Sam Johnson

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my great friend from California (Mr. Pombo), the chairman of the Resources Committee.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H. Res. 302. Mr. Speaker, since September 11, 2001, we have been a changed nation. The horrific events of that day in New York, in our Nation's capital and over the skies of Pennsylvania changed us as a people that day. We became a nation at war, and the defense of our homeland became of top priority. Our uniformed young men and women answered the call, but in addition to these soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and corpsmen, more than 460,000 members of the National Guard and other Reservists have been mobilized for active duty over the last 2 years. Their sacrifice and assistance has been essential in our fight for freedom. Now it is important to remember that it is not only on foreign soil or in defense of our Nation against terrorism that we have all benefited from the sacrifice of these men and women. Just weeks ago, as we all saw when natural disasters devastated our gulf coast region, Reserve personnel and National Guard components were at the forefront of relief and rescue efforts. While each of us benefits from the sacrifice of these men and women called to service, it is sometimes too easy to forget the contribution made by behind-the-scenes heroes, that is, the employers and business owners, many of whom are small businesses who employ these Guardsmen and Reservists. I am sure that each of us has heard in our towns and communities, the businesses who employ Guard and Reserve have gone above and beyond what is required to support our troops and ensure that their jobs are waiting for them when they return. As we honor the service of our men and women, also we should commend the patriotism and effort of all those who provide them their living. I would also take this opportunity to commend the Department of Defense for bringing its Reserve civilian employer information database online this year. This system represents the culmination of a year-long effort to establish a Department of Defense-wide system to capture and understand who employs the 1.2 million members of the seven Reserve components. I would urge the Department of Defense to continue to develop this system and other long-term strategies so that we can maintain the historic level of support between the department and the employers of our Reservists. Mr. Speaker, at the end of this week we will honor our Nation's veterans. As we do so, it is equally fitting to honor our Nation's Armed Forces and Reserves as we do today. I commend those on the homefront who have given so much in their support. I thank my colleague for sponsoring this resolution and ask my colleagues that it be adopted. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 302.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 302) recognizing and commending the continuing dedication and commitment of employers of the members of the National Guard and the other reserve components who have been mobilized during the Global War on Terrorism and in defense of the United States, as amended.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to praise the people of Texas who have gone to great lengths to assist those devastated by Hurricane Katrina. In my Third District alone, there are shining examples of selflessness, sacrifice and service. The City of Allen schools have enrolled over 100 evacuees. Plano has enrolled over 500. And in Wylie, a volunteer in a shelter helped a 15- year-old evacuee separated from his family find them in Houston; and then more volunteers drove him down there. In McKinney, volunteers turned an old Wal-Mart into a shelter for 300 people, and within 48 hours they added showers, decorated play areas, created medical facilities, and even made Internet connections. One sign said it best, ``Howdy. Welcome to Texas, y'all.'' For these people who have volunteered their time, money and talents, God bless you and God bless America. It is people like these who make Texas and America great. I salute all of America.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Wanda Madge Jones, the 2004 Ms. Texas Senior America. The Ms. Senior America pageant is aimed at enriching the lives of senior citizens by raising social awareness through education and community service, while promoting the dignity and value of America's seniors. Ms. Jones has taught dance for over 50 years to over 50,000 students as the owner of the Arabesque Studio of Dance in Dallas, Texas. As a performer, Ms. Jones has been in over 10,000 productions, showcasing her talent by entertaining our troops with the USO during both WWII and the Korean War, including a one time performance for Franklin Roosevelt. Ms. Jones is active in multiple organizations where she strives to celebrate senior women and their accomplishments, while cultivating her own personal growth through community involvement. Mr. Speaker, I hope you and our colleagues will join me in recognizing the many achievements of Ms. Jones, an entrepreneur and true patriot whose hard work and commitment has inspired those around her to achieve great feats in the face of adversity.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report on H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act. One of the provisions in this bill is something I've been working on for years and clarifies the depreciation period for natural gas gathering lines is appropriately 7 years. I appreciate Chairman Thomas's work on this provision for the years he has been the Chairman of the committee. Further, I am glad to see that the conferees on the tax title of the bill were able to reach a balance between incentives for production of oil and gas and other energy production with energy efficiency incentives and conservation incentives. I support this bill and commend the conferees on their hard work.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Wynn).

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany).

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding me this time. As you know, Mr. Speaker, the cost of providing health care for employees has become the number one issue for small businesses around this country. It is especially important to me, because in my home State of Texas, one in four workers are uninsured. Small businesses have it especially tough because there is an inherent problem in a small number of people. You need to be able to pool risk to make insurance work. To make matters worse, there is a lack of competition in the small group health insurance market, allowing a few insurers to charge whatever they want. That is why we need association health plans. These AHPs would allow small businesses to pool together to purchase health insurance. So instead of one individual company shopping for health care insurance, they would bring an entire trade association, for example, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to the table with much better bargaining power. However, pooling risk and buying in bulk is not enough. If your association had members all across the United States, you would have to abide by 50 different sets of mandated benefits in order to offer your insurance. Not only is that a headache, but it is more costly. Some of the mandates that have been enacted by State legislatures include infertility treatment and alternative health solutions such as acupuncture. These mandates drive up the cost of premiums. To resolve this, AHPs would allow small businesses to buy insurance under the same terms that large corporations and unions enjoy today. ERISA, a law that governs employer benefits, lets these sort of self- insured plans use one set of Federal rules, not 50 State rules. Talk about a quick way to lower administrative costs. And lower administrative costs, Mr. Speaker, means lower premiums, up to 30 percent lower by some estimates, and that means affordable health care for employers and their employees alike. So who would not want AHPs to pass? Some critics say AHPs will be an opportunity for fly-by-night groups that front as insurance companies and then leave employers with unpaid claims. The AHP bill in both the House and the Senate has tough safeguards to protect small businesses and their employees. A bona fide trade organization must have been in existence for 3 years before enactment of the law in order to offer an AHP. And there are Federal solvency standards set up for these health plans, including requirements for a reserve fund and stop-loss coverage. This is beyond and above what ERISA requires. Moreover, the Department of Labor would be charged with the oversight of these plans, and the bill gives them the power to pursue criminal penalties against those who commit fraud. The Department of Labor has testified in hearings that they are up to the task and support the legislation. Who else? Groups that have worked so hard to get coverage for their particular treatment mandated by State legislatures do not want AHPs to be exempt from the 50 different State laws. Let me say it plainly: That is the point of the legislation. One uniform set of benefits lowers administrative costs. If it is good enough for large corporations and unions, it ought to be good enough for small businesses. Mr. Speaker, AHPs are a big step in the right direction for our hard- working families who need health insurance now.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price), a member of the committee.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we have heard it over and over again today on the floor. Too many working Americans have a job, but are uninsured because their employers cannot afford to purchase quality health insurance benefits for their workers. This bill addresses the two most important issues in the health care reform debate: cost and access. H.R. 525 would, one, increase small businesses' bargaining power with health care providers; two, give them much-needed freedom from costly State-mandated benefit packages; and, three, lower their overhead costs by as much as 30 percent. Our small businesses are denied the ability to purchase health coverage with the benefits large multistate companies and unions have enjoyed for decades. This bill fixes that problem. By pooling their resources, increasing their bargaining power, AHPs will help small businesses reduce their health insurance costs. As the Members have heard me say before, if it is good enough for Wall Street, it is good enough for Main Street. Small businesses in most States are stuck with disproportionately higher costs because they have to choose from fewer than five providers. So AHPs offer them a new option to choose from. Most importantly, AHPs will expand access to quality health care for the people for whom it is currently out of reach: uninsured working families. This bill has had unwavering support in the House for nearly a decade now. The other body is taking a serious look at the legislation this year, and it is a priority in the President's health care agenda. I look forward to working with our colleagues from the other body to make this bill law this year. The problem is getting worse every day. Small businesses need our help now. Let us vote ``yes'' on H.R. 525.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the chairman of the committee.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment in the nature of a substitute.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as the number of uninsured Americans continues to increase and health insurance costs continue to rise by double digits annually, it is clear that something must be done. I commend our friends across the aisle for coming up with a plan they think works. While I have great respect for the gentleman from New Jersey (Ranking Member Andrews) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind), I have to disagree with them. Their substitute will have the unintended consequence of raising, not lowering, costs for small businesses trying to offer health insurance. It will impose new mandates on employers and saddle the American public with yet another government program to fund. The proponents of the plan claim that the new ``small employer health benefits plan'' is modeled after ours here in the Federal Government. Unfortunately, unlike the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan, health insurance provided under the Democrat substitute would be subject to more than 1,500 State mandates that make up 15 percent of the rising costs of health insurance. That increased cost would likely be funded by higher taxes, adding another burden to small businesses. And on top of that, the substitute would force small businesses to deal with a host of new mandates. Their substitute mandates employers provide health coverage to every employee who has been employed for more than 3 months. It mandates that employers pay 50 percent of the health care premiums for employees. It mandates that they cover the dependents of their workers. More mandates are supposed to lower costs? The Democrat substitute just does not make sense. In contrast, AHPs utilize the strengths of the employer-based system, the private market, competition, economy of scale enjoyed by large union and employer plans, and ERISA's preemption of State mandates, to lower costs. Mr. Speaker, AHPs are supported by our Nation's small businesses. The NFIB, the National Retail Federation; the National Association of Wholesalers and Distributors; the National Restaurant Association; Associated Builders and Contractors; National Association of Homebuilders; the United States Chamber of Commerce, and others are strongly supportive of this legislation. I hope my colleagues will join me in offering assistance to our Nation's small businesses and their workers by supporting AHPs and opposing the Democrat substitute. Mr. Speaker I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, do I have the right to close?

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany).

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, we do not know the cost. It is going to be out of reason, I believe. And while AHP legislation will be implemented quickly, this Democrat substitute might take years to get up and running. In addition, the funds are subject to appropriations. And if an appropriation did not go through or did not provide enough funds, small employers and their workers would be left hanging. Let me make myself clear. I believe our Nation's employer-sponsored health care system is a success story. Employers provide coverage for the vast majority of our Nation's population; 131 million Americans obtain their coverage from private employers. The Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Department of Labor through our oversight of ERISA have jurisdiction over employer- sponsored health care. So I support using the employer-based system to address the problems of the uninsured. However, the way to do that is to build on the success of the current system by utilizing the strengths that enable large employers and unions to offer Cadillac health plans. AHPs are the way to do that. Vote down this amendment. Vote for AHPs. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to support the rule to govern H.R. 525, the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005. As costs continue to escalate annually at unprecedented rates, our employers are being forced to drop health care coverage, or not be able to afford it at all. Our small businesses share a large part of that burden because they are forced to shop for health insurance in the costly small group market. Large employers bring bargaining clout to the table when they work with insurance companies. Small businesses have fewer employees and thus have little or no bargaining power. Not only that, but large employers and unions are exempt from burdensome State mandates. These mandates dictate what health plans must cover and which vary from State to State. Small employers do not have that luxury. We know that more than 60 percent of the over-40 million uninsured Americans either work for a small business or are dependent upon someone who does. The clear course of action here is to help our small businesses afford health coverage by giving them the same opportunity. Association health plans, or AHPs, do just that. Small businesses would be able to group together in bona fide trade associations. AHPs would then be able to use economies of scale to their advantage and provide more affordable health care for working families while avoiding the administrative cost of State mandates. AHPs are expected to save small business owners and their employees as much as 30 percent on their health insurance. This bipartisan bill makes sense. The time to act is now. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this rule.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it has been said that a quitter never wins and a winner never quits. Seven-time winner of the Tour De France, Lance Armstrong, embodies these words. Raised in Plano, Texas, Lance Armstrong has become a household name synonymous with sacrifice, victory, and courage. Most agree Lance's biggest victory was defeating cancer. Lance has spread his message that ``you too can help fight the disease and beat it.'' Many now where his yellow Livestrong bracelets, with countless dollars pouring into cancer research to help find a cure. He truly is a hero of hope. I thank Lance Armstrong for all he has done for the American spirit and the cancer community. His tenacity, courage, and strength are an inspiration. I congratulate him on his seventh Tour De France victory. God bless him. I salute him.