Rep. Johnson Votes to Ensure Troops Have Adequate Leave

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) today voted for the Ensuring Military Readiness Through Stability and Predictability Deployment Policy Act of 2007 (H.R. 3159), a bill designed to guarantee that America's armed forces receive as much time at home between deployments as they spend at war.

Johnson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, was an original cosponsor of the bill. President Bush has pledged a veto.

"I am deeply concerned by the heavy toll our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are placing on our men and women in uniform. It is unfortunate that the administration's poor planning and lack of strategic insight has produced a situation in which our proud military is spread too thin," said Rep. Johnson. "An unrelenting deployment schedule and the stress of life in war zones place a burden on our soldiers and their families. This bill will guarantee them the time for rest and family they deserve."

Noting that it has been seven months since then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker publicly stated that the Army was approaching a breaking point under the stress of repeated deployments, Johnson criticized President Bush's veto threat: "The President has pushed our troops too hard for too long. I am disturbed by his disregard for their well-being."

Last Saturday, Rep. Johnson hosted a military affairs town hall meeting in Lithonia, GA, where he heard from active service men and women who expressed serious concerns about repeated deployments with insufficient rest.

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