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On Saturday, April 18 at the Porter Sanford Center for the Performing Arts from 4 to 7 p.m., Rep. Johnson will present certificates of Congressional recognition to both arts students and students applying to the service academies.
The Arts Competition, which was open to all high school students in the Fourth District of Georgia – including parts of the DeKalb, Rockdale and Gwinnett county school systems – had 50 entries from more than 15 schools throughout the district.
In 2007, there were 19 entries and in 2008 there were 22.
| Watch Hank talk about the town hall |
By bringing lenders and struggling homeowners to the same table, Johnson said he hopes to stem the tide of foreclosures that has plagued the Fourth District.
Although the potential loss of jobs is important to Johnson, he said the fighters’ strategic importance in America’s defensive arsenal trumps all other concerns.
“Contrary to what some analysts say, our air superiority is not assured,” said Johnson. “Russia, China even India are all building the next generation of fighters. The F-22 program helps us maintain our lead in the skies, and helps keep America safe.”
Designed to motivate companies through tax incentives to use truck tires with recycled rubber, the Act [HR 1888] aims to curb the number of tires thrown in landfills while at the same time cut back on the amount of fossil fuels needed to produce them.
According to Federal data, each car tire requires seven gallons of petroleum to make, and each truck tire takes 22 gallons. Altogether, it takes 2.6 billion gallons of oil to make America’s tires each year.
Unlike the Bush Administration, which inherited a $5.6 trillion surplus in 2001, the Obama Administration inherited a deficit of more than $1.2 trillion in 2009 and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
The budget the House of Representatives passed on April 2 – $3.55 trillion – begins on Oct. 1.
“I have always been deeply concerned that under the Bush Administration there was a major transfer of wealth in this country from the middle-and-lower income earners to the upper 10 percent of earners,” said Johnson.
The tax cuts -- $400 to individuals making less than $75,000 and $800 to married couples making less than $150,000 per year -- will begin to show up in workers paychecks this week. Couples making $200,000 and individuals making $100,000 will not receive the boost.
The aim of the stimulus tax credits is to allow workers to keep more of their hard-earned money or make ends meet.
The measures could provide a cost of living increase for veterans’ disability benefits, expand employment services for homeless veterans and fully reimburse veterans for emergency care.
Johnson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said it’s a step – or three – in the right direction.
“For those who gave this country so much, we in turn should be doing everything we can to help make sure our Veterans are taken care of,” said Johnson. “All three bills will help Vets make ends meet, find housing if they’re homeless and help cover emergency medical expenses.”
“Guantanamo is a symbol of everything we did wrong,” said Johnson, a former criminal defense attorney. “It’s an ugly reminder of the fact that our international relations have been severely damaged.
The legislation passed the House by a vote of 328-93, drawing support from 85 Republicans.
Johnson, who voted against TARP but voted for HR 1586, was pleased that three-fourths of the TARP funds that have been spent went to companies that would be covered by this bill.
“This is exactly why I voted against TARP in the first place,” said Johnson. “This madness on Wall Street at the expense of Main Street must stop. I hope this puts to end this debilitating chapter of greed and abuse, and I trust the Senate will soon follow suit.”