Eddie Johnson

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in a tribute to a woman who has made a career out of championing women's issues. At age 76, Ms. Louise Raggio, who still practices law full-time at her firm, Raggio & Raggio in Dallas, is known as the Lone Star State's First Lady of women's legal rights. In the 1950s, attorney Raggio fought to allow women to serve on juries. In the 1960s she led a group of legal experts in crafting the Texas Marital Property Act of 1967 that gave married women equal rights to control property and conduct business. With the success of that law, Mrs. Raggio helped pave the way for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and other national women's rights legislation. A decade later, she helped write the Texas Family Code of 1979, the world's first fully codified set of family laws. Mrs. Raggio has also achieved many firsts in her 40-year career, including being the first woman prosecutor for Dallas County, first women director of the State Bar of Texas, first woman trustee and chair of the Texas Bar Foundation and first recipient of the Dallas Bar Association's Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award. In 1995, she received the American Bar Association's Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, placing her among other outstanding recipients Attorney General Janet Reno, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and former U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan. For all of these reasons and more, I submit this tribute here today, for a great Texas lady.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in a tribute to a great citizen of Texas, Mr. Herbert Allen, Sr., who has been selected as one of the track officials for the Summer Olympics Games in Atlanta, this coming summer. Mr. Allen is very deserving of this opportunity and responsibility. He has officiated the Texas State High School Track and Field Championships and the Texas Relays at the University of Texas at Austin for the past 6 years and served as referee of the State High School Track and Field Championships. He also officiated the Olympic Trials in 1992, the NCAA Track and Field Championships in 1992 and 1993, the Mobil Track and Field Championships from 1989 through 1995, the Youth National Track and Field Championships from 1992 through 1995, and the Junior Olympics Track and Field Championships last year. Mr. Allen also coached at Klein High School, taking the Bearkats to the State final-four baseball tournament in Austin in 1983. He was the first African-American baseball coach to take a team to the Class 5A Final Four and was named the Houston Post High School Baseball Coach of the Year in 1983. Later that same year, Mr. Allen coached the North All-Stars to a 5-3 victory in the Astrodome in the Texas High School All-Star Baseball Game. In 1986, Mr. Allen was honored with induction into the Texas High School Coaches Hall of Honor. Mr. Allen's job this summer will be on the field officiating the long jump and triple jump events, during the Olympic Games, July 22 through August 4. He will also work the Olympic Trials in June. Congratulations to a great Texan, Herbert Allen, Sr.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, in the United States the history of women in public service is both significant and meaningful. Unfortunately, our history does not always adequately recognize these women's contributions. Historically, women have received limited space in the history books, and few have questioned their absence. However, today we are all faced with the challenge to eliminate the negative stereotypes, myths, lies, and distortions about women's role in the progress of time. In celebration of Women's History Month, I would like to recognize DeMetris Sampson as the Woman of the Year from the 30th Congressional District of Texas. Ms. Sampson's activities are multifaceted. For the past 1\1/2\ years, she has chaired the task force on liquor related businesses near schools. As chairwoman, she has successfully formulated and lobbied for State law changes as well as local ordinance and administrative changes to address the proliferation of alcohol establishments located near Dallas schools. In addition, Ms. Sampson has served for the past 9 years on the domestic violence task force for the city of Dallas. She has been instrumental in formulating changes in the law for the city's legislative package which is designed to protect battered spouses from repeat offenders. The task force has also worked to focus the attention of the municipal, family, and criminal judiciary on domestic violence issues and reforms. In 1991, Ms. Sampson was appointed to the East Texas State University board of regents by Gov. Ann Richards. Currently, she serves as the vice chairperson of the board. In recognition of her work in the city of Dallas, Ms. Sampson was recently named the recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Justice Award. She is a successful practicing attorney and prominent community activist, and it is an honor to recognize DeMetris Sampson as the Woman of the Year. Through her tireless work and dedication Ms. Sampson is truly one of this Nation's greatest public servants.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, since 1976, February has been celebrated as Black History Month, but the origins of this event date back to 1926, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson set aside a special period of time in February to recognize the heritage, achievements, and contributions of African-Americans. I want to extend greetings to all of you who are celebrating Black History Month during this important time of renewal and reflection for our country. History has its own power and black women more than ever before need its truths to challenge hateful assumptions, negative stereotypes, myths, lies, and distortions about our own role in the progress of time. Black women need to know the contradictions and ironies that our unique status presents to a country founded on the proposition that all men are created equal and endowed with the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and opportunity to pursue happiness. Brave Texas women have used violence, stealth, the legal system, and political strategies to protect themselves and their loved ones. While the private lives of most black women occur within their family settings, those stories remain closed to the public eye. This evening I would like to highlight not only the trials and tribulations but the bold and creative initiatives black women of Texas have made and contributed to this society. Women have traditionally tended their families, friends, and neighbors, but around 1900 nursing became professionalized. Mrs. Mary Keys Gibson was among the first southern blacks to receive a nursing certificate from an accredited school, the Chautauqua School of Nursing in Jamestown, NY, in 1907. Nursing was not taken seriously as a profession in Texas until 1909, when the Texas Graduate Nurses Association persuaded the legislature to pass licensing standards and procedures. By 1912, approximately 65 hospitals existed in the United States, including 6 in Texas. The Wright Cuney Memorial Nurse Training School was located in Dallas. Mrs. C.H. Graves opened her home to the sick in Temple in 1916. Later, as a nurse, she founded the Memorial Colored Hospital, which operated until the 1950's. Miss Annie Mae Mathis of Austin was possibly the first African- American on the staff of the Texas State Board of Health. Hired in 1922, she was the first black maternity and infancy nurse in the bureau of child hygiene. Over the next few years, she addressed thousands of white women at Methodist conferences, published an article on ``Negro Public Health Nursing in Texas,'' and surveyed 500 homes in Houston County in 1934. She recruited black school teachers and midwives to try to improve conditions. In other communities, she organized adult health classes, clinics, and instruction for midwives. Federal legislation, beginning with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, has helped to raise the glass ceiling for black women. In Texas, they took advantage of each opportunity presented--to get out of the domestic labor ghetto and into white-collar and professional jobs, to use their educational opportunities to enter politics, and to make the process work for their objectives. Like our predecessors, black women of the nineties continue to pursue not only our continued advancement, but the objectives involving the next generation and the preservation and extension of their history and culture. In addition, a goal of this generation of black women is solidarity with other disadvantaged groups. While racism is far from ended and the economic battle for racial and gender parity is not yet won, many black women are respected leaders who improve the quality of Texas and help shape the future of the State. Judging by black Texas women's lengthy and admirable history of trials and triumphs, the transformation of the world is underway. The strong women are coming, it is indeed our time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and encourage a fellow Member and friend, the right Honorable Kweisi Mfume, on this the occasion of his acceptance of the challenge and opportunity of leading a great national organization, the NAACP. I will not restate all of the accomplishments of Kweisi Mfume as a man or a U.S. Representative. Others have done that quite eloquently. I just want to add that I believe that in his life and work, Mr. Mfume has set an example to which any of today's young people can proudly aspire. Each step he takes marks yet another significant achievement. During his tenure in the House of Representatives, Congressman Mfume has consistently advocated landmark minority business and civil rights legislation. He has succeeded in focusing Congressional attention on a broad range of minority business development concerns in the United States. His work as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus has been exemplary. And, we all look to his leadership in his role as chair of the CBC Task Force to Preserve Affirmative Action. Those of us who have had the privilege of working closely with him over the years have come to admire his genteel grace and leadership. I know he will bring renewed stature to the NAACP. God speed Kweisi Mfume, God speed.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Kindness Week in the city of Dallas, scheduled for the week of February 11, 1996. The mission of this event is to celebrate and promote the value and spirit of kindness, and to help bring all races, religious, and socioeconomic groups within the city of Dallas together to foster understanding among us all. As a part of the celebration of Kindness Week, I ask all the citizens of Dallas to come together in the true spirit of the week, and if possible, to attend a formal ``Kindness Celebration'' at Thanksgiving Square, at 12 p.m. on February 14, 1996. This week-long event presents the city of Dallas an opportunity that seldom occurs: a chance to lead the Nation, and hopefully the world, in making our small planet a better place to live. Attitudes are contagious, and with a unified effort, Dallas can assist the Nation in creating an attitude of kindness that can carry on for years to come. I ask all of my friends in Dallas to participate in Kindness Week in a variety of ways, all of which are easily done but pay big rewards. Such things as visiting a senior center, driving safely and courteously, and speaking with an old friend take very little effort and time, and create a good feeling for each person involved. Compliment rather than criticize; help rather than shout; and smile rather than frown. Each of us has a role to play, and I hope we will all do our part in Kindness Week.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the conference report on S. 652, although I do not do so without reservation. As this legislation was being worked out, many of the concerns I had were dealt with in a positive manner. Agreements have been reached which give my home of Dallas needed language regarding rights-of-way, a matter of concern to me throughout the negotiation process regarding telecommunications reform. Additionally, I have had some concern about the possibility of the regional Bell operating companies using this legislation as a basis to engage in massive downsizing. Although I realize that some change in the operations of these companies is inevitable, I have been most interested in protecting valuable jobs in my district. Because of assurances that I have received concerning the position of Southwestern Bell with respect to these jobs, I am pleased to add my support, and my vote, to pass this historic legislation.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute the accomplishments of the Dallas Cowboys, and to nominate them for the unofficial title of ``Team of the 90's.'' Although faced with considerable adversity during the long season, the Cowboys stayed together as a team and accomplished their goal of capturing a third Super Bowl in four seasons. From Deion Sanders to Daryl Johnston, from Tony Tolbert to Nate Newton, the Cowboys achieved their goal through hard work and dedication to a single purpose. All across Texas, Cowboys fans salute the total team effort put forth on Super Bowl Sunday and throughout the season. Although the headliners like Troy, Emmitt, and Michael deservedly received the majority of the spotlight, special recognition appropriately went to Texas Christian University's own Larry Brown, the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player. A 12th round draft pick, Brown has shown admirable determination to rise to the top of the National Football League. As a graduate of TCU, I was especially pleased with his selection as MVP. From all of your fans, Dallas Cowboys, thank you for a wonderful ride in Super Bowl XXX.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have listened to the debate. I am seldom up on a rule. But all of us can see through this rule. We can say whatever we want to say about the rhetoric. All of us understand each other. All of us, 100 percent of us, want to balance the budget. There is no question about that. The question is balancing the budget in two diverse ways. For the most part, the people on the Democratic side of the aisle do not want to balance the budget by cutting education, cutting all of Medicaid, cutting all of Medicare, and making sure that people do not have access to clean and safe water. We want considerations. All of us know that when we start altering the rules of the House, coming up with different rules to get by, it is to muffle those voices. All of us know that the reason why the Government has been shut down is because the attempt has been to pass these drastic, draconian cuts in the continuing resolution. Let us not play games with each other. It is time for us to give the American people a sensible solution, and we cannot do it by forgetting that they exist. They exist and they need to be given attention. We just cannot steamroll it through and think that we are taking care of the business of the American people. The bulk of the people in this Nation, 80 percent of them, care about the education of their children for the future. We have all said we need better educated, better trained work forces. How are we going to get them with all of the opportunities to cut, and we know that that is what we are doing in a rule that simply passes all of the philosophical types of draconian cuts in a continuing resolution, knowing full well that we are going to blame the Republicans, because that is where we sincerely feel it is going to be. The Republicans are going to blame the Democrats in saying they do not want to balance the budget. All of us want to balance the budget and all of us know that. It is the way in which we want to balance it. I would say it is time for us to stop playing games with the public and with ourselves.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, during that 12 years when we went toward a downward spiral, the whole philosophy was trickle-down. We are trying to reinvent that. It does not work. It did not work then; it will not work now. We cannot victimize and enslave all of the people of this Nation just to say we are balancing the budget to give this tax break to the wealthy. It will not work.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we might have had 26 years, but the budget was unbalanced during the Reagan-Bush years on the backs of the same people we are victimizing now.

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

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in remembrance of a wonderful woman, a former Member of Congress and a great Texan, Ms. Barbara Jordan. Ms. Jordan passed away on Wednesday, January 17, 1996, and all of Texas will miss her dearly. She was born into poverty during the Depression in Houston's fifth ward, the most segregated neighborhood in Texas. As a young politician, she earned and demanded respect among experienced politicians at the top of power in Texas which sealed their great respect for her. She served well in the House of Representatives and subsequently as a teacher at the University of Texas. Most recently, she gave much of her time as the Chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Immigration. I will always remember her efforts to unite her community, the State of Texas and the Nation as a whole. Barbara Jordan may have been best known for her participation in the Watergate hearings, but she will always be remembered by Texans as a leader and a teacher. She was a strong proponent of teaching English and American history in order to bring all of us together as Americans. She will be remembered by many of us for different reasons. Many will remember her as a colleague, and many as a teacher. One Saturday in June 1972, Barbara Jordan was ``Governor For A Day'' in the State of Texas. I am still amazed at the record number of people of all races that converged on the State capitol that day. Also I will remember her close work with Oscar Mauzy, Ms. Jordan's fellow fifth ward of Texas resident. Barbara Jordan followed her conscience and did what she thought was right. When she spoke everyone listened, and when people spoke to her, she listened to them. She will be missed by all of us. Texas and the Nation has lost a friend. But her wisdom, I hope, will continue to be heard and felt in the halls of Congress and around the Nation.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to my colleague, the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer].

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in remembrance of one of the great women of Dallas who reflected the true meaning of giving. Her name is Louise Wolff Kahn and she was given with unswerving dedication in support of the arts, education and historic preservation in Dallas. In Dallas, we enjoy a rich heritage of philanthropy. We live in a giving community, and if Louise Wolff Kahn believed in a program, institution, or building project, she would devote herself to making it successful. She dedicated herself to many important endeavors such as the Dallas Symphony, breathing life into the organization during some of its darkest financial days. Much of her work has gone without any publicity, but publicity is not what she wanted; she to create a wonderful learning environment for children of low income families. It is evidenced by her devotion to the East Dallas Community School and the Dallas Public Library systems. With her passing, Dallas has lost one of its greatest philanthropists.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in remembrance of one of the great ladies of Texas, Mrs. Oveta Culp Hobby. Oveta Culp Hobby witnessed and shaped major events in modern U.S. history. Her accomplishments as a public servant and businesswoman have always been the reasons that I have looked up to her, but often these accomplishments have been overlooked. This Texan's achievements have spanned the decades, but are known to a relative few. Most people remember Oveta Culp Hobby as the head of a powerful newspaper family and the wife of a Governor and the mother of a Lieutenant Governor. Mrs. Hobby, however, was important in her own right. In an era where being a ``first'' was an unfair and unfortunate litmus test by which a woman's ability to succeed would be measured, she rose to the occasion by doing what she thought she should do--make her mark on the world. Despite her contributions and her considerable financial assets, Oveta Culp Hobby was reluctant to dub herself powerful. She made her mark on the world by doing what she thought was right. She will be remembered by those of us who have looked to her as a mentor and a role model.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in remembrance of a great man and a friend to everyone in Dallas, Mr. Erik Jonsson. Mr. Jonsson passed away on August 31, 1995, and I will miss him dearly. Mr. Jonsson was a product of the American dream. He was the son of immigrant parents who found within himself the attributes necessary to make all of his dreams come true--and he did. He worked his way to the top of one of America's biggest corporations as president and cofounder of Texas Instruments, Inc. He was mayor of Dallas from 1964 to 1971 and was the driving force behind establishing the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, he served as the first chairman of its board. He was admired by his colleagues and friends for always thinking of the big picture and never taking his eyes off the prize--working to make Dallas the great city that it is.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have listened with interest. I, too, am tired with the rhetoric. No matter which way you put it, there are real people out there being affected. I am from a regional city with many, many, many Federal employees. I, too, have gotten messages: Stick with the President. I am from a city and a district that has one of the most well-known medical schools, one of the most well-known dental schools. A medical school that has four Nobel Prize winners there now in my district. None of them are for these cuts. All of them understand that when we put the bottom line to it, there are a few more dollars being added. So no, there is not a cut as such; but what we have forgotten to be honest with the people about, there are a million more people going into the system to share these dollars. When you put that many more people into a system, those dollars will not spread broadly enough. When these dollars do not spread, the individuals see it as a cut because the services are simply not there. We can call it whatever we want to call it, but when the services are not there, the choices are not there, and people are having to pay more out of their pockets. When offsprings of these senior citizens are having to pick up the tab, when spouses are having to give up their job security and their homes to pay bills, they see it as a cut. We can count the dollars, whatever we want to do, it is a cut for the people. They feel it. They know it when they feel it. Mr. Speaker, we are doing this just the opposite than what America has promised. We are punishing the poor and the most vulnerable to help the rich. That is not the way it has been intended. You can say that we are giving a tax break to persons making $75,000 a year, but when you are taking away from those who are making $25,000 or less, that is punishment of the most vulnerable population. When we take away Head Start, when we take away education funds, we are doing just the opposite of what our society needs to cope with tomorrow. Any way you look at it, that is hurting all of us, because we hurt our future. Every nation that is doing better economically has a history of investing in their human resources. That is their people. We are refusing to do that. We are in the shape of a Third World nation, but it is OK if you are rich. It is the poor, the disabled, the elderly, that are being affected, and our children, which is this Nation's future. Anyone who thinks the rich children are safe while we let poor children wander around in the wilderness of poverty, hunger, and the lack of education is in a different world than reality. Every child's future is at stake, not just the wealthy. We can get up here and talk all we want to talk about saving the future for our children, taking away the price tag. Let me assure you, when we remove food, when we remove shelter, when we subject the poorest children to water that is not safe, food that is not safe, and continue to dump in the neighborhoods where air is not safe, do not think we are not going to pick up the tab. We are going to pick it up through hospital bills, we will pick it up through prisons, but we have the responsibility and we will pick it up somehow. We simply cannot forget the poor in our Nation just to keep making the wealthy wealthier. It does not work. It does not work, no matter what gender, no matter what color, no matter what the origin of birth. It does not work for any of us. It is time for all of us to come to the table, forget the rhetoric, forget we are going to do just a revolution for the sake of revolution. We have to think about human beings. These are human beings we are affecting. These are living, breathing people. I say to you, it is time, it is time for us for give attention to the most vulnerable.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice some concerns with H.R. 2684, the Senior Citizens' Right to Work Act. Although I will support the bill on final passage, I am concerned about the effect that some of the more obscure provisions in the legislation may have on the rights of senior citizens. Included in this bill are provisions which remove the Social Security Administration from the process of payment of attorneys' fees. Currently, the Social Security Administration [SSA] approves the fees that an attorney may charge to represent a person in administrative proceedings, usually related to a denial of disability benefits. When the applicant is successful, SSA withholds the lesser of $4,000 or 25 percent of the benefits to pay the attorney. H.R. 2684 would change the law such that SSA would no longer be involved in the process and attorneys could negotiate fees up to a $4,000 limit. This portion of H.R. 2684, while seeming sublime on the surface, may result in attorneys choosing to stop representing disabled individuals in their administrative proceedings. Since the fee would no longer be withheld, attorneys are fearful that they may not be paid for the service they provide, and thus may choose to avoid this type of representation. While I will support the legislation, I regret that the leadership has chosen to bring this legislation to the floor in such a fashion so as to preclude amendments, and I hope to work with the Senate and the White House concerning the availability of competent representation for Social Security claimants.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. When I look out for corporate opportunities, for research and development, rarely are those large businesses owned by people that look like me. But I believe strongly that, when we have a strong business community and lots of research to look out for the future, that it is good for all of us. But all of us then must have some opportunity in it. We will fight the wars. We will help to do things. But when we are treated as invisibles or unwanteds, then it does not encourage my children or my grandchildren to go to college, to go to training, to be well equipped, because they see parents are having a struggle after they have done it. They do not know whether there will be an opportunity. There is no understanding in my community why the district that I represent is being attacked. Because, you see, it is less than 50 percent African-American, and we have districts in Texas that are 88 and 90 percent Anglo, but they are constitutional. I do not understand that. Are they unconstitutional because it happens to be a few more that the incumbents allowed me to put in a district, because our efforts in Texas were to preserve the incumbents?

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, what is color-blind? Does that mean we are invisible?

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Yes, the representation from my area and for me meant seeing my elected official once every couple of years at some of the churches or buying a ticket or a table to a church or the NAACP banquet. That was my representation.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. I can guarantee you, they showed up every other year and at the churches.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Let me express my appreciation for the sponorship of this hour. I will not dwell on the history of Texas because we all know it. But I want to dwell on the present. We have encouraged our children and our grandchildren that this democracy is worth dying for. We have said that this is our country, and we are going to fight for this country, that this is the greatest country in the world. But they do not understand that, when you follow the rules, get education and training, that the opportunities are different for you.