Eddie Johnson

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me thank these two distinguished gentlemen on the floor, Mr. Davis of Illinois and Mr. Duncan of Tennessee, for helping us with this today. I rise today to honor the life and accomplishments of Lady Bird Johnson. I would like to thank my colleagues Mr. Hall, Mr. Barton and Mr. Ortiz for their sponsorship, and the entire Texas delegation for joining me in sponsoring and honoring Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson was known as a woman of class and integrity. She was strong in spirit and always represented herself with dignity and grace. For decades Lady Bird Johnson served with honor and dedication as the wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, throughout his service as a staffer to Representative Kleberg, as he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, as a U.S. Senator, as Vice President, and as President of the United States. She served as President Johnson's personal adviser throughout his career and was known for expanding the position of the First Lady by taking a visible role in President Johnson's administration. Lady Bird Johnson dedicated much of her life to the preservation of our environment. Perhaps she could be considered the first environmentalist in this era. This passion led her to create the Capital Beautification Project to improve physical conditions in Washington, DC, both for residents and tourists. Her efforts inspired similar programs throughout the country. She also played a major role in the passage of the 1965 Highway Beautification Act. This was the first legislative campaign begun by a First Lady. The trees and flowers we see along our American highways today are a testament to her work and her dedication. After leaving Washington, President and Mrs. Johnson moved back to Austin, Texas, where Mrs. Johnson continued to work for environmental causes. And that is, perhaps, the most environmentally sensitive city in Texas right now. Today we can all admire her legacy through the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. Mrs. Johnson died on July 11, 2007, at the age of 94 at her home in Austin, and was survived by her two daughters, seven grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the Johnson family. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to honor Lady Bird Johnson's incredible life and legacy.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I pay tribute today to Deion Sanders, former Dallas Cowboys football player. His many years of community service and dedication in making a difference in the lives of people are truly deserving of our appreciation and praise. Deion Sanders, a former cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys and one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, decided to graciously open up his home and heart to nine disadvantaged children in order to teach them responsibility and life skills. Mr. Sanders is truly devoted to enhancing the lives of young people and he has decided to have 14 children, including his own 5 kids, live at his home for the summer. There are five adolescent boys and four girls. Most of the children come from families with no father in the home. Mr. Sanders is giving these children a fulfilling and productive summer. The children eat, pray, do chores and go on field trips together. He believes that the true key to helping children is by teaching them responsibility. Along with opening up his home this summer, Deion Sanders is creating a biblically based mentoring program called Primetime Army. This program will give parents and their sons access to Sanders and his team of professionals on a 24-7 basis for a monthly fee. Mr. Sanders wants to encourage children to dream big because anything can be possible. All children deserve a chance at success and Deion Sanders is helping to give them that chance. I know that Deion will continue to play an important role in our community for decades to come, and that America will continue to benefit from his dedication, service and hard work. Madam Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in saluting Deion Sanders and in applauding this remarkable citizen for all he has done in north Texas, to those of us whose lives he has touched.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Second Chance Act, and I thank Mr. Davis for introducing this important piece of legislation. In American we have more than 2-million people in prison. Of these, over 600-thousand are released each year. Very few of these individuals are prepared to return to their communities or receive support services to ease their transition. These ex-offenders face serious impediments in obtaining employment, and often have serious mental or physical ailments that remain unaddressed. Today, approximately half of all black men are jobless. Amongst ex- offenders this number is even higher. There is revolving door of ex-offenders into many of our neighborhoods. With few opportunities two-thirds of all ex-offenders are arrested for new crimes within a few years of their release. We must give these individuals the opportunity to become productive citizens. The Second Chance Act will go a long way towards this goal by providing transitional assistance to ex-offenders reentering their communities. It will work to reunite families and provide the appropriate training and rehabilitation for these individuals. This bill will increase public safety and give millions of ex- offenders a chance to be positive productive citizens. I strongly urge my colleagues support.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Let me say to the gentleman who objected, I truly understand his objection on the reading program. However, statistics have shown that if these young people are under the influence of drugs, that's where they fall. And if we could prevent this drug usage, it probably will let some of the ability come through. I know that it's difficult, but this is a very serious problem, and these cuts will hurt very severely in areas, primarily in school districts where we've had even young people having the ability to sell drugs to another young person. Obviously, it's coming from somewhere else. But in Dallas, we have not found a single child that has experimented with this ``cheese'' that has survived. And we do have parents involved. We'll have to discontinue this program if we don't have these funds. And I would just plead with you to help find these funds somewhere, if you have a severe objection to it coming from this area. But I felt that if the area's funding was not being handled correctly, it could be placed in a program that's going very well, that has influenced the decrease of 23 percent drug usage among our youth in the last 5 years. And I have grave concern about allowing this to go on without the assistance that's needed. As I said earlier, I have worked with the FBI. They're working with merchants to try to get some of the Tylenol PM and the other off the market in these areas. It is a serious undertaking in the area. And all of our law enforcement people are involved. But our schools cannot continue this without the funding. And that's the reason why I plead for understanding for this funding.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. I move the adoption of this amendment, Madam Chairman.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Chairman, I rise today with an amendment to restore funding for the State grants portion of the Safe Drug and Preschool and Communities program to the fiscal year 2007 level. These grants are an essential part of drug prevention and funds essential in effective services, including peer resistance and social skills training, parent education, student assistance, and education about emerging drug needs. This program serves 97 percent of our Nation's schools, and it is the only program that provides funding for universal prevention of all of our Nation's school-aged youth. The success of this program has been documented by numerous States and local agencies. It is extremely effective and has contributed to a 23 percent decline in drug use among youth over the past 5 years. It is important to keep drug prevention as a priority. Historically, when funding for drug prevention is cut, drug use amongst youth surges. This program also provides coordinated school and community-based efforts to target emerging drug trends among community members. As a result, this program has made significant contributions to reducing methamphetamine and black tar heroin use among school-aged youth in many States throughout the country. Over the past 2 years, in Dallas, Texas, we have had 23 teens die from overdoses of a black tar heroin mixture that is called cheese with Tylenol PM, and we work with DEA and local merchants and all around trying to get some handle on it. But through the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program, local antidrug coalitions have partnered with schools throughout to hold prevention conferences in order to combat this growing epidemic. They have targeted both students and parents to raise awareness surrounding this issue and have also held town hall meetings for teenagers. I have held one myself. Without the infrastructure provided by this program, the antidrug coalitions would have little if any access to these students and parents, and the heroin problem would have undoubtedly increased. This issue of emerging drug trends is not isolated. And while drug use among school-age children has declined, emerging drug trends continue to rise. We've recently seen new drugs aimed at our children, such as the candy-flavored meth and cocaine in many States, including Texas, California, Arkansas, Nevada, and Alabama. Without strong and effective prevention programs, these growing epidemics will have a devastating impact on the educational performance of students nationwide. As you're aware, drug prevention is critical to ensuring the overall academic success of our youth. Studies have found that lower reading and math scores are linked to peer substance abuse. Our Nation cannot afford to see alcohol and drug use or violence rise above their current levels. I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment to restore the funding for the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Program to the 2007 level. $46.5 million was reduced, and, Madam Chairman, I do have an offset. The offset for the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Program will come from the Reading First program. The Reading First program has been mired by allegations of financial conflicts of interest and cronyism and is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice. The Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Education have found numerous legal and ethical violations in how Reading First has steered funds toward favored programs. There has been also conflicts of interest in hiring and the promotion of commercial reading materials. This mismanagement has already resulted in the program being cut by more than 60 percent of fiscal year 2008. Just a few examples of this mismanagement include the Office of Inspector General found that the program administrator had improperly promoted commercial reading programs potentially in violation of Federal law. The Office of Inspector General analyzed hundreds of e- mails and concluded that the Department's program officials failed to maintain a controlled environment that exemplified management integrity and accountability. They found that the Madison School District in Wisconsin had substantial data.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, members of the Congressional Black Caucus wish to call greater attention upon the disparities that exist in health care. Chilren of color suffer disproportionately from a lack of health insurance. In my State of Texas, the problem is severe. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children in the Nation, with over 21 percent of children--that's 1.4 million--lacking health care coverage. Across the nation, more than 9 million American children lacked health care coverage in 2005. The State Children's Health Insurance Program, called SCHIP, is critically important to prevent low- and moderate-income minority children from slipping through the cracks of our health care system. One problem is that eligible children are not enrolling in SCHIP. Nearly three-quarters of uninsured children were eligible for health coverage through SCHIP or Medicaid in 2004. A disproportionate number of those eligible, but uninsured, were either Black or Hispanic. Without insurance, children living in poverty are likely to have poorer health compared to children with insurance. Uninsured kids are more likely to lack a regular source of health care, delay or have unmet health care needs, use less preventive care, and receive poorer quality care than children with insurance. I urge my colleagues to remember our uninsured--especially the children--and have compassion on our Nation's most vulnerable.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 799) to reauthorize and improve the program authorized by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, as amended.

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

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) for closing remarks.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to our chairman of the committee, Mr. Oberstar of Minnesota.

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. 799, as amended, the Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2007, and thank Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica for their hard work and leadership in helping to bring this bill to the floor. The Appalachian Regional Commission, the ARC, strives to ensure the people and businesses of the Appalachian region have the knowledge, skills, abilities, and access to services necessary to compete in basic economic activities of the United States. Since its inception in 1965, the commission has been highly effective in meeting the goals of its mission. There is no doubt that it has compiled an impressive record of accomplishment in creating economic opportunity in Appalachia. Just as it has done since its inception, the ARC has proven it provides a fair return, both socially and economically, for the Federal Government's investment in the people of Appalachia. Consistent with the congressional leadership and interest in energy programs, H.R. 799 authorizes the ARC to provide technical assistance, make grants, enter into contracts, or otherwise provide amounts in the Appalachian region for energy- efficient projects or projects to increase the use of renewable energy resources. This bill also authorizes the creation of at-risk counties, and further outlines the percentage of funds for which these counties are eligible. The authorized amounts build on the funds authorized in Public Law 107-149 and adjust the annual amounts for inflation. The bill authorizes appropriation for the commission's programs and expenses through the fiscal year 2011. H.R. 799, as amended, has strong bipartisan support, which acknowledges the ARC as a well-run and highly effective Federal/State partnership commission. I urge the passage of H.R. 799, as amended. 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 include extraneous materials on H.R. 799.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 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 include extraneous material on H. Res. 375.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 375) honoring United Parcel Service and its 100 years of commitment and leadership in the United States, as amended.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I simply wanted to add that UPS also is very environmentally sensitive and uses natural gas in metropolitan areas. I would move that we support this resolution.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 375, honoring United Parcel Service and its 100 years of commitment and leadership in the United States. This resolution, as introduced by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland), honors the 100th anniversary of the United Parcel Service and recognizes its role in our global transportation system. Since its founding in 1907 by James E. ``Jim'' Casey and Claude Ryan in Seattle, Washington, with $100 borrowed from a friend, United Parcel Service has grown from a two-person foot and bike messenger service into a worldwide transportation and logistics corporation. Today UPS is the world's largest package delivery company, employing over 427,000 workers, utilizing approximately 92,000 vehicles and operating the world's eighth largest airline. UPS plays an integral role in the movement of goods in the constantly changing global economy, moving over 15 million packages through its network each business day. It is an important spoke in the global transportation wheel, connecting the flow of goods and information in the United States to more than 200 countries. In 1929, UPS became the first package delivery company to provide air service. In 1975, it became the first package delivery company to serve every address in the continental USA. UPS's contributions to our Nation go beyond simply transporting goods or providing logistics to our businesses. It has maintained its role as a leader in good business practices, with a commitment to social responsibility and diversity. It has also made a significant dedication to environmental stewardship through the UPS ``Green Fleet,'' which recently passed the 100 million mark. The company also plays an important philanthropic role in the United States and has made sizable contributions to numerous charitable organizations around the world. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting House Resolution 375. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 781) to redesignate Lock and Dam No. 5 of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System near Redfield, Arkansas, authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act approved July 24, 1946, as the ``Colonel Charles D. Maynard Lock and Dam''.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to Mr. Ross of Arkansas.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 781, offered by my colleague, Mr. Ross of Arkansas, to redesignate lock and dam No. 5 of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System as the Colonel Charles D. Maynard Lock and Dam. The bill has the support of the entire Arkansas delegation. Colonel Maynard made an undeniable contribution to the State of Arkansas through his professional duties and social services. Educated at West Point, he was the district engineer of the Little Rock Engineer District for 3 years, where he oversaw the planning, design and construction of the 13 locks and dams on the McClellan-Kerr. At the time, this was the largest civil works project ever undertaken in the State of Arkansas. To this day, the locks and dams provide inland waterway transportation for commerce and well-paying jobs for many of the residents of Arkansas. Billions of dollars in goods move through the State's ports each year. Colonel Maynard was an integral connection between the project and Congress: he provided congressional testimony in support of McClellan- Kerr, and he consistently met the deadlines our body designated for the project. Because of his work promoting waterborne transportation in Arkansas, Colonel Maynard was appointed by three separate Governors to serve on the Arkansas Waterways Commission. He served on the commission for 21 years. His civil roles included a variety of leadership positions for charity groups to better our society and for groups such as the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce to help promote business in his community. Although Colonel Maynard passed away October 22, 2005, he remains a symbol of how best to engineer our civil works projects for the benefit of all. His memory could also be used to call attention to the vital role inland waterways have for our economy, and remind us of the improvements and necessary maintenance projects needed for our commerce on these rivers to thrive. I urge my colleagues to join with me in supporting H.R. 781. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to Mr. Skelton, the outstanding Congressman from Missouri. I rise to support H.R. 2956. If we could stop this war today, it would please my constituents. And if we could do it without more violence, I would be picketing to do it. All of us know, that have any common sense, that we cannot bring the troops home today, but we can develop a good strategy to make sure that they get the message in Iraq that we are coming home. We still have 150,336 troops over there. Are we going to stay until they all get killed? We talk about how many have lost lives. I was a nurse in the Veterans' Administration for 15 years, and I saw the damaged lives of these veterans coming home from war. What are we doing for ourselves and the future? This is not a partisan issue, this is an issue that saves America. Mr. Speaker, the most recent report from the Department of Defense, states there are 150,336 brave American troops in the middle of a violent civil war in Iraq. Meanwhile, the President has repeatedly made it clear that nothing will discourage him from pursuing a war that has no end in sight. Congress cannot and should not keep waiting for the President to change course. We must change the course ourselves, 2008 must be a year of transition in Iraq. Iraq has to grow out of the shadow of the United States. Iraq needs to take responsibility for its own decisions, learn from its own mistakes, and find its own solutions to its own problems. Recently, the Iraq Study Group suggested that the time has since passed when one country alone could work alongside the Iraqi leadership to steer Iraq's future. Rather, as the report says, ``the United States should immediately launch a New Diplomatic Offensive to build an international consensus for stability in Iraq and the region.'' This recommendation is perhaps the last- best hope for war weary Iraqis and Americans alike. Mr. Speaker, our brave men and women are serving with great honor in Iraq. Their service has paved the way for a democratic society. It is time for the Iraqi government to stand up, so our troops can begin to stand-down. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.