Congressman Johnson's Weekly Update

MARIETTA, OH — This is Congressman Johnson's weekly update. You can stay up to date with what's going on in Washington by following him on social media.

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Serious Inequity in Biden Administration Border Funding

I have become increasingly concerned with the burden the border crisis is placing on you, the American taxpayer. On Wednesday at an Energy & Commerce hearing, I highlighted some statistics on unaccompanied minors at our southern border.The Biden Administration is spending $775 a day per migrant child housed in the Health and Human Services run facilities, while spending only $35 a day for each American student in our country’s public schools. That’s 22 times more money being spent on children from other countries than our own American children.It's clear that the American people are being victimized by this administration’s irresponsible border policy – and the problem isn’t going away. In fact, just the opposite. Illegal border crossings exploded by 674% in May 2021 as opposed to May 2020. And May 2021 was also the busiest month along America’s southern border since the new administration took charge.You can read more about this, just click on this link.

Restaurant Expansion in Lisbon

Earlier this week, I drove up to Columbiana County and stopped by Pondi’s restaurant in Lisbon. The restaurant officially broke ground on an expansion which will include a larger kitchen, more seating, and some new menu items. The expansion was planned before COVID and was put on hold – but the owners told me business is stronger than ever, and they are grateful for the community support they’ve received over the last year. I helped the owners cut through some bureaucratic red tape to help resolve a FEMA flood zone designation issue. Glad to help out a longtime Lisbon fixture!

#BidenInflation

Under Joe Biden, Americans are paying more for everything. Gasoline is 56 percent more expensive than it was 12 months ago. And have you gone grocery shopping lately? I don’t need to tell you about prices rising across the board. Food and energy prices have increased at their fastest rate since 1992 and the trend is expected to continue – fears of pending inflation appear to be justified. In fact, this is the fastest rate of inflation since right before the 2008 economic crisis. And yet, Joe Biden wants to continue printing money for more and more government spending. No nation has ever taxed and spent its way to prosperity, and everyone but the ultra-wealthy are bearing the brunt of his irresponsible policies.

Advancing Tech Startups Act

Over the last year, small businesses across our country were hit hard by the economic shutdowns triggered in response to the coronavirus outbreak. We’ve also seen firsthand how dependent America is on certain other countries for products and technology we require in our day to day lives - some of them adversarial, like China. This has to change.This week, I reintroduced the Advancing Tech Startups Act because I believe we must partner with American innovators, entrepreneurs, and other job creators to remove the barriers that may hinder technology and small business startups from taking root across the country. America was built by hard work and ingenuity, and we must continue to support and nurture innovation and growth in all parts of the United States - not just Silicon Valley. Tapping into this wealth of American talent and intellectual capital across the nation will make us more economically self-sufficient in critical areas and ensure our supply chains will be more resilient in a global economy.
You can read more about this legislation by clicking on this link.

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This news release was issued by Congressman Bill Johnson's office. Any opinions expressed within are the author's own.

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