Dear Friends,
Wow, what a busy time both in Washington and in the Fourth District. Let’s dive right in to the news from D.C. and here at home.
HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES: Last week, I voted for the Small Business Jobs Act, which will help free up $300 billion of lending to millions of small businesses and cut taxes on small businesses by $12 billion so companies can hire workers, grow, and fuel economic growth. It also keeps jobs in America by closing tax loopholes that reward corporations for shipping jobs overseas. For more, click here.
FIGHTING FOR U.S. JOBS: This week, the House passed a bipartisan bill to fight China’s unfair currency manipulation, which hurts American workers. I was proud to take a stand for American workers and American manufacturing by voting for this bill, a key part of our “Make it in America” initiative. It will help the President address the unfair trade practice of currency manipulation by foreign countries, including China. For more, click here.
LILBURN TURNS 100: A big thanks to the City of Lilburn, Mayor Preston, and the city council for having me out last Saturday to help celebrate their 100th birthday and cut the ribbon on their beautiful Greenway Trail.
I was proud to present a proclamation naming July 27 “Lilburn Day in the Fourth District” and House Resolution 1642, an official Congressional resolution I introduced to recognize Lilburn’s historic accomplishments. Fifty-one of my colleagues in Congress cosponsored the resolution. For more, click here. To read H. Res. 1642, click here.
COPS IN ACTION: Congratulations to Doraville and Police Chief John King for receiving $385,000 under the Department of Justice’s COPS Hiring Program, which will help hire two additional officers. The COPS program is crucial for our local law enforcement and has provided DeKalb, Rockdale and Gwinnett law enforcement agencies with the funds they need to help keep our communities safe. For more, click here.
NEGLECTED DISEASES: I’m pleased to report that my bipartisan bill to address a growing problem of parasitic diseases – mostly in poor, minority populations in distressed urban areas – passed the House of Representatives. The legislation now goes to the Senate. The “Neglected Infections of Impoverished Americans Act of 2010” will require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to Congress annually on the impact of these diseases, address their threat and make funding recommendations on how to eradicate them. For more, click here.
PATIENT’S BILL OF RIGHTS: I want to remind everyone that key provisions of the new Patient’s Bill of Rights went into effect Sept. 23 as part of historic health care reform passed by Congress this year, including rules prohibiting insurance companies from cancelling coverage when a you become sick; rules prohibiting the denial of coverage or restriction of benefits for children who suffer from a pre-existing condition; and rules prohibiting lifetime limits on coverage, helping prevent families from going broke or losing their home just because a loved one has an accident or becomes ill. For more, click here or visit Healthcare.gov.
STRAIGHT TALK FOR SENIORS: A recent poll indicates that America’s seniors remain confused and uninformed about how the new health reform law affects them. I’ve spoken at many of our senior centers and will continue to do so until people clearly understand the law. There’s a lot of misinformation being spread by forces opposed to the new law. To help cut through all the clutter, the National Council on Aging has launched “Straight Talk for Seniors on Health Reform.” For more, click here.
MEDICARE NEWS: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced this week that on average Medicare Advantage premiums will be 1 percent lower in 2011 than today. The majority of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare health and prescription drug plans this year should find little or no change in their benefits in 2011, in addition to seeing more drug plans offering coverage in the prescription drug coverage gap or “donut hole.” For more, click here.
FIGHTING HIV: On Monday, I visited STAND Inc. [Standing to Achieve New Directions] to congratulate them on receiving a $300,000 annual grant from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
STAND – on Covington Highway in Decatur – is one of metro Atlanta’s leading community-based organizations focused on HIV, domestic violence and substance abuse intervention and prevention services as well as comprehensive re-entry services for men. The grant will be awarded Oct. 1 and run each year until 2015. For more, click here.
FIGHTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE: The Rockdale County DUI Court Supervised Treatment Program will receive a $165,700 federal grant to help treat residents who come through their Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. The Norcross-based Clinic for Education, Treatment and Prevention of Addiction or CETPA is receiving $300,000 to fight substance abuse as well.
PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCY: Congratulations to More Than Conquerors Inc. – a community based non-profit organization in Stone Mountain committed to the needs of at-risk youth from middle school through college freshmen – for receiving a $650,000 grant to help prevent teen pregnancies.
SBA FLOOD FUNDS: To all small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by the floods of Sept. 2009, Nov. 2 is the deadline for federal economic injury loans. For more information, click here.
FRAME – A FAMILY FEATURE: If you are an unmarried couple expecting or have a new-born baby, consider joining FRAME-Works at DeKalb Medical Center designed to help strengthen your relationship. The two-day, free event will be held Oct. 9-10 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at DeKalb Medical on North Decatur Road. For more information or to register, call Felicia at 1-888-44-FRAME.
Thanks for your time and interest in what’s happening in Congress. If you have questions or concerns, my door is always open to you. You can reach me 24/7 via my Web site www.hankjohnson.house.gov.
Fall is in the air, football season is upon us — have a wonderful weekend!
Hank
