Eddie Johnson

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 6627, the Smithsonian Facilities Authorization Act of 2008. This bill has bipartisan support, including support from Congresswoman Matsui, Congressman Becerra, and Congressman Johnson, who are Smithsonian regents. Majority Leader Hoyer and Ranking Member Mica are also in support of authorizing construction funding of these two renowned and vital Smithsonian facilities. The Mathias Research Center located in Edgewater, Maryland, is a global leader in the study of ecosystems in coastal zones. It was established in the 1930s on a dairy farm in Edgewater, Maryland. Nearly one-half of SERC's 146 employees and fellows conduct the majority of their work in trailers. A major part of SERC's mission is research and professional training of the next generation of environmental scientists. The Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution requested authority to design and construct laboratory space to accommodate the Mathias Laboratory at SERC. The Board requested authority to upgrade and replace the facility to eliminate unsafe trailers and address substandard, inefficient labs. The facility and its support spaces need to be replaced. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, located in Mathias Research Center, Panama, is the principal United States organization devoted to research in tropical biology which will advance scientific study and improve human welfare. Ecological catastrophes such as drought, starvation, and flooding caused by deforestation and overpopulation of tropical regions are studied for causes and remedies. This facility is a world-renowned research and education center dedicated to research and analysis of tropical ecosystems. The Board of Regents requested authority to replace current science building structure that is heavily infested with termites. I support these projects and the Board of Regents' request for construction authorization. I urge passage. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous material on H.R. 6627.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I just urge support and yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of S.J. Res. 35, which amends Public Law 108-331. This public law provided for the construction and location and related activities in support of the VERITAS project in Arizona. Madam Speaker, this Senate resolution amends this law by identifying another location for the VERITAS project. S.J. Res. 35 authorizes the Smithsonian to relocate the telescope to Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory Base Camp on Mount Hopkins, Arizona, from the original site at Kitt Peak, Arizona. This is a simple but necessary change, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous materials to S.J. Res. 35.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 35) to amend Public Law 108-331 to provide for the construction and related activities in support of the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) project in Arizona.

Mrs. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Mrs. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in full support of the Great Lakes Legacy Act and express my appreciation to Mr. Oberstar, Dr. Ehlers, and to Mr. Boozman, who provided leadership on this bill.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel).

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I recognize Mr. Stupak from Michigan for 2 minutes.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 6460 reauthorizes appropriations, at increased levels, for sediment remediation purposes in the Great Lakes' areas of concern. The presence of these contaminated sediments, a toxic legacy of the industrialized past for the Great Lakes basin, have plagued its waters for decades. These sediments have contributed to over 90 percent of the near-shore waters of the lakes being unsafe for fishing, swimming and wildlife habitat. In 2002, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, under the leadership of our current chairman, Congressman Oberstar, and Congressman Vern Ehlers, took action to begin the healing process for the Great Lakes community. In that year, the Great Lakes Legacy Act was signed into law. The 2002 Legacy Act was enacted to encourage greater cooperation and expedited clean-up of the areas of concern. To accomplish this goal, the Legacy Act targeted Federal resources toward the remediation of contaminated sediment within the 31 areas of concern located within the United States or shared with Canada. In many ways, the Legacy Act has been successful in laying the groundwork for addressing the areas of concern, but progress toward addressing and delisting these areas of concern has been very slow. Of the approximately 70 individual sites within the U.S. areas of concern, only four have been completely addressed. This is simply too slow, and the citizens of the Great Lakes basin demand that we take action to accelerate this process. It is my hope that this legislation will set that in motion. Over the past year, my subcommittee has investigated why progress has slowed and has received several recommendations for targeted changes to the Legacy Act from stakeholders closely related with clean-up projects. H.R. 6460 encapsulates many of these recommendations, and it is intended to address the lessons learned as implementation of the Legacy Act program has matured. First, H.R. 6460 significantly increases the authorization of appropriations for sediment remediation projects in the areas of concern, from $50 million to $150 million annually through 2013. The committee strongly believes that the increase in overall authorization and appropriations for this program will accelerate the pace of clean- up of the areas of concern. With full appropriation of the authorized amounts, it is our hope to complete the clean-up of all U.S. areas of concern within the next decade. Second, in order to facilitate better understanding of the types, nature and volume of toxic sediment at contaminated sites, H.R. 6460 authorizes the administrator to carry out a site assessment of eligible projects at Federal expense. This authority should overcome two difficulties identified in the implementation of the Legacy Act, the lack of sufficient information on the extent of the contamination and the identification of potential non-Federal cost-share partners for subsequent phases of remediation projects. The language in H.R. 6460 attempts to replicate the successful model of the Corps of Engineers reconnaissance studies for Great Lakes sediment remediation projects. Again, this important change should accelerate the process of identifying the scope of contamination projects and quickly move projects from the conceptual stage to planning, design and construction phases. Third, H.R. 6460 authorizes Legacy Act funding to be utilized for the restoration of aquatic habitat, provided that this restoration activity is carried out in conjunction with a sediment clean-up project. Oftentimes, contaminated sediment has caused harm to neighboring aquatic habitat, and it is the presence of both contaminated sediment and the degraded aquatic habitat that results in sites being deemed as impaired. By allowing the simultaneous remediation of sediment, along with corresponding aquatic habitat, the Legacy Act should accelerate the process of delisting sites. Finally, H.R. 6460 includes language requiring the administrator to provide assurance that the Environmental Protection Agency has conducted a reasonable inquiry to identify parties that are potentially liable for sediment contamination before a site can proceed under the Legacy Act. The committee believes that this provision is consistent with the intent of the original Legacy Act, as well as the ``polluter pays'' principle. In addition, this provision should help maximize the leveraging potential of contributions from non-Federal sources through the identification and encouraged participation of responsible parties in remediation activities. While some have expressed concern that this provision will require additional time, it should neither present an opportunity to excessively delay clean-up projects, nor to divert additional sites to other Federal and State clean-up authorities. In addition, EPA is encouraged to coordinate this effort with State authorities and, where appropriate, utilize existing State efforts to identify responsible parties as a basis for its responsibilities under this Act. Again, let me congratulate Congressman Ehlers and Congressman Oberstar for moving this important legislation forward. It is my hope that this legislation will mark another turning point in our joint efforts to remediate the Great Lakes areas of concern, and that by the time this legislation is again ripe for reauthorization, we will be within reach of completing the task of remediating the toxic legacy of the Great Lakes' past. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous materials on H.R. 6460.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6460) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide for the remediation of sediment contamination in areas of concern, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I just want to comment a bit on his closing statement. The Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act underscores real differences between really the Democrats and Republicans when it comes to energy. The comprehensive Democratic plan is America's own 21st century energy policy that the country has been waiting for. It lowers prices for consumers and protects taxpayers, it expands domestic drilling offshore and on land, it expands renewable sources of energy, increases our security by freeing America from the grip of foreign oil, requires big oil to pay what it owes to the taxpayers, ends the subsidies for the big oil companies and creates good-paying jobs here in America. The Republican bill presented was nothing more than the same Bush- Cheney energy policy, written by and for the energy companies. Big oil gets more land, more oil, more taxpayer dollars and all the record profits, while American families suffer because of the big prices. Members of Congress made a clear choice last night. Some Republicans joined with the Democrats in siding with the American taxpayers and consumers struggling with these energy costs. I am puzzled how any Republican can oppose a policy that will create good-paying American jobs and increase the Nation's security, while it lowers the price for gas for our consumers. Madam Speaker, I would urge the passage of the John F. Kennedy Center reauthorization bill.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I reserve my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 3986. The bill will authorize the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for 5 years, from fiscal year 2008 through fiscal year 2012. The House passed this bill on December 7, 2007, and the Senate amended the bill to extend the authorization period from 3 years to 5 years. I support the amendment. The building's 1.5 million square feet on 17 acres have been upgraded, refigured and transformed to more easily and graciously accommodate the center's 2 million annual visitors and patrons. The center is to be commended for giving a commitment not only to the center's programmatic side, but also the more mundane bricks and mortar side that makes up the presidential memorial. The fact is that, first and foremost, this building is a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. I am pleased to support the amended bill, and urge the passage of H.R. 3986 with the Senate amendment. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3986.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 3986) to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for other purposes.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Bush-Cheney energy plan, supported by the Republican majority here in Congress, is 95 percent implemented. Yet the prices have increased by 150 percent. For the last 12 years, up until this term, the Republicans have been in the majority, along with the President. Democrats have been the majority less than 2 years, and we are trying to put together a piece of legislation that brings in every aspect of some type of resolution for the energy shortage. All of us know that drilling alone is not the answer. We can drill all we want to. The population of the world has gotten so large that there is no way it's going to be enough to do what we need to do. We have got to do alternative fuels that's in this bill, even including the possibility of nuclear energy. I will support this bill strongly because it has a multiple number of ways to address this problem.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6532, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore the Highway Trust Fund balance. As an original cosponsor of H.R. 6532 I am delighted our colleagues from the other body finally decided to act on this vital piece of legislation. Moreover, I was delighted to learn that the White House has now reversed its position on vetoing this important bill. Our Nation's highway trust fund serves as the lifeblood for funding our Nation's transportation infrastructure. Regrettably, the fund is facing an imminent shortfall due to decreased revenue into the fund. This shortfall comes at a most inopportune time as many States across the country are struggling to provide funding just for adequate highway maintenance--let alone new construction. I feel it is important that while many observers have attempted to frame discussions of the highway trust fund in terms of a ``bail out'' by the general fund, H.R. 6532 is not a bail out. The measure essentially restores $8 billion that was transferred out of the account in a 1998 budget reduction arrangement. Ensuring the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund is important to my home State, as Texas has one of the most extensive surface transportation networks in the world. Texas has more than 10,000 miles of rail track; more than 300,000 miles of roadway and more than 50,000 bridges--more than any other State in the Nation. Our transportation network is bursting at the seams, and failure to enact this bill will render a significant blow to transportation construction and maintenance jobs across my State. We simply cannot allow this to happen. In the absence of passage of H.R. 6532, the State of Texas stands to lose $859 million in funding and a projected loss of 30,000 good-paying jobs. The State has identified a funding gap of $86 billion between available resources and what is needed to achieve an acceptable level of mobility by 2030. By the year 2030, TXDOT predicts the State's population is expected to increase by 64 percent. My State cannot afford a lapse in receiving its share of federal highway funding made available by SAFETEA-LU. In the absence of bold and decisive action by this body in the next highway bill authorization, stagnant transportation policy and inadequate funding will cripple our country. It is past time for government at all levels to make investment in transportation infrastructure an urgent priority. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this important piece of legislation.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, as we acknowledge the anniversary of 9/11, we ask God to bless America. And when we go home to our congressional districts this weekend, we should all ask our constituents one question: Are you better off today than you were 8 years ago when President Bush came to Washington? An overwhelming majority of Americans believe they are worse off today than back in 2000. And no wonder. Let's consider the record of overseeing our Nation's economy. Over the last 8 years, the median household income has fallen by $1,000; 3.4 million more Americans are unemployed; 5.7 million more Americans are living in poverty; and, foreclosure rates are at a record high, with 2.5 million homes projected to enter foreclosure this year. Madam Speaker, the Republican policies led to this economic condition that Americans face today. And rather than being sympathetic, the Republican Presidential candidate is accusing Americans of being whiners. How can we expect any help if this man is elected to the White House?