SANTA FE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico and Honorary Chairman of the OUR America Initiative, announced today he will visit New Hampshire for a fifth time in early January, speaking at public events and meeting with various political organizations, where he will call for fiscal restraint as Congress prepares to convene for the new year.

Governor Johnson, a hard-line budget watcher, and self-proclaimed "most fiscally conservative Governor" in the country, believes the U.S. government must focus on aggressively cutting spending – as soon as possible.

“This is a crucial time in American politics, as we look to a newly elected Congress in 2011 to stop the insanity of federal spending,” Governor Johnson stated. “Republicans in Congress must be vigilant as never before when it comes to the nation's pocketbook – we need to get our spending under control. From putting an end to the exorbitant costs of the war in Afghanistan, to ensuring that the Bush tax cuts become permanent for all Americans, now is the time to make the difficult financial decisions to put our country back on track. I truly believe that our national debt is currently our greatest threat to national security.”

As Governor of New Mexico, from 1994 to 2002, Johnson was known for his common-sense business approach to governing. He eliminated New Mexico’s budget deficit, cut the rate of growth in state government in half and privatized half of the state prisons. During his term, New Mexico experienced the longest period without a tax increase in the state’s history. Additionally, Governor Johnson vetoed 750 bills (which was more than all the combined vetoes of the other 49 governors in the country at the time) and exercised thousands of line-item vetoes.

Since launching OUR America in 2009, Governor Johnson has traveled to 32 states around the country, engaging the public in open dialogue regarding pertinent issues of the day, including: lowering taxes, reducing deficits and creating jobs. Governor Johnson also supports marijuana legalization, immigration work visas and ending the war in Afghanistan, a conflict he has repeatedly stated the United States can no longer afford.

Governor Johnson will be in the state from January 3rd through January 8th, visiting the following areas: Portsmouth, Seacoast, Concord, Keene, Lebanon, Manchester, Golden Triangle and Nashua. Please contact Sue Winchester at media@ouramericainitiative.com or 801.303.7924 to schedule an interview with Gary Johnson.

The OUR America Initiative is a national issue based advocacy committee. Key issues include: Solving the Economic Crisis and Creating Jobs; Lowering the Federal Deficit; Civil Liberties; Fighting the War on Drugs; Immigration Policy; and Taxes. Additional information can be found at www.ouramericainitiative.com.

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