Sam Johnson

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this is going to be my last time up here. You all are great, and it is a pleasure to talk to you. Someone once told me that being at the House of Representatives was a different kind of hell. So, when I was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives 27 years ago, I said that I had survived hell on Earth at the infamous Hanoi Hilton and the Texas House of Representatives, and that I guess I had gone from hell to hell to hell. While there have been some hellish long nights here--and days--what I will remember is how thankful I am to have had the opportunity to serve America and defend freedom from the Halls of Congress. I thank all of the constituents of my Third District of Texas, thank all of my colleagues and friends in this room, and thank my country. Serving in the Congress has been one of the highest honors of my life. We live in the greatest country in the world, and don't forget it. If I leave any legacy behind, I hope that it is one of service above self. God bless you. God bless America. I salute you and this great Nation.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on Armed Services be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 6886) to amend title 10, United States Code, to modify the requirement for certain former members of the Armed Forces to enroll in Medicare Part B to be eligible for TRICARE for Life, and to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of certain DNA specimen provenance assay tests under the Medicare program, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for recognizing me, and I appreciate those comments. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, French Hill, for arranging this Special Order to honor John. Mr. Speaker, John was more than just a colleague in Congress. We were friends, and that friendship was forged in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Not everyone knows that he and I shared a cell there together for a time. I can testify to the fact that John did everything he could to defend freedom and honor our great Nation, not just in that hell on Earth, but beyond those bleak years. This is most evident in his service in the United States House and Senate. John, we will remember your strength of spirit, your commitment to our servicemembers and our democracy, and your love of country. I would now like to tap a special message for John and his family, who remain in my prayers. This tap code was used by the POWs to resist our captors. That is a G. That is a B. And that is a U. And that is what we all used to use, ``God bless you.'' God bless you, partner. I salute you.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Reichert, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Cole, and Mr. Kilmer for introducing this commonsense bill. As chairman of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, I held a hearing last year on Social Security coverage for some State and local governments. During the hearing, we discussed how State and local governments were initially excluded from Social Security. But over time, the law was changed to provide State and local governments the choice to extend Social Security coverage to their employees. However, Tribal councils don't have this same option. The IRS and Social Security have a rule that Tribal council members are not eligible for Social Security coverage. That isn't right. Tribal councils should be able to participate in Social Security if they want to. The bill on the floor today fixes this by giving Tribal councils the choice. I also want to be clear that this bill does not mandate Social Security coverage. Tribes will still have the ability to make their own decision. This bill treats Tribal council members fairly when it comes to Social Security benefits and is the result of a request from several Tribal councils. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill. It is a bipartisan bill.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friends, Representative Bishop, and Ranking Member Larson, for their work on this commonsense bill. I have heard firsthand how hard it can be for victims of identity theft to work with the Social Security Administration. Recently, a man told me about his experience of someone trying to claim his benefit. First, he got a letter from Social Security telling him to call them about his claim. He hadn't made a claim, so he called Social Security at the number they gave him, and he never heard back. Later, when he tried to file a claim of his own, he ended up having to make four separate calls. Then, Social Security told him they couldn't help him over the phone. Because of the fraudulent claim, they said he had to go to a field office. As a result of all this hassling, he decided to just put off filing his claim. If this bill had been in place, he would have had someone in Social Security to help him. Instead, he got the runaround. Having a single point of contact at Social Security for victims of identity theft just makes sense. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that the cities of north Texas are frequently named some of the best places to live in the whole country. Of course, this is no surprise to the folks who live there. There are many reasons that north Texas continues to draw people and businesses to the area. These reasons include good schools and low taxes, but people are also attracted to our business-friendly environment. In fact, just last week, the Plano Chamber of Commerce was nationally recognized as the 2018 Chamber of the Year. Now, that has to be outstanding. I want to congratulate Jamee Jolly, the president of the Plano Chamber, as well as the entire Plano Chamber of Commerce team, for all your hard work to make our business community such a thriving success. God bless you, and I salute you.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 295.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank Chairman Roe for his strong support of our veterans and for the incredible honor he does Senators Akaka, McCain, and myself with the bipartisan bill before us. I am truly humbled by this gesture, and I am sure it also means a lot to my buddy John, his family, and Senator Akaka's family as well. Both of these men served during wartime. Many folks know that John and I were POWs at Hanoi Hilton, and I will always admire his courage in rejecting the North Vietnamese offer to go home early. They, of course, did this in an effort to break the spirit of other POWs. No one but another POW knows the strength and heartbreak it takes to deny yourself the hope of home when your future and life are uncertain. I say this as a fellow POW who spent nearly 7 years in that hellhole Earth. Mr. Speaker, I served 29 years in the United States Air Force and fought in both the Korean and Vietnam wars, so I understand the sacrifices our servicemembers make to protect the freedom of every American. It is only right that in return for their faithful service, our veterans get the quality healthcare they need and deserve when they return home. That is why one of my proudest accomplishments is the establishment of a VA community-based outpatient clinic in my hometown of Plano, Texas. This facility was much needed in our community, and I am proud to report it is expanding services for our veterans all the time. But as important as a VA facility is, they are not always convenient for our veterans to visit. To address the fact that some veterans live far from VA facilities or face longer wait times to see doctors, Congress created the Choice Program. Today's bill makes the Choice Program even better by bringing it fully into the VA health system. That means all veterans actively enrolled in the VA can go to a doctor in their community. You know that is the right thing to do in the spirit, and I think this bill is something we should all support. Politics aside, may we all be mindful that our veterans have answered the call to duty. They put their lives on the line on our behalf, and their families serve alongside them as well. At the very at least, they deserve to be treated with respect and appreciation for their service and their sacrifice. To all our veterans: God bless you and God bless America. I salute you.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, medical debt can be financially crippling, and folks who have been fortunate enough to receive debt forgiveness should not face surprise taxes from the IRS on that debt. Unfortunately, the current Tax Code is not clear on this issue. Therefore, it is possible for a taxpayer to have their medical debt canceled, but then be required to pay taxes on that forgiven debt as if it were income. That is plain wrong. To ensure medical debt forgiveness is not a taxable event, last week, I introduced the Medical Debt Tax Relief Act. I thank Congressman John Larson for joining me in this effort, and I urge our colleagues to join us both in support of this commonsense legislation.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Curbelo for yielding and for introducing this commonsense and much-needed bill. Mr. Speaker, synthetic identity fraud is a real problem with real costs to the victims. One million children have their identity stolen each year, and they deserve to be protected. This legislation will also help stop criminals from stealing $1 billion a year by ensuring that we can verify a person is who he or she claims to be when applying for a credit card. Synthetic identity fraud is a growing problem. Social Security must quickly take steps to get this important fraud-fighting tool up and running. As chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee, I intend to make sure Social Security doesn't hold this up in any way. While Social Security will provide this service, the users pay the full cost so Social Security's budget won't be impacted. Social Security has an important job: to make sure those who are eligible get the benefits they deserve. I am committed to doing everything I can to protect all Americans from identity theft. H.R. 5192, the Protecting Children from Identity Theft Act, is the best way to stop synthetic identity fraud, and I urge you all to support it. The American people deserve nothing less.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank my fellow Texans, Mr. Marchant and Mr. Doggett, for introducing this commonsense bill. Children who have had their Social Security cards stolen from the mail before it even gets to them deserve a new Social Security number. This helps these youngest victims of identity theft start out with a clean slate. It is the right thing to do, and I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation. As the chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee, I have been committed to doing all I can to protect Americans from identity theft. This bill helps us get there. But, Madam Speaker, while this bill will help child victims of identity theft, the fact is that it still doesn't fix the real problem. The real problem is that we use Social Security numbers to both identify and authenticate people. It just doesn't make sense, but we have been doing this for decades, and I think it is time to put a stop to it. When Social Security created Social Security numbers back in 1936, they were designed for a limited purpose: to track earnings and administer Social Security benefits for hardworking Americans. Back then, there wasn't much thought about keeping your number secret. But as we all know, that has changed since these numbers are used for everything from getting credit to enrolling kids in school. Madam Speaker, H.R. 1512, the Social Security Child Protection Act, is a step in the right direction, and I urge all Members to support it. I also want to take this opportunity to begin a serious conversation about the future of Social Security numbers and how we use them. I invite Members to join me. The American people deserve no less.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Richardson Police Officer David Sherrard. Last month, Sherrard and other officers responded to a domestic disturbance, where Sherrard was shot and later succumbed to his wound. Mr. Speaker, David Sherrard served with the Richardson Police Department for 13 years. He was known for his generosity and bravery, but above all, he was known for his faith in God, which he shared with others. Sherrard was the first Richardson police officer to die in the line of duty. His death is a great loss. His wife and daughters remain in my thoughts and prayers. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the service and sacrifice of David Sherrard, a true hometown hero.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

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

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise and say: God bless you both. Thank you for what you said. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 129. This resolution I introduced calls for an intensified effort to account for the tens of thousands of American servicemembers who are still missing in action. Many folks don't realize there are still more than 82,000 American servicemembers who remain unaccounted for. In fact, I, myself, was classified as missing in action for almost 2 years after my shoot-down over north Vietnam in 1966. That is why it is so meaningful to have this resolution on the House floor during the 45th anniversary of Operation Homecoming, which brought me and my fellow Vietnam POWs back to our beloved country after many long years in hell on Earth. During my time as an MIA, my family was unsure where I was or whether I was even alive or dead. But my devoted wife, Shirley, and countless other families with the National League of POW/MIA Families continuously advocated for the return of all our POWs and MIAs from the Vietnam war. It is because of their tireless work, and by the grace of God, that my fellow POWs and I were reunited with our families 45 years ago this week. I am joined today by my two daughters, Gini and Beverly, who, along with my late wife, were a key part of the effort to bring us home. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the strength and devotion of my two lovely daughters, Gini and Beverly, who are seated in the gallery. But, Mr. Speaker, we must never forget our troops who still remain missing in action; and we must never forget their families, who anxiously await a final accounting of their loved ones. In many cases, so much time has gone by that it has fallen to the next generation to repatriate their missing family members. They deserve our dedicated help and support. After my return from Vietnam, I vowed to continue to fight for our missing troops and their families. During my time serving in the U.S.- Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs, I traveled the world to places like Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and even to the Russian military archives in Moscow to try to find our missing troops. And I will never stop fighting. For the families of our troops who remain missing in action, this resolution is for you. This resolution calls on the United States Government and the Department of Defense to diligently continue efforts to investigate, recover, and identify all missing U.S. personnel around the world. It also calls on foreign governments that have information on our missing personnel to cooperate fully with our government. We must remain united in our efforts to recover all of our missing troops and to never forget their sacrifice. I would also urge my colleagues to remember that, while I was in the Hanoi Hilton, the north Vietnamese told my fellow POWs and me that our country had forgotten us. As the days turned into years, we had to fight that fear. The feeling of being alone and forgotten is horrible. And the families of POWs and MIAs feel a similar pain. That is why I will continue to make every effort to repatriate my missing brothers and sisters in arms and hold true to the promise: ``No Man Left Behind.'' But I also call on all current and future Members of Congress to carry the mantle. We cannot, and must not, forget the faithful servicemen and -women who deserve to be brought home to the country they gave their all to protect. It is my sincere hope that we will one day bring home all of America's missing patriots. These heroes deserve to return to American soil with all of our honor and respect. And their families deserve the closure of their loved ones that they have awaited for for so long. Mr. Speaker, I ask for the support of all of my colleagues and that they join me in supporting this important resolution.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. You know, without agreement from both sides, you can't get anything done; and without Mr. Larson, I think we would have been in deep, serious trouble in Social Security, but he and I think alike. We are for the people, and everything we do is trying to improve the system over what it is today, and I thank him for his help. Mr. Speaker, I again urge all Members of the House to vote ``yes'' and pass the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act today so that the Senate can take action soon and that the President can sign it into law without delay. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Curbelo).

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today I rise as chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security in support of the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018. My good friend from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) and I introduced this legislation to make much-needed reforms to the Social Security representative payee programs. Congress first authorized Social Security to designate representative payees all the way back in 1939. The program was last updated in 2004. For those unfamiliar, the Social Security representative payee program designates a payee to help manage the benefits of those who need assistance managing their benefits. We are talking about quite a few. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that there are about 8 million beneficiaries with payees. In my home State of Texas, we are talking about more than 625,000 people with payees. To put a face on this program, we are talking about folks like the aging relative or the elderly neighbor next door, people you may know but didn't realize had a representative payee. With 10,000 Americans retiring every day, this vitally important program is only going to grow in demand. But here is the problem: multiple reports have raised serious concerns about how Social Security administers this program. In light of these reports, we held two hearings on the representative payee program last year. The first hearing looked at how Social Security decides who needs a payee. The second hearing looked at how Social Security selects and oversees payees. During the hearing, Social Security told us the greatest challenge that they face is monitoring representative payee behavior. We also learned from Social Security's inspector general that Social Security needs to do a better job of screening payees so that only qualified people are serving as payees. And we heard from State courts that they are concerned about the lack of information sharing between Social Security and States. We can and must do better for the millions of folks who need some help managing their Social Security benefits. This is why I have been working with Ranking Member Larson on the bill and we are voting on it today. This bipartisan bill does the following: it strengthens monitoring of payees; it reduces the burden of unnecessary forms for families; it increases beneficiary protections; and it improves payee selection and quality. This commonsense legislation is supported by over 45 organizations, including AARP, the National Council of Social Security Management Associations, the National Disability Rights Network, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, and many others. Mr. Speaker, I include the National Council of Social Security Management Associations and the National Disability Rights Network letters in the Record. National Council of Social Security Management Associations, Inc., Arlington, VA, December 6, 2017. Hon. Sam Johnson, Chairman, Hon. John B. Larson, Ranking Member, House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Social Security, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Johnson and Ranking Member Larson: On behalf of the National Council of Social Security Management Associations (NCSSMA) and our members throughout the nation, I would like to thank you for your introduction of H.R. 4547, the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2017. We very much appreciate your leadership on this important legislation and the hard work and dedication of the Subcommittee staff in engaging NCSSMA and other stakeholders to ensure such a commonsense measure that will not only benefit and protect the American public, but also ease the administrative burden on the hardworking employees of the Social Security Administration (SSA). We firmly believe this legislation will better protect those individuals who most need our assistance while relieving the administrative burden both for families and SSA, ensuring that resources are focused on programs, policies and workloads that make sense. We sincerely appreciate the ongoing discussions we have had with the Subcommittee regarding the Representative Payee program and are encouraged that H.R. 4547 addresses so many of the issues and concerns we have raised. We enthusiastically support this legislation and look forward to working with you to advance it through the legislative process. Thank you for your willingness to work with NCSSMA and the opportunity for our organization to provide feedback not only related to the Representative Payee program, but also on so many other important issues related to SSA and the programs we administer. Thank you again for your leadership. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if we can provide additional assistance. Sincerely, Christopher Detzler, NCSSMA President.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members of the House to vote ``yes'' on this and pass the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018 today. As I have said before, this is too important not to get right. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this very Nation was founded upon the belief that all men are entitled to the most precious right to life. It is a right that I fought to defend in the United States Air Force, and it is a right I continue to defend in this United States Congress. That is why, this week, I will proudly vote in support of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. It is my hope folks across the country are brought together with the uplifting message that life is a blessing.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly urge President Trump to nominate a Social Security Commissioner without further delay. The Social Security Administration has been without a Senate- confirmed Commissioner for over 1,700 days. That is almost 5 years. This is totally unacceptable. The American people need a Commissioner, and they need one now. Without a Commissioner, Social Security is just spinning its wheels. Important decisions are being put off and service has deteriorated. I ask the President to act now to nominate a Commissioner so that Social Security can provide the service Americans want, need, and deserve.

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I'd first like to thank Chairman Brady for his strong support of my bill, the veterans Equal Treatment Ensures Relief and Access Now (VETERAN) Act. This important legislation, which passed the Ways and Means Committee with bipartisan support, seeks to ensure all eligible veterans have access to quality, affordable private health insurance. Mr. Speaker, I spent 29 years in the U.S. Air Force, so I understand the sacrifices our veterans have made to protect the freedom and individual liberties of each American. In return for their faithful service, these brave men and women are promised that when they return home, they will have access to affordable healthcare through the VA. However, some some veterans decide to forgo VA coverage and instead choose to enroll in other health coverage--as is their right. But regardless of their eligibility for VA health coverage, veterans should have the opportunity to choose the best health care option to meet their needs. It is only fair that our veterans are given the same opportunities as the citizens they defend. With respect to the American Health Care Act, some folks have raised concerns about the eligibility of certain veterans to receive tax credits for health insurance. Specifically in question are veterans who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, VA Health Coverage. Make no mistake about it, we must ensure that these veterans have the same access to the tax credits provided by The American Health Care Act as any other American would. That's where my bill, The Veteran Act, comes into play. My bill would simply put into law a guarantee that veterans can indeed get these tax credits to purchase health insurance in the individual market. Without The Veteran Act, the eligibility of America's veterans for AHCA tax credits would be left in the hands of IRS bureaucrats. That would be a mistake. This is too important of an issue to leave in the hands of the IRS. Bottom-line: this is a belt-and-suspenders approach to ensure veterans have access to these tax credits. It's important to note that the American Health Care Act initially proposed to provide tax credits to veterans, but this language had to be removed due to reconciliation rules. While I was disappointed that this section was removed, I am glad we are doing the right thing today. I would note that this legislation has received the support of several veterans' organizations, including: (1) The Paralyzed Veterans of America; (2) The Association of the United States Navy; and (3) The Retired Enlisted Association. As I stated earlier, our veterans should have choice in where they receive their healthcare, just like the American citizens they defend. I think that's something we can all agree upon. And in that spirit, I think this bill is something we can all get behind. I ask my colleagues for their support of The Veteran Act. To our veterans and their families, I thank you for your service. God bless you, and God bless America. I salute you.