Dear Friends,
We are well into the New Year and the 112th Congress. In the coming weeks, we’re going to be discussing proposed budget cuts – some drastic. I will do everything in my power to protect and defend the necessary services and regulations that ensure public safety, economic development, job creation, health care and an enhanced quality of life. We know there will be some tough choices and battles ahead. Please stay tuned here for updates.We have much to discuss, so let’s jump right in.
HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES, LOCAL ECONOMY: Small businesses are the engines that create jobs and the backbone of our local economy. That’s why I’m launching an investigation into why billions of dollars in Federal contracts designated for small businesses are diverted to subsidiaries of large corporations. By law, 23% of government contracts are supposed to go to small businesses. A Small Business Administration (SBA) Study proved that isn’t the case, and I want to know why. I’ve sent a letter to the SBA demanding answers. I’m working on legislation to deal with this problem.
SPEAKING OF JOBS: I’m pleased to report that the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission is listening. Late last year I sent a letter to the EEOC, urging an investigation into discrimination against the unemployed. When job ads read: “must be currently employed” to apply or stipulate that “no unemployed candidates will be considered at all,” something is fundamentally wrong.
Now the EEOC is holding a hearing on the issue Feb. 16, and I hope common-sense and concrete reforms can take hold. With unemployment at 9%, and too many Americans unemployed for 99 weeks or more, discrimination against the unemployed should not be tolerated. I am pleased to inform you of this hearing and assure you that I am working on legislation to end this discriminatory practice that only prolongs our jobs crisis.
HEALTHCARE REFORM SAVED HER LIFE: I voted against the effort to repeal health care reform, which would put insurance companies back in charge; allowing them to continue abusing consumers. Like public school teacher Lisa Ryan of Decatur. She has lupus and her health care insurance costs were spiraling out of control. She’s not looking for charity, just fairness in dealing with her insurance company. She needs the interim high-risk pools that help provide immediate access to insurance. It’s not an exaggeration to say that health reform has saved her life. For more, click here.
SECRETARY VISITS OUR DISTRICT: It was a pleasure to attend a forum with Education Secretary Arne  Duncan and Sen. Johnny Isakson at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross on Jan. 31. As winners of the Broad Prize, I’m very proud of Gwinnett County Schools. It was enlightening to hear from panelists and Mr. Duncan about what works and what doesn’t in our educational system as we prepare our students to compete and succeed in the global marketplace.
Photo above: Hank joins Sen. Johnny Isakson and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Jan. 31 at an education roundtable at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross.
GRANTS TO ASSIST HOMELESS: I was pleased to announce recently that more than $2.2 million in Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants to provide permanent and transitional housing to the homeless as well as job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care was awarded for several worthy centers here in the 4th Congressional District. For more, click here.
POWERING THE FUTURE: Kudos to DeKalb County for moving ahead with a Department of Energy grant that will turn trash into compressed natural gas to power county garbage trucks for up to 50 years. This grant will not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil and harmful emissions, but it will make DeKalb County one of the leaders of this new green technology. This is exactly what the Recovery Act was intended to do – invest in green energy while helping local governments empower themselves to power sustainable growth.
NEGLECTED DISEASES: I’ve re-introduced my bipartisan bill to address a growing problem of parasitic diseases – some in distressed urban areas. The “Neglected Infections of Impoverished Americans Act of 2011” passed the House of Representatives in 2010, but stalled in the Senate. For more, click here.
DR. KING & STONE MOUNTAIN:I was honored to speak at the DeKalb NAACP and City of Stone Mountain Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Rally this year. Dr. King always inspires me to be my best, and I hope you used the King Holiday to reflect and make a difference in our community.
WALLS OF WONDER: Be sure to stop by Conyers before March 3 for the 26th annual Georgia Artists with Disabilities exhibition at Nancy Guinn Memorial Library. The exhibition features 50 award-winning pieces from disabled artists throughout Georgia. For more, click here.
As always, I value your input and welcome your comments. Being your representative in Washington is a singular honor, and I appreciate you letting me know how I can be of service to you.
Thanks,
 | February 11, 2011 
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My Staff Arthur D. Sidney, Chief of Staff
Kathy Register, District Director
District
Shy Armstrong
Peter Butts
Katie Dailey
Betty Dixon
Eric C. Hubbard
Ray Khalfani
Andy Phelan
Carole Mumford
Dori Scales
Paulette Suggs Washington, D.C.
Scott Goldstein
Jocelyn Griffin
Jonathan Ossoff
Mark Perkins
Ebony Simpson
Oliver Spurgeon, III
Elisabeth Stein
Sascha Thompson
Marybeth Williams |
Duncan and Sen. Johnny Isakson at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross on Jan. 31. As winners of the Broad Prize, I’m very proud of Gwinnett County Schools. It was enlightening to hear from panelists and Mr. Duncan about what works and what doesn’t in our educational system as we prepare our students to compete and succeed in the global marketplace.
