Rep. Johnson's E-Newsletter for Feb. 28, 2014

Dear Friends,

It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the District and in Washington since I last wrote. From debates about raising the minimum wage, progress under the Affordable Care Act to the role that regulations play in protecting workers’ safety and creating jobs, it’s been an active and productive month here in Georgia and on Capitol Hill. Let’s get caught up.

50+ JOB FAIR: My office is pleased to be working with the AARP Foundation to hold a 50+ job fair at the Lou Walker Senior Center on Thursday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The AARP will be helping job seekers find work, understand healthcare options, develop housing and financial strategies, and résumé writing and social media skills. The Lou Walker Senior Center is located at 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia 30058. Please dress for success and bring plenty of résumés. Registration is required. To register, click HERE. Please let your friends and family members who are looking for work know about this important event.

RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE: This week, I took action to force an up-or-down vote on key legislation that would give at least 25 million Americans a pay raise. I joined my colleagues in signing a discharge petition to bring up the Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010). The bill increases the minimum wage over three years from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour, indexes future annual increases to inflation thereafter, and gradually increases the tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the minimum wage. For more, click HERE.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: In recognition of Black History Month, Doug Collins (GA-09) and I introduced a bipartisan resolution this week calling on Congress to award the Freedom Riders the Congressional Gold Medal. More than 50 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle joined us to cosponsor the bill, H.R. 4041. For more, click HERE.

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT TELE TOWN HALL: On Feb. 19, I reached out to constituents throughout the Fourth District via a telephone town hall to discuss the Affordable Care Act. With the March 31 deadline to get coverage this year looming, I’m taking a proactive approach to inform his constituents about the benefits of the law and direct them to resources to help them and/or their family members to sign up.

For more, click HERE.

COMCAST MERGER: As ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law (RRCAL), which exercises jurisdiction over antitrust laws and competition, I'll be dealing directly with proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable. The proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable raises important questions about competition in the communications industry. For more, click HERE.

SOUTH RIVER WATERSHED ALLIANCE: The beginning of SRWA’s 2014 Beyond the Bridge South River canoe outing series is only a few months away. “Beyond the Bridge” is all about getting to see the river from a different perspective, one which can only be seen and appreciated from the river itself. For more, click HERE.

GALEO’S CESAR CHAVEZ ESSAY CONTEST: The deadline to apply for the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials 2014 Cesar Chavez Essay Contest is approaching. The goal is to increase awareness of the continual plight of farm workers and their contributions to America while honoring civil rights legend Cesar Chavez. He remains one of the foremost Latino leaders in American history. His birthday is recognized as a state holiday in California, Colorado and Texas, and GALEO supports the movement to create a national holiday in honor of Chavez. All high school students and adults in Georgia are eligible. For more information, click HERE. Essays are due by March 7.

ARABIA MOUNTAIN HERITAGE AREA EVENTS: Arabia Mountain is holding its 2nd annual Monadnock Madness starting on Saturday. This is your chance to get up close and personal with Arabia, Panola, and Stone Mountains. To see all of their hikes, fun classes, and field trips, click HERE. Motivated hikers can hike all three mountains in one day during their Triple Hike Challenge on March 8 or 16. Please RSVP now. They even have a souvenir for everyone who visits all three parks in March. As they say, come “See 400 million years from here.” For more, click HERE.

PEACE CORPS: National Peace Corps Week is Feb. 23 to March 1. The Peace Corps traces its roots and mission to the early 1960s, when President John F. Kennedy inspired Americans to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. The Peace Corps is celebrating its 53rd anniversary on March 1. More than 7,200 Peace Corps Volunteers are currently working to improve the lives of individuals and communities in 65 countries, including 15 from Georgia’s Fourth District. Since 1961, more than 215,000 Volunteers have served in 139 countries around the world. For more, click HERE.

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER: On Thursday, Feb. 27, I attended the kickoff of President Barack Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper Initiative” at the White House. Brother’s Keeper is a new effort aimed at empowering boys and young men of color, a segment of our society which too often faces disproportionate challenges and obstacles to success. I applaud President Obama for using the power of his office to finally create a platform to build up young men of color, and am hopeful that this will be a seminal moment in our national dialogue surrounding the development of our young men and boys – including reforming the criminal justice system, strengthening our families, and closing the achievement gap. We must invest in the development and uplift of young men of color, while developing a roadmap to help future generations achieve their full potential. For more, click HERE.

MILITARY SERVICE DOGS: The Department of Veterans Affairs is now paying 100% of the health care costs for military service dogs that includes preventive medicine, prescriptions and emergency services. While veterans with service dogs still must pay for elective surgery, dietary supplements and over the counter medications, this is great news because these service dogs are lifelong caregivers for veterans with spinal cord injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other traumas. For more, click HERE.

OAKHURST MEDICAL: It’s hard to believe it's been a year since the groundbreaking of Oakhurst Medical Center’s Memorial Drive facility. I was pleased to present the Center’s CEO Jeff Taylor with a Congressional Certificate at their ceremony on Monday, Feb. 24. The Affordable Care Act has provided more than $6.5 million to our community health centers, and Oakhurst is on the front lines of providing quality, affordable health care. For more, visit my Facebook page by clicking HERE.

FARM BUREAU: It was excellent to attended the 2014 Newton County Farm Bureau Legislative Appreciation dinner last month at the Newton County College and Career Academy in Covington. My staff and I have embraced the agricultural parts of the Fourth District, and I appreciate the Farm Bureau reaching out to us. And congratulations to the Newton County Farm Bureau for recently being awarded the No. 1 Farm Bureau in Georgia.

As always, I appreciate your time and feedback. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you in Congress.