Congressman Johnson's Weekly Update

MARIETTA, OH — This is Southeastern Ohio's U.S. Congressman Bill Johnson's weekly update. You can stay up to date with what's going on in Washington by following him on social media or signing up for his weekly email blast.

Live in Marietta? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow Marietta Patch on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free Patch mobile app on Android or iPhone.

Out and About

I kicked off the August district work period on Monday in Meigs County at the Rutland Church of the Nazarene, where I helped pass out lunches to children and families in the area. The visit was part of Mission: Readiness, a program spearheaded by retired admirals and generals aiming to strengthen our National Security by ensuring kids stay in school, stay fit, and stay out of trouble.

On Thursday, I was in Lawrence County for the groundbreaking of the 13th building at The Point Industrial Park. When completed, this 60,000 square foot facility will attract new industrial growth in the region. A decade ago, this site was just in its infancy, but the growth we’ve seen here has been steady – and encouraging. The Point is a great place to locate a business: business and land costs are low, utilities are affordable, the workforce is ready to go, and it sits on a major river just 6 miles from an interstate highway. About 800 people work at this industrial park...with more good-paying jobs on the way. Friends, this is a big deal anywhere – but especially so in Appalachia Ohio.

Sales Tax Holiday!

Ohio will continue its annual sales tax holiday this weekend. Three years ago, legislation was signed into law to make permanent the Ohio sales tax holiday during the first weekend of August. This tax-free weekend is a win on multiple fronts: Ohio retailers benefit, it helps keep revenue and jobs here in the state, and it encourages consumers to get their back-to-school shopping done while saving a little extra money. I was proud to help lead the effort to get a state sales tax holiday before I was first elected to Congress...and I’m very glad it happened. So, please…take advantage of the tax free weekend and support local businesses at the same time! For more information, you can visit this website.

Joe Biden's Unlawful Action

It is possible to have sympathy for people facing eviction and, at the same time, acknowledge there is no authority for the Biden Administration and the CDC to issue a new eviction moratorium without the approval of Congress.

President Biden himself has acknowledged that his administration does not have the legal authority to do what they did, but they did it anyway. It will likely -and rightly - be struck down by the courts.

One of the themes I hear many as I travel throughout Eastern and Southeastern Ohio is frustration with the way the national media attacked former President Trump at every turn and the way they cheer President Biden. How many times did we hear the media criticizing President Trump for “overstepping his constitutional authority” or “breaking norms”? Now we have President Biden admitting that his eviction moratorium order is unconstitutional…yet he’s widely praised by the liberal media and the left for trying to push it through.

Never forget that the Washington liberal media establishment is as much a part of the Swamp as career bureaucrats and politicians who’ve never held another job. They’ve got an agenda, and if, in their view, the ends-justifies-the-means, they’re perfectly willing to advocate or attack as needed. This latest Biden decision to skirt the law is a perfect example.

"It's Just Seasonal"

President Joe Biden says…“The border surge is just seasonal.”The surge of illegal immigration, drugs, and crime at our southern border is directly attributable to Biden's open-borders policies. He has ended the “Remain in Mexico” policy, re-instituted "catch and release", halted border wall construction, and prohibited US authorities from deporting the overwhelming majority of those here illegally.

Just this week, we learned that more than 1,500 coronavirus-positive illegal immigrants were released into just one Texas town. We also found out that Customs and Border Protection encountered more than 200,000 individuals at the southern border in July alone - a number not seen in two decades. It's definitely a crisis - a crisis encouraged by the Biden Administration, and one they don't seem to want to fix.

###

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

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Marietta Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of our latest sponsors? Email any and all inquiries to me at christopher.schmitt@patch.com