Hank Johnson

The myopic obsession of the Tea Party with destroying health care reform and wounding the president has led Republicans astray.

Even as technology becomes increasingly critical to the way we live our lives, power our world and defend our shores, the United States has allowed the production of minerals crucial in the creation of these advanced products to slide.

The military is a machine of war. Not a law enforcement agency.

Billionaires like the Koch brothers, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, and political puppet master Karl Rove should not be able to buy our elections. Secret money should not be able to drown out the voices of the American people and sell our Democracy to the highest bidder.

As more government functions are privatized, we find political leaders defunding the public school system, shifting government funds to the private, for-profit school industry.

Most people seem unaware that corporate influence and wealth has taken over public policy, such that government policy now favors the wealthy few at the expense of the people.

I stand with the millions of seniors and working people who depend on Social Security and who expect the money they put in to be there for them when they retire.

Social Security is not just another government spending program. It is a promise from generation to generation.

Most Americans have parents or grandparents who immigrated to this country, and we know the hardships they faced, from learning the language to dealing with prejudice.

America deserves common sense immigration reform that reflects our interests and our values as Americans.

Students graduating with high debt encounter difficulties in qualifying for home and automobile loans.

The rising costs of higher education coupled with the stress of paying student loans are putting increasing pressure on students.

Programs like food stamps, unemployment insurance, Medicaid, and job retraining help Americans get back on their feet when they are down and out and laid off through no fault of their own.

I agree with President Roosevelt, and generations since, that American seniors deserve better than poverty.

Any cut to Pell Grants means low-income must take out additional loans or work longer hours - risk factors that increase their odds of dropping out of school.

Because Social Security has not contributed to our debt, Americans should be skeptical of any politician who says that benefits Americans have earned must be reduced in order to address our national debt.

The American people have a right to know the source of the money that is being spent. They should be told who is behind the millions of dollars in campaign ads, and they should receive this information before they vote.

The idea that corporations have the same First Amendment protections of free speech as people is troubling. Corporations are not people. They don't attend our schools, get married and have children. They don't vote in our elections.

Love it or hate it, Obamacare is the law of the land. It was passed by Congress, signed into law by President Obama, declared constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court and ratified by a majority of Americans, who reelected the president for a second term.

As Americans, we have the right to decide who lives within our borders, and we can't let unscrupulous employers to undercut honest business owners by exploiting cheap labor.

College dropouts with significant debt struggle with repayment over the course of their lives and do not receive the benefits afforded to their peers who have debt but obtain higher-paying jobs as a result of college completion.