January 25, 2018 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Thank you to everyone who attended our Tax Teach In in Lilburn on Jan. 13. We had a robust discussion of the issues around the new tax plan. I also want to thank all our panelists -- Wesley Tharpe, research director of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute; Caroline Fohlin, professor of economics at Emory University; Louis Partain of the AFL-CIO; Ian McCarthy, assistant professor of economics at Emory University; Thomas Smith, associate professor of finance at the Goizueta Business School, Emory -- for attending and imparting their wisdom.
With that in mind, we are working on holding another Tax Teach In in DeKalb County at the Lou Walker Senior Center on Monday, February 12 from 6-8 PM. Please keep that date and time in mind and I hope to see you there.
TOP DEMOCRAT ON INTELLECUAL PROPERTY: I'm pleased to report that I was elected by my peers this month to lead the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over administration of U.S. Courts, judicial ethics, patent, copyright and trademark law, information technology and the Internet. At a time when Net Neutrality is in jeopardy, I am eager to take on the challenge of ensuring that the Internet remains open to all content regardless of its source and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites. For more, click HERE.
TELEPHONE TOWN HALL: On Wednesday, January 31 from 6:30-7:30 PM, I'm holding a telephone town hall to hear from constituents what their most important issues and concerns are and what they would like me to work on in 2018. To sign up, register HERE.
JANUARY PASSPORT DAY: According to the U.S. Department of State, January and February are the best months to apply for or renew your passport. The Atlanta Passport Agency is hosting a Passport Day on Saturday, January 27, from 8 AM to 12 PM at 230 Peachtree Street, N.W., 10th Floor. It's a convenient way to apply for children, apply for the first time, or renew your passport. For information on applying for a U.S. passport, forms, fees, and processing times, click HERE.
MLK DAY: It was an honor for me to serve as Grand Marshal for the Rockdale Think Tank MLK Day Parade and to participate in the DeKalb festivities as well. It was a great "Day On" of service in our communities. For more, click HERE.
Congressman Johnson with 2016 winning student Julaam Diop of Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology for his game "Dungeon Delver II" and his teacher Demetria Williams in Washington, D.C. last year.
APP CHALLENGE: I'm looking forward to hosting our third annual Congressional App Challenge reception on Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Fernbank Science Center. More than 75 Fourth District students competed in this year's challenge to create the next great mobile application. This is a great event and competition that continues to grow each year. For more information on this annual competition, click HERE.