WINTERSVILLE - Bill Johnson kicked off his re-election campaign jobs tour Monday meeting supporters in the Jefferson County Industrial Park and warning the new federal health care law will bankrupt America and drastically hurt small businesses.
The Republican congressman from Marietta is on a one-week jobs tour of all 18 counties in his 6th Congressional District. And his initial campaign stop at Bully Tools started with a promise from Johnson.
"The House will be voting next week to repeal Obamacare. We need to repeal the health care mandate in its entirety and then start working on a health care program based on common sense," Johnson stated.
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BEGINS JOBS TOUR — Mark Gracy, left, president of Bully Tools in Wintersville, stood with U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, for the Jobs Tour kick-off event held Monday at the local business. Johnson, who is running for re-election for a second term, called for the immediate repeal of the federal health care law. -Dave Gossett
"The Supreme Court did not look at the merits of Obamacare. They looked at the constitutionality of the mandate and determined it was a tax. It became the largest tax increase people have ever seen in this country. Charlie Wilson voted for the law. It will bankrupt America and not create a single job," warned Johnson.
Wilson, a St. Clairsville resident who Johnson defeated during the 2010 election, will represent the Democratic Party in the Nov. 6 election in an attempt to regain his seat in Congress.
"Our country is not based on a government for the Supreme Court, by the Supreme Court and of the Supreme Court. On Nov. 6, the American people will have their say," Johnson told a group of supporters gathered in the Bully Tools parking lot.
"We will make health care affordable and create tort reform to eliminate malicious lawsuits. Our doctors should be in the operating room, not the courtroom. Some 50 percent of our college graduates are unemployed these days because of Obama's policies, and I believe allowing them to remain on their parents' health care until the age of 26 is a good thing. But it shouldn't be mandated. It should be allowed. These kids need a break until they can find a job," said Johnson.
Johnson said he will be opening a campaign office at the former Walden Book Store site in the Fort Steuben Mall.
"We will open the headquarters with the Romney campaign. And we will work hard to get Mitt Romney elected president. That office will serve as a victory center for us and Mitt Romney," said Johnson.
"Obama is ready to resort to attacks on religious institutions, including the Franciscan University of Steubenville that was one of the universities to file suit against the health care mandate. I stand with Franciscan University because religious freedom is paramount," said Johnson.
According to Mark Gracy, president of Bully Tools, "if the Obama Administration places cap and trade practices on his business, "our jobs will go back to China. We need to decide if we will keep jobs here or let them go back to China."
And Johnson called for less regulation and government control.
"We have to get the federal government and the Environmental Protection Agency out of the way of our small businesses," remarked Johnson.
"During the last election, Mr. Wilson never saw us coming. This time we will have to outwork him like we did the last time," Johnson noted as he introduced Donna Keagler and Terri English, who are serving as his Jefferson County campaign co-chairs.
"Bill is the best thing we have had in Jefferson County for a long time. Our mall campaign office will need a lot of boots on the ground for this campaign and we will need volunteers," stated Keagler.
Johnson also called for prayers "for the folks who are in pretty bad shape from the weekend storms."
"There was one fatality in Muskingum County. And I saw where the storm had destroyed a 10-mile section of utility poles and power lines. But support people are coming in every day. Now we need to pray for the folks affected by these storms," stated Johnson.
