Rep. Johnson's E-Newsletter for January 17, 2014

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year to everyone!

This week, I voted in favor of the 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act to fund the entire government for the rest of fiscal 2014, avoiding another government shutdown.

I voted for it to move our nation forward and away from the politics of governing in constant crisis mode. While it’s not the bill I would have written – it’s incredibly disappointing that it did not include unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed – this bill makes crucial investments in job creation and economic development. Federal furloughs should not be mentioned again this year; Head Start and early education investments will help working families and restore teaching jobs; and infrastructure investments will support construction jobs and infrastructure upgrades.

Although I did not support everything in this bipartisan omnibus, I will work in the coming year to address its shortcomings. For more on the budget, click HERE. (need a good URL)

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT INFO EVENT: My office is pleased to be working in conjunction with the National Association of Chinese-Americans (NACA) to host an Affordable Healthcare Act information event at Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 1 to 4 p.m.

We’ll be helping small businesses and individuals apply for health insurance through the healthcare exchanges. For more information, contact NACA at 770-394-6542 or visit their website at naca-atlanta.org/events.

The event is being held in conjunction with: Congressman Hank Johnson, Amitabh Sharma, Bonnie Youn, Charlene Fang, Lani Wong, Asian American Resource Center (AARC), Cultures Across Borders, Thai Association-World Center and other community organizations.

STONE MOUNTAIN’S ART STATION & NEA GRANTS: I want to congratulate Arts Station in Stone Mountain and their Founder, President, and Artistic Director David Thomas for receiving a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA has just posted the guidelines and application materials for their Fiscal Year 2015 Grants for Arts Projects. More details are at the bottom of this email and on their website at https://arts.gov/. Please note some changes to the application format and deadlines. These grants are for projects anticipated to take place in 2015.

GRANTS TO HELP HOMELESS VETERANS: This week, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the availability of nearly $600 million in grants for non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that serve very low-income Veteran families occupying permanent housing through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. As Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said: those who have served our nation should never find themselves on the streets. These grants play a critical role in addressing Veteran homelessness. We are making progress towards our goal of ending Veterans’ homelessness, but we still have work to do. For more, click HERE.

HONORING A TRUE HERO: This week from the House floor, I honored young Morgan Steward of Covington who – despite suffering from spinal muscular atrophy that affects his muscle movement and leaves him in a wheelchair – has been an inspiration to us all. He dreamed of being a policeman, and I’m proud to say the Covington Police Department in Georgia’s Fourth District helped make that a reality.

In conjunction with 11 Alive TV, they held “Officer Morgan Day” last month where he was sworn in as the newest member of Covington’s force. He arrested a bank robber, solved an art heist and rescued a kidnapped mascot. His unwavering bravery has grabbed all our hearts and raised our spirits. To watch the floor speech, click HERE.

HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS: On Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 1 to 8 p.m. at the Cobb Galleria Centre Hall A, the Department of Treasury (with their partners at HOPE NOW and HUD) will be traveling to Atlanta for a “Help for Homeowners” Community Event. This event will provide struggling homeowners an opportunity to meet one-on-one with HUD-approved housing counselors and their mortgage servicers to craft solutions that meet their particular needs. For more, click HERE.

CONGRESSIONAL AWARDS: I want to make everyone is aware of The Congressional Award for young Americans. It is non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive. The program is open to all 14- to 23-year-olds. I’ve awarded several well-deserving young people in the Fourth District Congressional Awards over the years. Each level involves setting goals in four program areas; Volunteer Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration. You move at your own pace – on your own or with your friends. This is not an award for past accomplishments. Instead, you are honored for achieving your own challenging goals. For more, click HERE.

GALEO’S CESAR CHAVEZ ESSAY CONTEST: The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials is proud to announce the 2014 Cesar Chavez Essay Contest. 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.

THE MLK HOLIDAY AND THE WEEK AHEAD: I was honored to attend the North Georgia AFL-CIO’s Dr. King Prayer Breakfast this morning. It was good to see some old friends and make some new ones. I’m also honored to be attending the Dr. King service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday and the DeKalb NAACP King Parade & Rally later that morning. We honor Dr. King with a national day of service. It is truly a “day on, not a day off.” For more, click HERE.

FIGHT FRAUD, PROTECT YOURSELF AT TAX TIME: I’m encouraging Fourth District residents to protect their identity and help fight fraud during tax season by following some basic Internal Revenue Service guidelines. Tax identity theft is the most common form of identity theft reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Jan. 13-17 is Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week. To see the guidelines, click HERE.

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