Eddie Johnson

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Girl Scouts of the USA and its 108 years of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. On March 12, 1912, Juliette Gordon Low founded the first Girl Scout troop with just 18 girls. More than 100 years later, Girl Scouts is 2.5 million strong--more than 1.7 million girls and 750,000 adults who believe in the power of every girl to change the world. By developing girls' leadership potential--helping girls identify their passions, take the lead, and pursue their dreams--Girl Scouts has shaped generations of girls and women. Today, more than 50 million women are Girl Scout alums, including 57 percent of women currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and 69 percent in the U.S. Senate. Girl Scouts is committed to ensuring all girls develop to their full potential. The inclusive, all-female environment of a Girl Scout troop gives girls the change to try new things, develop a range of skills, take on leadership roles, and just be themselves. Girl Scouts is proven to help girls thrive in five key ways, as they develop a strong sense of self; seek challenges and learn from setbacks; display positive values; form and maintain healthy relationships; and identify and solve problems in the community. As we celebrate Girl Scouts' 108th birthday, I applaud the Girl Scout councils that serve in my community for encouraging girls to dream big and do bigger to achieve their extraordinary goals.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which will provide the crucial support for our workforce and economy amid the current public health emergency associated with COVID-19. It is our duty to care for all members of our society, and this stimulus package will do so. We will ensure that hourly workers and families have access to emergency paid sick leave, food security, and--most importantly--free testing for corona virus regardless of insurance status. For families' economic security, we have secured paid emergency leave, with two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave. We have also secured enhanced Unemployment Insurance, a step that will extend protections to furloughed workers. For families' food security, we have strengthened nutrition security initiatives, including SNAP, student meals, seniors' nutrition and food banks. For the twenty-two million children who rely on free or reduced- price school meals for their food security, we must ensure that they have food to eat. For families' health security, we have increased federal funds for Medicaid to support our local, state, tribal and territorial governments and health systems, so that they have the resources necessary to combat the coronavirus. As representatives of Americans from all corners of our country, we have a responsibility to protect the health and well-being of our communities in times of crisis. I urge my colleagues to support the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as a strong believer in diplomacy and global cooperation, I believe it is vitally important for the United States to support Taiwan as they seek to gain membership in global organizations such as the WHA and Interpol. Furthermore, I believe that our nation should do what it can to allow Taiwan to foster and grow its diplomatic relationships around the globe. Since 2016, the People's Republic of China has systematically been trying to undermine the diplomatic independence of Taiwan on the international stage, luring Taiwan's partners to change their allegiance from Taipei to Beijing under the ``One China'' policy. The People's Republic of China has also been blocking Taiwan's access to global organizations such as the World Health Organization. We have only recently started to see some of the negative impacts of these actions. Mr. Speaker, the United States should continue to stand strong with our democratic partner and encourage other allies to strengthen their relationship with Taipei.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, from Monday, March 2, to Thursday, March 5, I was not able to make the recorded votes below. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``yea'' on rollcall No. 90, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 89, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 88, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 87, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 86, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 85, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 84, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 83, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 82, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 81, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 80, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 79.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 2339 the Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019. This critical legislation provides a comprehensive approach to address the youth tobacco epidemic, which has surged in recent years with the introduction of such new tobacco products as e-cigarettes. The bill will prevent the loss of an entirely new generation to a lifetime of nicotine addiction. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death, disability, and disease in the United States, and it is attributed to more than 480,000 deaths in the United States each year. Even more concerning is the rapid escalation in youth e-cigarette use, as youth use of nicotine in any form is unsafe and can seriously harm brain development and lead to other forms of addiction. In 2019, 5.3 million middle and high school students have reported to have used e-cigarettes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these recent increases have erased the decline in any tobacco product use that occurred in previous years. As the first registered nurse elected to Congress, I am proud to support the Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act. Particularly, I am pleased to be joined by the American Public Health Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Medical Association, NAACP, and the National Black Nurses Association, who have all shown their support for this critical legislation. As representatives of Americans from all corners of our country, we have a responsibility to protect the health and well-being of our communities and especially our children. On behalf of my home state of Texas, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2339.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise to highlight the critical need to rebuild and strengthen our infrastructure in the United States. This is why I support the Democrats' Moving Forward Infrastructure Plan to create an estimated 10 million jobs by investing $760 billion over 5 years in the Nation's roads, bridges, transit systems, railways, airports, ports, inland waterways, wastewater and drinking water systems, brownfields, and broadband. Building our Nation's 21st century infrastructure also presents a unique opportunity for us to create a more inclusive technical workforce. The high-skilled jobs of the future can be accessed by our communities if support is provided for technical training and learning skills. A skilled technical workforce that reflects the diversity of our Nation is critical to our continued growth and advancement. It is no secret that our basic infrastructure is in crisis. This framework would bolster the Federal role in order to help communities around the country undertake transformative projects that are smarter, safer, and made to last.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise with my colleagues today to honor the life of Katherine Johnson and to celebrate the achievements of her 35-year career at NASA and its predecessor, NACA. Her passing has been felt around the world, but her legacy lives on in so many ways. Katherine Johnson will forever be remembered for her tenacity in spite of the challenges women and African Americans faced in the workforce, as well as for her aptitude for mathematics that became central to the nation's success in landing the first human on the surface of the Moon. Her life and her accomplishments are inspiring to all, especially to young women and African Americans who dream of pursuing a career in STEM. May future generations look to Katherine Johnson and her fellow Hidden Figures' dedication to advance the NASA space program with admiration and know that they too can follow in the footsteps of those talented women. As we pursue our nation's human spaceflight programs and advance into the next phases of space exploration, we will always remember the immense role Katherine Johnson played to get us to where we are today.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in enthusiastic support of H.R. 35--the Emmett Till Antilynching Act. This bill amends section 249 of title 18, United States Code, to specify lynching as a hate crime under federal law. It corrects a longstanding omission from Federal civil rights law. It is without question that this legislation is long overdue and needed even today. The legacy of lynching is a stain on our nation's history, and the racism that motivated lynchings continues to fuel acts of hate today. This legislation should pass with strong and eager bipartisan support. This bill is named after Emmett Till who was only 14 years old when he was lynched in 1955 in Mississippi. A lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a mob, and is not limited to deaths by hanging. He was so badly tortured that he was left unrecognizable. This was done here in America by Americans during a Jim Crow era in a segregated fragmented society. Now in 2020, this hateful legacy is unfortunately raising its head again forcing us to defend our basic values. While we celebrate our freedom here in the United States and abroad, we must continue to be diligent in remembering our true history. The legacy of lynching in Texas can never be erased. The families and communities of victims are still impacted today. Even in my hometown of Waco, Texas, Jesse Washington, a seventeen-year-old farmhand was mutilated and burned to death, on May 15, 1916, in what became one of the most well known documented cases of lynching. Sadly, in Texas, there are hundreds of others. The designation under federal law is important and most relevant because state law did not protect the rights of the victims of lynchings. Horribly true, many of the lynchings were carried out either by officers and representatives of the law or with the blessings of local law enforcement. African Americans and other people of color did not receive the same protections under the law that every American should have received. That is why this designation of lynching as a hate crime under federal law is critical even today. I ask my colleagues to support this bill, improve federal law and protect the rights of every person in the United States.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 79, which will remove a deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. This will ensure that our country fully accepts the impact of the recent ratifications by the states of Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia. The Equal Rights Amendment represents the further advancement of women in our society. It enshrines the American ideal that ``equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex''. While other existing statutes have been interpreted as prohibiting some forms of sex discrimination, there are still numerous avenues in which they are inefficient for the full protection of women under the law. As representatives of communities across our nation, we must set an explicit example of our championing of women's rights. Women continue to face obstacles to their full equality, including through unequal pay, pregnancy discrimination, sexual and domestic violence, and inadequate access to health care services. As the United States, we must be mindful of the global influence we have, and we must ensure that gender equality is, without a doubt, enshrined in our foundational principles. The bipartisan support of this legislation captures the will of Americans for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Therefore, I am proud to support this resolution as a crucial step forward for gender equality.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act. This legislation will authorize the Smithsonian Institution to establish a Women's History Museum, which will be located alongside our existing Smithsonian museums in our nation's capital. The contributions by women to the history and advancements of the United States are historic and consequential. Women have always served this nation, from nurses in the Revolutionary War to the ceaseless quest today for equal pay, civil liberties, and equal access to health care. I am particularly determined to ensure that the contributions and perspectives of women of color are reflected in this proposed institution, as our country must demonstrate their historic and unquestionable significance. The creation of the Smithsonian Women's History Museum will allow all people in this nation and the world to better recognize and appreciate the significant contributions women have made throughout history. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand with the Members of the Congressional Black Caucus tonight to celebrate the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted African American men the right to vote. The 15th Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits the Federal Government and each State from denying a citizen the right to vote based upon the citizen's race, color, or previous condition of servitude. We are still fighting for that right; although, we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of that right. In Texas and throughout our country, we are still fighting for the right to vote and the right to have our voices heard without ridiculous impediments and barriers that you have heard about tonight. The memories of the poll tax and jelly bean jars to be counted are still with us. I am old enough to remember that, when I became 21, at that time, to vote, I had to pay a poll tax. So it was important to be able to just vote. But I say to young people today that we still have to fight equally as hard for our right to vote. I have lived through the periods in American history when the fundamental right to vote has been continuously challenged for people of color, where discrimination was the law of the land and separate but equal was the norm. These rights guaranteeing the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution are sacred and continue to be protected so we may live in freedom. But the fight for freedom is daily. The 15th Amendment is part of the Reconstruction Amendments. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery. The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and guaranteed all citizens equal protection under the laws. And the 15th Amendment protected the right to vote. The 13th and 14th Amendments were intended to establish equal rights for former slaves, and here we are, celebrating the 150th anniversary and still being treated as if slavery is the law of the land. Reconstruction, a period in American history that lasted more than a decade, from 1863 to 1877, was devastating for African Americans and denied us the basic freedoms promised by the Constitution. This led to mass segregation in the South. Clearly, our young people of color today did not live through much of this, and many of us didn't. Yet, we continue to live it every day. Madam Speaker, you have heard remarks on the budget, and you have heard remarks that specifically single out people who are least able to look out for themselves because of segregation and racism. They are also the ones who are first to be punished. We will not be silenced, however. We will use our right to stand for all the people who have been guaranteed the right to be full Americans until we become full Americans.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1494 the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Homeland Security Partnerships Act. This legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security to develop a strategy to strengthen the partnerships between the Department and HBCU's. In turn, this would expose the talented students attending these institutions to more robust recruitment and hiring by the Department along with better cooperation by these institutions in DHS research and testing programs. HBCU's and other Minority Serving Institutions have provided a quality education to millions of Americans seeking to gain knowledge and to better their career prospects. Many of the students who are attending these institutions come from diverse backgrounds and are the first in their families to pursue a postsecondary education. It is my strong belief that our federal workforce should be as diverse as possible so that the work our government does can impact all Americans. With the passage of this legislation today, the Department of Homeland Security will take a step towards a more diverse workforce. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2474, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. This bill will go a long way in restoring the right to organize for millions of hardworking Americans while holding employers accountable for practices that undermine collective efforts to improve the lives of their employees. Over the past few decades, our country has seen profits for corporations and executive pay rise exponentially. Sadly, this prosperity has failed to trickle down to the average worker. This is due to practices like union busting used by employers and legislation such as right-to-work laws enacted by business-friendly state legislators. The lopsided employee--employer relationship that has been created thanks to these actions has led to the greatest level of income inequality in my lifetime. As a dues-paying member of the American Federation of Government Employees Union, I understand how important unions are to ensure higher wages, better benefits, and safer work environments for hardworking Americans. Every worker across the country should have the opportunity to organize and fight for a bigger paycheck, not just those that are lucky enough to live in specific states or work in a certain industry. The PRO Act gives workers the opportunity to hold fair union elections while also preventing employers from interfering and stacking the deck against workers. This bill also gives employees a fighting chance when negotiating collective bargaining agreements with employers. Loopholes that employers commonly use to exploit workers would be closed off. And finally, the bill also holds employers accountable by enacting meaningful penalties on employers that violate the rights of workers. Mr. Chair, it is time we restore the middle class and give workers a fair shot when they fight for better pay and benefits. I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Black History Month to recognize the life and legacy of Doris Miller. Miller was stationed on the USS West Virginia during the attack at Pearl Harbor. Once the attack began, Miller left his role in the kitchen to rescue shipmates and provide cover fire. News hit Waco, Texas, where I was a little girl, that said he helped to stop the U.S. invasion by the Japanese. Miller was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroics, though his actions unquestionably merited the Medal of Honor. I recently attended a ceremony at Pearl Harbor with the Acting Secretary of the Navy to announce the naming of the future aircraft carrier in his honor. This will be the first aircraft carrier named for an African American sailor. It is appreciated, but it is not the Medal of Honor. I have introduced H.R. 5549, the Doris Miller Medal of Honor Act of 2020. This bill would waive the statute of limitations to upgrade Miller's Navy Cross to the Medal of Honor.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3201--the Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act, although I have reservations about the impact of the bill on African American men. I am concerned that provisions in this bill will have an unintended impact on African Americans being disproportionately charged and sentenced to prison. In 2018, 77 percent of individuals prosecuted for fentanyl related substances were people of color. This is not acceptable. The average sentence for fentanyl trafficking offenders was 74 months; 97.4 percent were sentenced to prison. In 2018, the DEA issued a temporary order which placed 17 fentanyl related substances on Schedule I of the list of controlled substances. The order expires on Thursday, February 6, 2020, and could not be extended without congressional action, which extends the order until May 6, 2021. While I understand the need to combat fentanyl abuse, we cannot allow our solutions to disproportionately hurt our community. Since this is a temporary reauthorization, I will continue to work to ensure that the issue of mandatory minimums, as it relates to fentanyl, does not disproportionately affect African American. This temporary extension will give us time to work on long term solutions that do not have the potential to negatively impact our communities of color.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2456, a resolution to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. Madam Speaker, the President's interpretation of the 2002 AUMF as a blank check for military intervention in the Middle East is certainly troublesome. It is because of this abuse that the United States has been involved in a seemingly endless conflict in the region, as demonstrated in the Administration's justification for the recent strikes in Iran. A repeal of the 2002 AUMF is a step in the right direction towards ending the cycle of military interventionism in the Middle East. Our foreign policy must instead be guided by diplomacy and collective dialogue; only with military action as a last resort can we build peace in the region. This bill will send a clear message to the President that the power to declare war begins and ends in Congress. I plan to vote in favor of it and would urge my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4704, the--Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide Act. I want to thank Representative McAdams for his leadership in this good bipartisan bill, which I am proud to cosponsor.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support S. 153, the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act. The future of this Nation will be driven by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM careers are among the fastest growing and highest-paying occupations. Despite these trends, we are failing to produce enough STEM workers to support the current pace of growth and innovation and ensure we continue to lead the world in science and technology development. As a Nation, we are forever indebted to the men and women who choose to serve in the military and put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that we hold dear. At a minimum, we must ensure veterans interested in pursuing STEM careers here at home have the support that they need. Veterans are uniquely positioned to contribute to our STEM workforce, often having training in cybersecurity, avionics, nuclear physics, and medicine. However, significant obstacles often stand in their way when transitioning to a civilian STEM career. S. 153 establishes an interagency working group to identify these obstacles and develop a plan for addressing them. The bill also directs the National Science Foundation to improve its outreach to veterans and report on veterans in the STEM workforce. These are important steps for honoring our commitment to our veterans and for ensuring we have a competitive STEM workforce. I want to thank Representatives Dunn and Lamb, and our colleagues in the Senate, Senators Rubio and Klobuchar, for their leadership on this important issue. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following exchange of correspondence between myself and Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Takano. I appreciate his willingness to work with us to pass this bill today and send it to the President for signature. House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington DC, January 24, 2020. Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman, Science, Space, and Technology Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairwoman Johnson: I am writing with respect to S. 153, the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act. Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Veterans' Affairs regarding the matters in S. 153 that fall within the Committee's jurisdiction. As a result of your consultation with us on this measure and in order to expeditiously move the bill to the floor, I forego further consideration of S. 153. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs takes this action with our mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues that fall within our jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the appointment of an appropriate number of conferees from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs during any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation. Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding regarding S. 153 and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Committee Report and the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the measure. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Mark Takano, Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution disapproving the Administration's new ``Borrowers Defense to Repayment'' rule. This proposed rule would make it more difficult for defrauded students in my district to seek relief from their student loan obligations. Over the past few years, we have seen large for-profit colleges close shop, leaving students with significant amounts of student debt and useless degrees. These closures included multiple campuses in North Texas, thus impacting thousands of students across the state. These students were falsely promised a better life if they obtained a degree from these institutions. However, because of these closures, students were worse off financially. The Obama Administration proposed rules that would streamline the process for students to get discharged from their student loan obligations and be able to move on with their lives. Unfortunately, these rules were unable to go into effect due to Secretary DeVos's unlawful refusal to implement the Obama-era rule. Instead, Secretary DeVos has worked tirelessly to make the process for students seeking relief more burdensome. The new Borrower's Defense rule makes it harder for borrowers to seek the relief they desperately need so that they can move on with their lives. The new rule drastically shortens the application period for borrowers to apply for relief, raises the bar that borrowers have to prove that an institution defrauded them, and allows instructions to access the evidence provided the borrower so that they have an advantage when attempting to undermine these claims. Simply put, Secretary DeVos' Borrowers Defense rule rigs the game in favor of fraudulent institutions while making life much more difficult for those students that were ripped off. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution so that we may use our Congressional Review Act authority to stop this rule before it ruins the livelihood of any more students.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chair, today, I rise in support of H.R. 1230, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, which will restore protections for older Americans against age discrimination in the workplace. This legislation will ensure that older workers will once again have the same legal protections against age discrimination as those that exist for discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin. As the cost of living rises and retirement savings shrink, Americans now more than ever before are faced with the necessity of working later into their lives. It is critical that we, as members of this body, enact protections for older workers because if older workers lose their jobs, they are far more likely to face long-term unemployment. We must guarantee that age discrimination should be treated just as seriously as any other form of workplace discrimination. This bill amends four laws--the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. It ensures that the higher burden of proof for age discrimination claims are lowered to include mixed-motive claims. This equates to standard practices for workplace discrimination claims based on race, religion, sex, or national origin. As a member of the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging & Families, I am proud to support our seniors and their families in communities across our country through the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as a professional registered nurse in Congress, I must say how crucial it is for essential medications to be affordable and accessible. In 2017, 42 percent of Texas residents stopped taking medications as prescribed simply due to cost according to AARP. Over 2.6 million Texans have diabetes, and they must have daily access to affordable and quality insulin. Mr. Speaker, huge investments from taxpayers go into the development of quality medications, yet just in the first days of 2020 multiple pharmaceutical companies have increased prices on over 400 drugs by 5 percent of the taxpayers' money. We must do more to protect the vulnerable members of our communities, especially our seniors and the uninsured. With support of this House and Senate, we must continue to work together to lower the cost of prescription drugs for our constituents.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 4302, the Homeless Assistance Act of 2019, which authorizes Public Housing Agencies to disclose relevant client information to local government entities and nonprofits. This legislation will enable communities to better facilitate housing and services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and it will also require these agencies to prioritize suitable privacy measures for their clients. This bill will address the challenge of coordination with local entities who provide housing and unique services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The Federal Privacy Act limits the ability of Public Housing Agencies to share critical and timely information with their community partners, thus creating an unnecessary barrier for individuals seeking assistance by requiring them to resubmit the same information and paperwork to multiple entities. The Homeless Assistance Act will allow agencies to share relevant client data with local government entities and nonprofits, solely for the purpose of expediting the identification, assessment, and linkage of individuals experiencing homelessness to housing and supportive services. As founder and co-chair of the Congressional Homelessness Caucus, I am proud to support the advancement of resources and capabilities needed to address housing insecurity and access to affordable housing in our communities.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, when the President of the United States approved airstrikes targeting General Qassem Soleimani, he did so without the authorization of, or consultation by, the Congress. Americans stationed abroad are now categorically less safe than they were before the president took action. Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker, no American will mourn the loss of General Soleimani--and nor should they. We are not here on the floor today to debate the merits of his assassination, but rather to address the failure of this Administration to adhere to the longstanding procedure of congressional consultation as mandated by the War Powers Resolution; specifically, the failure to properly and expeditiously articulate to the Congress any intelligence supporting the alleged threat which prompted this assassination. The Administration's actions have already endangered the lives of many American servicemembers, diplomats, and foreign service officers. I fear that the path we are on now, one lacking a coherent strategy moving forward, will only add to the instability of the region and lead to an extended conflict for which we are not prepared. Mr. Speaker, this resolution simply reaffirms to the president and to the public Congress's role in authorizing the use of military force. As representatives of Americans from every corner of the country, we deserve to have our voices heard in a serious discussion on the implications of yet another conflict in the Middle East. I plan to vote in favor of the resolution and would urge my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill titled the Doris Miller Medal of Honor Act of 2020. This bill would waive the statute of limitations to upgrade Doris Miller's Navy Cross to a Medal of Honor--an upgrade that is long overdue and exceedingly appropriate. On December 7, 1941, we experienced one of the most calamitous territorial attacks in our nation's history at Pearl Harbor. On this day, the dedication and courage of many of our service members were tried and proven true--one of which whose story I would like to tell. Doris Miller was born on October 12, 1919, in my hometown of Waco, Texas, to parents Henrietta and Conery Miller. He worked on his father's farm until 1938, after which he enlisted in the Navy to earn money for his family. At the time the Navy did not allow sailors of color to enlist in combat roles, leaving Miller relegated to a service- based role as a mess attendant on the USS West Virginia--where he was stationed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The USS West Virginia's Action Report acknowledged Miller and his shipmates' bravery for having ``carried out every order promptly and enthusiastically, even when it meant danger to themselves. They did not attempt to abandon the bridge until ordered to do so,'' and was described as ``instrumental in hauling people along through oil and water to the quarterdeck, thereby unquestionably saving the lives of a number of people who might otherwise have been lost.'' For his actions aboard the West Virginia, Miller was awarded the Navy Cross, cited for ``distinguished devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and disregard for his own personal safety during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941.'' Miller's actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor reflect unquestionably what the Medal of Honor represents; to honor those who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty. It is also important to note that of the 15 sailors who were awarded the Medal of Honor for similar actions during the attack, not a single one was African American. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill to award Doris Miller the highest honor that our nation can bestow upon a service member.