Dallas attorney Taj Clayton today announced that his congressional campaign raised $216,253.74 in the last 10 weeks of 2011.

“We’re off to a very strong start, and this is only the beginning. We are gaining momentum as people get to know me and see what I’m about. We’ve exceeded our expectations because people are ready for new results and new leadership. We’re tired of seeing South Dallas County deal with the same problems year after year. The time for change is here,” said Clayton.

Renee Hartley, Clayton’s campaign manager, said the good fundraising start occurred even without the support of political action committees and loans from the candidate. “By raising all the campaign’s money from individuals, Clayton is answering an important question about viability,” said Hartley.

“I think Taj Clayton’s fundraising totals show that there are a lot of people not willing to wait for the torch to be extinguished before it’s passed to a new generation of leaders,” said Hartley. “We need some fresh blood and new ideas, and a lot of people are excited about what Taj has to offer South Dallas County. He’s a special leader.”

Please join Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson as she hosts a roundtable discussion focusing ending violence against women and children.

The event will take place on Saturday, January 21, 2012 (9 AM to noon) at Methodist Hospital’s Hitt Auditorium located at 1441 N. Beckley Ave. Dallas, Texas 75203.  The theme for the event is MOVING UP, MOVING FORWARD:
Mobilizing Our Community to End Violence Against Women and Children.

Special Guests include the Honorable Craig Watkins, First Lady Serita Jakes and the Dallas Police Department. Please enter the campus at 221 W. Colorado (at Bishop), which is the main Entrance to the hospital.

To RSVP or inquire about the event, please contact Lisa Sherrod at 214-922-8885

Democrat Taj Clayton today filed for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Congress,  to represent Texas’ 30th Congressional District.

“I am running for Congress because without new leadership, we won’t get new results.  We need a fresh start,” said Clayton. “We need to improve the way we address problems in Washington now if we’re ever going to improve the results we get in our community.  We need better jobs and better schools, not the same problems that we’ve had year after year. I can provide new leadership to take South Dallas and the surrounding communities in a new direction. My number one goal is to make sure everyone in this area has an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream no matter where they live.”

With some strategies like loan consolidation and forgiveness, along with improving income-based payments, this new deal is a good start to what is hopefully a brighter future for students attending higher education. Obviously, a large portion of the responsibility falls on the students. I mean, they’re not children anymore. These students have been shown a bit of light, it’s up to them to make something of it!

Created by: Online University

In late September, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) hosted a roundtable discussion on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center in Dallas.  The roundtable examined how public and private stakeholders can work together to improve STEM education, especially at the middle and high school levels.

Johnson is the Ranking Member of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.  She was joined at the event by Committee Chairman Ralph Hall (R-Texas).  Johnson says the political climate in Washington has not been friendly to innovation, as a number of funding cuts have targeted science and technology programs.

Last April NASA’s budget was cut by $241million and Johnson argues that dollars spent on science and research pay big dividends. She cites how federal research spending has helped bring about innovations like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).  The congresswoman says her defense of investment in technology seems to “fall on deaf ears,” but she presents detailed, knowledge based information in committee meetings to support her positions.

Johnson said a “new element” in Congress has created a challenging work environment. She wouldn’t go so far as to blame the Tea Party, nor would she indict all of her GOP colleagues.

“I can’t say it’s the entire Republican Party,” Johnson says, “some of them say they wish they could do more to help.”  But she adds there is a real fear which has divided the GOP.  “I don’t think the Speaker (John Boehner) is engrained with this new element,” says Johnson, though she feels House Majority Leader Eric Cantor plays to the group.

CBC and President Obama

In recent months Congressional Black Caucus members have grown increasingly frustrated with President Barack Obama.  Some representatives, including Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) say he hasn’t done enough to help African-Americans navigate the sour economy.

At the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference in September, the President pushed back against his critics.  “Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying,” the President said in a tone and voice many of his supporters have been waiting to hear. “We are going to press on. We’ve got work to do, CBC.”
Congresswoman Johnson said she respects the opinions of her colleagues, but disagrees with many of the claims levied against the President. “I know there are some personal things that have come up with several (CBC) members and the President.”

According to Johnson, the President was very clear about his position the last time he met with the caucus. “He said he understands the concerns but there’s not a lot he can do,” she recounts.  The President suggested tapping into stimulus funds that have not yet been spent as well as focusing on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Community Colleges.

Johnson has been a staunch supporter of the President and has been frustrated by how he’s being treated in recent months.  “He’s done a lot with what he’s had to work with,” she says, “he can’t just get a pen and say ‘I’m setting up this program.’”

Jobs

Representative Johnson says the Congressional Black Caucus has introduced more than 40 bills related to jobs.  She said the caucus has approached different companies to see what, if anything, they can do to help the situation.

Johnson said she’s found the skills being taught in classrooms don’t always line up with the skills that are needed in the workplace.  She asserts that more teachers need to be brought into the work place so they can see what their students will face as they enter the job market.

“If [America is] going to continue to be competitive, we have got to focus on education,” Johnson says, adding an emphasis must be placed on technology education.  “We’ve got to rise to the occasion,” she adds.

2012 Election Plans

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson speaks with DSN Editor Shawn Williams in her Dallas office. (Photo by Grant Meeks)

Rep. Johnson was first elected to the U.S. House in 1992.  For the last few cycles, there have been whispers of whether or not she would seek reelection.  “I’ve been retiring for the last 10 years,” Johnson says.  Last year she easily defeated Republican challenger Stephen Broden

But Texas State Representative Barbara Mallory Caraway has already announced her intentions to run for the Democratic nomination in Johnson’s House District 30.  Caraway presents one of Johnson’s stiffest challenges to date having been a member of the Dallas City Council for eight years and elected to the Texas House in 2006.

Johnson says she intends to seek reelection next year in large part because of the encouragement she’s received throughout Dallas.  She intends to make it official with an announcement at Southwest Center Mall this Friday.

“I’ve had the labor and business community and city and county officials approach me about staying,” Johnson explains.  “If I wasn’t in this seat there may not be a Democratic representative from North Texas.”

Mr. Secretary, thank you very much.  Mr. Vice President, Dr. Biden, President Clinton, Mr. Speaker, Members of Congress.  My friends Tommy Franks and Tom Ridge, thank you for helping raise the money for this memorial.

Members of the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, and all those who supported this memorial — but most importantly the families of Flight 93 — Laura and I are honored to join you in dedicating this memorial to the heroes of Flight 93.

When the sun rose in the Pennsylvania sky ten years ago tomorrow, it was a peaceful September morning.  By the time it set, nearly 3,000 people were gone — the most lives lost on American soil in a single day since the Battle of Antietam.

With the distance of a decade, 9/11 can feel like part of a different era.  But for the families of the men and women stolen, some of whom have joined us today, that day will never feel like history.  The memory of that morning is fresh, and so is the pain.  America shares your grief.  We pray for your comfort.  And we honor your loved ones.

On September 11, 2001, innocent men and women went to work at the World Trade Center, reported for duty at the Pentagon, and boarded American Flights 11 and 77, and United Flights 93 and 175.  They did nothing to provoke or deserve the deliberate act of murder that al Qaeda carried out.

One of the lessons of 9/11 is that evil is real, and so is courage.  When the planes struck the World Trade Center, firefighters and police officers charged up the stairs, into the flames.  As the towers neared collapse, they continued the rescue.  Ultimately, more than 400 police officers and firefighters gave their lives.  Among them was the chief of the New York City Fire Department, Pete Ganci.  As a colleague put it, “He would never ask anyone to do something he didn’t do himself.”

At the Pentagon, service members and civilians pulled friends and strangers from burning rubble.  One Special Forces soldier recalls “reaching through a cloud of smoke” in search of the wounded.  As he entered one room, he prayed to find someone alive. He discovered a severely burned woman and carried her to safety.  They later met in the hospital, where she explained that she had been praying for rescue.  She called him her “guardian angel.”

Then there is the extraordinary story we commemorate here.  Aboard United Airlines Flight 93 were college students from California, an ironworker from New Jersey, veterans of the Korean War and World War Two, citizens of Germany and Japan, and a pilot who had rearranged his schedule so that he could take his wife on vacation to celebrate their anniversary.

When the passengers and crew realized the plane had been hijacked, they reported the news calmly.  When they learned that terrorists had crashed other planes into targets on the ground, they accepted greater responsibilities.

In the back of the cabin, the passengers gathered to devise a strategy.  At the moment America’s democracy was under attack, our citizens defied their captors by holding a vote. The choice they made would cost them their lives.  And they knew it.

Many passengers called their loved ones to say goodbye, then hung up to perform their final act. One said, “They’re getting ready to break into the cockpit.  I have to go.  I love you.”  Another said, “It’s up to us.  I think we can do it.”  In one of the most stirring accounts, Todd Beamer, a father of two with a pregnant wife at home in New Jersey, asked the airphone operator to join him in reciting the Lord’s Prayer.

Then he helped lead the charge to the front of the plane with two words: “Let’s Roll.”  With their selfless act, the men and women who stormed the cockpit lived out the words, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

And with their brave decision, they launched the first counteroffensive of the war on terror.  The most likely target of the hijacked plane was the United States Capitol.  We will never know how many innocent people might have been lost.   But we do know this:  Americans are alive today because the passengers and crew of Flight 93 chose to act, and this Nation will be forever grateful.

The 40 souls who perished with the plane left a great deal behind. They left spouses, children, and grandchildren who miss them dearly.  They left successful businesses, promising careers, and a lifetime of dreams that they will never have the chance to fulfill.  And they left something else: a legacy of bravery and selflessness that will always inspire America.

For generations, people will study the story of Flight 93.  They will learn that individual choices make a difference, that love and sacrifice can triumph over evil and hate, and that what happened above this Pennsylvania field ranks among the most courageous acts in American history.

The memorial we dedicate today will ensure that our nation always remembers those lost here on 9/11.  But we have a duty beyond memory.  We have a duty beyond honoring.  We have a duty to live our lives in a way that upholds the ideals for which the men and women gave their lives – to build a living memorial to their courage and sacrifice.

First, we have a duty to find common purpose as a nation.  In the days after 9/11, the response came like a single hand over a single heart.  Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle gathered on the steps outside the Capitol and sang, “God Bless America.”

Neighbors reached out to neighbors of all backgrounds and beliefs.  In the past decade, our country has been tested – by natural disaster, economic turmoil, and anxieties about challenges at home and abroad.  There have been spirited debates along the way.  That is the essence of democracy.  But Americans have never been defined by our disagreements.  Whatever challenges we face today and in the future, we must never lose faith in our ability to meet them together.  And we must never allow our differences to harden into divisions.

Second, we have a duty to remain engaged in the world.  9/11 proved that the conditions in a country on the other side of the world can have an impact on our own streets. It may be tempting to think that it does not matter what happens to a villager in Afghanistan or a child in Africa.

But the temptation of isolation is deadly wrong.  A world of oppression and anger and resentment will be a source of never-ending violence and threats.  A world of dignity and liberty and hope will be safer and better for all.  And the surest way to move toward that vision is for the United States of America to lead the cause of freedom.

Finally, we each have a duty to serve a cause larger than ourselves.  The passengers aboard Flight 93 set an example that inspires us all.  Many have followed their path of service by donating blood, mentoring a child, or volunteering in desperate corners of the Earth.  Some have devoted their careers to analyzing intelligence, protecting our borders, or securing our skies.

Others have made the noble choice to defend our nation in battle.  For ten years, our troops have risked and given their lives to prevent our enemies from attacking America again.  They have kept us safe, they have made us proud, and they have upheld the spirit of service shown by the passengers of Flight 93.

Many years ago in 1863, another President came to dedicate a memorial site in this state.  He told his audience that “in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground,” for the brave souls who struggled there had “consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.”  He added that “the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.”

So it is with Flight 93.  For as long as this memorial stands, we will remember what the men and women aboard that plane did here.  We will pay tribute to the courage they showed, the sacrifice they made, and the lives they spared.  And the United States of America will never forget.

May God bless you all, and may God bless our country.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson released the following statement this evening in response to President Obama’s speech on the   economy and jobs.

“I applaud the President’s remarks tonight on moving forward with job creation initiatives and especially his sense of urgency.  I am in support of President’s plan, the American Jobs Act. Recently, I was part of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competiveness which met in Dallas where North Texans discussed many of the same points he discussed tonight in his speech.” Congresswoman Johnson said.

“I have always believed that the investments we make in research, education, and innovation today will create the jobs of tomorrow. I support the President’s plan to help our innovators and entrepreneurs create new technologies, rehire quality teachers for our classrooms, and build new companies and create the high-paying, high-skills jobs that will keep our economy strong and continue to improve the standard of living for all of us.”

The American Jobs Act would include tax credits for companies hiring veterans, aid to state and local governments to prevent the layoffs of police, firefighters and up to 280,000 teachers, the modernization of 35,000 public schools, and a multi-billion dollar infrastructure fund to help modernize roads, bridges, railroads and airports.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson announces that the U.S.  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with NeighborWorks America has launched the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP) to help homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure in Texas.

The Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP) can provide eligible homeowners with a 0% interest, forgivable loan that pays past-due mortgage payments (principal, interest, taxes, insurance, attorney fees), as well as a portion of the homeowner’s mortgage payment for up to 24 consecutive months, or up to $50,000, whichever comes first, and provided that certain eligibility requirements are maintained.

“Curtailing the number of foreclosures nationally is essential to getting our economy back on track. The Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program will help homeowners, who have fallen on hard economic times, stay in their homes,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “This assistance is not only economically beneficial, but morally important.  We cannot simply sit back and watch millions of American families lose their homes.  I commend our former Democratic-leadership for authorizing this program last year, and thank President Obama for his continued support of economically struggling families.”

The EHLP program will pay a portion of an approved applicant’s monthly mortgage including missed mortgage payments or past due charges including principal, interest, taxes, insurances, and attorney fees. Nationally, EHLP is expected to aid up to 30,000 distressed borrowers, with an average loan of approximately $35,000.

Congresswoman Johnson voted in favor of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to implement the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP). The program will assist homeowners who have experienced a reduction in income and are at risk of foreclosure due to involuntary unemployment and underemployment due to economic conditions or a medical condition. HUD has allocated $135,418,959 to fund this emergency loan program in Texas.

Contact information for participating agencies, the Pre-Applicant Screening Worksheet and more information on the EHLP program and its eligibility requirements can be found at www.FindEHLP.org or by calling toll free at 855-FIND-EHLP (346-3345)

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-17) prepare for their celebratory lunch in honor of the Dallas Maverick’s NBA Championship over the Miami Heat

Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson enjoyed the Miami meal promised to her by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-17) for losing the wager the Congresswomen made on the 2011 National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals.

Both Congresswomen waged a meal from their congressional districts if their team lost. Congresswoman Johnson waged an authentic Texas-style meal if the Dallas Mavericks couldn’t bring home a victory, and Congresswoman Wilson waged Joe’s Stone Crab if the Miami Heat failed to shine.

“Joe’s Stone Crab is delicious,” said Congresswoman Johnson during lunch.

“I was planning on enjoying Texas-style barbecue,” said Congresswoman Wilson. “Maybe next year,” she added.

Besides sharing a passion for basketball, both Congresswomen are active members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority Inc. and The Links, Inc.

Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and the National Endowment for the Arts announced $120,000 in grants to the 30th Congressional District of Texas to help support creative and artistic projects. The following Dallas projects receiving the grants are:

• The Dallas Black Dance Theatre received $20,000 to support and restaging and the presentation of Pigs and Fishes, choreographed by Elisa Monte.

• The Dallas Museum of Art received $85,000 to support online archival exhibition resources.

• The Dallas Opera received $15,000 to support the school performances program featuring Mozart’s Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute).

“Arts projects across the nation seek funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, and I am proud to announce that Dallas will be a recipient of three in this round of grants,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “Congratulations to the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, the Dallas Museum of Art and the Dallas Opera, which will be receiving $20,000, $85,000, and $15,000 respectively for three of their innovative projects. Each dollar of the grants generates an average of six dollars from non-federal sources, so these awards promise to be very enriching for our vibrant arts community here in Dallas.”

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector.