Johnson RSS Articles

Sam Johnson statement on tragedy at Fort Hood

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Today U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) released the following statement on the tragedy that rocked Fort Hood.

“My thoughts and prayers go out the victims and their loved ones devastated by the tragedy at Fort Hood. Shirley and I know the strength and vibrancy of close-knit, military communities and have faith that the brave patriots at Fort Hood will rise above this.”

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Sam Johnson strives to stop taxpayer-funded govt. run health insurance for illegal immigrants

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

At a news conference today on Capitol Hill, U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) detailed his efforts to rule out taxpayer subsidized health insurance for illegal immigrants. Later today Johnson will offer several amendments to clarify the vague language that grants taxpayer funded health insurance benefits to illegal immigrants in H.R. 3926, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

“Unfortunately, since my colleagues and I attempted to fix this problem this summer, the problem has gotten worse, not better. Speaker Pelosi’s latest version of government-run health insurance actually covers 2.5 million more illegal immigrants than her last attempt,” said Johnson.

These protections are needed as a November 2, 2009 nonpartisan Congressional Research Service report on immigration and pending health reform legislation concluded, “The House bill contains no express restrictions on noncitizens – whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently – accessing and paying for coverage available through the health insurance exchange.”

“The Democrats’ healthcare bill spends hundreds of billions of dollars on subsidies for people to have access to government-run healthcare. We need to ensure that American citizens are the ONLY ones receiving these benefits,” said Johnson.

Johnson seeks tougher citizenship check tools and more stringent enforcement mechanisms to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing the government-run health program. Specifically, Johnson strives to ensure that people will have to prove who they say they are with a valid photo identification to receive taxpayer subsidized health insurance.

“There are so many activities that currently require a valid photo identification: getting on an airplane, driving a car, entering a government building, using a credit card, writing a check, or renting a movie at Blockbuster. It’s just common sense that Congress would require the same proof of identification for someone to rent a $4 movie as they should for people accessing the thousands of dollars of government healthcare benefits,” wondered Johnson.

Nowhere in H.R. 3962 is the Commissioner required to apply the existing citizenship and identity verification requirements that exist in current law. Another amendment will

prevent the American taxpayers from being forced to finance welfare benefits for illegal aliens by clarifying that all potential Medicaid enrollees must first go through tougher citizenship and identity verification requirements.

These amendments mark Johnson's third attempt in nearly as many months to guarantee that illegal immigrants do not receive taxpayer-funded health insurance benefits under the government-run health insurance plan. In July, Johnson co-authored an initiative to prohibit illegal immigrants from accessing taxpayer subsidized care in the new government-run plan; the Committee Democrats voted the measure down. This September, Johnson attempted to offer a common-sense immigration provision in a Ways and Means Committee markup that mirrored legislation the Democrat-led Senate Finance Committee passed just days before; House Democrats thwarted Johnson’s attempts.

Johnson coordinated with Congressmen Nathan Deal (9th Dist.-Ga.), Dean Heller (2nd Dist.-Nev.), and Joe Wilson (2nd Dist.-S.C.) when offering today’s amendments. FAIR, a national, nonprofit, public-interest organization for immigration reform, and NumbersUSA also participated in the news conference.

Johnson represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.

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Sam Johnson makes an emergency “House Call”

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Today on Capitol Hill U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) attended the emergency “House Call” to express his opposition to the House Democrats’ Washington takeover of healthcare. Grassroots activists from across America galvanized by the popular “Tea Party” movement travelled to Capitol Hill for a news conference to vent their frustrations with the Democrats’ fast-moving healthcare bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

The Act costs nearly $1 trillion and represents three months of intense secret negotiations among House Democrats. The 20 pound, 2,000 page bill hurts seniors with sweeping cuts to Medicare, forces all Americans to buy health insurance, taxes Americans who do not purchase “government approved” health coverage, limits personal choices and individual decisions, and jeopardizes the health insurance Americans already have – and often times like.

“The American people have spoken loud and clear. They don’t want a government-takeover of healthcare. They want to have the right to choose the healthcare that’s best for them, their families and their individual needs. It’s time for a patient-centered approach that doesn’t break the bank,” said Johnson, a member of the Health Subcommittee on Ways and Means.

Johnson backs the fiscally responsible Republican plan that makes healthcare more affordable and accessible at a price our nation can afford by implementing smart, market-driven reforms right now to lower costs:

• Permitting individuals and families to purchase health insurance across state lines;

• Allowing individuals and small businesses to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do (For years, Johnson has long championed this concept and authored H.R. 2607 – the Small Business Health Fairness Act);

• Giving states the tools to create their own innovative reforms that lower healthcare costs; and

• Ending junk lawsuits that contribute to higher healthcare costs by increasing the number of tests and procedures that physicians sometimes order not because they think it’s good medicine, but because they are afraid of being sued.

“We can do better with a targeted approach that tackles the biggest problems. The Republican plan does that,” said Johnson. Visit http://healthcare.gop.gov to learn more about the Republican plan to lower healthcare costs and increase the number of Americans with insurance.

“It's clear where the American people stand. They’re frustrated and fed up. The trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ created to keep unemployment below 8% isn't working. Unemployment is rising. The debt to be paid by our kids and grandkids is exploding. And now comes Speaker Pelosi's 2,000 page government takeover of healthcare. Americans simply cannot afford another Washington bailout that overspends, overreaches, and under delivers,” continued Johnson.

“Healthcare represents 20% of our economy and Democrats are pushing their healthcare overhaul at warp speed. Speaker Pelosi maxes out the government credit card for a plan that will increase healthcare costs. There are much better alternatives to improving health care than Speaker Pelosi’s bill. We need to recapture the passion we saw in town halls across America to remind the Democrats in Washington of just that,” concluded Johnson.

Sign up for Johnson’s free E-Newsletter, the Sam Johnson Journal, by visiting www.SamJohnson.house.gov. You also can find him on Facebook and YouTube.

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Illegal Immigrants Receive Healthcare Under Democrat Bill

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

“There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants.
This, too, is false—the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.”
– President Obama, September 9, 2009 to a Joint Session of Congress

November 5, 2009

· SCHIP Déjà Vu. Pelosi’s bill (H.R. 3962) extends the sub-par standards enacted under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (commonly known as SCHIP) reauthorization in the beginning of the 111th Congress (P.L. 111-3), which weakened laws already in place related to documentation requests. SCHIP removed the requirement that citizens and nationals provide documentation proving their citizenship in order to be covered under Medicaid and SCHIP. Instead, it required that a name and Social Security number be provided as documentation of legal status and that those names and Social Security numbers be submitted to the Secretary to be checked for validity. Just like the Pelosi bill we have in front of us this week, conservatives should be concerned that a Social Security number and name are not enough to prove immigration status.

· Ineffective Verification Methods. According to Section 347 of the underlying bill, illegal immigrants are not eligible to receive affordability credits (government subsidies to purchase “qualified health benefit plans”). However, the verification method to determine whether an individual is here legally is unreliable and ineffective. While the bill requires that applicants give a Social Security number, it contains no requirement that an individual show a valid ID in order to match the individual with the Social Security number provided – thus creating a vast opportunity for fraud and abuse. Moreover, the verification provisions allow an individual who self-certifies eligibility presumptively to enroll in federal programs—and remain enrolled for up to 120 days after a records discrepancy is finally discovered.

· Backdoor Eligibility for Illegals with Legal Relatives. Section 342 of the underlying bill contains a subheading entitled “Treatment of Family,” which implies that if a legal member of the family is eligible for affordability credits, the family will be eligible as well – regardless of immigration status.

· Presumptive Eligibility for Illegals. Section 1714(b) of the bill allows states to create presumptive eligibility programs under Medicaid, and provides that all medical expenses paid by states for presumptively eligible individuals shall qualify for federal matching funds. Because the bill includes no limits on the number of times an individual can be declared presumptively eligible, this provision would allow states to enroll ineligible persons—including illegal immigrants—in taxpayer-funded Medicaid coverage.

· Attempts to Amend. Despite failed attempts in the Energy and Commerce Committee markup to add provisions that would exclude illegal immigrants, many Democrats have insisted on the inclusion of illegals in any healthcare plan that comes before the House (whereas the Senate bill contains more restrictive language). As a result, H.R. 3962 does not explicitly prohibit illegal immigrants from participating in the Exchange health programs or government-run insurance.

What the Experts Are Saying:

· As confirmed in the November 2, 2009 CRS report on immigration and healthcare, “The House bill contains no express restrictions on noncitizens – whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently – accessing and paying for coverage available through the health insurance exchange.”

· According to a September 2007 letter from Social Security Administration Commissioner Michael Astrue, a Social Security number would not keep someone from fraudulently receiving coverage under Medicaid or SCHIP if they provided false identifying information. The same will ring true for health coverage under Pelosi’s bill.

· In its preliminary score of H.R. 3962, the Congressional Budget Office noted that, in 2019 there would be “about 18 million nonelderly residents uninsured (nearly one third of whom would be unauthorized immigrants).” Thus, unless the number of illegal immigrants is projected to be fewer than 6 million individuals in 2019—nearly half the illegal immigrants currently estimated to be in the U.S.—the CBO score presumes illegals would have health coverage, raising further questions as to whether or not said coverage would be taxpayer-funded.

· It is also worth noting that in its preliminary score of H.R. 3200, CBO found that in 2019 there would be “about 17 million nonelderly residents uninsured (nearly half of whom would be unauthorized immigrants).” In other words, the number of projected uninsured who are also illegal immigrants declined from about 8 million under H.R. 3200 to 6 million under H.R. 3962. Many may question what changes in the Pelosi legislation resulted in 2 million illegal immigrants suddenly obtaining health coverage.

Sam Johnson stands up to protect access to award-winning care

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Today U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) took aim at a provision tucked into the Democrats’ 2,000 page healthcare bill that will reduce access to healthcare and torpedo hundreds of jobs in physician-owned hospitals, including five existing Third District hospitals that employ 950 people and three under development that will have 310 employees.

“This is about freedom of choice, free enterprise and competition. If Third District residents want to have access to high quality, award-winning physician-owned hospitals, then they ought to be able to have that right. Protecting access to care is about giving patients the right to choose what works best for them. This is America! Some leaders in Washington want to take that right to choose away and I won’t stand for it,” declared Johnson.

Buried inside the 20 pound recently introduced Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, is a provision will ban further construction of doctor-owned specialty hospitals and prohibit existing ones from expanding. There are 235 physician-owned hospitals in 35 states, including 68 in Texas. Nationwide these facilities employ more than 65,000 people with a total payroll of over $3 billion.

There also are 124 projects under development in 22 states. If they are able to open, they will provide jobs for nearly 25,000 people. Almost $5 billion in current investments in these pending hospital facilities nationwide will be wasted if the House Democrat health care bill becomes law.

As a result of this provision affecting physician-owned hospitals, three new hospital additions in the Third District will be shut down before they ever go online. For the Third District alone, this pending hospital provision will spark a loss of an estimated $108 million in investments already made in just the three construction projects alone. This also amounts to $13,950,000 in lost payroll and a loss of roughly 310 new jobs in the Dallas and McKinney areas that would have been created if these new facilities were allowed to open and operate as intended.

The bill also restricts the growth of existing physician-owned hospitals to the point that they are not allowed to add one more hospital bed, improve the ICU, or develop a pediatric unit, for example. In the Third District, this harmful, anti-expansion measure jeopardizes five facilities that boast 950 employees, $50,250,000 in payroll and $7, 100,000 in taxes in Garland, Plano, and Richardson.

The complex hospital provision is just one of the hundreds of reckless proposals coming out of Washington DC’s effort to control personal healthcare decisions. The Act also hurts seniors with sweeping cuts to Medicare, forces Americans to buy health insurance, taxes all Americans who do not purchase “government approved” health coverage, limits personal choices and individual decisions, and jeopardizes the health insurance Americans already have – and often times like.

“President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and the Democrats need to start listening to the American people and bring both parties to the table to come up with a true bipartisan solution,” said Johnson.

Johnson represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.

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GOP plan includes Sam Johnson’s small business health insurance solution

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The newly unveiled Republican healthcare proposal includes a small business health insurance solution long advocated by U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas). For years, Congressman Johnson has championed legislation to increase the insured through the creation of small business health plans, sometimes called, Association Health Plans (AHPs).

“In all parts of our economy we know that buying in bulk reduces the price tag, and healthcare is no different. Government-forced healthcare is not the way to solve our healthcare problem. We can and have to do better. I am thrilled that Republican leaders included my common-sense proposal in their comprehensive healthcare reform bill that reduces costs and without expanding the government’s reach. Clearly, there are better ways to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for American families – and this plan is it,” said Johnson.

Small business health plans allow small businesses to band together to purchase quality health insurance for employees and their families at a lower cost. Johnson’s Small Business Health Fairness Act, H.R. 2706, would increase small businesses’ bargaining power with insurance providers, give them freedom from costly state-mandated benefit packages while keeping important consumer protections in place, and lower their overhead administrative costs by as much as 30 percent. These are benefits that many large corporations and many labor unions already enjoy because of their larger economies of scale.

Johnson takes issues with the Democrats’ latest plan for government-run health insurance. Their bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, costs nearly $1 trillion and represents three months of intense secret negotiations among House Democrats. The 2,000 page bill hurts seniors with sweeping cuts to Medicare, forces Americans to buy health insurance, taxes all Americans who do not purchase “government approved” health coverage, limits personal choices and individual decisions, and jeopardizes the health insurance Americans already have – and often times like.

“For many small-business owners, affordable health insurance through small business health plans is a matter of fairness. Fortune 500 companies have excellent access to affordable quality health insurance. Labor unions have excellent access to affordable quality health insurance. Given that the small business community represents almost 60% of the uninsured population, small businesses should have that same access to affordable, quality health insurance. If it’s good enough for Wall Street, it’s good enough for Main Street,” said Johnson.

To read the Democrats’ 2,000 page bill submitted for consideration, go to http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_hr3962_dingell.pdf.

The text of the Republican alternative may be found here: http://rules-republicans.house.gov/Media/PDF/RepublicanAlternative3962_9.pdf

Johnson represents Collin and Dallas Counties.

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AT YOUR SERVICE: Read the healthcare bill here

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on H.R. 3962, the "Affordable Healthcare for America Act," in the coming days. As this legislation will personally impact every American and the critical doctor-patient relationship, I encourage North Texas residents to review the details carefully. The full text of the bill is available here.

Link to H.R. 3962 as introduced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi on 10/29/09

The text of the Republican alternative (including Johnson’s provision) may be found here.

Learn more about the eight key Republican healthcare solutions (including legislation championed by Johnson) here.

Read a copy of the bill in Allen, Garland, McKinney Plano, or Rowlett. Learn more here.

U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson makes healthcare bill text available at local libraries in Allen, Garland, McKinney, Plano, Rowlett

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Encouraging North Texas residents to know how the House Democrat healthcare bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, would impact their personal lives, U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) will deliver copies of the bill to the local public libraries across the Third Congressional District. Johnson also has posted a link to the bill on his official website: www.SamJohnson.house.gov.

The staff will deliver the text to libraries in Allen, Garland, McKinney, Plano, and Rowlett. The bill is 2,000 pages long, weighs in at 20 pounds and costs more than $1 trillion. To pay for the hefty price tag, the bill creates $572 billion in new taxes and cuts $426 billion from Medicare.

“Constituent service is one of my top priorities. As a matter of principle, the American people have a right to know what is in the healthcare bill before it becomes law. Making copies of the most sweeping and transformational legislation in a generation available to the public is one more way to help my constituents better understand how this bill will personally impact them,” concluded Johnson.

Johnson represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.

Allen
Allen Public Library
300 N. Allen Drive
214-509-4900
*They will keep it at the reference desk

Garland
Garland Central Library
625 Austin Street
905-205-2501 (reference desk)

McKinney
McKinney Public Library
101 E. Hunt St.
972-547-7323
*They will keep it in the reference section on the 2nd floor

Plano
L.E.R. Schimelpfenig Library
5024 Custer Road
972-769-4200
*At reference section in library

Rowlett
Rowlett Public Library
3900 Main Street
972-412-6161

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Sam Johnson congratulates McKinney resident for championing military spouse bill slated to become law

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Sam Johnson congratulates McKinney resident for championing military spouse bill slated to become law

Today U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) congratulated McKinney resident Rebecca Noah Poynter after legislation helping military spouses she created and championed passed both Chambers of Congress; the measure now goes to the President for his signature to become law.

This afternoon the House passed S. 475, a bill to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to guarantee the equity of spouses of military personnel with regard to matters of residency. The legislation mirrors H.R. 1182, the Military Spouse Residency Act, advocated by Poynter and co-sponsored by Johnson. The Act allows a military spouse who moves out of a state with their service member under military orders to have the option to claim the same state of domicile as their active duty spouse, regardless of where they are stationed.

“Congratulations are in order! Rebecca’s hard work has paid off. I’m glad that her fight on behalf of military spouses everywhere has ended with victory – and so quickly,” said Johnson, a 29-year Air Force veteran and former Prisoner of War in Vietnam for nearly seven years.

Rebecca and her husband, Major Ron Poynter, now reside in McKinney. Major Poynter has served in the Army for 20 years and presently is headquartered at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

While the Poynters owned a home in McKinney, Texas, Rebecca Poynter learned first hand the challenges spouses face when relocating with an active-duty military spouse. Despite owning a home in Texas, Rebecca had to file separate taxes in Maryland while her husband, a Texas resident, lived and worked in the Washington, D.C. area.

Once Rebecca encountered the barriers and complications created as a result of her newly found dual-state residency, Rebecca researched the issue and sought a legislative fix to this inequity. After she helped craft legislation, Rebecca drew attention to this flaw and galvanized military

spouses worldwide by tapping into the popular social networking site, Facebook, among other things. Rebecca mobilized the exhaustive network of 8,000 worldwide military spouses as part of the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act Coalition to contact their hometown lawmakers and request they co-sponsor the bill. Rebecca also testified before the Senate in April – at the same time she was moving her family back to Texas and while working full time.

View the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act Coalition on Facebook by going to www.facebook.com/pages/Military-Spouses-Residency-Relief-Act/51457362877.

“Watching Rebecca speak out on behalf of military spouses – and really make a difference - reminded me of Shirley’s tireless efforts to secure the release of American POWs while I was held captive in Vietnam. I am so thrilled for Rebecca that she’s having her time in the sun,” continued Johnson.

“This bill will make a real difference for military families. I credit the thousands of military spouses who contacted Congress with their stories,” said Poynter.

“Shirley and I know that the military spouse plays a critical role in mission success. The military spouses are just as much a part of the mission as the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. Helping the military spouses by making their lives easier is the least we can do. I’m glad that this bill will become law,” concluded Johnson.

Johnson represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.

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SAVE THE DATE

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday, December 9th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Garland, the staff of U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) will host a free information on Medicare for seniors. The informational program is free and open to the public. There will be free blood pressure screenings. There also will be flu shots available for $21 while supplies last. (Individuals may pay with cash if they have exact change; they also may pay by check.)

Held in conjunction with the Dallas Area Agency on Aging, the seminar will provide an overview of the 2010 Medicare program. The event also coincides with the annual enrollment period of the Medicare Prescription Drug Program, which runs between November 15th and late December. During the annual enrollment period seniors may switch their current Part D prescription plan to another plan if they so choose.

Medicare Part D is Medicare’s prescription drug coverage program with coverage offered to Medicare eligible beneficiaries by regional prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage Plans with prescription drug coverage. Seniors satisfied with their current coverage will not have to take any action during the annual enrollment period.

At the event, benefits experts with the Dallas Area Agency on Agency will lead the discussion on the 2010 Medicare program and talk about the annual enrollment period. Benefits counselors will be on hand to provide valuable one-on-one assistance to seniors with signing up for or changing their Medicare prescription drug plans before December 31.

To attend the free information session, please RSVP by calling 972-470-0892. Those with questions about the event should contact Johnson’s office at 972-470-0892.

Wednesday, December 9th
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
FREE Information Session on Medicare for Seniors
Senior Activity Center
600 W. Avenue A.
Garland, Texas 75040

*Kindly RSVP by calling 972-470-0892

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Sam Johnson says "I stand in support of freedom of speech."

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

One minute on healthcare

Sam Johnson speaks up on heath care

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

One minute on the House floor

Johnson denounces costly health care propsal

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Johnson denounces costly health care propsal

Johnson denounces national energy tax

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Johnson denounces national energy tax

Congressman Johnson talks health reform

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Johnson talks health reform

Johnson assails Administration moving Gitmo detainee to New York City

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Johnson assails Administration moving Gitmo detainee to New York City

Johnson calls for Social Security reform

Thu, 14 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Johnson calls for Social Security reform

Johnson reintroduces worksite enforcement bill

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Johnson reintroduces worksite enforcement bill

Congressman Johnson calls for fiscal responsibility

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Johnson calls for fiscal responsibility

Congressman Johnson addresses the Presidents budget

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Johnson addresses the Presidents budget