Rep. Hank Johnson Votes for Omnibus Bill

Press Release

Rep. Hank Johnson Votes for Omnibus Bill

Education, Health Care, Public Safety and Transportation Get Funding Boost

Rep. Hank Johnson voted last night to support H.R. 2764, the bipartisan Omnibus budget package which would deliver $7,695,500 for critical programs in Georgia and the 4th District. Indeed, the 110th Congress has worked throughout this year to restore critical American priorities which the President has shortchanged, including funding for life-saving medical research, K through 12 education, Pell Grants and college financial aid, energy independence, and home heating assistance for seniors.

"This has been a particularly difficult negotiation but I am pleased that we will fund services which are important to Americans and not just the $10 billion a month that Americans pay to support the war in Iraq," said Rep. Johnson.

The $516 billion Omnibus bill increases medical research to study diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer, Parkinson's, and diabetes $607 million above the President's request. Health care will get $1 billion more than the President requested; $767 million for K - 12 education has been allocated above the President's request to help boost Title I, Special Education, Teacher Quality Grants, After School Programs, and Head Start. The Omnibus bill also allots $1.7 billion more than the President requested for Pell Grants and other student aid programs; State and Local Law Enforcement will receive $1.2 billion more than the President requested; and an additional $486 million was granted for critical investments in renewable and alternative energy, as well as for scientific investments and conservation.

"My constituents want to be safe, they want us to be good stewards of the public land and the public trust, they want us to fix the transportation challenges and they have demanded access to quality health care," said Rep. Johnson. "To this end and in cooperation with some of my colleagues, we have secured funding to address these types of mandates without putting a blank check for the Iraq war on the table."

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