Eddie Johnson

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Bishop and Mrs. Thomas D. Jakes, Sr., and the 26,000 registered members of the Potter's House in Dallas. Already one of the largest churches in the United States, the parishioners are preparing to officially dedicate their new sanctuary on October 22, 2000. More than 8,000 church leaders and pastors from all over the world are expected to attend this momentous event. The Potter's House is now officially Texas' largest church and has over 48 separate programs focused on service to the community and the congregation. With outreach efforts all over the globe, the church is an incubator for ideas and activities that have changed countless lives for the better. I am proud of the significant impact the church and its multi-cultural membership continue to make in Dallas-Fort Worth and around the world. Bishop T.D. Jakes and his wife Serita Ann lead the Potter's House. Bishop Jakes was named as ``one of the five most often mentioned successors to Rev. Billy Graham's position as national evangelist'' by The New York Times and was declared by The Economist to have the ``potential impact of a Martin Luther King.'' With a studied message, an acute business acumen, and tireless devotion, he has helped focus his followers on personal responsibility and community cooperation. Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of this milestone for the Potter's House, I am proud to recognize this congregation as a national testament to the power of empowerment.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the sacrifice and the memory of the crew of America's guided missile destroyer U.S.S. Cole who were killed or wounded on October 12 as a suspected terrorist bomb ripped through the ship's hull. The State of Texas mourns the loss of three of its sons: Fireman Gary Graham Swenchonis, Jr. of Rockport, TX; Information Systems Technician Timothy Guana of Rice, TX; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Ronchester Santiago of Kingsville, TX. We Texans add our sadness and pride in our Nation to the family of Americans in saluting the honor and valor of all seventeen patriots and the remaining crew of the U.S.S. Cole. The Nation especially grieves the loss of our first female sailors killed in hostile action aboard a U.S. combat ship. It is important to acknowledge that this historic sacrifice was made by two African American women. Lakeina Monique Francis of Woodleaf, North Carolina, a 19 year-old Mess Management Specialist Seaman, followed in her father's footsteps to serve her country in the Navy. Lakiba Nicole Palmer of San Diego, California was a 22 year-old Seaman Recruit. History will record their sacrifice as a milestone of great proportions. For today, there can be no doubt that America's sons and America's daughters will lay down their lives for freedom and peace around the globe. I urge this Congress to resolve that as this story is written and retold, the names of these women must not be forgotten as has too often been the case for the legacy and sacrifice of African American women throughout our Nation's history. I stand with my colleagues to offer sincere condolences to every loved one who survives each of the seventeen patriots we honor through this resolution. Their supreme sacrifice compels us to live for peace and redouble our efforts to broker a lasting Middle East peace with the strongest determination. Mr. Speaker, on this occasion, I pray God's blessing on the memories of these sailors, God's comfort for their families, and may God bless an America that is more resolute that ever to preserve the peace!

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as I stand here and think about how the economy is booming, we talk about how many jobs that have been created; yet we have record unemployment, and we are passing bills to bring people over under the H-1B visas to take the better jobs. Now, I do not have a problem with that, Mr. Speaker; but we have got to educate the people here so that we do not continue to do this forever. It has been said that a school is four walls and a roof with a future inside. If that is true, then we need to start to look at the investments that we make in education. I have heard far too much about the trillion dollar tax break and far too little on the investment in our future, which is with our young people. It is very simple. It is so easy. And this administration has taken a lead in standing firm and holding the line, hopefully until we can get some of these issues addressed. All of us know we need additional teachers and after-school programs. We all know that we need to do something about our buildings. In my State of Texas there are buildings that have more portables than the main building, and some of the portables are a block from the first restroom that kids can go to. I do not believe that we think that all of this ought to be left to the local districts because they simply cannot afford it when the districts are poor. Mr. Speaker, this is a wealthy Nation. This is a Nation that can do about whatever it wants to, and I do not believe that we are thinking soundly when we are willing to leave here without addressing the real needs of our future, which is our students. We have to get rid of these leaky inadequate buildings that have no heat, no running water, and are not even in a condition to be wired properly for today's education. Yet we continue to talk about how much we can give for a tax break. I do not know why it is so difficult to understand that kids simply cannot grasp what they are being taught if they are in a class with too many other children and only one teacher. In my State of Texas, the ratio is one teacher for 22 children. That is really above the national average, but every one of those asks for a waiver each year so that they can have even more students in a class. Just imagine young children coming to school for the first time and finding themselves in a class of 25, 30, and 40 children with one teacher. We wonder why they do not do well on tests and wonder why they drop out or start being absent from school. No child wants to feel that they are being left out, and yet that is what we are getting when we have our classes that are too large because we do not have enough teachers. One of the reasons we do not have enough teachers is because we do not pay them adequately. If we graduate young teachers now from college that are well prepared for today's classrooms, they can get a job making twice as much almost anywhere else. We have got to address the issue of educating our young people, and we have to acknowledge that we have a long ways to go in many of these communities. The answer is not vouchers for a private school. I do not have a thing against private schools. I think whoever wants to send their children to private schools should be able to do that. But I do not think it should be with taxpayers' money while we are neglecting the public schools, which is where 90 percent of the children have to go. Imagine kids still going to school in areas that are not safe, where half the teachers are eligible for retirement, but they simply cannot retire because they do not have anyone to replace them. They go into schools that are not equipped with our technology and computer hardware that we all say we have to have. In spite of all this, Mr. Speaker, the Republican leadership stands in the way of bringing a bill to the floor to just spend a portion of what we call the surplus to address these basic needs. I am hoping that we can remember our ABC's. A, for additional teachers and additional after-school programs. Without additional teachers, my own State will lose something like $146.8 million to reduce overcrowded classroom sizes. And B is for building improvements. Current estimates indicate that my State faces $13.7 billion in costs for school modernization; 76 percent of the schools in Texas report a need to upgrade or repair buildings. And C, of course, Mr. Speaker, is reducing classroom size. Hopefully, that is simple enough that all of us can remember that and not go home this session without addressing this.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to former Texas State Senator and Supreme Court Justice Oscar Mauzy. He passed away on Tuesday, October 10, at the age of 73. Justice Mauzy was my immediate predecessor in the Texas Senate from Senate District 23. He represented this District from 1967 until his election to the State Supreme Court in 1986. During his service in the legislature, Senator Mauzy served as the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, where he led efforts to improve education and to secure greater funding for education in poorer school districts. A labor lawyer by training, Senator Mauzy was also active in the areas of judicial reform, consumer protection, and workers' compensation. Later in his legislative career, Senator Mauzy served as Chairman of the Jurisprudence Committee, where he authored legislation to make jury selection uniform throughout the state and finally allow women to serve as jurors. Justice Mauzy's dedication to education for our children continued during his six-year term in the Texas Supreme Court. He was the driving force behind a 9-0 decision that declared the state's school funding system inequitable. That decision led to enactment of a law to require wealthier school districts to share funds with lower-income districts. I am deeply saddened that Texas has lost a public servant who dedicated more than a quarter century in service to his fellow Texans. I ask the House to join me in remembrance of Justice Mauzy, a true champion for working men and women and schoolchildren in my state.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Mr. Jack Kilby for winning the Nobel Prize for physics this Tuesday. Jack Kilby, at age 76, is a modest man who has not found himself wrapped up in today's technological world. This modest man, who began his journey in physics 42 years ago, probably had no reason to believe he would be in this position today. Under Mr. Kilby's belt, he has 60 patents. He is also the co-inventor of the pocket calculator. His discovery--the integrated circuit--in September of 1958 at the headquarters of Texas Instruments Inc. in Dallas, Texas has been placed into cell phones, digital music players, computer hard drives, and other various electronic devices, thus decreasing the cost of electronics. Mr. Kilby still resides in Dallas, Texas, a technology powerhouse that will forever be linked to his success. This one man and his chip are the spark that made Texas Instruments the giant company it is today. So, I thank him and congratulate him for his achievements.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this measure and to pay tribute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) for taking the lead and for the rest of the women in the bipartisan Women's Caucus. Many taxpayers' dollars went into the discovery and the security of having diagnostic and treatment modalities for cervical and breast cancer. Yet we have seen a number of working women, low-income women without health insurance coverage not be able to get treatment simply because they cannot afford it. Yet some of their tax dollars went into the real arrival of these answers that we have today. I stand here as a cancer survivor because of these diagnostic and treatment modalities. My grandmother was a victim. So I do know what it is like to be told not only of a family member but be told myself that I have cancer, and to have access to getting treatment. I would hope that the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn) would understand that we do not want to delay this measure any longer in going to get the President's signature so that women can have access to this treatment. I do not believe that he would want to do that. I understand the seriousness of that virus. I too am a health professional. I am a registered nurse and understand the real importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Far too long we have waited for this to become law, and I hope we will wait no longer.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation that would allow the awarding of a Congressional Medal of Honor to Doris Miller. This recognition is long overdue to a man who served his country with distinction and who performed valiantly during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Doris Miller, born and raised in Waco, Texas, enlisted with the Navy as a Mess Attendant in 1939 at the age of 20. This was one of the few positions available at the time to black sailors in the country's segregated military. Within four months, he was assigned to the battleship U.S.S. West Virginia, stationed at Pearl Harbor. On the fateful day of December 7, 1941, Doris Miller was collecting laundry when Japanese aircraft attacked. The ship's commanding officer, Captain Mervyn Bennion, had been hit in the stomach by shrapnel. Doris Miller dragged his captain to a place of greater safety. Then, without any prior training, Miller manned a machine gun on the ship's deck. He shot down at least two of the 29 Japanese planes that were lost by the attackers that day, and Miller may have hit up to four others. Doris Miller continued to serve his country in the Navy during World War II. However, in 1943, he and 654 shipmates were killed in the line of duty when the Japanese sank the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Liscome Bay near the Gilbert Islands. Unfortunately, like other African Americans who served in the military during World War II, Doris Miller's acts of valor have never been fully recognized, and some of the awards that were bestowed upon him were only given grudgingly. Initially, Doris Miller's actions were not publicized until three months after the Pearl Harbor attack. Then, he was only given a letter of citation by the Secretary of the Navy-- the lowest of awards for duty. Doris Miller was finally awarded the Navy Cross, but only after a public campaign by civil rights organizations brought about critical attention in the press. However, Doris Miller was not decorated with the nation's highest honor--the Congressional Medal of Honor. In fact, no African American who served in World War II received the Congressional Medal of Honor until seven Army veterans were given the award in 1997. The legislation that I introduce today would waive the time limitation specified in current law for the awarding of military decorations in order to allow the posthumous award of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Doris Miller for his heroic actions during World War II, so that a long-awaited honor may finally be bestowed upon this deserving individual.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in reluctant opposition to S. 2438, the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2000. All too often, Members of this body are faced with the unpleasant task of choosing between doing nothing at all or doing something that is inadequate. I will readily admit that S. 2438 is an improvement over the current pipeline safety regime. However, this Congress could have done so much more, and I believe that doing the inadequate would be a grave injustice to those who lost their lives in recent pipeline accidents and to the loved ones they left behind. Proponents of S. 2438 tacitly admit that there bill does not do enough to improve pipeline safety standards and enforcement. They instead urge that we pass this bill because Congress simply does not have enough time to work on a stronger bill. The reality is that the House had plenty of time to consider how to improve on the Senate bill. Furthermore, even before we received the Senate bill, staff on the communities with jurisdiction over the bill were negotiating in good faith to reach a compromise to incorporate the key provisions of several bills introduced in the House. The failure of the House to act on true reform measures to improve pipeline safety merely epitomes this Congress' failure to enact a whole host of legislation to improve the health and safety of ordinary Americans. It is still not too late to pass a strong pipeline safety bill before the 106th Congress adjourns. Representatives Oberstar and Dingell recently introduced H.R. 5361, a bill that includes necessary provisions pertaining to accountability to the public, stronger safety standards, and more diligent enforcement. Now that the bill has failed to obtain the requisite two-thirds support to pass under suspension of the rules, I hope that S. 2438 will be reconsidered under regular order, thereby enabling the House to consider H.R. 5361 as an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Mr. Speaker, it is still not too late to act on pipeline safety. I urge the House to pass H.R. 5361 or similar legislation.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I will vote against H. Res. 612, the rule on the conference report for H.R. 4475, the FY2001 Transportation Appropriations bill. Like many of my colleagues, I voted ``no'' to signal my frustration at the chaotic manner in which this bill was fashioned. I would also like to take this opportunity to express an additional concern I had relating to the National Corridor Planning and Development Program. First, let me thank the conferees for including significant investments for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system. I am pleased that the bill includes my $70 million request for DART to construct the North Central Light Rail Extension. This funding fulfills the federal government's commitments under a full funding grant agreement reached between DART and the Federal Transit Administration in October, 1999, and will ensure that the North Central extension can proceed on schedule. I would also like to thank the conferees for including $2 million for DART to acquire new buses that will be used throughout the 13 member jurisdictions within DART's service territory. I was extremely disappointed, however, that the conferees could not fund my $12 million request for the I-35 Bridge under the National Corridor Planning and Development Program. In recognition of the increased trade and traffic that NAFTA would bring to Texas, I-35 was designated as a corridor under the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995. The I-35 Bridge project is necessary to alleviate the heavy local and trade-related traffic that now traverses the Dallas area. Although the conferees did include $1.325 million for I-35 construction in the Waco, Texas area, I was disappointed that no funding was provided for the heavily congested part of I-35 that traverses Dallas. Moreover, I am extremely concerned that the State of Texas has again been short-changed under the National Corridor Planning and Development Program. Under H.R. 4475, total earmarks for this program total approximately $95 million. However, only $5.675 million, or less than 6 percent, was targeted toward projects in Texas. Even more disturbing was that the bill provided funding for two individual projects that both individually exceed the total amount earmarked for Texas, and that these two projects are located in states that are not adjacent to Canada or Mexico. Thd distribution provided in the National Corridor Planning and Development Program is fundamentally unfair to Texas. The corridor and border programs, authorized in TEA-21, were designed specifically to target assistance to nationally significant roadways that foster international trade and economic growth and that improve the flow of commerce at U.S. ports of entry. Texas has four nationally significant corridors, two of which (I-35 and I-10) carry almost 50 percent of all NAFTA trucks. Texas border crossings carry nearly 80 percent of international truck traffic, with 40 percent of this traveling through the state to other destinations in the U.S. and Canada. However, in the first two years of the programs, Texas has received only $36 million out of approximately $245 million, or less than 15 percent. By decreasing this meager amount to 6 percent, H.R. 4475 certainly goes in the wrong direction. Mr. Speaker, I am extremely disappointed in this aspect of the Transportation Appropriations bill, and I now intend to redouble my efforts in this area so that future distributions to Texas will be more equitable.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure, and I am delighted that we have found an acceptable vehicle to attach a provision to re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act. This is an area that deserves continued attention in our country, and we must continue to spread the word to reduce the violence that occurs every day against American women. The agreement in H.R. 3244 will fund programs to combat violence against women, including much-needed battered women's shelters and services, sexual assault prevention programs and education and training for judges. Unfortunately, this is a problem that continues to be prevalent in my area and has an impact on the entire community. However, H.R. 3244 goes a long way toward curbing the violence that affects women victims by assuring access to free shelters. Hopefully, this bill will continue as a positive step to reduce the overall domestic violence that plagues our communities.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to the leadership and for the bill that has been introduced for this subject because I think that it is of high priority. Mr. Speaker, today I became a cosponsor of H.R. 5158, the Second Chance Voting Rights Act of 2000. The legislation, authored by my colleague Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald, would automatically restore federal voting rights to any formerly incarcerated person upon the unconditional release of that individual from incarceration and completion of their sentence, including parole. This legislation is necessary because thousands of ex-offenders are denied the fundamental right to vote. Under the Constitution, states have the authority to deny the right to vote to an individual who is imprisoned and to restore that right once a person is released. Many states automatically return the right to vote once the former prisoner's sentence has been completed. However, some states require prisoners to meet certain procedural requirements to have their voting rights restored, and a few go as far as requiring a ``pardon'' for voting rights to be restored. In my own state of Texas, the right to vote is not restored until two years after the prisoner receives a certificate of discharge, two years after completing probation, or by pardon. In other words, former prisoners in Texas do not share in the basic rights that other Texans enjoy because they must wait two years before regaining their voting rights. This situation in Texas and in many other parts of the country is fundamentally wrong. Citizens should not be deprived of the right to vote once they have paid their debt to society in full. Allow me to share with you that in Texas I am coordinating with Yvonne Davis and Terry Hodge, Texas state representatives and members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, an effort to reach out to individuals who have been released from incarceration. The effort will involve enlisting voter education groups to reach out to these individuals and public service announcements to encourage these individuals to register and to vote on November 7th. This effort was launched in early August. It will remind individuals that although they lost many of their rights while incarcerated, they are again full- fledged Americans who have the same rights as their fellow citizens to help elect leaders who will shape the future direction of this country.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I voted against passage of the Senate amendments to H.R. 4365, the Children's Health Act. I would like to take this opportunity to explain the reason for my vote, especially in light of the fact that I voted in favor of the bill when it was first considered by the House on May 9, 2000. H.R. 4365 reauthorizes and revises a number of children's health and drug abuse prevention and treatment programs. I am particularly pleased that the bill includes several new initiatives to combat asthma in children. The asthma epidemic has been particularly troublesome; national survey data indicate that the number of children with asthma in the nation has more than doubled in the past 15 years and the number of deaths attributed to asthma in children more than tripled between 1977 and 1995. I also strongly support the bill's provisions to expand efforts to assist children with hearing loss and autism, the provisions providing grants to states to improve the health and safety of children in child care facilities, and the new programs intended to help prevent birth defects. However, I did not vote in favor of H.R. 4365 because the Senate included provisions requiring the United States Sentencing Commission to amend the federal sentencing guidelines to provide for mandatory minimum sentences for crimes related to the manufacture, importation, exportation, and trafficking of methamphetamine and ecstasy. While I of course do not condone the manufacture, use, or distribution of these two dangerous and illegal controlled substances, I also strongly believe that sentencing for federal criminal offenses should be left to the discretion of federal judges and that they should be permitted to take into account the facts and circumstances surrounding each individual case.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call my colleagues' attention to passing a real prescription drug plan before Congress adjourns. It is ironic that the Presidential candidate for the Republican Party has a new slogan about real plans for real people. I think we can all agree that senior citizens are real people and they need some real help. As a registered nurse who has spent countless hours helping senior citizens with their medical needs, I can say what these real people need. They desperately need Medicare to cover the cost of buying lifesaving drugs. As a registered nurse, I had the pleasure of working with seniors before coming to Congress. I know firsthand that many of them are on fixed incomes and already struggling to buy food and pay their rent. I have paid close attention as to what we need to do as a nation to help senior citizens. I can say that our seniors simply need assistance with purchasing life-sustaining drugs. They simply cannot afford the high cost of the drugs now. When the big pharmaceutical companies escalate the prices of prescription drugs every year at a pace that exceeds the annual level of inflation, between 1993 and 1998, spending nationwide for prescription drugs increased at an annual rate of 12 percent. This past April, I hosted a town hall meeting back in Dallas where I talked with constituents, the real people, about the exorbitant cost of prescription drugs. And here are some of the other startling statistics that were revealed: 85 percent of the seniors fill at least one prescription per year for common conditions because for their age such as osteoporosis, hypertension, heart attacks, diabetes, or depression; seniors nationwide are paying over 130 percent more for essential prescriptions than the drug companies'' most favorite customers, the HMOs; nearly two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries have no drug coverage or unreliable, costly, and limited coverage and must pay these costs out-of-pocket; one-third of the Medicare beneficiaries have absolutely no coverage for prescription drugs at all. What disturbs me even more are the statistics relating to the fat cat insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry. Premiums and copays are rising; caps of $500 to $1,000 a year are being imposed frequently; drug companies' profits were actually three times more than the average profits of all other pharmaceutical companies. I understand that we have passed one bill that favors the pharmaceutical industry. That is not what the people need. The people really need, the real people, need a plan that is covered by Medicare because the profits, they talk about research, the profits outstrip their research budgets. That is not true. The average compensation for a drug company's CEO was $22 million a year in 1998. So if we look at all of these facts, we have to wonder how the other side could put together the plan that they have devised. It gives subsidies to the big insurance companies. It seems that penny-pinching actuaries are the other side's idea of real people, not to mention the big pharmaceutical companies. It is ironic that we have allowed all of this time to lapse and are about to leave to go home, and we have forgotten about the real people. The American people, including the residents of Dallas, have had enough of the other side's stonewalling. The American people do not really need smoke and mirrors. They need a real prescription drug benefit for seniors, not a phony plan that relies on drug companies and insurance profiteers. As we head toward the final stretch here, I hope that we can put the playing aside, consider that these are really people and consider that they really need real relief and pass a Medicare prescription drug benefit and bring competition to the drug industry so that drug prices can be reduced for the seniors. This is really unconscionable. We are talking about people who have retired and who are on fixed incomes. We must give them relief. We cannot continue to just play.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, let me express my appreciation for the hard work of the chairman, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan) and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), I am displeased with what has come. Mr. Chairman, I fully respect what the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan) has done in portions of this bill. I fully understand why it is important to support the Middle East and the peace deliberations. But we cannot afford to come here day after day and ignore the poorest people of the world, while we have a pandemic going on in Africa and Asia with AIDS. If we think that is going to stay in Africa, we are in for rude awakenings. The life expectancy is moving to year 30. Can my colleagues imagine any country, any nation that has a life expectancy of 30, and we are willing to walk away and simply say we just do not have the money when we know that we do? We can save Social Security. We can do the right thing about Medicare prescription drugs and still send some aid, the appropriate aid as frugal as is requested by the President, and we have ignored that. Let us vote against this and do it right.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, AIDS--such an ugly disease to think about. This ugly disease which emerged from the shadows 2 decades ago, has devastated whole regions, knocked decades off national development, widened the gulf between rich and poor nations and pushed already-stigmatized groups closer to the margins of society. Well, shouldn't we do more to extinguish such an ugly disease at home and abroad? The time to act is now. AIDS is one of the most critical development issues confronting our world. A decade ago, HIV/AIDS was regarded primarily as a serious health crisis. During that time, estimates in 1991 predicted that in sub- Saharan Africa, by the end of the decade, 9 million people would be infected and 5 million would die. Well, that was a threefold underestimation. Today, it is clear that AIDS is a development crisis, and in some parts of the world is rapidly becoming a security crisis too. The cumulative effect of millions of AIDS deaths is causing havoc in households, communities and economies in countries where HIV started spreading 2 decades ago. Altogether, 95% of the global epidemic is concentrated in the developing world, which has inadequate resources for halting the HIV spread and alleviating its devastating consequences. It is a fact that AIDS is unique in its devastating impact on the social, economic and demographic underpinnings of development. The time to act is now. Support our colleague's amendment to include an additional $42 million, per the President's request, to the $202 million provided for the USAID global HIV/AIDS program.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, let me thank the gentlewoman for presenting this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I hope we are listening. I really do hope that we are not going to close our eyes and turn our ears off and ignore this problem. Let us try to listen to this one more time. A total of 5.4 million people globally became newly infected with HIV in 1999. A total of 34.3 million people globally are living with HIV-AIDS. We cannot sit here and allow this to happen without some kind of intervention. There have been a total of 18.8 million global AIDS- related deaths since the beginning of this epidemic. A total of 13.2 million children globally have become orphaned since the AIDS epidemic. There are 34.3 million adults and children living with AIDS in the world. We have to act now. This is an emergency. Experience shows that the right approach, applied quickly enough with courage and resolve, can and does result in lower HIV infection rates and less suffering for those affected by this epidemic. An ever-growing AIDS epidemic is not inevitable; yet unless action against this epidemic is scaled up drastically, the damage is going to be done. We have got to act now. We have got to eradicate this ugly disease. The time is now. It is urgent. Support my colleague's amendment.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me. Let me also thank the leaders of the committee for bringing forth this legislation, and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) for sponsoring the bill to designate the Floyd Flake Federal Building in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Throughout Reverend Flake's life, he has been the personification of the greatest traditions of America. He has consistently fought to empower each person in this country, and ensure that everyone had the tools to pursue the American dream. Designation of the Federal building in his former district as the Floyd H. Flake Federal Building would be a fitting tribute to his work in that area here in the House, and his tireless activism since he has returned home. In Congress, Reverend Flake represented the Sixth Congressional District from 1986 until his retirement in 1997. He fought fearlessly to establish programs and craft legislation designed to revitalize urban areas. He was an innovator, frequently reaching across party lines to solve problems. One of his initiatives, the Bank Enterprise Act, has resulted in millions of dollars of investment for both urban and rural economies. The language in the Bank Enterprise Act, which became law through the Community Development Financial Institutions Act, is the catalyst for investments which have led to residential development and commercial growth. It has also increased private sector commitment to aid the economies of traditionally neglected areas. Through his work, Congressman Flake helped to make certain that all segments of our society feel the benefits of our unprecedented economic expansion. Since his retirement, Reverend Flake has charted new territory regarding community activism and civic responsibility. As pastor of the Allen A.M.E. Church in Queens, he has led a revolution in church-based nonprofit activity. His $24 million operation is a national model and has helped to revitalize his community. Following his example, countless churches around the country have restructured their operations and reached new levels of efficiency and effectiveness. As leader, he has directly and indirectly helped thousands of Americans have a legitimate chance to compete in our global marketplace. Mr. Speaker, there is perhaps no other American as worthy of this honor as former Representative Reverend Floyd H. Flake. By bestowing this designation on the Queens Federal Building, this Congress will help to show the world that America places a premium on the values of leadership, determination, and innovation with high moral standards. I strongly support this resolution, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, let me express my appreciation again to the committee and subcommittee chairs for their effort, but it is time to set the record straight. This is what we need the most to keep the rich rich and to provide for educational opportunities for young people coming along so we can stop having to lift the caps of H1-B visas to bring people over here to do the job. This is the area that provides for that research and provides for the support of teachers and who get our young people educated so that they can enter this marketplace. Mr. Chairman, it is time for us to stop faking an attempt to tell the real truth. The very rich in this country have not begged for this tax break. We are trying to cut all the basic things in order to save the money to give this tax cut for the very, very rich. We have made them have the opportunity for this wealth by this very research that can be done right here with these dollars. Mr. Chairman, $500 million is merely a drop in the bucket for what we will get in return. Every dollar we have ever put in research has come back fourfold. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the amendment. It will restore over $500 million cut by the underlying bill from the President's historic budget proposal for the National Science Foundation. The increase will bolster the activities of an agency with a critically important role in sustaining the nation's capabilities in science and engineering research and education. Basic research discoveries launch new industries that bring returns to the economy that far exceed the public investment. One striking example is information technology, which Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has repeatedly cited as primarily responsible for the nation's sparkling economic performance. Applications of information technology alone account for one-third of U.S. economic growth, and create jobs that pay almost 80 percent more than the average private- sector wage. Restoring funding for NSF is important for the overall health of the nation's research enterprise because NSF is the only federal agency that supports basic research and education in all fields of science and engineering. While a relatively small agency, NSF nevertheless is the source of 36% of federal funding for basic research performed at universities and colleges in the physical sciences; 49% in environmental sciences; 50% in engineering; 72% in mathematics; and 78% in computer science. Recent trends in basic research support in some important fields have been alarming. For example, since 1993, physics funding has gone down by 29%; chemistry by 9%; electrical engineering by 36%; and mathematics by 6%. Last year alone, NSF could not fund 3,800 proposals that received very good or excellent ratings by peer reviewers. Good research ideas that are not pursued are lost opportunities. The amendment will greatly reduce the number of meritorious research ideas doomed to rejection because of inadequate budgets. The amendment will enable NSF to fund 4,000 more awards than the underlying bill for state-of-the-art research and education activities. It will prevent the curtailing of investments in exciting, cutting-edge research initiatives, such as information technology, nanoscale science and engineering, and environmental research. The effect of the amendment will be to speed the development of new discoveries with immense potential to generate significant benefits to society. Past examples of NSF research amply demonstrate the payoffs possible: Genetics--NSF played a critical role in supporting the basic research that led to the breakthroughs of mapping the human genome for which NIH justly receives credit. Research supported by NSF was key to the development of the polymerase chain reaction and a great deal of the technology used for sequencing. Magnetic Resonance Imaging--MRI, one of the most comprehensive medical diagnostic tools, was made possible by combining information gained through the study of the spin characteristics of basic matter, research in mathematics, and high flux magnets. Jet Printers--The mathematical equations that describe the behavior of fluid under pressure, which were developed under NSF support, provided the foundation for developing the ink jet printer. Ozone Hole--NSF-funded research in atmospheric chemistry identified ozone depletion over the Antarctic, or the ``ozone hole'' as it has come to be known, and established chlorofluorocarbons as the probable cause. Since CFCs are used in many commercial applications, this discovery has driven the search for benign substitutes and has led to a reduction of CFC emissions. The increase in funding made possible by the amendment also translates into almost 18,000 more researchers, educators, and students receiving NSF support. This is a direct, and positive, effect on the shortages projected in the high-tech workforce. It will increase the number of well-trained scientists and engineers needed for the Nation's future. I regret that H.R. 4635 limits support for NSF-sponsored research that will lead to breakthroughs in information technology, materials, environmental protection, and a host of technology dependent industries. The amendment will help sustain the economic growth that has been fueled by advances in basic research by restoring needed resources for the math, science, and engineering research and education activities of the National Science Foundation.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, let me first appreciate the efforts of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan) because I think they probably did a competent job with what they had to work with. But I still believe that in addition to the veterans and the housing needs, this bill also represents a lost opportunity in research. The President proposed a historic budget increase for the National Science Foundation this year. The increase was intended to bolster the activities of an agency with a critically important role in sustaining the Nation's capabilities in science and engineering research and education. The bill cuts the amount of the request by more than $500 million. This is shortsighted and inconsistent with the previous actions of the House. It also ignores the well-known connection between research and economic development. I characterize the bill as shortsighted because it has now been shown that public support for basic research in science and engineering is an investment in the future economy and in the well- being of our citizens. Over the past 50 years, half of U.S. economic productivity can be attributed to technological innovation and the science that has supported it. The social rate of return for basic research performed at academic institutions has been found to be at least 28 percent. Basic research discoveries launch new industries that bring returns to the economy that far exceed the public investment. The recent example of the Internet, which emerged from research projects funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Foundation strikingly illustrates the true investment nature of such research expenditures. What then will be the effects of the anemic increase provided for the National Science Foundation by this bill? The most important is also the least quantifiable, that is, the lost opportunities due to research ideas that are not pursued. Last year alone, the National Science Foundation could not fund 3,800 proposals that received very good or excellent ratings by peer reviewers. The budget increase requested for fiscal year 2001 has greatly reduced the number of meritorious research ideas doomed to rejection because of inadequate budgets. Nearly half of the increase in the fiscal year 2001 National Science Foundation budget proposal was designated for the core research programs of the foundation. This new funding would increase average grant size and duration as well as increasing the number of new awards. Inflation has reduced the relative value of National Science Foundation awards, thereby adding to the overhead burden placed on the academic research community. That is, researchers must generate multiple proposals to obtain adequate funding for their research projects. If NSF were to be allowed to reach its goal of increasing average grant size to $108,000 and grant duration to 3 years, it estimates the savings in the cost of research proposal preparation alone would be $50 million. Of course, this is only a portion of the potential savings since it does not include reductions in the time for proposal reviews and the reduced cost to universities from administering these few grants. Overall, the cuts from proposed funding levels in the bill will result in more than 4,000 fewer awards for state-of-the-art research and education activities. This reduction will curtail investments in exciting, cutting-edge research initiatives, such as information technology, the nanoscale science and engineering, and environmental research. The effect will be to slow the development of new discoveries with immense potential to generate significant benefits to society. The reduction in funding also translates into almost 18,000 fewer researchers, educators, and students receiving NSF support. This is a direct, and negative, effect on the shortages projected in the high- tech workforce. It will reduce the number of well-trained scientists and engineers needed for the Nation's future. Finally, I feel I must point out the inconsistency between the funding provided by the bill for NSF and the interest expressed by many Members of this House in the development and widespread use of information technology. In February the House passed H.R. 2086 by acclamation. This bill authorizes nearly $5 billion over four years among seven agencies for information technology research. NSF was the lead agency of the multi- agency initiative and was provided a major portion of the resources. H.R. 4635 cuts the requests for NSF's part of this initiative by over $154 million, or by more than 20 percent. The need for the major new investment in information technology research was advocated by the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee. This committee stated that: ``Unless immediate steps are taken to reinvigorate federal research in this critical area, we believe there will be a significant reduction in the rate of economic progress over the coming decades.'' I regret that H.R. 4635 limits support for the research that will lead to breakthroughs in information technology, materials, environmental protection, and a host of technology dependent industries. The economic growth that has been fueled by advances in basic research will be endangered because of the failure of this bill to provide adequate resources for the math, science, and engineering research and education activities of the National Science Foundation. This is shameful and irresponsible.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 1999. Why is it that we sit here in Congress and profess how far America has come? Why is it that we continuously stress how we have grown economically and socially? Is now not the time for America to grow morally? For those who fear to answer this question, I will answer for them. The time is now. Over a year ago, the bipartisan Hate Crimes Prevention Act was introduced. This legislation will make it easier for federal authorities to assist in the prosecution of racial, religious and ethnic violence. This legislation has since been referred to the Subcommittee on Crime. My colleagues, why have we not done more? Instead of doing more to strengthen hate crimes legislation, members of society with no sense of remorse are killing those who they believe to be inferior to them. I should not have to stand here and remind you of the brutal death of James Byrd, Jr. from my home state of Texas. But just to persuade those of you who continue to dismiss the ongoing atrocities of hate crimes that occur, I will. James Byrd, Jr. was beaten shamelessly by two white supremacists and then chained to a pickup truck. These two men then dragged him to his death. You have all heard this before and still action by Congress remains to be seen. My colleagues, I come to you today urging that we take action now. Has the prosperity of America become so great for some that we simply dismiss senseless acts of hate crime? The answer is no. We cannot allow another minute to pass before we enact the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. As Members of Congress and leaders, we must realize that now is the time to take action.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on Texas' Child Health Insurance Program. Today, our children should not have to fight to get the health care coverage they deserve. I am sad to say, in Texas they do. A child born in the year 2000 is far more likely to grow up healthy and to reach adulthood than a child born in 1900 was. Over the past 100 years, our nation's scientific, technological, and financial resources have built the most advanced health care system in the world. But the doors of the health care system are not open to everyone. Millions of children have inadequate medical care. Ensuring that every child in our nation receives the best possible health care must be a top priority for the nation. Unfortunately, not all children have benefited equally from the medical, public health, and public policy achievements of the 20th century. To a large extent, health status is still determined by race, language, culture, geography, and economics. In general, children in low-income communities get sick more often from preventable acute and infectious illnesses such as measles, conjunctivitis, and ear infections. Low-income children and teens are also more likely to suffer from chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and asthma, the leading cause of school absences. In fact, the sharpest increases in asthma rates are among urban minority children. Despite the tremendous advances in medical technology and public health, millions of children have less of a chance to grow up healthy and strong because of unequal access to health care. Children without health insurance or a regular source of health care are most likely to seek care from emergency rooms and clinics, which have long waits to see a provider, limited follow-up, and little or no health education about preventive strategies or ways to manage chronic illness. Compared with insured children, uninsured children are up to eight times less likely to have a regular source of care, four times more likely to delay seeking care, nearly three times less likely to have seen a provider in the past year, and five times more likely to use the emergency room as a regular place of care. There is no question that insurance is key to maintaining health. Imagine one hundred children from Texas standing in front of you. Fifty-four of these children are insured through Private/Employer-based programs. Twenty-two are covered through Medicaid. Twenty-four are uninsured. This equals to about 1.4 million of the 6 million children in Texas without health insurance. Now imagine one hundred children from all over the country standing in front of you. Sixty-four of these children are insured through Private/Employer-based programs. Twenty-one are covered through Medicaid. Fifteen are uninsured. Why is it that Texas' percentage of uninsured children is higher than the national's average? The reason is due to a Texas government that chooses not to take advantage of government funding that will allow many children to be insured. As a matter of fact, Texas can expand its Medicaid coverage to the age of eighteen and cover those whose income is up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. Presently, Texas only covers children up to the age of eighteen and to those whose income is 100% of the Federal Poverty Level with Title XXI funds. If Texas expands Title XXI eligibility to only 200% Federal Poverty Level, like it has the choice to, then an additional 483,000 uninsured children would be eligible for insurance coverage. Over half of all states have expanded coverage to 200% or beyond. Most states have expanded health insurance coverage to children using Title XXI funds. This coverage is provided through Medicaid expansions and/or separate insurance programs. Ten states offer Medicaid to those with an income up to 150% Federal Poverty Level. Texas falls within this category. Texas falls at the bottom. Our children fall at the bottom. This should simply not be the case. The Texas government must not only strive to improve its average compared to the national average, but it must also strive to ensure all of its children adequate health care. The opportunity for Texas to make change is now. The Texas leadership must now show compassion to its future and provide a means for them to live healthy lives.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest this morning to people talking about the anniversary of the Byrd death, and I started to think, why is it that we sit here in Congress and profess how far America has come, how great the prosperity is, and how we have grown economically and socially? Is it not time, then, for America to grow morally? For those who fear to answer this question, I will answer it for them. The time is now. Over a year ago, the bipartisan Hate Crimes Prevention Act was introduced. This legislation will make it easier for Federal authorities to assist in the prosecution of racial, religious, and ethnic violence. It has been referred to a subcommittee. Why have we not done more? Instead of doing more to strengthen hate crime legislation, members of society with no sense of remorse are killing those who they believe to be inferior to them. Most people that are born do not have anything to do with their race, not a whole lot to do with their religion because their parents are the ones who help to determine that, and certainly not their sexual orientation. Let us move, Mr. Speaker. Let us pass this legislation.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, according to the New York Times, on Sunday, May 21 of this year, Texas had not spent any of the dollars allocated to take care of these children that are poor.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, statistics tell us that more and more children are being absent from school because of asthma, and yet, it has been determined that we have one of the worst environments in the Nation, so bad that Oklahoma is complaining that we are polluting parts of Oklahoma. If we have this available and not making any effort to cover the children while we are also providing an environment that is conducive to making them even more unhealthy, what does this tell us? Is there any compassion in Texas?