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Sen. Mike Johanns

Sen. Mike Johanns

U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns is a former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Nebraska governor and Lincoln mayor.

Address: 404 Russell, Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-4224
Fax: (202) 228-0436

You may contact Senator Johanns by emailing mike_johanns@johanns.senate.gov. If you would like to receive a response from Senator Johanns, please ensure you include your name, full address, and phone number.

Opinion

ACORN funding cut off

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Dear Nebraskans,

On Monday, my colleagues in the Senate rose above partisan loyalties to support my amendment that will prevent tax dollars from supporting an organization shrouded in controversy: ACORN. Employees of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now have been convicted of irresponsible, fraudulent, and at times illegal behavior, and I took action to protect taxpayers.

The federal government has long provided funding to many services and organizations on the premise that its recipients put the money to good use. Our government funds the construction of roads, bridges, and public areas; and community service organizations that assist the less fortunate and promote the public interest. But ACORN's employees have established an alarming pattern of deception over time that demonstrates they do not deserve taxpayer support.

ACORN employees have been arrested for voter fraud in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, and most recently Miami. These offices have been raided by federal agents and local authorities and found to have falsified voter registration forms. Last year in Miami, one office was found to have falsified 888 registration cards out of about 1,400. That means ACORN falsified close to three voter registrations for each legitimate one--and that was just in Miami.

Even more shocking are the videotapes that have been emerging reportedly from ACORN offices in New York, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The tapes appear to feature ACORN employees offering advice on a host of illegal activities, including tax evasion, fraud, and even prostitution. Coinciding with the release of the tapes was the Census Bureau's announcement Friday that it is severing all ties with ACORN for work on the 2010 Census.

My amendment blocks federal funding in the transportation and housing appropriations bill from going to ACORN, which has received $53 million through Congress since 1994, according to a recent report. The thought of more federal dollars going to this organization is unthinkable. In July, the House Oversight Committee minority staff published a report, and based on their investigation described ACORN as: "... a shell game played in 120 cities and 43 states ... a complex structure designed to conceal illegal activities, to use taxpayer and tax exempt dollars for partisan political purposes, and to distract investigators."

It's clear that ACORN's employees have undermined our country's democratic process, our laws, and our good faith. I am proud that Senators overwhelmingly stood up at a time when every dollar is critical to our taxpayers and our economy, and said 'no' to letting tax payer money continue to bankroll an organization besieged by so much controversy and allegations of wrongdoing. I hope this act of rising above partisanship to do what is right becomes the rule and not the exception.

Sincerely,

Mike Johanns

Comments
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  • Great job for Senator Johanns to sponsor the legislation and for Senator Nelson to vote for it. President Obama's former employer has been questionable for years.

    -- Posted by dennis on Tue, Sep 15, 2009, at 2:31 PM
  • I agree, "Great Job" for our senators. Now if the President will only sign it into law...

    -- Posted by j_trail on Tue, Sep 15, 2009, at 4:23 PM
  • SUGGEST CHECK STATUS OF RELATION OF ACORN TO CHIP (CHILDRENS HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM) SEE HR2 RUSHED THROUGH CONGRESS EARLIER THIS YEAR.

    BILLIONS AUTHORIZED TO QUALIFY MORE CHILDREN FOR MEDICAID.

    OVER 100 PAGES WITH LOTS OF SMALL PRINT.

    -- Posted by Old Guard on Tue, Sep 15, 2009, at 4:26 PM
  • I doubt that you will see the pres or the demos vote for this, it would be too overwhelming for them to admit that they are wrong about this radical orginization.

    -- Posted by Oh what a wonderful day on Tue, Sep 15, 2009, at 4:34 PM
  • MIGHT CHECK MEDICAID RELATION WITH CHIP EXPANSION BILL HR2 PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR TENS OF BILLION AUTHORIZED OVER NEXT FOUR YEARS APPEAS TO ALLOW PUBLIC SERVICE ENTITIES (ACORN) TO BE REWARDED FOR AIDING IN ENROLLING CHILDREN IN MEDICAID. SOMETHING ABOUT NOT QUESTIONING ENTITLEMENT TOO CLOSELY.

    -- Posted by Old Guard on Tue, Sep 15, 2009, at 4:37 PM
  • SUGGEST CHECK OF HR 2 PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR.

    BILLIONS FOR CHIP.

    ALLOWS SERVICE GROUPS (ACORN) TO BE REWARDED FOR FINDING AND REDGISTERING (SP?)QUALIFIED? CHILREN FOR MEDICAID. NOTE QUESTIONING OF QUALIFICATIONS WILL NOT BE DONE UNLESS REAL EVIDENCE IS FOUND TO EXIST?

    -- Posted by Old Guard on Tue, Sep 15, 2009, at 5:06 PM
  • Thank God, Sanity still functions in some remote sections of this wonderful country. My deepest thanks to all of our representatives who can still discern a mad dog and vote against that mad dog taking control of the pound.

    In Messiah, His Blessing, and Fortitude. Arley

    Set the watch, sound the shofar, our redemption draws nigh. Yom Teruah, five days? Blessed Be

    -- Posted by Navyblue on Tue, Sep 15, 2009, at 8:19 PM
  • SCEPTRE- it would seem that the wingnuts had plenty of time an opportunity during the presidential campaign to investigate this organization and our presidents ties to it. I don't recall seeing or hearing anything other than perhaps a replay of John McCain's laudatory remarks when he was keynote speaker at an ACORN event in 2006. Surely they could have turned loose that high-powered intellect and silver-tongued orator then serving as vice presidential candidate for the Republicans on such a vital matter.

    In any event what have the current muck-raking campaigns turned up other than evidence that some employees of ACORN sometimes make unwise decisions? It might be a phenomenon of the same sort as wingnuts claimed for the piles of naked prisoners at Abu Grhaib, a "few bad apples".

    -- Posted by davis_x_machina on Fri, Sep 18, 2009, at 10:48 AM
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