Hank Johnson

Hank Johnson

Henry Calvin Johnson Jr. is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 4th congressional district since 2007. He is one of only three Buddhists, along with Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono and former Hawaii Representative Colleen Hanabusa, to have ever served in the United States Congress. Johnson is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Arts Caucus.

About Hank Johnson in brief

Summary Hank JohnsonHenry Calvin Johnson Jr. is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 4th congressional district since 2007. He is one of only three Buddhists, along with Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono and former Hawaii Representative Colleen Hanabusa, to have ever served in the United States Congress. Johnson grew up in Washington, D. C. His father worked for the Bureau of Prisons and was the director of classifications and paroles. Johnson received his B. A. degree from Clark College in 1976, and his J. D. degree from Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston in 1979. He practiced law in Decatur, Georgia, for more than 25 years. He was elected to the DeKalb County Commission in 2000 and served from 2001 to 2006. On November 18, 2008, Johnson was elected Regional Whip for the Eighth Region by the Democratic Caucus. Johnson is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Arts Caucus. He also served as an associate judge of the De Kalb County magistrate’s court from 1989 to 2001. In 2007, Johnson introduced his first bill: a resolution requesting that the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates take U. S. troops off of street patrol duty in Iraq. Johnson voted to cut funding for the Iraq War unless provisions included upon the Iraqi government were binding upon the government. In May 2007, he tried to override the veto of the bill, but proved unable to do so. Johnson attracted attention by blogging about his decision to vote for the bill.

The bill provided USD 124 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and required that President Bush withdraw American forces from Iraq by mid-2008. It also amended fair labor laws to phase-in an increase of the federal minimum wage to USD 7. 25 per hour and applied these wage requirements to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and to American Samoa. It provided funds for disaster relief and recovery related to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, for influenza pandemic response programs, for livestock disaster assistance, and made appropriations to bolster Medicare and Medicaid. The measure also increased tax breaks for small businesses, certain dependents, and lengthening the period of failure to notify the taxpayer of increased interest before interest must be increased. It additionally prohibited the use of funds offered under the act to deploy any troops to Iraq unless the military has certified to congressional appropriators in advance that the military unit is fully mission-capable. Johnson also voted to increase the amount of any required installment due in 2012 from a corporation with assets of USD 1 billion or more. He has been married to his wife, Barbara, since 1998. He and his wife have three children. They have a son, Henry Calvin Johnson III, and a daughter, Barbara Johnson Johnson-Johnson, who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. The couple has a son and daughter-in-law, Jennifer Johnson Johnson, who also lives in Georgia.