Eddie Johnson

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to one of our great leaders, Congresswoman Bella Abzug. I was deeply saddened to hear of Ms. Abzug's passing last month and would like to take this opportunity to recognize her many accomplishments. Over the years, Congresswoman Abzug worked diligently to improve the status of women. Not content to work only on the behalf of the State of New York, she concentrated on issues such as the environment, civil rights, gay rights, education, affordable healthcare and many other issues of national concern. This highly visible Congresswoman served as a member of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation and chaired the Subcommittee on Government Information and Individual Rights. She helped create the ``Government in the Sunshine Law'' which allows the public to have greater access to government records. In addition, during her service in Congress, she was able to help pass several laws that target and prevent sex discrimination. Without a doubt, the country is a much better place for women and men alike because of her leadership in Congress over the years. Outside of her congressional career, Ms. Abzug led the way in improving the status of women. In 1971, Abzug co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus. As a firm believer in economic, social and political equality for women, she was appointed co-chair of the National Advisory Committee for Women. In 1995, she helped organize the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing; during that conference she received many awards and accolades. As a crusader in the civil rights movement, Ms. Abzug expressed her opposition to the exclusion of African-Americans from juries and their receipt of harsher criminal sentences. During the 1950's, she helped draft legislation that was incorporated into the Civil Rights Act of 1954 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Yesterday, in welcoming Barbara Lee and Mary Bono as new Members of the House, many speakers noted the unprecedented number of women now serving in Congress. All of the women Members of Congress owe a large debt of gratitude to Bella Abzug, the woman who trail blazed the path for us. Bella Abzug followed her heart and was always a crusader for just causes. We have lost a valuable colleague and role model and I will always remember her as one of the most influential women of the world. I am confident that her wisdom and spirit will be continued and remembered by all.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on March 26 of President Clinton's historic voyage to Africa, the first aircraft designated as Air Force One flew its last mission. Vice President Gore signed it into retirement as of April 1, but not before the first Air Force One carried Members of Congress who accompanied President Clinton to South Africa. Mr. Speaker, I was one of those Members who joined the President on this trip. The importance of his travel to Africa and the significance of being aboard the aircraft were very relevant to me. It was this Air Force One that transported President John F. Kennedy's body from Dallas to Washington after his assassination in 1963. Mr. Speaker, representing Dallas, I am reminded of that fateful day by driving through the streets, parades, and other activities along the grassy knoll area. However, being on board the plane that carried President Kennedy's body made those remembrances much more special. The first Air Force One represented a tragic end for our country, but also a new beginning. The plane was the site of President Lyndon Johnson's swearing-in as the 36th President prior to that flight. In 1962, the Government purchased and deployed the aircraft that carried President Richard Nixon on his trips to China and Russia in 1962. Air Force One continued historic and important flights, serving eight Presidents. Mr. Speaker, this exclusive aircraft symbolizes service to the President as he and other passengers travel throughout the world to promote peace and democracy in other countries. The first Air Force One began, and now ends successfully in that purpose. One great example of that purpose was the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the 1-year inauguration of the Ron Brown Commercial Center in South Africa, named after the late Commerce Secretary. The center was an impressive testimony to his mission of promoting democracy and economic opportunities in developing countries. Of course, the ceremony was one of many important and memorable visits what would not have been possible without Air Force One and its staff. On behalf of the United States delegation to Africa that traveled aboard the aircraft, I would like to express how honored we were to fly on its last voyage. Mr. Speaker, the plane will be on display at the U.S. Air Force Museum at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside of Dayton, OH. As many Americans view this plane, I hope that they will do it service by not forgetting its missions and its significance to our country. As a recent passenger, I know that I will not forget the first Air Force One. For the Record, Mr. Speaker, I would like to document the United States delegation to South Africa who flew aboard the original Air Force One during its last flight: Representative John Conyers; Rep. Corrine Brown; Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald; Paul A. Allaire, Chairman/CEO, Xerox Corporation; Alma Arrington Brown, Chair, Ronald H. Brown Foundation; Ronald Burkle, Managing Partner, Yucaipa Companies; Melvin Clark, Jr., President/CEO, Metroplex Corporation; Dr. Ramona H. Edelin, President/CEO, National Urban Coalition, Interim Exec. Director, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.; Rep. Amory Houghton; Rep. Shelia Jackson-Lee; Rep. Harold Ford, Jr.; Honorable Dennis Archer, Mayor, City of Detroit; Rev. Dr. Joan Brown-Campbell, General Secretary, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA; Dr. Emma C. Chappell, Founder, Chairman & CEO, United Bank of Philadelphia; Ronald Dellums, Former Member of Congress, Healthcare International Management Company; and Ernest Green, Chairman, African Development Foundation. Bishop Frederick Calhoun James, Former Bishop, 2nd Episcopal District, African Methodist Episcopal Church; Kase Lawal, Chairman, President/CEO, Camac Holdings, Inc., Kweisi Mfume, President & CEO, NAACP; Ilyasha Shabazz, Director of Public Affairs & Special Events, Office of Honorable Mayor Ernest Davis; John Sweeney, President, AFL-CIO; The Honorable Wellington Webb, Mayor of Denver, Colorado; Robert Johnson, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Black Entertainment Television, Inc.; C. Payne Lucas, President, Africare, Ernest S. Micek, Chairman & CEO, Cargill, Inc.; Lottie Shackelford, Board Member, OPIC; Maurice Templesman, Leon Templesman & Son; and Carol Willis, Director of Community Services, Democratic National Committee.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to stand in favor of BESTEA today. I owe a lot of gratitude to our leaders on this committee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), and the rest. This bill provides resources to meet America's infrastructure needs, not frivolous, but needs that have been expressed by persons throughout this Nation, and not just by Members here, but all the people that we represent. This bill provides an unprecedented commitment to improve safety on America's highways and to help reduce the 40,000 annual deaths from motor vehicles. It improves the safety for commercial motor vehicles. The Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program has been refined to focus on performance-based goals, and funding for this program has been significantly increased. That is important. It strengthens and emphasizes our Federal commitment to the national systems of transportation that facilitate interstate travel. Being from Texas, a border State, it creates a new border infrastructure program to ensure that needs from NAFTA-related trade and safety issues are addressed. These are very important components for the State of Texas and for our Nation. It significantly increases funding for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program, while making some minor adjustments to the program's eligibility. All of these areas help the entire Nation, but especially does it help Texas, a very large State with lots of people with lots of cars that they hate to give up. There are elements of this bill that will address that area. Not only is it a big State, it is one of the fastest-growing States. We have so many people on the highways every day and on our streets and roads getting to work. It is this bill that addresses those issues and helps to solve our problem. It is our responsibility as legislators to make sure that our transportation system is as safe and accessible as possible.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose this amendment. I want the record to be clear. This is a proposal that has been worked out. It is the same language that is in the Senate bill. It was an agreement within the committee. Clearly, this is meant to be corrective action. If it was true that we no longer needed the DBE program, I would be the first person to want to give it up. All of my political career I have had to come to the forefront to try to defend and make opportunities; not to be better than anyone else, and certainly not to lower standards, but to make opportunities for those women and those minorities who do not get them without a program. It is unconscionable that we would stand to deny people who can work hard, people that just do not look like white men, and defend their ability as Americans, as citizens, as persons who work just as hard, to get a simple opportunity. This is a sad day to see that we still have people who are willing to deny people who work hard, who take on the same responsibility, are not asking for anything, they are only asking for an opportunity. I oppose this amendment.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I stand to offer my condolences to the family of Dr. Napoleon Lewis of Dallas, Texas. Dr. Lewis was a good friend of mine and a role model to generations of students at Lincoln High School in Dallas. On Friday, March 27, 1998, Dr. Lewis passed away at the age of 76, leaving a long legacy of love and concern for his students at Lincoln High. Indeed, Dr. Lewis was recognized nationally for his outstanding leadership of Lincoln High School in south Dallas. He earned his bachelor's degree in biology from Morgan State College in Baltimore in 1945. While he wanted to earn his master's degree at the University of Maryland, only 15 minutes from his home, the school did not admit blacks into its graduate programs. Therefore, he was forced to attend New York University during the summers and even commuted a couple of semesters by bus for Saturday classes, beginning his journey at 2 a.m. in Washington. He supplemented his salary during those days by doing odd jobs, never complaining, never stopping and always striving. In 1980, Lincoln High School was ranked second from the bottom in the Dallas school district. Students were not challenged and they never envisioned a life of success in college and the workforce. When Dr. Lewis was brought from Washington, D.C. to be named principal at Lincoln, he made caring for students a priority and preparing them for college a reality. By the time he retired in 1997, the seniors at Lincoln established a record of attending the best colleges in America, including such schools as Northwestern and Howard. Dr. Lewis was known and respected for his high standards of discipline, his values and his high expectations for his students. Dr. Lewis improved Lincoln's library, strengthening the school's broadcasting curriculum and, most impressive, increased the students' achievement scores. Many times, individuals do not expect some of our young African- American youth to meet high standards and to have high goals. My friend, Dr. Lewis, raised our expectations of the students and showed them how to set and accomplish goals that they never dreamed possible. He pressed for replacing remedial subjects at Lincoln with physics and advanced math, subjects much more fitting for our students preparing to meet the challenges the 21st century. All of us who care about the educational opportunities of our children in the Dallas area will miss the faith and discipline that Dr. Lewis brought to the work of educating Dallas' students. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Lewis started his educational career in Washington, D.C. where he began developing his successful formula for shaping the minds of young students. Dr. Nolan Estes, superintendent of Dallas Schools recruited him to Dallas as part of a national search to help reform the district and how it did business in teaching our children. The way that he reformed Lincoln High School and influenced its children to reach for the stars reflected his own path to learning. He did not grant excuses or breaks to his students, because he knew that life offers little success to those who are not willing to fight, struggle and persevere. On behalf of the many students whose lives he has touched and influenced, I would like to say that we will miss his unbounded generosity and concern for their futures. His years of guidance and devotion to the Dallas area students will never leave our hearts and minds, and he will forever leave a mark in our community.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague has pointed out a problem, and I think there is at least one other. There are 346,000 unfilled information technology jobs nationwide. And one of the problems is that the results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, called the TIMSS, shows that American high school seniors rank near the bottom in math and science education when compared to their international counterparts. I am attempting to find a solution, so I have introduced House Resolution 3496 that was heard in committee today, the Information Technology Partnership Act, which creates an additional grant program through the National Science Foundation and the Urban Systemic Initiative Program. The Urban Systemic Initiative Program focuses primarily on math and science by using mentor teachers to help educators introduce an innovative and engaging math and science curriculum to K through 12 students in the inner city. The IT Partnership, that is, the information technology partnership grant is aimed at improving scientific and mathematical literacy of all students in urban communities while fostering a student's career in the information technology field. This partnership consists of local education agencies and local businesses investing in the educational development of the youth in their districts. Specialized curricula and scholarships would assist students in filling future information technology jobs. My district is driven by technology; and so we see firsthand not having enough people trained in this country. And, yes, people are being brought in and information is being developed outside this country, but not because of trade and not because of avoiding any other type of barrier. It is simply because we do not have them available right now. So specifically, the IT Partnership Grant focuses on math and science curricula for students in grades 10 through 12 and offers internships and scholarship opportunity for students majoring in fields relating to information technology. Under this program, eligibility for the IT Partnership Grant is limited to the cities with the largest number of school age children, ages 5 to 17, living in economic poverty as determined by the 1990 census. The following cities are eligible for this grant: Atlanta; Baltimore; Bayamo; Boston; Chicago; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Detroit; El Paso; Fresno; Houston; Indianapolis; Jacksonville; Los Angeles; Memphis; Miami; Milwaukee; New Orleans; New York City; Phoenix; Philadelphia; Ponce; San Antonio; San Diego; San Juan; and St. Louis. The grant awards five local education agencies $300,000 to develop math, science, and technology curricula for grades 10 through 12 and to train teachers in technology. That is a problem we have throughout this Nation. In order for the local education agencies to win this grant, they must enter into a partnership with businesses in their community. These businesses would commit to provide to the local education agencies a minimum of at least internships, scholarships, and mentoring programs and computer products. Local businesses would promise the local education agencies scholarship money, which would be awarded to high school seniors. You see, because these businesses have a stake, their future depends on having qualified people to do the job, and seniors who would be majoring in these fields associated with information technology, that is, math, computer science, and engineering at 2- and 4-year colleges. The partnership between the local education agencies and local business sponsors would determine the amount and the number of scholarships given. It is important to note that the local education agencies will have direct responsibility for overseeing the program, and the National Science Foundation's role is limited to determining which 5 cities meet the criteria for eligibility. We would like to award them all, but are trying to think about staying in the budget even though we are not doing what we should for education if we are going to have a cutting- edge Nation in the future. The National Science Foundation director will award the IT Partnership Grants to 5 cities with the best package of business sponsorship and curricular development. In addition, priority will be given to those local education agencies that grant scholarships to students who are first generation college students. I hope, Mr. Speaker, that we can get up support for this legislation. Because there are companies, and I have many in my district, that are screaming out for these people to be qualified so they can give them jobs.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, strong math and science curricula is crucial to our American youths' education. The results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) shows that American high school seniors rank near the bottom in math and science education when compared to their international counterparts. In addition, there are 346,000 unfilled information technology jobs nationwide. In each of our districts, there is a lack of skilled professionals for information technology jobs particularly related to the lack of specialized math, science, and technology high school curriculum. In order to solve both of these problems, I am introducing The Information Technology Partnership Act. This bill creates a partnership between Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and local businesses to provide a sound math, science, and technology curriculum coupled with college internships and scholarships through the National Science Foundation. The Information Technology Partnership Act creates an additional grant program through the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Urban Systemic Initiative (USI) Program. The USI Program focuses primarily on math and science by using mentor teachers to help educators introduce an innovative and engaging math and science curriculum to K-12 students in the inner city. This ``IT Partnership'' grant is aimed at improving scientific and mathematical literacy of all students in urban communities while fostering a student's career in the information technology field. This partnership consists of Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and local businesses investing in the educational development of the youth in their district. The specialized curriculum and scholarships would assist students in filling future information technology jobs. Specifically, the ``IT Partnership'' grant focuses on math and science curricula for students in grades 10-12, and offers internships and scholarship opportunities for students majoring in fields related to information technology. Under the NSF's USI Program, eligibility for the ``IT Partnership'' grant is limited to the cities with the largest number of school-age children (ages 5 to 17) living in economic poverty, as determined by the 1990 census. The following cities are eligible for this grant: Atlanta, Baltimore, Bayamon, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, El Paso, Fresno, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York City, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Ponce, San Antonio, San Diego, San Juan, and St. Louis. This grant awards five LEAs $300,000 to develop math and science, and technology curricula for grades 10-12, and to train teachers in technology. In order for LEAs to win this grant, they must enter into a partnership with businesses in their community. These businesses would commit to provide to LEAs, at a minimum, internships, scholarships, mentoring programs, and computer products. Local businesses would promise a LEA scholarship money which would be awarded to high school seniors who will be majoring in fields associated with information technology (math, computer science, engineering) at 2-year or 4-year colleges. The partnership between the LEAs and local business sponsors would determine the amount and number of scholarships given. It is important to note that the LEAs will have direct responsibility for overseeing the program. NSF's role is limited to determining which five (5) cities meet the criteria for eligibility. The NSF Director will award the ``IT Partnership'' grants to the 5 cities with the best package of business sponsorship and curricula development. In addition, priority will be given to LEAs which grant scholarships to students who are first generation college students, have a strong desire to pursue a career in the information technology field, show scholastic achievement, and submit teacher recommendations. In addition to the NSF's USI's reporting guidelines, a longitudinal study will be submitted to Congress after four years from the awarding of the grant.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Women's History Month and would like to call special attention to the current status of child care in our country. Today more parents work outside the home than ever before. More than 75 percent of mothers with children ages 6 through 17 are in the work force. More than 60 percent of mothers with children under the age of 6 are employed in addition. Changes in the welfare system set such strict work requirements, which means that parents must find jobs or leave public assistance. Child care costs can be prohibitive. Consequently it was a reason why many mothers did not work. Currently full-day child care can cost between $4,000 and $10,000 per year. The expense of child care becomes even a greater issue of concern once we consider the fact that nearly half of the parents with young children earn $35,000 a year or less. Even families with two working parents working full-time at minimum wage, the parents earn only about $21,000 annually, and that is gross income. The importance of quality child care cannot be ignored. Research shows that good child care programs can affect children's long-term success in school and their learning potential as adults. In addition, brain development research shows that an adverse environment in the first 3 years of life can compromise a child's brain function and overall development. With all of this information, it is troubling that according to recent studies, the quality of child care is rated mediocre to poor. In many cases, parents are able to use relatives. But such care is not always available or preferable. Often there are no relatives living close by, or nearby relatives are working or are unable to meet the demands of a caregiver for a young child. In recent times, businesses have made efforts to help their employees find and pay for child care, but such help is still scarce. Businesses account for only 1 percent of the total child care expenditures. In January, President Clinton announced a historic initiative to improve child care for America's working families. The initiative proposes $21.7 billion over 5 years for child care to help working families pay for child care, build a good supply of after-school programs, improve safety and quality of care and promote early learning. This initiative is an important start to our providing new resources and building on existing State efforts to address child care trends. Now it is up to my colleagues here in Congress to strengthen this proposal and enact a child care package that ensures quality, affordable child care for every family who needs it. Last month the First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, visited a child care center in my district. During her tour of the center, Mrs. Clinton was able to learn more about the relationship-centered child care model. This nationally acclaimed model of care employs the unique concept of small, family groups of children who are with the same teacher over time so that they grow with better reading, math, language and interpersonal skills. I believe that relationship-centered child care has the potential to be the benchmark for child care in America. It is my hope that the model program will expand to include more of America's children and families.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. That is right.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Yes. It is clear that, if every person chose every doctor that they wanted or not wanted to move from any physician, it probably would interfere, clearly it would interfere with the concept of a health maintenance organization. However, there ought to be choices within that network. Personnel does not always click with personalities. Often, physicians as skilled as they are, might have particular areas with which they show concern, and they are very interested in a particular area and might not be as interested in another area. I think that patients ought to have a right to choose within that network what physician they see, because that patient/physician relationship has a lot to do with the progress of that patient. This is a new experience anyway for these patients, and just having that opportunity could make it a much more acceptable experience for them. We recognize that the cost of health care soared. We understand that these interventions are for the purpose of controlling some of that cost. But when we have to give up all of the quality, it is not worth it. We have to maintain a level of quality that our patients can do well with. In order for them to do well, they absolutely have to have some choices. Not everyone can go to the hospital with the same diagnosis and get out in 3 days. It might take some 5.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. That is correct. If someone gets ill in traffic on their way home from work, and they happen to stop by an HMO, I had a constituent that this happened to just recently, 15 minutes before it is to close, and be told to come back the next day because they are getting ready to leave. The person has to go to the emergency room, and he ends up being hospitalized. Then that is a situation that can only be governed by a change of attitude where the attitude is toward the care of that patient rather than watching the clock for an employee making a decision at the door before a physician is even seen. This is when the system is out of control. When the price tag goes up, the cost emotionally and physically to the patient is greater because the employees say it is 15 minutes before it is time for us to get off, and we simply cannot take care of it today. I do not want to be here overtime.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. That is correct. Clearly, that is why we have specialists, because certain physicians specialize in areas that are needed. We need the specialists. If patients do not have access to those specialists, then we are not offering them the greatest opportunity for recovery or for getting the best information that they can have, the best approaches for taking care of themselves. Clearly, a majority of the long-term care can be self-administered. But they must have the information, they must have access to the right and the best information in order to do well and to prosper healthwise after making the intervention with the health care provider. We cannot get away from having some type of individualized care. We cannot wholesale all health care. Human beings are different. They react to medications differently. They do better under various different circumstances. That has to be taken into consideration. When we get to the point where absolutely no individualized opportunities are there for patients, then we have gotten away from the real meaning of having health care and really even having specialists. We have come to a point where we must allow a physician to practice medicine. Physicians are trained. They are educated. They must be allowed to practice medicine. Insurance companies simply cannot practice medicine for that physician. They must be given the leeway of practice so that they can look at that patient and determine what is best for that patient. We have gotten a little bit away from much of that. I have had numerous visits from hospital staff, from physicians themselves asking for that right to have the opportunity to simply practice their art. That is what they are educated for. They have the expertise. No insurance company can make that determination for individual patients. Sure we can have broad categories, but physicians must retain their right to practice.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. And for mastectomies.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. That is why it is so important that we consider legislation now, because it gets to be rather unmanageable to have to bring every particular ailment before this Congress to legislate for that particular ailment. We need a systemic type of approach. Unless we have an overall general approach as we get the outcry from our constituents around the country, we will be piecemealing it. Every year, we will put something else to be covered by an insurance company or how it is to be covered. That also is not a wise way to do the reforms for our health care system. We need a more organized, a more intellectualized way of approaching these problems. But if we fail to do that, we will have to continue to look at mastectomies one year, childbirth the next year, prostate surgery the next year, and something else the next year. That is not the appropriate way to address problems.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Let me just quickly say that I am from Texas. It is not known to be a liberal State. As a matter of fact, we are kind of known to be a rather stubborn State. But one of the Republican leaders in the State Senate introduced and passed a bill to allow for HMOs to be sued. We have had a real fiasco in our State in how they have been able to function and the kind of quality that has virtually disappeared in health care. This was not brought forth by a liberal spending person. It was brought to the legislature by a very conservative Republican, because we have had probably one of the most unpleasant experiences in our State in dealing with our HMOs. We have had a number of, just a burgeoning number of complaints with them virtually having no way to do anything about it. I know this is not just my State. I believe this is happening around the country. I think that we have the responsibility to address these issues for the American people. During the district work period week of February 20, President Clinton issued an executive order directing all federal health plans, which serve over 85 million Americans, to come into compliance with his quality commission's consumer bill of rights. At the same time, many constituents asked me when Congress would follow the President's example and pass legislation that assures that the initiatives in his executive order for the patients' bill of rights becomes standard for all Americans. Four weeks later, I still have to inform my constituents that the majority has not scheduled a vote on such an important matter. As a member of the democratic health care task force, I look forward to the challenge of ensuring that more than 160 million Americans in managed care plans get the quality care they deserve, with more choices, protections and freedoms. Some special interests wish to label reform efforts as more big government. Giving more choices and quality care to more consumers in not big government, it is a ``patients bill of rights'' that has people and their well-being in mind. One example of the problems Americans experience with managed care is illustrated by a Kaiser Family/Harvard University poll which found that three-fifths of Americans feel managed care has resulted in doctors spending less time with patients. Americans are clear on the need for managed care reform. Congress should be clear on their commitment to enact it. The American people leave no doubt about their displeasure with health plans because of cost considerations and withholding important information from patients because of ``gag orders.'' As a lawmaker, registered nurse and businesswoman, I know the benefits of not only protecting patients, but also giving them choices. Protecting patients and giving them choices are good policy, good health care and good business. This year, I will work to ensure that Congress answers the calls from Americans who are dissatisfied with their health care plans. It is important that Members of Congress from both parties work to provide Americans with a basic ``patients bill of rights.'' I ask that the leadership in Congress answer the President's call, but more importantly, the American people's call to pass a ``patients bill of rights this year.'' If we do not act now, we are faced with the reality that millions of Americans in private health plans may never be assured that they will also have the protections that their counterparts in federal plans enjoy. I yield the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership. I hope that we can depend on our Republican leadership to be responsive to the voices of the American people. It is not just Democrats that we are hearing from. My district has as many Republican voices speaking out and asking for some type of redress as do Democrats. It is an issue that all Americans have concern about, especially those working Americans who cannot actually pay for the cost of health insurance in an independent plan. We know we have to have these larger, supposedly affordable plans. But these plans do not work with gag orders. These plans are not working with all of the restrictions. Patients need a little bit more freedom of choice, and they need to feel confident that there is a little that they can expect coming to them after paying into these plans. I do not believe it is asking too much. I think the profits for the insurance companies would still be good, because in the long run it would reduce cost; it would reduce cost because you reduce anxiety, you reduce skepticism and you restore some confidence that when care is needed, care will be there. Once we restore some of that confidence, remove the gag orders so they will know the full truth, then I believe that we will certainly continue to control that cost. Otherwise, we have a system that is considered to be broken. And just because we ignore those voices does not mean they are going away. They will continue to speak out. I think we have a duty and a responsibility to be responsive to those voices. I thank the gentleman for his leadership.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Oh, indeed. Most obstetricians will tell us that depression and anxiety after childbirth, especially for the first child, is very common. If that mother is forced to leave the hospital while they are still in a real state of uncertainty and not confident whether they know exactly what to do, they are more likely to exaggerate and exacerbate those symptoms than to have their anxieties alleviated. Clearly, just 24 hours, which we saw the need to correct in the last Congress, is not enough to ensure that that anxiety will not cause unnecessary bleeding and lots of other symptoms that might occur. When we insist upon these very hard decisions, notwithstanding what that individual reaction might be, then the system has gotten away from the human part of it. That is a major part of healing. That is a major part of well-being with anyone who has a physical symptom. It seems to me that, under the current system, without correction, we have just said it does not matter. It really does not matter. As long as we stay within the guidelines of this insurance company, that is all that matters. I do not believe this country is ready for a system that does not care. I think that is why the outcry is now. It is not that people do not respect and do not feel the need for some type of reform. It is just that when that reform becomes so calculating, so antihuman that it becomes then a failed system. That is why we have the outcry now. It does not take a lot of big government to correct it. It really takes a very few simple steps to do it that will not be costly. As a matter of fact, I think the costs will be greater to ignore the demands of our general public. This approach is not partisan. It is really not going to be solved based upon any hard-core decisions. It is going to be solved with us recognizing that patients across this country from all income levels, all walks of life, are rejecting what their experiences are now. I believe we restore the confidence and restore some quality that patients deserve when we can address this through this simple, what we call the patient's Bill of Rights. It is really not asking a lot. It certainly does not bring in a big government arm to direct everyone around, but it does return some reason. It does return some rights to the patient, that they can feel confident that they have just a little bit of say about what happens to them when they are ill. It is not a free system. It as a matter of fact, it costs more for the patients to get less. And that will not change with what we are talking about doing. That clearly will not change. But what can change is to have a little better opportunity for a little bit more quality in that care.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. One of the fallacies of a system that has failed us is distrust, one of the outcomes. Once the patients distrust a system, the cost of it generally goes up, because there are more complaints, more anxieties, more concerns, and not confident that the quality of care will be there.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. There is real concern going on, because as we began to talk about the patient concerns, we began to see ads coming onto television to attempt to actually frighten people. I think that what we are attempting to do now makes a lot of sense. As long as we have health care that is focusing on how much dollars the insurance companies can save and how much they make, and they make a lot of money, then we get away from patient basic needs. Clearly, we want every business, legitimate business to make money, but in health care when it is only focused on how much the insurance companies make, we tend to get away from basic human desires and needs. I believe we have gone too far, and I think that is one of the reasons why bipartisanly concerns now are being expressed here in the Congress. We are seeing situations where patients are being taken away from the doctors they have had for 25 or 30 years, and they do not get an opportunity to get to know who the doctor is on that staff because they do not spend any time with them. The anxiety levels go up, and often the interventions, the contact the patients might have might increase instead of decrease. We see a number of people in my district that are complaining about getting sick after 5 o'clock, or getting to the office of an HMO about a quarter to 5 and they close at 5 and they will not let them in, and if they are really sick they have to go to the emergency room, which costs twice as much as having a simple intervention. When patients have to give up physicians that know them individually and know their records, because no matter what the illness is, individual bodies react differently, and when they have had the same physician for a number of years and all of a sudden they have to give that physician up, it affects that patient negatively. The complaints are so great that I do not know how we can address them without this legislation. When we talk about Patient's Bill of Rights, often nobody knows what we are talking about, but it is really a very simple thing to address the concerns that patients have now. I suppose that one of the major concerns is the fact that they cannot choose their own physician, which often makes it so that they have to travel miles across town to get to where they need to go, and this is especially a problem in a large metropolitan area that I represent a major part of. When we have people that live 25 and 30 miles away from the nearest office of an HMO, and they are elderly and they are depending on public transportation, it makes it very difficult to get there. And if they work, it makes it almost impossible to get preventive care, which is primary care, which is the least expensive care, which is the most important to invest in, because once someone gets the information, learns how to take care of themselves, it reduces the health care bill because they do not have to go as often when they have that information.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. No. I do not think that makes sense.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 38, final passage of H.R. 2369, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in Title III of the Higher Education Act, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will be adversely affected if HR 2495, the Higher Education for the 21st Century Act is passed. I requested, therefore, that my name be removed as a co-sponsor of this bill. If this legislation were to pass with a new definition of Hispanic- Serving Institutions (HSIs) incorporated, every college with a 25% Hispanic enrollment would receive funding; thus, 160 colleges would be made eligible. Alternatively, if HBCUs were defined as every college with an African American enrollment of 25%, 356 colleges would be deemed HBCUs versus the current number of 104. Obviously, there is insufficient funding available to HSIs but their funding should not be appropriated at the risk of taking funds from HBCUs which currently receive a relatively small amount of funds. I have received numerous calls and correspondence from the presidents and alumni of HBCUs who have expressed their concern about this issue. If we are going to give funds to institutions based on a set percentage of an ethnicity as stated in HR 2495, then I will support giving dollars to all of the 364 colleges that would become HBCUs and the 160 HSIs that would be eligible to receive resources under this bill. Because I have made a commitment to balance the budget and no monies can be appropriated to additional institutions, I am unable to support HR 2495. Accordingly, I have requested that my name be removed as a cosponsor of HR 2495, the Higher Education for the 21st Century Act.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join the employees of Texas Instruments, Inc. in honoring and congratulating James R. Adams on his upcoming retirement on April 16, 1998 following the company's annual meeting of stockholders. Mr. Adams is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors, and while he will remain a director of the company and serve on various boards, his direction and leadership in the capacity of chairman will be missed. He is deserving of this retirement, which will actually be his second. Originally, Mr. Adams came out of retirement in June 1996 to serve as TI Chairman following the untimely death of Jerry R. Junkins, who had been TI's chairman, president and CEO since 1985. Under Mr. Adams' leadership and vision, TI was formed into a more successful company for the future, specializing in digital signal processing solutions, the fastest-growing segment of the semiconductor industry. During Mr. Adams' tenure, TI's digital signal processor and mixed-signal/analog revenues almost doubled over the past two years, improving TI's financial performance and increasing shareholder profits. However, as Chairman, Mr. Adams was just as focused in having TI serve its surrounding community as he was focused in have the company increase its financial earnings. I know Jim Adams as someone who made sure that his company had a civic duty and responsibility of contributing and volunteerism in the community. He knew that a company should invest in students and schools in addition to investing in stocks and semiconductors. While ensuring this his company knew the benefits and good business of assisting education, he commits his personal time in doing the same, as a member of the Baylor University Hankamer School of Business Advisory Board, the University of Texas Engineering School Advisory Council and the Texas A&M Capital Campaign Steering Committee. As his successor, Mr. Thomas Engibous acknowledged; ``His experience, counsel and outreach to the community have contributed significantly to the new realization of the new TI.'' Because of that outreach, he made TI, not only a corporate giant, but one with a giant care and concern for the community. Before his association with TI, Mr. Adams had an extensive career in the telecommunications industry. He joined Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in 1965, the same year he earned his MBA in statistics and business finance from the University of Texas at Austin. He began his career as a computer supervisor in San Antonio, and, after holding many influential positions throughout the country with Southwestern Bell and AT&T, he became president of Southwestern Bell in 1988. Mr. Speaker, in addition to those active professional tasks, Jim finds the time to participate in many activities in business, government, civic affairs and education, most notably serving on the board of the Dallas Citizens Council, the Telecom Corridor Technology Business Council and the Dallas Symphony Association. I wish Jim the best of luck as, once again, he embarks on a new phase of his life in the form of retirement. I hope that this time, he gives himself an official retirement after a lifetime of achievement for Texas Instruments and the greater Dallas community.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to briefly express my congratulations, encouragement and best wishes to Dr. Nancy Dickey of College Station, Texas, who in June, will take office as the first female president of the American Medical Association. The AMA is this country's most active, notable and influential group of physicians, a group that lends its expertise and experience to America's state and federal legislators, as well as our doctors and the families that they care for. I have always said that when shaping public policy dealing with medicine and health care reform, well-intentioned Members of Congress must hear the vital voices of our medical practitioners. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Nancy Dickey has a long history with Congress of lending her expertise and experience to us as we have considered and deliberated on the important health care issues of the day. In addition to giving over 200 speeches addressing women's issues and encouraging more young women to pursue a career in medicine, she has testified at Congressional hearings at least 10 times. She has traveled to the nation's capital to speak on the many various issues of health insurance and medical ethics, while maintaining a busy practice as a family physician and program director for the Brazos Valley Family Practice Program at Texas A&M University. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Dickey has displayed conviction and concern for the practicing of medicine, expending tremendous energy on every endeavor she undertakes. That is why I believe it is truly fitting that she will soon be sworn in as president of the AMA, since she will be able to use that energy to lead an organization of more than 700,000 of our country's most gifted and influential doctors. Dr. Dickey hails from Watertown, South Dakota and is a resident of College Station, but her vision and passion encompass the entire country and reflects her commitment to represent all of America's doctors and address the problems and challenges that both doctors and patients face. Mr. Speaker, in her youth, she faced the problems and challenges of a time when women were not encouraged to pursue the goal of entering medical school. She was once told by a high school counselor that she could not be both a doctor and a mother. I experienced the same subtle discouragement which actually steered me toward a nursing degree and not into medical school. However, Dr. Dickey chose to ignore the discouragement and focused even more on her goal and task at hand; entering medical school and successfully pursue a career in medicine. Those times for both of us have changed for the better, but she continues today to inspire other young women to enter the field. Mr. Speaker, as a Registered Nurse who encourages young women to pursue a career in medicine, I am appreciative of Dr. Dickey's efforts in heightening the self-esteem of young women and encouraging them to pursue careers as doctors or any other profession. Mr. Speaker, I believe her future as president, as well as the AMA's future, will be bright and successful. As she assumes leadership of the AMA, I am convinced that her tenacity, energy, expertise and sincere concern for her profession will benefit that organization, America's doctors and their patients. I congratulate her in advance as she prepares to take office in June, and I wish her the best of luck.