Eddie Johnson

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the important and needed transportation funding included in the measure, I stand in firm opposition to certain provisions included in the omnibus appropriations bill, H.R. 4328. In particular, I am opposed to the provision that would effectively allow states to veto projects specifically provided for by TEA-21 and included in this appropriations bill. When I and my fellow colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee drafted TEA-21, it was our intent that all monies devoted to ``high-priority'' projects would have to be spent on those projects or states would lose the allocations. There were many discussions and much testimony about this issue. In hearing after hearing, state governments consistently argued that they should be allowed to reallocate obligation limits for TEA-21 high-priority projects to other projects that they deem more important. The full Transportation Committee felt differently, and that is precisely why we drafted TEA-21 to mandate specific spending on specific high-priority projects. For instance, southern Dallas, which comprises a large part of my district, is badly in need of road and infrastructure improvements. However, this area has been largely ignored by the Texas Department of Transportation in favor of other projects in more affluent areas of the state. The opinions of city and county elected officials as to the needs of their constituents have consistently been overridden by the Republican appointed and partisan Commissioners of the Texas Transportation Commission. In TEA-21, I was able to secure funding for this area long awaiting revitalization efforts with the understanding that, for once, the money would have to go there. I am not alone in this struggle. Many of my colleagues have been in similar situations during which their districts were consistently passed over by their state governments when allocating road and infrastructure improvement dollars. TEA-21 was designed to change this diversion of resources and to finally bring improvements to under- served areas. TEA-21 represented a bipartisan attempt to improve the nation's transportation infrastructure, in large part by identifying projects that need to be completed and allocating money to be spent only on those projects. While it is my understanding that the provision will be removed from the bill in the 106th Congress, I am troubled that the provision exists in the bill at all. It is an irresponsible contradiction of the intent and spirit of TEA-21 and the compromises reached by the members of the Transportation Committee. Southern Dallas, and other areas across the country like it, need and deserve the consideration that TEA-21 provides, not more of the same old treatment. I urge the Republican leadership to remove this provision so that these areas can finally receive that consideration.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, due to official business in the 30th Congressional District, I was unable to record my vote on S. 1733, a bill to ``Require the Commissioner of Social Security and Food Stamp State Agencies to Take Certain Actions to Ensure that Food Stamp Coupons are Not Issued for Deceased Individuals.'' In addition, I was unable to record my vote on S. 2133, a ``To Preserve the Cultural Resources of Route 66 Corridor and to Authorize the Secretary of the Interior to Provide Assistance,'' S. 1132, the ``Bandelier National Monument Administrative Improvement and Watershed Protection Act'' and H. Res. 598, regarding ``Foreign Imports of Steel.'' Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on all these items.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer support for this bill and speak on its behalf, and I want to express my appreciation to the leaders of both committees on both sides of the aisle. The Nurse Education Act was last reauthorized, of course, in 1992, and Congress has worked very hard since 1994 to get it reauthorized. So I am delighted that we have come to this point. This bill has a very noble goal, to expand access to health care in rural and underserved areas, while increasing the number of minorities who are trained as primary health care professionals. I have had dental school as well as medical school representatives come into my office expressing dismay that we do not have as many minorities going into the health care professions as we did in the past, and it is causing, especially in my home state, a great lack of health care professionals in the neediest areas, especially in our border areas where we are heavily populated with Hispanic persons, and we are trying very hard to attract persons that are bilingual in order to service this population. I am also pleased that the bill restructures Title 8 of the Health Professionals Training Act to allow for more efficient, flexible and comprehensive Federal financial support for nursing workforce development. Under the current authorization, there were so many different categories, and this bill simply consolidates them into three areas of authority, the advanced practice nursing education and training programs, programs to increase nursing workforce diversity, and projects to strengthen the capacity of basic nursing education. I, too, express my appreciation for the manager's amendment to this bill, which contains a hold harmless provision that assures current funding levels for the current authorizations until such time that HHS has developed the methodology for a new streamlined financing process. Mr. Speaker, I support the bill.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my congratulations to the Republic of China. Tomorrow, October 10, 1998, is Taiwan's National Day. Taiwan is a country fondly known as the ``Little Tiger.'' Rightfully so, Taiwan has a strong economy and is an excellent trading partner for countries like the United States. In fact, Taiwan is our sixth largest trading partner. In the last few years, Taiwan's economy has grown at a spectacular rate and has become one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Taiwan's wealth can be seen in their strong manufacturing industry and in their citizens' commitment to make Taiwan an effective trading partner. Taiwan has done remarkably well during the Asian financial crisis, and I hope that Taiwan will continue to prosper. I wish President Lee Teng-hui, Vice President Lien Chan, Foreign Minister Jason Hu and Ambassador Stephen Chen of the Republic of China continued success in leading Taiwan and their citizens.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition of the Republican impeachment inquiry. The way the House proceeds on an impeachment inquiry is very serious and must be considered in a deliberative manner. Unfortunately, the proposal before us does not create a focused inquiry with realistic time limits on the length and scope. Instead of offering a proposal that is sound and has reasonable standards on what impeachable offenses are, the Republican leadership is rejecting a focused inquiry and is forcing us to vote on a proposal that is endless and causes damage to a fair and just process. Mr. Speaker, the question at hand is not whether or not to proceed with a formal impeachment inquiry. The question is how do we proceed? We considering such an important matter, will we place such a vote in the hands of election year politics or do we place this vote and process in the hands of fairness, the tenets of our Constitution and good judgement? Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that my colleagues base their vote on the latter. We have a chance to send this proposal back to the judiciary committee and instruct them to develop a plan that is focused and fair. However, the lines seem to be drawn and the Republican leadership has convinced their members to vote along party lines. The last chance for a pragmatic approach is lost. Therefore, I encourage my colleagues of both parties to join together and defeat the Republican proposal. In the face of fairness, the Republican majority's effort will move forward with an open-ended process designed not to follow the path of truth, but to simply embarrass the President one month before the congressional elections. All of us in Congress should be committed to searching for the truth, not political points. But if we choose to forego the search for truth, we do so with a blatant disregard for principles of fairness and justice. Mr. Speaker, if we move with a process based on those ideas, then as a lawmaking body, we can get back to the important issues that have evaded us this session. In the waning days of the legislative session, we still have a chance to save Social Security, pass a real patients' bill of rights, improve the quality of education and protect our environment. I plan to fight and oppose this arbitrary measure, and support a fair process. That process will put an end to this investigation in a timely fashion and gets the House of Representatives back on track to work on the issues that truly matter to this great nation.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 4567, the Medicare Home Health Care and Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 1998 and to congratulate the bill's sponsors for moving this important legislation forward before Congress adjourns this year. While the bill is not perfect, it does promise to help the historically low-cost agencies that have been penalized by the interim payment system (IMPS) implemented in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 for their past efficiencies in delivering high quality home care. I also applaud the sponsors of the bill for increasing the per visit reimbursement limit. While I support the bill, I have some reservations. Texas is a big State with large rural areas. I am concerned that reimbursement to new health agencies in rural areas that must travel long distances to serve their patients is too low under the Interim Payment System. H.R. 4567 does little to help these new agencies. Furthermore, the bill does nothing to postpone the 15% cut scheduled for next fall when HCFA fails to implement the Prospective Payment System by the October 1, 1999 deadline. I hope to see these issues addressed during conference with the Senate. In addition, I can only hope that a more appropriate funding mechanism can be found in conference that does not create a tax loophole for the highest earners which raises money in the short run and costs us billions in the long run.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill and want to thank the leadership on both sides of the aisle for bringing it. I cannot support it wholeheartedly, however, without bringing a few things to my colleague's attention. I am from a big State with lots of miles, and the new agencies that cover many of those remote-located patients will not be helped by this bill. We also need to do something about the 15 percent slash that is due next year before that time. I want to associate myself with the remarks of the ranking member of the Committee on Banking and Financial Services, because that is the concern that I have. While we are creating a tax loophole for the highest earners, which raises money in the short run, it will cost us billions and billions of dollars in the long run. I do have some concerns. I know that we have an emergency and we do need this coverage, but we cannot let it go without making sure that there is time for correction.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I submit the attached materials to be included in the Congressional Record: Dallas Liver Transplant Program, Baylor University Medical Center, Children's Medical Center of Dallas, Dallas, TX, September 22, 1998. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Congresswoman Johnson: I am aware that the House recently passed H.R. 4250, the Patient Protection Act of 1998. I understand that the Patient's Bill of Rights Act, S. 2330, is currently under consideration as the companion bill. Managed care is here to stay, but it has, as you are well aware, caused many significant problems. I have had personal, intimate experience with health care plans ever since they were first introduced into the Dallas health care market in the late 1980s. I support the provisions in the bill as it is currently worded. However, I find it very troublesome that the private insurance plans would not be required to emulate the same restrictions against financial incentives as the current Medicare rules provide. To allow a system that awards or penalizes physicians depending on how ``cost effective'' the care is they provide I believe is unethical. The simple thought of paying physicians extra if they do not provide health care is, in effect, repugnant to me. In addition, we must prevent the development of separate requirements for public and private health care sectors. In my own particular field, that of transplantation, it is very obvious that transplant patients, i.e. recipients of kidneys, pancreas', livers, hearts, lungs and other organs, are so sick and have such serious disorders that they need to be cared for by specialists in their respective fields, both before and after the transplant. There are areas of the country where a specialist's care is not available. In those circumstances, the local physicians work very closely with the super-specialists at the transplant institutions. I think it is essential to allow chronically ill patients to have specialists designated as their primary care physicians. On a separate vein, the basis for improvement of care and the safety of treatment we can provide to patients is to allow the patients to participate in scientific, peer- reviewed, controlled trials. It is essential for medicine, and to have health care plans forbid patient participation because of whatever reason they deem fit is unthinkable. They always want to participate and reap the benefits of any advances, especially if they can save a few dollars for themselves. However, they don't ever want to participate and help such developments along. Finally, since I have seen health care being prevented and withheld by health care providers so many times, I believe it is imperative to allow patients to sue their carrier. The unconscionable way that many health care providers approach health care today is upsetting. One situation I bring to your attention is several years ago open of the biggest HMOs in the country had patients who were 20% more expensive to transplant than other patients. The reason was simply that the patients coming from this particular HMO were so much farther advanced and therefore more complex when they finally arrived for transplantation. The patients were simply prevented from having the transplants when they were in optimum condition, thus jeopardizing their lives. Clearly this was not the fault of the referring physicians or the physicians involved in the transplantation, but the HMOs corporate policy in trying to avoid the cost that would be incurred. Thus, the right to sue the carrier is absolutely essential to insure the patient's right to prevent withholding of care that is so widely prevalent today. As always I appreciate your work in Congress and your involvement In the health care problems. Yours most sincerely, Goran B. Klintmalm, M.D. Medical Director, Transplantation Services, Baylor University Medical Center--Dallas.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Let me close my remarks by expressing my appreciation and respect for both the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) for both accepting this responsibility and for producing this report. I am pleased to have the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) acknowledge that this report is a commencement. I believe sincerely that he is willing and open to having more input as related to the areas I have identified. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown).

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on H.R. 578, and I commend my colleague the honorable gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) for the significant effort to bring forward a comprehensive science policy report, and I commend the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown) for allowing it to come this far. The report offers a guide and framework for continued focus on the importance of science as well as an outline for future congressional scientific discussions and deliberations regarding policy and funding options. The report, however, lacks significant input on issues of major concern. My Committee on Science colleagues, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), and I offered dissenting views for inclusion as a means to strengthen the report. We find the report needs to address four critical areas: the role of under represented populations in the fields of science and technology, social and behavioral sciences, K-12 science and math education and the challenges of environmental quality. The role of unrepresented populations: This report makes only passing mention of the role of unrepresented populations as African Americans, hispanic and people with disabilities in the field of science and technology. It is essential that any science policy document address the need to create a policy to include these populations in our Nation's science and technology efforts. If we do not, we will have a technology divide between Americans. For example, presently the percentage of white households owning computers is 40.8 percent as compared to 19.3 percent of African American households and 19.4 percent of hispanic households. In addition, 39 percent of black students in public schools have access to computers at school compared with 56 percent of white students. Solving this problem is crucial because from 1996 to year 2006 employment in science and engineering occupations is expected to increase at more than three times the rate of any other occupations. At the same time some projections state that by year 2000, two-thirds of the new entrants into the American work force will be made up of minorities and women. But the number of hispanic and African American first year graduate enrollment in science and engineering fields dropped by 16.2 percent and 19.3 percent respectively from 1996 to 1997. Taken together, these trends spell disaster as a whole. Whole generation of young people may be left behind unable to ride the technological wave. To begin this process we recommend: 1. The development of programs to involve under-represented communities in the field of science and technology. For example, the National Science Foundation's urban systemic and rural systemic initiative programs focus on a specialized math and science curricula at the high school level. Programs which are based on variables such as household income will improve the education of our youth. High schools with a majority of low-income students have been shown to lack adequate science, engineering, math and technology curricula. The involvement of under-represented populations in the scientific community by partnership programs between historically black colleges and universities, hispanic-serving institutions, large research institutions and corporate industry. Cooperative research and development agreements, the CRADAs, is an excellent opportunity for collaborations, provide role models and a support system for smaller institutions. However recent National Science Foundation data show from 1993 to 1994 that research institutions received approximately $12.7 billion from 10 Federal agencies. Ten billion dollars of this amount was allocated to the top 100 research universities, but not one historically black or historically hispanic university received a substantial amount. Only $140 million went to the top 81 historically black and historically hispanic producing students while John Hopkins alone received $701 million. More needs to be done to develop the CRADAs with minority institutions of higher education if we are to see more minorities in the fields of science and technology. In offering these views it is our hope that any future congressional conversations include the aforementioned in an effort to create a national science policy which is sound, diverse and inclusive. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Hyde resolution and in favor of the Democratic amendment. (Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak against this rule. Members heard the arguments on LIHEAP and they have heard the arguments on the elimination of summer jobs. But I also want to point out one other area, and that is the President's education initiatives that have been eliminated by $2 billion. We sit here and talk about tax breaks and we have passed a bill to remove the cap to increase persons coming in, immigrants, for jobs because we do not have them prepared, but yet we are gutting the part of this budget that would prepare our young people for the future. We have gutted Goals 2000 which brings our parents much more involved into the education planning for our students. The technology literacy challenge fund has been eliminated, the Eisenhower professional development grants being eliminated, title I grants and safe and drug-free schools. We have heard arguments all year long about the increase of drug usage of our students. Yet we are eliminating those dollars that can help eliminate the drug use to educate and treat young people who have gotten involved in drugs. I do not understand the logic of why we are making tax breaks and immigration more of a priority than preparing our own young people for the future. It does not make sense. I ask my colleagues to vote against this rule.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. I rise to offer my best wishes of success to the future endeavors of our departing Democratic Caucus chair, Vic Fazio. More important, I join my colleagues, particularly those of the Democratic Caucus, in thanking Congressman Fazio for the direction, strategy and guidance that he has lent to us. That our caucus is more unified and accommodating of different viewpoints is due to Congressman Fazio's ability to listen to all opinions of the caucus. That our caucus at the same time is focused on the unified Democratic agenda is due to his great working relationship with our Democratic leader and whip. In addition, we are focused because from the time that he served as chair in 1994, he possessed a clear vision of what we should be doing to help America's working families. However, it is not just the members of the Democratic Caucus who will miss his work ethic, intelligence, integrity and respect for this institution. I am sure that our colleagues in the Republican Conference will appreciate and miss his pragmatism and ability to forge bipartisanship out of the most partisan matters. During his tenure as vice-chair of the Democratic Caucus, Congressman Fazio was also chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, helping many of us here today reach Capitol Hill and serve our districts. He has been the true party stalwart and soldier. Nevertheless, he has shown the same effective dedication to his legislative work to help the Third District of California, serving on the Appropriations Committee, ranking Democrat on its Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch and ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. It goes without saying that his accomplishments cannot be summarized in two minutes. What I can say to Congressman Fazio before I conclude is that on behalf of the Democratic Caucus, the entire House and your constituents of third district that you served with such distinction . . . is that we will miss your dedication and wish you all the success.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this bill, and I can explain why. It is not bureaucracy protection, it is people protection. Most of us know that a very large percentage of the students in public schools are from poor families. There is a reason why we are against repeal of Davis-Bacon, and that is because we are trying to make sure that these children's parents do not remain in such poverty that they remain the ones at risk, they remain the people who are least educated. All of us know that the labor unions in this country brought about the quality of salaries, brought about the middle income population of this Nation, the population that has the largest tax share of responsibility for the whole Nation. We have to give attention to children in poverty. There are many of us who are very skeptical of our own States and the way they handle things. We look at California to see how they are against bilingual education when they have a very large number of children that need it. That is the reason why we have some concern about block granting the dollars back. States rights have never been so good to the minorities of this country. That is one of the reasons why we want to make sure that we maintain some quality, accountability, and consistency in programs. We also understand that well-qualified teachers with a smaller number of students is more successful. We know that from experience. That is the reason why we support reduction of class size and support more quality educational opportunities for our teachers and better pay for our teachers so we can maintain good teachers in the classroom. It is clear that all young children need a good education. We say that all the time. There are no jobs available without a good education and without good preparation. We simply want to make sure that, as far as we can be accountable, we can ensure that that happens in these classrooms. It is not just a sense of trying to protect bureaucracy. It is a sense of attempting to protect people and especially poor people of this Nation who work long hours for little pay, last hired and first fired. That is what we are trying to protect. We are trying to make sure that all young people are prepared to take on the future and be ready for it.

Mr. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 125th anniversary of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas. St. Paul has a rich history of service and contribution to the surrounding community, It is indeed a historical pillar in the city of Dallas that has strengthened its congregation. Throughout St. Paul's 125 years of service, the church has successfully created innovative ministries to assist all segments of the community. A historical landmark site located in the arts district of Dallas, St. Paul is one of the oldest congregations in the entire D.F.W. Metroplex. St. Paul reaches out to many individuals in our diverse community. The congregation began as a mission from the Wesley Church in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1873. This great beginning was followed by St. Paul becoming the first African-American Methodist Church to be organized in Dallas by the direction of its first pastor, Rev. H. Boliver in addition, the first church building served as a school to educate the minds of African-American children while serving as a church. The significance of this achievement was that it was the only vehicle to formally educate Dallas African-American children until the city built its first public school for African-Americans in 1884 across the street form the church. Two years later the Reverend G.W. Richardson organized Samuel Huston College, (presently Huston-Tillotson College, now in Austin, Texas) on February 22, 1876 at Dallas, where its first classes were held in the St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Speaker, this was the beginning of St. Paul's mission to proactively reach out to the community and making the tenets of the Methodist Church active and service-oriented. St. Paul's current pastor, Dr. Henry L. Masters Sr., not only continued that proactive service, but has also been the driving force in increasing membership growth, creating an improved infrastructure and doubling the church staff and budget. Along with this work, new ministries have been developed to feed the homeless, to take inner-city youth to summer camp and to teach pastors business skills. Mr. Speaker, the work of St. Paul's is innovative, compassionate and much-needed. This has all resulted in a Dallas Community that is much stronger and closer. Therefore, the anniversary of the church means more than just a celebration for its leaders and congregation. It means that countless citizen from all walks of life and backgrounds in the Dallas area are beneficiaries of St. Paul's 125 years of service. I join the many in congratulating St. Paul's on this achievement and also in extending the church the best wishes for another 125 years of successful service.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, due to official business in the 30th Congressional District, I was unable to record my vote on H. Res. 525, providing for release and review by the Committee on the Judiciary of a communication from Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on final passage on this measure.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3332, the Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998. I want to congratulate the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) the chairman of the Committee on Science and also the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown) the ranking democratic Member, for their efforts to develop the bill and to bring it before the House. H.R. 3332 authorizes the Next Generation Internet initiative which will support the research and development activities necessary to expand the capacity and capabilities to the Internet to meet the growing demands placed upon it. The applications that are straining the current Internet or even exceed its capabilities are coming largely from the research and education communities. Achieving the goals of the Next Generation Internet initiative will require leading-edge research on networking hardware and software technologies. It also will require the creation of a large-scale high- performance testbed network. This testbed network will provide connectivity among many academic, industry and government user sites. It can then be used to implement challenging applications that will test the new networking technologies and ensure that they are scalable to the worldwide network. In short, this initiative is a collaborative research project to develop and demonstrate next generation networking technology in a realistic network environment. This bill will amend the high-performance Computing Act of 1991 to incorporate the Next Generation Initiative Internet initiative within the existing coordinated multi-agency research and development effort in advanced computing and network research. The bill provides general authority for agencies carrying out activities under the 1991 act to advance the capacity and capabilities of the Internet and to develop and demonstrate high-performance testbed networks. In addition, this bill explicitly authorizes the participating agencies to implement this initiative and task that presidentially appointed advisory committee for high-performance computing and networking activities to provide periodic critical assessment of the initiative. The funding authorization provided by the bill is consistent with the level of the President's budget request, and the administration fully supports passage of this legislation. The Internet is one of the best examples of a Federal research and development investment that resulted in significant public benefits. It is a growing and increasingly important communications medium for commerce as well as for education and research uses and for personal communications. This initiative authorized by this bill builds on past successes of Federal R&D and provides support of research needed to accelerate the development of the technologies. It will make it faster, more dependable, which will result from this initiative, enable new applications and crisis management and response, distance education, environmental monitoring, health care delivery and scientific research to name a few. In a very real way it will help shape the future, and I urge my colleagues to support and pass this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, due to official business in the 30th Congressional District, I was unable to record my vote on H.R. 3892, the English Language Fluency Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on final passage on this measure. In addition, I would have voted ``nay'' on both the Martinez and Riggs Amendments to H.R. 3892.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to, and recognize the anniversary of the historic Voting Right Act, August 6th. It was almost a frightening coincidence that on the anniversary, many of my colleagues were attempting to defeat efforts that would prevent the use of statistical sampling to accurately count America's minorities. The opponents of an accurate count wanted to prevent minorities from being counted because it could indirectly heighten their influence in elections and the drawing of congressional districts. Mr. Speaker, the floor debate did not mark the first time that efforts were used to prevent the political franchisement of African-Americans. Indeed, the very purpose of the creation of the voting rights act was done to address the countless obstacles African-Americans faced in electing their own to Congress. Before the enactment of the Voting Rights Act, minorities were subjected to these efforts to dilute their voting power: Gerrymandering, removing minorities from voting rolls and even outright threats of bodily harm. The Voting Rights Act was instrumental in protecting the voting opportunities of minorities. In addition, to the chagrin of those who would like to see the clock of progress turned back, the Voting Rights Act has directly resulted in the fair election of African-Americans to Congress. However, Mr. Speaker, I stand not only to call attention to the benefits of the Voting Rights Act, but to ask that Americans be ever vigilant in protecting the Voting Rights Act from those who wish to forever confine it to the annals of history. As the uses and benefits of the Voting Rights Act are forever enduring, so are the attacks and efforts to eliminate it. Unfortunately, there are those who seek to eliminate or weaken the protections provided by the Voting Rights Act. If they are successful, then the wonderful diversity of Congress that mirrors the rich cultural tapestry of our Nation may be jeopardized. If they are successful, the Congress of tomorrow could look like the Congress of a hundred years past. Mr. Speaker, I highly suspect that arguments of fairness, constitutionality and righteousness are thinly-veiled attacks on the Voting Rights Act and seek to imperil the ability of African-Americans to gain elective office. Some of my African-American colleagues are now experiencing the attacks that I went through; nevertheless, I am confident that the can prevail as I have. One way that I believe we can continue to prevail and protect the letter of the law that is inherent in the Voting Rights Act is to teach future generations to study what it means and what it has accomplished. If we allow future generations to forget the strides we made in voting that has enabled African-Americans to serve in Congress, then they will not be able to recognize threats to the voting franchise, or fully appreciate how fragile the right to vote truly is. I ask that in the days following this historic anniversary, we teach new generations to be forthright students of history, so that they may be informed protectors of our future. Mr. Speaker, as it was once said, ``That is the supreme value of history. The study of it is the best guaranty against repeating it.''

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman. I urge all my colleagues to support the Mollohan amendment. A fair and accurate census is necessary if we are to be a country which stands for inclusion over exclusion. The infamous census of 1990 missed 4.7 million people--1.8 percent of the population, compared with 1.2 percent in 1980 and 2.7 percent in 1970. This undercount was not evenly distributed--a disproportionate number of minorities, children and renters in urban and rural areas were missed. In addition, the census cost us an exorbitant amount of money--$2.6 million dollars--for a faulty, inaccurate count of Americans. This is upper income people are overcounted by an unknown number because of completing their forms at their second homes as well as their primary residences. I support the methodology of statistical sampling. The American Statistical Association and the National Academy of Sciences has recommended this methodology as the best and cheapest way to count 90 percent of U.S. residents. In Texas, we need all our residents counted, specially the Latino population. IN the Latino community, there was a 5% undercount in the 1990 census. this undercount has had significant negative effects on Latino access to resources. I urge my colleagues to support the Mollohan amendment so that all our residents are counted, and not missed by the blinded eye.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I want to congratulate the chairman and the entire leadership of the committee and staff on this important legislation. In the face of conflicting pressures and demands, the committee has succeeded in crafting a carefully balanced measure that will benefit the Nation's airports and our entire air transportation system. In particular, I would like to commend the chairman for the provision in this bill broadening the eligibility for terminal construction work using revenues from passenger facility charges. The provision will surely make it easier for airports to provide facilities for smaller air carriers seeking to offer competitive service. I want to be certain that I am correct in my understanding of the way in which the committee intends for this provision to function.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.