CONGRESSMAN HANK JOHNSON
Georgia's Fourth Congressional District

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Photos from Jamaal Addison Post Office Dedication

Posted by: Office Staff (September 08, 2008, 03:05 PM)

Hank Johnson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, lead the designation event for the Specialist Jamaal RaShard Addison Post Office (Lithonia Post Office) on August 2, 2008.

The Congressman introduced and passed the bill renaming the Post Office to honor all Georgians killed in Iraq but named it for Specialist Addison because he was the first Georgian slain.

Specialist Addison died on March 23, 2003 when his convoy was ambushed. A former honor student at Lakeside High School in Tucker, he served with the 507th Army Ordnance Maintenance Company in Fort Bliss, Texas.









Posted in Defense, Foreign Affairs, Iraq, My Legislation, Photos, The District | 0 Comments | Permalink

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Photos from Hank's Trip to Iraq & Afghanistan

Posted by: Office Staff (August 28, 2007, 02:20 PM)

Last April, Hank was a member of a congressional delegation that visited Iraq and Afghanistan.

Upon his return, Hank said, "Following the trip I have an even deeper appreciation for our citizenship and the awesome responsibility facing our troops and the families they leave behind. My position regarding Iraq is perhaps firmer and I am absolutely certain that we must set limits on funding and establish deadlines to extract our service personnel as soon as possible."

Here are photos from that trip.


Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan


Camp Eggers, Afghanistan


Camp Eggers, Afghanistan


In a helicopter over Ramadi, Iraq


Ramadi, Iraq


Ramadi, Iraq


Umm Qsar, Iraq


Umm Qsar, Iraq


Umm Qsar, Iraq

Posted in Defense, Foreign Affairs, Iraq, Photos | 4 Comments | Permalink

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Exit Strategy: Why I Supported the Iraq Accountability Act

Posted by: Hank Johnson (March 23, 2007, 03:54 PM)

I am passionately opposed to the war in Iraq. I am committed to bringing our brave troops home and sickened by the prospect of prolonging this tragic and unnecessary conflict.

And today I have made a very difficult decision – by far the most difficult I have ever made in public service.

In our efforts to end this war, we in Congress are faced with imperfect options. The U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health, and Iraq Accountability Act upon which we voted today is a strong bill and will do much to hasten our withdrawal from Iraq. But it is a flawed bill, an imperfect bill. I had hoped for a more aggressive measure and, in past weeks, considered voting against it.

I was an original supporter of the amendment offered by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, which called for a fully-funded, immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Regrettably, that amendment was rejected before it could even be considered on the floor. It is clear that more aggressive measures to curtail the president’s power would be destined for the same fate in this body.

The harsh reality is that we must deal in the world of the possible, not the ideal. I wish we could do more and do it quickly. But this bill, for all its faults, is the best we can hope to pass at this time. As such, and not without misgivings, I have decided that passing this law is the best first step we can take toward ending the war in Iraq.

Defeat of this bill, even on principled grounds, may ultimately prolong this war. That is something I cannot and will not stand for.

I carefully considered voting against this bill and holding out for something more aggressive and restrictive. But, having watched this debate unfold, I am convinced that such a proposal would not pass. If our true aim is bringing this war to a close as quickly as possible, we must support the most aggressive legislation that is passable, not simply the most aggressive legislation.

If we hold out for the ideal and fail to pass this bill today, we may congratulate ourselves tomorrow for standing up for our principles. But the hard truth is that our principled inaction risks sentencing our brave men and women in uniform to more tours of duty, more street patrols, more IED attacks – all because we failed to distinguish between what we want to do and what we are able to do.
This bill will require withdrawal of U.S. armed forces from Iraq if its conditions are not met. It will hold the Iraqi government officials accountable for their action and inaction. It will greatly increase funding for the care of our veterans, who have been neglected upon their return from heroic and frequently traumatic service abroad. It will appropriate deeply needed funds to restore our proud military to a state of strength and readiness.

This is an imperfect bill. But, for all its flaws, it is the right first step -- the right step today.

I will solemnly lend it my support.

Posted in Defense, Foreign Affairs, Iraq | 28 Comments | Permalink

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Speaking Out Against Escalation

Posted by: Hank Johnson (February 20, 2007, 06:31 PM)

FRIENDS: I DELIVERED THIS SPEECH on the floor of the House late last week.  I strongly believe that President Bush's plan to escalate the war in Iraq is misguided, and I am committed to speaking out against it.  I look forward to your feedback and input.

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Iraq | 8 Comments | Permalink

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A Cartoon

Posted by: Hank Johnson (February 13, 2007, 07:18 PM)

Perusing today's Washington Post opinion page, I stumbled upon this cartoon by Tom Toles:

Nobody wants a nuclear Iran. 

But the similarities between what we're hearing from the Bush Administration about Iran today and what we heard about Iraq in the build up to that war are striking. 

I have no problem with aggressive diplomacy or brinksmanship, conducted responsibly; I just wish I could be confident that President Bush will protect American interests prudently and carefully. 

Recent history doesn't speak to his capacity for measured, well-conceived foreign policy.

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Iran, Iraq | 4 Comments | Permalink

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A More Nuanced Approach to Resolving the Iraq Quagmire

Posted by: Hank Johnson (February 08, 2007, 05:05 PM)

It is now common knowledge that Iraq has become an unfortunate quagmire. We all tend to agree on this point; we just disagree on how to rectify this situation. Poor planning has brought us here so it only makes sense to ensure poor planning does not keep us on this path. 

It is also becoming common knowledge that we need to focus more on enabling the political process in Iraq and less on enabling a burgeoning civil war. I desire victory in Iraq as much as the President but, in my humble view, his plan will not bring us to that goal. As a result, I would find it difficult to support a continuation of this flawed thinking. I believe we need a new strategy based on the needs of a constantly evolving situation.

At this point in Iraq’s troubled history, there are two major issues that need to be addressed: lessening the presence of U.S. troops on Iraqi streets to stem violence resulting from the perception of provocation and ensuring the Iraqi government has some semblance of stability to function properly and establish an adequate foundation. As a result of the lack of focus on these tenets, we have the current unsustainable situation to contend with. So what must we do now?

In keeping with the proper role of Congress in the prosecution of this war, first and foremost, we must seriously consider withholding funding to execute a flawed plan – as long as our troops won’t be endangered by such an action. Second, we must take the opportunity to speak for our constituents and make recommendations to the Administration based on their concerns. Therefore, I have introduced a resolution that officially recommends the Administration effectively take the targets off of the backs of our brave troops and pull them off of street patrol duty. Over four years into this war, this should be the sole function of those Iraqi troops ready to take on the task. Even if they are not fully ready, a credible argument can be and has been made that the violence will be significantly reduced with the reduction of U.S. troop presence. These troops should, in turn, be used to fortify the Iraqi government, allowing it to function more efficiently and provide the country with the strong central government it needs.

Maybe more importantly, we need to pay a debt we owe to innocent Iraqi civilians. We owe them what they have yet to receive since the beginning of American intervention – the ability to purchase food at the local market for their families without the fear of being blown up. Any unbiased observer of the Iraq situation would be hard pressed to legitimately argue that our current plan is truly making the streets of Iraq safer.

The instability of that region does not allow me to guarantee victory under any circumstances, but I am comfortable guaranteeing that the enactment of this plan would ensure less American flag-draped coffins and provide the mechanisms for an eventual resolution to this conflict – if an acceptable one is indeed possible.

Let’s continue to work together to bring new ideas to the table and make them heard.  Your comments are welcome.

Posted in Iraq | 21 Comments | Permalink

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Welcome to Hank’s Blog

Welcome to my blog. Here you’ll find informal commentary, updates, and announcements written by me and my staff.

Add this page to your bookmarks so you can get the inside scoop from Washington. Leave your comments and I will do my best to respond to some of them.
--Hank

Hank

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