, my bill will go a long way in helping stop this abuse.”

If passed, the bill would require the SBA to submit to Congress an annual report detailing the nature of the complaints and the resolution.

Small businesses are the foundation of the nation’s economy. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, businesses with 20 employees or less make up 90 percent of all U.S. firms and those firms are responsible for 97 percent of net new jobs.

The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, which supports the bill, was pleased Johnson introduced “The Fairness and Transparency in Contracting Act.”

“Our small businesses need a level playing field,” said Chamber President Leonardo McClarty. “Congressman Johnson’s bill will close loopholes and make it more equitable so small businesses can compete for billions of dollars in federal contracts.” 

California-based American Small Business League President Lloyd Chapman lauded Johnson’s efforts.

“Every small business in America owes Congressman Johnson a debt of gratitude for re-introducing this bill,” said Chapman. “Small businesses create more than 97 percent of all net new jobs, and this bill will do more to help those firms than any stimulus plan proposed so far. It will help small businesses create millions of jobs and provide a dramatic boost to the middle class.”

Notification and reporting requirements include:

● Notification for government agencies and contractors of changes in the bill
● Requires SBA to make public which companies are receiving small business contracts
● Requires each federal agency to report on their Web site a list companies receiving small business contracts from that agency.
● Requires that the agency responsible for maintaining the database of all federal contractors provide an adequate warning about the penalties for misrepresenting that status of a business concern or person in order to obtain certain federal contracts

Among the organizations supporting the bill are the Minority Business Round Table, The California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, California DVBE Alliance, California Small Business Association, The New Mexico 8a & Minority Business Association, Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, California Black Chamber of Commerce, The Asian American Business Roundtable, Georgia Black Chamber of Commerce and DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, among dozens of other groups.

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| Read the bill |

A member of two other Judiciary subcommittees – Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law and Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security – Congressman Johnson’s new seat on the Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet will equip him to even more effectively serve the needs of the Fourth Congressional District, Georgia, local governments and businesses.

The subcommittee has jurisdiction over copyright, patent, trademark law, information technology and antitrust matters.

A former judge and defense attorney, Johnson has served on Judiciary since 2007, and worked to champion consumer and employee rights.

“In light of so many Georgians struggling with the economic downturn, consumer interests should remain our top priority,” said Johnson.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help foster innovation and job creation through fair and equitable copyright and intellectual property law. As a longstanding consumer advocate, I will also be focused on whether mergers will lead to increased choices and lower prices for consumers. Georgia is home to a burgeoning tech sector, and I look forward to helping Georgia’s and the nation’s businesses grow.” 

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 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Hank Johnson (GA-4) and Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) called for a hearing in the Committee on Education and the Workforce on the Fair Employment Opportunity Act (FEOA).

The FEOA would make the recent trend in companies discriminating against the unemployed by refusing to consider them for job openings illegal. Many companies have begun to require current employment in order to be considered for an available position, and these discriminatory practices are eliminating employment opportunities.

Since the introduction of the Fair Employment Opportunity Act, indeem.com, one of the largest online employment websites, has eliminated any language stating that a job candidate must be employed to be considered for a job.

President Obama’s American Jobs Act also includes this legislation.

“With the national unemployment rate currently standing at 9.2 percent and hovering there for over 2 years, we must do everything in our power to ensure that the 6 million Americans who have been unemployed for more than six months have a fair chance at employment,” the letter states.

“In an economy in which unemployed workers are competing with tens and sometimes hundreds of others for every available job opening, it is unjust to impair reemployment by allowing employers to disregard a candidate because the worker is unemployed.” 

To view the letter, click HERE.

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 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Johnson today voted against the GOP’s TRAIN Act, a bill that would block two of the most important, life-saving Clean Air rules in decades – the mercury and air toxics rule and cross-state air pollution rule.

“Instead of working to create jobs, we’re wasting our time rehashing important environmental rules that will help clean our air and prevent people from getting sick,” said Johnson. “I would like to vote on the American Jobs Act, not more Republican gimmicks. The President has already said he’ll veto this noxious bill if it reaches his desk.”

Long-overdue Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, which were proposed earlier this year, require power plants to cut releases of mercury and other cancer-causing toxins by 2015. The rule would also reduce fine particle emissions by 29 percent by 2015.

According to the American Lung Association, the new rules would prevent up to 34,000 deaths and 400,000 asthma attacks nationwide every year and prevent up to 1,769 premature deaths in Georgia.

The GOP’s TRAIN Act would block those standards from being implemented.

“I’m sick and tired of the suggestion that strong environmental protections hurt big business – that’s false,” said Johnson.

Since 1970, the Clean Air Act has reduced toxic and health-threatening air pollution by 60 percent while our economy has grown more than 200 percent.

The Environmental Defense Fund and a University of Massachusetts study estimate that the mercury and air toxics rule and the cross-state air pollution rule would together create nearly 1.5 million jobs over the next five years driven by new investments in energy technology.

“We can have clean energy and jobs,” said Johnson. “The economic benefits of the Clean Air Act have shown to outweigh the costs associated with the law, and the financial benefits to our economy could reach nearly $2 trillion by 2020.”

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 ATLANTA, GA – Rep. Johnson announced that new data released this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the Affordable Care Act has helped one million additional young adults get health insurance.

“The Affordable Care Act is already improving the lives of America’s families, including one million young people who now enjoy health coverage,” Johnson said. 

Specifically, data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) shows that in the first quarter of 2011, the percentage of adults between the ages of 19 and 25 with health insurance increased by 3.5 percent, representing about 1 million additional young adults with insurance coverage compared to a year ago.

The Affordable Care Act allows most young adults to remain on their parents’ health insurance plans until their 26th birthday. 

The results from the CDC were also confirmed by a Gallup survey released today.  As Gallup concluded, “The provision of the Affordable Care Act that allows children up to the age of 26 to remain on their parents’ plans appears to be having an immediate effect on the number of Americans who report they have health insurance.  Since it went into effect in September 2010, the percentage of 18- to 25-year-olds who report being uninsured has significantly declined by four percentage points.”

“The Affordable Care Act has put Americans and their families, not the health insurance companies, back in charge of their health care,” said Johnson. “It includes a Patient’s Bill of Rights – that allows most young adults to remain on their parents’ health plan until age 26 and prohibits insurers from dropping people from coverage when they get sick, placing lifetime limits on coverage, and denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. All of these reforms are already helping Americans today and must be maintained.

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“As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month across America, we recognize and honor the great contributions of our Latino brothers and Latina sisters. These hard-working, family-oriented Americans are a great source of to our nation. 

Whether serving in the military, teaching our children, working as business owners, scientists or artists – or simply sharing their rich culture – Latinos make America a better place for all.
 
Let’s honor Latinos and Latinas this month by reminding Americans that we have always been a country open to everyone: Whites, Blacks, Latinos, Asians, American Indians and immigrants from all over the world.  Let’s never forget that the nation’s diversity is a source of extraordinary strength. Diversity not only makes our nation great, but it makes America unique among nations.

While celebrating the Hispanic Heritage Month, we must honor the character of our nation and work with President Obama to pass a comprehensive immigration reform. We must work towards passing immigration laws that are decent and humane. We must ensure that every hard-working, talented, law-abiding and eligible immigrant is treated with respect, compassion and dignity.

Last year, I co-sponsored the Dream Act so young undocumented immigrants could have a path to legal status through their dedication to education and military service.  Unfortunately, the legislation did not pass the Senate.

I congratulate every Latino and Latina during this month, and I thank you for your invaluable contributions. I remain committed to working towards comprehensive immigration reform and will continue to encourage legislation that brings out all the qualities that make this country great: dedication to education, self-improvement, love of family and the honor in military service.”

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 WASHINGTON, D.C.— Representatives Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) and Hank Johnson (GA-4), and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) were joined today by the National Employment Law Project (NELP) and USAction to urge support for the Fair Employment Opportunity Act.

The Fair Employment Opportunity Act addresses the recent trend of companies that have been discriminating against the unemployed by refusing to consider them for job openings. Many post job advertisements stating that “candidates must be currently employed,” eliminating employment opportunities for up to 16 million Americans and specifically affecting women, minorities, veterans and seniors. President Obama’s American Jobs Act, introduced last week, includes this legislation.

| Join the Fair Employment Project today, click HERE |

Gathered by USAction, Change.org, ColorofChange.org and CREDO Action, 250,000 petition signatures were delivered to the Capitol today. The signatures, collected between July and September, express outrage at discrimination against unemployed workers, and call on job listing websites such as Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com to stop publishing ads that discriminate against the unemployed.

“In today’s tough economy, it is hard enough for workers who have lost their jobs to get back on their feet and find employment again. And yet, companies have begun to require current employment to be considered for available positions. These actions are eliminating employment opportunities, and are unjust and unfair,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “The Fair Employment Opportunity Act fights back against these discriminatory practices, and will help to ensure that all Americans, regardless of their employment status, have the same opportunities for employment.”

“Discrimination against the unemployed – especially the long-term unemployed – in job ads and hiring practices flies in the face of what we stand for as a nation: Equal opportunity for all,” said Congressman Hank Johnson. “I'm hopeful that this can be a bipartisan effort because unemployment affects everyone. I’m proud to work with my Congressional colleagues and President Obama to stop this injustice.”

Senator Blumenthal said, “Unfair hiring practices that discourage or ban unemployed applicants from job openings are unacceptable and antithetical to economic growth. This important legislation will explicitly prohibit employers from discriminatory hiring and ensure basic fairness in filling job openings. These job seekers are middle class Americans who have been out of work, but not out of courage or determination to support their families."

“Denying unemployed people job opportunities is no way to rebuild an economy – it’s like turning the job market into a giant game of musical chairs in which only those who are already employed can play.  We applaud these members of Congress, President Obama and all who are fighting to end discriminatory hiring practices that hinder the economy and harm millions of job-seeking Americans,” said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project.

“Ending hiring discrimination is a matter of doing what’s right,” said USAction President William McNary. “It’s the first step toward fixing our economy and making America whole again. But we need to go farther and thoroughly rebuild our economy, creating good jobs for everyone in America. This is why I support the Fair Employment Opportunity Act – and why I support the American Jobs Act.”
                        
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 (WASHINGTON) –  Yesterday, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-Va.), and House Judiciary Committee Member Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) wrote a letter to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles urging them to reconsider the decision to conclude Troy Davis’ death penalty clemency hearing.  Mr. Davis’ defense team was unable to finish presenting evidence in support of his request for clemency.  Specifically, Mr. Davis’ defense team wished to present the testimony of an expert on eyewitness identifications, a critical aspect of Mr. Davis’ request which turned on the fact that several eye witnesses at his trial had since recanted their testimony.

“Since 1973, more than 135 individuals on death row have been exonerated based on their innocence.” Conyers said.  “There is overwhelming evidence that casts doubt on Troy Davis’s conviction.  Before Mr. Davis is executed, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles should consider re-opening Mr. Davis’ clemency hearing because the defense team was unable to present all evidence establishing his innocence.”

“Under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, the burden is on the defendant to prove actual innocence by 'clear and convincing evidence,'” Scott said.  “This standard is more stringent than preponderance of the evidence and so a defendant demonstrating that he is probably innocent will not meet this burden. Lack of evidence of guilt is not affirmative evidence of innocence.  Despite the fact that Troy Davis demonstrated that the evidence against him left substantial reasonable doubt of his guilt, the District Court found that he was unable to prove with clear and convincing evidence that a jury would not convict him, based on the available evidence.  Similarly, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles did not find the evidence compelling enough to grant clemency, even though they did not hear all of the evidence.  There is something fundamentally wrong with our system when someone may be put to death when the evidence we have available today casts serious doubt about his guilt."

“As a criminal defense attorney, judge and member of the House Judiciary Committee, it disturbs me to my core that an unnecessary and unjust killing may take place,” Johnson said.  “If we execute a man despite new evidence that casts doubt on his guilt, it shakes the public’s faith in the integrity of justice in Georgia.”

Previously, Representatives Conyers,  Scott, and Johnson wrote Chatham County District Attorney Larry Chisolm urging him to drop the death warrant against Mr. Davis and support his appeal for clemency in light of the substantial doubt surrounding his guilt.  A copy of this letter can be found at the following link: http://democrats.judiciary.house.gov/sites/democrats.judiciary.house.gov/files/JudMembers4Davis110916.pdf  
 
The letter to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles  is attached as a pdf and follows below.

Chairman James E. Donald
Georgia State Board of Pardons & Paroles
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE
Suite 458, Balcony Level, East Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

RE: Troy Anthony Davis Pending Execution Scheduled for September 21, 2011

Dear Chairman Donald and Members of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles:

We are writing to urge you to reconsider your decision to conclude Troy Davis’ clemency hearing on September 19, 2011.  It is our understanding that Mr. Davis’ defense team was unable to finish presenting its evidence in support his request for clemency.

We understand that, due to time constraints, the Board was unable to hear from Dr. Jennifer E. Dysart, an expert on eyewitness identifications.  We attach the letter written by the Innocence Project, which elaborates the myriad reasons that Dr. Dysart’s testimony is critical.  As you are well aware, the only evidence linking Mr. Davis to the crime is eyewitness testimony.  Given the gravitas of the task with which you were charged, and what the research tells us about this type of evidence, we urge you to give new consideration to concluding Mr. Davis’ hearing without hearing from this critical expert.

Sincerely,

John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member
               
Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
                               
Hank Johnson, Member

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The Hank Johnson Fair Employment Project is seeking constituents' feedback on their job searches, whether they feel like they were passed over for a job because they were unemployed, and serve as a way to share job-searching and interviewing tips for people still looking for work.

Your job search or unemployment experiences will also help me fight for legisaltion ending this kind of discrimination. If you’ve been out of work for six months or more any time during the Great Recession that began back in 2007, I want to hear your story. Please take the time to complete the survey: CLICK HERE. It will remain confidential unless you specify otherwise.

Thank you.,

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Hank Johnson (D-GA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Jim Moran (D-VA) introduced the Full Faith and Credit Act of 2011 in order to eliminate the federal debt ceiling, a law they view as unnecessary and increasingly an impediment to Congress’s ability to further economic recovery. 

The Members highlighted the recent disastrous debt ceiling debate and the promise of Republican congressional leaders to invoke the law at each turn in order to impose their extreme and economically regressive agenda on the American people. 

The legislation comes on the same day that House Republicans moved to pass a resolution expressing disapproval of the U.S. borrowing to fund government operations already directed by Congress.

The Full Faith and Credit Act would allow the U.S. Treasury to ensure that our nation’s bills are paid on time and without political brinkmanship.

“Republicans in Congress undermined the economy and faith in the country by threatening to force default,” said Johnson. “The Full Faith and Credit Act will prevent politicians from holding the nation’s credit hostage ever again.”

“The debt ceiling is truly arbitrary and has nothing to do with the deficit,” said Nadler.  “The debt ceiling does not prevent the United States from incurring new debts, but has become a cudgel with which Republicans are holding our economy hostage and punishing the millions of Americans who are struggling.  Let us abolish the debt ceiling and get to work, finally, on the critical needs of the American people: creating jobs and economic development, providing aid to states, building infrastructure, and instilling aggregate demand back into the economy.”

“Republicans in Congress have shown they are willing to hold the fate of our economy hostage by using the debt ceiling as a political weapon,” said Moran. “It’s a tactic that has far-ranging effects, disrupting financial markets, damaging the peoples’ trust in government and delaying consideration of must-pass legislation to create jobs and get our economy back on track.  Given the ramifications of congressional Republicans’ irresponsible behavior, the debt ceiling should be eliminated.  Created in the early 20th century, it no longer serves a useful purpose yet has the potential to do great harm.”

The modern debt ceiling, set in 1939 based on amendments to the Second Liberty Bond Act of 1917, consolidated federal debts in order to provide the U.S. Treasury more flexibility to reduce interest costs and minimize financial risks. 

In the 1980s and early 1990s, the House of Representatives, at times, used a mechanism, referred to as the Gephardt Rule, to automatically increase the debt ceiling to keep pace with annual congressional spending.  In the last 10 years, Congress has voted to increase the debt ceiling 10 times. The August debt ceiling showdown reflected a shift from 30 years of clean debt ceiling increases and resulted in Standard & Poor’s downgrading of the U.S. economy for the first time in history.

The Full Faith and Credit Act of 2011 would remove the unnecessary debt ceiling, ensuring that the Treasury can take out loans only for government operations authorized by Congress.

To read the bill, click HERE.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Hank Johnson (GA-04) and John Lewis (GA-05) sent a letter today signed by more than 50 other members of the Congress to the Georgia State Board of Pardons & Paroles, urging the board to stop the killing of Troy Davis.

Johnson has been fighting to stop Davis’ execution since 2007. Davis was convicted of murdering an off-duty police officer in Savannah in 1989.

Since Davis’ 1991 trial, seven of the nine state witnesses against him have recanted their testimony and other witnesses have implicated another man as the shooter.

In 2010, Davis received a federal evidentiary hearing in Savannah, Ga. While the presiding judge ruled that Davis had not established his innocence to the high standard required, he admitted that the case “may not be ironclad.” 

“How has it come to this – that we put a man to death without a single shred of hard scientific or relevant physical evidence,” said Rep. Johnson, a former defense attorney who won the release of a man on death row in 1984.

In 2009, Rep. Johnson and Rep. Lewis visited Davis in the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson.

Later that year, Rep. Johnson introduced the Effective Death Penalty Appeals Act, which would ensure that death row inmates have the opportunity to present newly discovered evidence of innocence.
 
"If we turn our backs to Troy Davis now, we turn our backs on justice and the Constitution," Johnson said.
“This is one of those exceptional instances where adhering to the letter of the law could lead the state of Georgia to commit a grave injustice,” said Rep. John Lewis. 

“That is why it is important for people of goodwill to stand together and speak out in this case. The parole board has the power to intervene on the people’s behalf to right a deplorable wrong, especially when there is so much room for doubt about this conviction. I believe the board seeks to do what is just and look forward prayerfully to the upcoming clemency hearing with the faith that justice will prevail.”

To read the letter, click HERE.

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Extending unemployment insurance, employee payroll tax deductions, hiring tax credits and targeted infrastructure investments are proven, non-controversial measures that everyone can support.

The American Jobs Act is substantial enough to attack the jobs crisis nationwide.”

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 CONYERS, GA – On Aug. 29, Congressman Hank Johnson brought experts from the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, Medicare and Medicaid to the Olivia Haydel Senior Center in Conyers to help seniors understand their benefits.

| For more pictures on Flicr, click HERE |

In the second meeting in an ongoing series of visiting senior centers throughout the district, Rep. Johnson said too many seniors are confused by the media and budget proposals that are trying to cut the social safety net.

“Medicare and Social Security are essential safety net programs for all Americans,” said Johnson. “I will always support them with every fiber of my being.

“So please don’t be unnecessarily frightened by the news you see, the issues are complicated and complex – but not insurmountable – and. … there are still many defenders of Medicare, Social Security and the health care reform law, including President Obama, my colleagues and me.”

During the two-hour town hall style meeting, seniors asked Congressman Johnson and his expert panelists questions about veteran benefits, Medicare, Social Security and discussed the national budget and debt ceiling issues.

“The experts Congressman Johnson brought from Social Security, VA, Medicare and the IRS demonstrated great expertise, good-heartedness and concern for the people they serve,” said Rockdale resident Albert Roesel.

“I appreciated Congressman Johnson holding the town hall,” said retired General Motors employee Tyler Dawson. “I wanted to know how I could be affected by the possible changes to Social Security and Medicare, and I was impressed with the way Rep. Johnson conducted the meeting.”

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 ATLANTA, GA – U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, and DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis announced today in a joint news conference with U.S. Attorney Sally Yates’ office that DeKalb County will receive a $496,793 grant from Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office from its Child Sexual Predator Program (CSPP).

It is part of $9.3 million in COPS grants to 20 law enforcement agencies throughout the nation to reduce and prevent child endangerment and to protect communities from sexual predators. Fulton County received a $331,241 grant.

“There isn’t anything we do that is more important than supporting local law enforcement and giving them the tools needed to keep our communities safe,” said Johnson, who in July voted against House leadership efforts to cut COPS.

“These funds will help protect our children from the worst of the worst – child sexual predators.”

DeKalb CEO Ellis said the COPS funding would go a long way in boosting the county’s Crimes against Children Unit.

“It is our responsibility to keep children out of harm’s way and ensure those who perpetrate crimes against them are prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said Ellis. “These funds are crucial to that effort.”

COPS Child Sexual Predator Program (CSPP) grants provide funding directly to law enforcement agencies to establish and/or enhance strategies to locate, arrest, and prosecute child sexual predators and exploiters and to enforce state sex offender registration laws. CSPP aims to support community policing initiatives throughout the United States by promoting partnerships between law enforcement, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the U.S. Marshals Service, and other community partners to collectively reduce and prevent child endangerment by sexual predators.

Since 1995, the COPS program has invested more than $177 million in Georgia law enforcement agencies, which was used to hire more than 2,400 officers and provide more than $24 million in technology upgrades.

In 2009, DeKalb County was awarded more than $3 million in COPS funding for 15 officer positions, and in 2010 Chief John King of Doraville received a COPS grant of $385,000 to hire two additional officers. 

For more information, visit http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/.

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Congressman honors Jack Sartain with Community Service Award

 STONE MOUNTAIN, GA – Today, Congressman Hank Johnson presented Stone Mountain resident Command Sergeant Major Jonathan Smalls with the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s Patriot Award (CMP) and a Community Service Award to Jack Sartain.

The CMP’s Patriot Award recognizes outstanding veterans for their contributions to our community and country.

As part of the presentation at the Arts Station in Stone Mountain, Smalls, a veteran of Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm, received an M1 Garand rifle used in WW II.

Smalls, who is past chairman of the DeKalb County Veterans Affairs Advisory Board and former commander of his Covington Highway VFW post, launched  the “Feed the Homeless Program” through his Disabled American Veterans’ chapter. He also mentors students at Redan Elementary School in Lithonia.

“Jonathan Smalls is the very definition of a patriot, and I am proud to present him with the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s Patriot Award,” said Johnson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. “I cannot think of a more deserving veteran for this prestigious award.”

“During my years of active duty in the military, I recognized that there was a need for a support person to assist my comrades and their families once they were discharged from the military,” said Smalls. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve these men and women that have sacrificed for this great nation.”

Congressman Johnson and CMP also honored Jack Sartain of Stone Mountain with a Community Service Award for his outstanding contributions as founder of the DeKalb Council for the Arts, his work on affordable housing issues and promotion of local music. 

“Whether it's cultivating the arts, initiating affordable housing programs, tackling mental health issues or helping non-profits, Jack gets involved and stays involved until things change for the better,” said Rep. Johnson.

Cutlines: Rep. Hank Johnson presents Command Sergeant Major Jonathan Smalls with the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s Patriot Award (CMP), an M1 Garand rifle used in WW II. | Rep. Hank Johnson presents Jack Sartain of Stone Mountain with a Community Service Award.

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 ATLANTA, GA – More than 3,000 people participated in today's job fair hosted by Congressman John Lewis, Congressman Hank Johnson, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus at Atlanta Technical College.

Ninety employers -- all of them with job openings, a requirement of participation -- met with thousands of job seekers at the event, part of the Congressional Black Caucus' "For the People" nationwide jobs initiative.

Demand for the event was so intense that a few job seekers suffered from heat-related illnesses while waiting in long lines to meet with employers.

Ninety businesses large and small as well as government agencies with job openings attended the event to meet potential hires. The CBC's nationwide goal for the jobs tour is to facilitate the hiring of 10,000 Americans.

“Americans are suffering from heat exhaustion, lining up by the thousands for the opportunity to get a steady job,” said Lewis. “It's a powerful illustration of these hard times.”

“The people are desperate for work,” said Johnson. “Today the urgency of the crisis was on vivid display.”

"Today’s event was a great success, said Dr. Alvetta Thomas, President of Atlanta Technical College. “Atlanta Tech specializes in workforce development and we were thrilled to help connect so many employers and job seekers.”

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 ATLANTA, GA – As African-American unemployment tops 16% – and in many cases is even higher among young men – members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have launched a ‘For the People’ Jobs Initiative to raise awareness and garner support for H. Res. 348, which calls on Congress to pass more than 40 bills proposed by CBC to help alleviate the crisis.

Reps. Hank Johnson (GA-04) and John Lewis (GA-05) are co-hosting the CBC’s Atlanta event. The jobs expo will be followed by a town hall meeting featuring 10 members of the CBC, including Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Al Green (D-TX) and Maxine Waters (D-CA).

To pre-register, click the Jobs Initiative button left.

The daylong event will be Thursday, August 18 at Atlanta Technical College, 1560 Metropolitan Parkway SW, Atlanta 30310 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. but job seekers can also register online at FOR THE PEOPLE JOBS INITIATIVE. MARTA riders can take the No. 95 bus route that takes job seekers to Atlanta Tech.

For Directions and a campus map: Click HERE | Google Map:

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“Many communities we serve are seeing unemployment rates above 16 percent,” said Johnson.  “The CBC, along with other progressive caucuses, is one of the few groups on Capitol Hill talking about creating jobs and the plight of the long-term unemployed. By hosting job fairs at home and proposing jobs legislation in Washington, we in the CBC continue to fight to ensure there are immediate economic opportunities in underserved communities.”

Participants will learn how to apply for available federal jobs, learn about Georgia’s Work Ready Program, the GI Bill and on-the-job training for veterans and special tips for the over-55 job seeker.

The agencies in attendance include but are not limited to: the Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Personnel Management, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of Corrections, Atlanta Workforce Development, General Services Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Securities and Exchange Commission, Coca-Cola, Sprint, Comcast, Google and Gwinnett Public Schools.

There will also be counselors on hand to share information for résumé writing, and how to prepare for an interview and green jobs training opportunities. A special symposium will be offered for job-seekers who have been incarcerated with information on how to re-enter the workforce.

Participants should bring multiple copies of their résumés and dress for success.

 2011 CBC Job Fair & Career Expo resources:

● How to find available jobs with the federal government
● Learn about the Georgia Work Ready Program
● GI Bill and On-the-Job-Training for Veterans
● Special Tips for the over 55 job seeker
● Returning to the job market after incarceration
● Counselors on hand for résumé writing
● How to best prepare for an interview
● Green jobs training opportunities
● Tips on how to change careers

For more information, contact Betty Dixon at betty.dixon@mail.house.gov or go to Congressman Johnson’s Web site and click on the web button “For the People Jobs Initiative.”

The tour includes stops in Cleveland, Aug. 8; Detroit, Aug. 16; Atlanta, Aug. 18, Miami, Aug. 22-23 and Los Angeles, Aug. 30-31.

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 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) appeared on CBS’ national program ‘The Early Show’ today for a piece on discrimination against unemployed Americans in jobs postings and hiring practices.

To watch the video, click HERE.

“This is un-American, it's unfair and it should not be legal in America to do that,” Johnson told The Early Show.

Rep. Johnson has introduced two bills combating discrimination against the unemployed. The Fair Employment Act of 2011, which was introduced in March, would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect against discrimination on the basis of unemployment status.

More recently Rep. Johnson, along with his colleague Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), introduced The Fair Employment Opportunity Act, which would fine employers and employment agencies who discriminate against unemployed job-seekers by refusing to consider them for employment.

A recent survey, conducted by the National Employment Law Project (NELP), of four of the top job search Web sites, CareerBuilder.com, Indeed.com, Monster.com, and CraigsList.com, found more than 150 job advertisements that specified applicants must be currently employed. And the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey shows there are 4.7 unemployed workers for every 1 job opening.

Some advertisements stated that applicants “must be currently employed” or stipulated that “no unemployed candidates will be considered at all.” Some ads read, “No layoff candidates considered.”

“Discrimination against the unemployed – especially the long-term unemployed – in job ads and hiring practices flies in the face of what we stand for as a nation: Equal opportunity for all,” said Johnson. “The Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 will help us level the playing field and get people back to work.”

For more on Rep. Johnson and his work to fight discrimination against the unemployed, visit the Huffington Post:

March 16, 2011: New Bill Would Ban Discrimination Against The Jobless: Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) introduced legislation on Wednesday that would add unemployed people to that list of protected groups.

July 12, 2011: Employers Still Ruling Out Jobless Applicants: Report -- In order to even out the playing field in the job market, Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) have introduced the Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011, which makes it illegal to discriminate against the jobless in a job advertisement or otherwise.

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Now that the Tea Party Republicans have taken their ransom from the American people – and left millionaires, billionaires and Big Oil unscathed – we must focus on creating jobs.

President Obama turned a bad deal into one I could reluctantly support. Initial cuts spare Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security beneficiaries, and a second round allows a balanced approach, including closing special interest tax loopholes. With another vote on the debt ceiling postponed until after the 2012 elections, we have prevented another Republicans default debacle.

Let history show that the ideologues who held America hostage abandoned their responsibility to govern and dealt in the lowest politics while President Obama rose to the challenge under the most difficult circumstances.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced a Resolution, H.Con.Res.68, affirming President Obama’s power to invoke Section 4 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling, in the event that the Congress fails to reach a compromise by the August 2nd deadline. 

Such an action is necessary if a congressional impasse imperils the stability of the nation’s economy.

“Now is the time to pay our creditors,” said Nadler.  “If Congress cannot act, then the President has no choice but to exercise his duty to ‘take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.’  He is obliged under section 4 of the 14th Amendment to pay this nation’s debts, even if a lawless and irresponsible Republican Congress refuses to do so.”

“The President should be able to legally turn to the 14th Amendment as a failsafe to prevent a national default – especially if Congressional Republicans continue to refuse to negotiate a balanced solution,” said Rep. Johnson.

“We are three days until our country defaults on its debt for the first time in its 235-year history,” said Engel.  “It is incredibly irresponsible that it has gotten this far, and for me, completely unacceptable for the burden to be placed on our working families, low-income individuals, and our seniors and retirees.  While I am hesitant to have Congress defer to the Executive branch, it is clear that the dangers of defaulting on our debts should be our primary concern.  The Tea Partiers call themselves Constitutionalists but are willing to violate the Constitution by defaulting on our debt.”

“If this Republican-manufactured debt crisis is not averted this weekend, the United States risks default, and that would have devastating consequences for seniors, students, middle class families, and small businesses,” said Garamendi.  “The President should know that if he needs to use his powers under the 14th Amendment to avert an economic catastrophe, we have his back.  A compromise is preferable, but financial suicide is not an option.”

Following the Civil War, the United States adopted the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, Section 4 of which says: “The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.”

The Resolution, specifically, expresses: “the sense of Congress that the President should ensure that the United States does not default on its debt by making every effort to negotiate passage of an increase in the statutory debt ceiling or, all such efforts failing, should use his authority under section 4 of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution to pay all debts of the United States as they come due.”

What H.Con.Res.68 does:

The President should –

1) Work with the Congress to secure passage of an increase in the statutory debt ceiling;

(2) Make clear that under no circumstances will the United States fail to pay its debts on time and in full;

(3) Make clear that, all other efforts failing, he will use his authority under the 4th clause of section 3 of article 2, to uphold section 4 of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution to ensure payment of all debts of the United States on time and in full; and

(4) Take any and all actions necessary to preserve the full faith and credit of the United States.

To read the Resolution, click HERE.

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If you believe we should ask college students to pay more before we stop hedge fund managers from being taxed at a lower rate than their secretaries, then Mr. Boehner’s plan is for you.

Since arriving in Congress in 2007, all my work has been about fairness, and I’m not going to stop now by voting for this “kiss your Medicare goodbye” bill.

Democrats are committed to ensuring that our nation meets its obligations by working toward a long-term plan to reduce the deficit, create jobs, grow the economy and strengthen the middle class – without asking working families and our seniors to shoulder the entire burden.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and the Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC) held a mini-filibuster on the House floor today to protest the interior appropriations bill (H.R. 2584, FY 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations Act) because it makes dramatic cuts to environmental programs and changes long standing policy for the betterment of polluters.

"This bill is nothing more than an attempt to remove 40 years of federal laws that protect our seas, air, land, and wildlife,” said Johnson.

To watch Rep. Johnson’s floor speech, click HERE.

Just a few of the egregious elements of H.R. 2584, FY 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations Act:

► Slashes EPA by 18% below FY 2011, including slashing the Clean Water State Revolving Fund by 55 % below FY 2011. 

► Cuts Interior Department by 7%, including cutting the Land and Water Conservation Fund by 78 Percent.  

► There are at least 38 anti-environmental policy riders in the bill, including:

Extinction Rider: Blocks any money to be spent to implement such crucial sections of the Endangered Species Act as listing new species and designating habitat critical to a species’ survival.

Grand Canyon:  Assaults the iconic Grand Canyon, a national treasure, by blocking protections for more than 1 million acres of land around the Grand Canyon, leaving them open to toxic uranium mining.

Cross-State Air Pollution: Prohibits EPA from implementing the just-finalized Cross-State Pollution Rule, which protects communities from dangerous pollution from power plants upwind of them.

Mercury Pollution:  Indefinitely stops long-overdue standards to control toxic mercury air pollution from power plants, endangering pregnant women, infants and children.

Undermining Clean Water Act: Blocks the Administration’s ongoing work to clarify which waters remain protected by the Clean Water Act – potentially endangering drinking water sources.

Oil Savings and Carbon Pollution from Motor Vehicles:  Blocks EPA from moving forward with standards for new vehicles after 2016 that would reduce our foreign oil imports and cut pollution.

Carbon Pollution from Stationary Sources:  Requires a one-year delay of EPA regulations on carbon pollution from power plants, refineries and other large industrial stationary sources.

Offshore Drilling:  Allows oil companies to pollute more when drilling offshore by weakening the Clean Air Act and exempting polluting support vessels from regulation.     

For more on the riders, click HERE.   

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