Hank Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following Proclamation. Whereas, the Stewart-Roney family lineage has blessed us with descendants that have helped to shape our nation; and Whereas, the Stewart-Roney Family has produced many well respected citizens, and the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Stewart-Roney family are pillars of strength that have touched the lives of many; and Whereas, in our beloved Fourth Congressional District of Georgia, we are honored to have members of the Stewart-Roney family for they are some of our most honorable citizens in our District; and Whereas, family is one of the most honored and cherished institutions in the world and we take pride in knowing that families such as the Stewart-Roney family have set aside this time to fellowship with each other, honor one another and to pass along history to each other through their family reunion in DeKalb County, Georgia; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize the Stewart-Roney family; now therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., do hereby proclaim July 17, 2015 as Stewart-Roney Family Reunion Day in the 4th Congressional District of Georgia. Proclaimed, this 17th day of July, 2015.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following Proclamation. Whereas, in the Fourth Congressional District of Georgia, there are many individuals who are called to contribute to the needs of our community through leadership and service; and Whereas, Mrs. Karla A. Hutchinson-Skeete has answered that call by giving of herself as an educator at Edward L. Bouie, Sr., Elementary Traditional Theme School, and as a beloved wife, daughter and friend; and Whereas, Mrs. Skeete has been chosen as the 2015 Teacher of the Year, representing Edward L. Bouie, Sr., Elementary Traditional Theme School; and Whereas, this phenomenal woman has shared her time and talents for the betterment of our community and our nation through her tireless works, motivational speeches, performance through dance and words of wisdom; and Whereas, Mrs. Skeete is a virtuous woman, a courageous woman and a fearless leader who has shared her vision and passion to help ensure that our children receive an education that is relevant not only for today, but well into the future, as she truly understands that our children are the future; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Mrs. Karla A. Hutchinson- Skeete for her leadership and service to our District and in recognition of this singular honor as 2015 Teacher of the Year at Edward L. Bouie, Sr., Traditional Theme Elementary School; now therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., do hereby proclaim August 21, 2015 as Mrs. Karla A. Hutchinson-Skeete Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, this 21st day of August, 2015.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following Proclamation. Whereas, during the mid-1800's, the union of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Shepherd in South Carolina began the Shepherd family lineage; since that time, the Shepherd family has blessed us with descendants across the country who have helped to shape and mold our nation; and Whereas, today we honor all of the matriarchs and patriarchs of the Shepherd family, who are pillars of strength in our community. The Shepherd family helped to build and support Poplar Springs Baptist Church in Ellenwood, Georgia over one hundred forty-one years ago and continue to support this great institution today; and Whereas, in our beloved Fourth Congressional District of Georgia, I am honored to have many members of the Shepherd family who are some of our most productive and community involved citizens; and Whereas, family is one of the most honored and cherished institutions in the world, and I take pride in knowing that families such as the Shepherd family have set aside this time to fellowship with each other, honor one another and to pass along history to each other by meeting at this year's family reunion in Georgia's Fourth Congressional District; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize the Shepherd Family; now therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., do hereby proclaim, September 13, 2015 as The Shepherd Family Reunion Day in the 4th Congressional District of Georgia. Proclaimed, this 13th day of September, 2015.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following Proclamation. Whereas, Mr. Wilbert V. Paynes is celebrating forty-two (42) years of serving others in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He currently serves as Director of the United States Army Corps of Engineers Deep Draft Navigation Planning Center of Expertise and as Chief for the Planning and Policy Division for the South Atlantic Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers located in Atlanta, Georgia; and Whereas, Mr. Paynes retires this year as a Director for the United States Corps of Engineers; wherein under his guidance as a Director, he has provided stellar leadership on an international level and has enhanced the lives of many in the Southeastern United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and Whereas, this remarkable and tenacious man is an ambassador of goodwill; he has managed projects, educated colleagues, and directed several major water resource feasibility studies; and Whereas, Mr. Paynes is a man of compassion, a fearless leader, a servant to all and a visionary who has shared his time and talent to promote the best in Civil Engineering on behalf of the United States Corps of Engineers; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Mr. Wilbert V. Paynes as he celebrates forty-two years in service and to salute him as he retires from the United States Corps of Engineers; A true Man of Excellence; now therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., do hereby proclaim October 2, 2015 as Mr. Wilbert V. Paynes Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, this 2nd day of October, 2015.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following Proclamation. Whereas, Mr. Hugh Floyd Williams is celebrating forty (40) years of serving others in the Peace Corps as a volunteer for two years (1974- 1976) and with the State Department for thirty-eight years (1977-2015); and Whereas, Mr. Williams retired this year with the rank of Minister- Counselor from the State Department wherein under his guidance as a Foreign Service Officer, he has provided stellar leadership on an international level, he has enhanced the lives of many in Sierra Leone, Europe, Asia, Hong Kong, Canada, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Belgium, Jamaica and the Americas; and Whereas, this remarkable and tenacious man is an ambassador of goodwill; he has given hope to the hopeless, fed the hungry and is a beacon of light to those in need; and Whereas, Mr. Williams is a man of compassion, a fearless leader and a servant to all, but most of all a visionary who has shared his time and talent to promote diplomacy around the world representing our great nation; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Mr. Hugh Floyd Williams as he celebrates forty years in service and to salute him as he retires from the State Department; A true Man of Excellence; now therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., do hereby proclaim July 23, 2015 as Mr. Hugh Floyd Williams Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, this 23rd day of July, 2015.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following Proclamation. Whereas, twenty-seven years ago a virtuous woman of God accepted her calling to serve in the Internal Revenue Service in Atlanta, Georgia; and Whereas, Ms. Felecia B. Prince began her career with the I.R.S. as a Taxpayer Telephone Operator in 1988 and today retires as a Revenue Officer; and Whereas, this phenomenal woman has shared her time and talents, giving the citizens of our District a friend to help those in need, a fearless leader and a servant to all who wants to insure that the system works for everyone; and Whereas, Ms. Felecia B. Prince is a cornerstone in our community that has enhanced the lives of thousands for the betterment of our District and Nation; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Ms. Felecia B. Prince on her retirement from the Internal Revenue Service and to wish her well in her new endeavors; now therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., do hereby proclaim July 31, 2015 as Ms. Felecia B. Prince Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, this 31st day of July, 2015.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall vote No. 493, I was, unfortunately, detained and missed that rollcall vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, this Confederate flag, which is a symbol of systemic oppression and racial subjugation, was recently lowered in the State of South Carolina. But this same flag, which symbolizes so many inequities in our country, is still flying high in a figurative sense over our country. When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the heart of the Voting Rights Act, it signaled that African American voting rights would no longer be protected. Pretending that the legacy of poll taxes, literacy tests, and blatant discrimination was no longer taking place, the Supreme Court symbolically raised this flag when it gutted the Voting Rights Act. Now that this flag has come down from the halls of South Carolina, it is time that we lower this flag from its perch over the voting rights of African Americans by passing the legislation in the U.S. Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, to the extent that a regulation would or would not present a choice between clean air and dirty air, I think we can all, in unison, conclude that we would come down in favor of clean air. If the choice became whether or not a regulation would promote clean water or dirty water, then I am sure that most Americans would agree with me that we would want a regulation that would ensure clean drinking water. Unfortunately, if the REINS Act passes, the jobs that will be created by the regulations which would enforce the requirement that air and water be clean will not come to pass. We would do without the jobs, and we would have dirty water and dirty air. I would submit that my colleagues on the other side run to the support of my amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My colleagues have repeatedly argued to the fact that--or to the allegation that the rate of Federal regulations is growing, but a recent report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service reported that the length of the Code of Federal Regulations has no bearing on the scope or impact of Federal regulation. In other words, just because the volume of paper is growing, they want to argue that this means that there is an onslaught, an explosion of Federal regulations. As I pointed out earlier, yes, there have been new regulations having to do with Dodd-Frank, which protects us from another economic meltdown that we suffered under the Bush administration, and also the Affordable Care Act, which has enabled 16 million Americans to have access to the healthcare system who did not have it prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act. This argument that regulations are killing us is nonfactual. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The economic elites who are the patrons of many of my friends across the aisle believe in trickle-down economics, which George Herbert Walker Bush termed to be ``voodoo economics.'' My friends believe that when you put a quarter in the pocket of a rich man, there is a hole in that pocket and the quarter trickles down and falls out into nickles and dimes and is distributed to the waiting working class people of the country. They believe that is how the economy works: give the rich the money, let them operate in an unregulated environment, and then somehow, magically, the economy trickles down to those waiting at the bottom of the scale waiting for some kind of a handout. That is not how our economy works. It works from the ground up. It works with people going to work, making a decent wage, delivering services for a period of time--8 hours a day, that is a regulation; 40 hours a week, that is a regulation. We didn't used to have those during times when people were predominantly poor, and the Nation was poor as a result; but due to these regulations like the minimum wage, the 40-hour workweek, the health and safety regulations on the job, we were able to build a middle class in this country that sustained us up until the time when Ronald Reagan won the Presidency and established the current climate of trickle-down economics. We have seen during that time what has happened is the rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer. The working poor have had less to work with and the middle class has been squeezed so that there are not as many working middle class people as there were once before. So the REINS Act is a gift to the economic elites who have had their way with the economy for the last 40 years. They want to stab the heart of the American economy now by passing this act, the REINS Act, which would not deregulate, but it would stop all future regulations from coming to the fore. That is something that America does not need. So I am going to urge my colleagues at the appropriate time to oppose this legislation and oppose voodoo economics, oppose trickle-down economics. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would mandate that the cost-benefit analysis for a proposed rule required by the REINS Act that is submitted to Congress include an analysis of any jobs added or lost as a result of the proposed rule, differentiating between public and private sector jobs. I should be clear that there is absolutely no credible evidence proving that regulations depress job creation. In fact, one of the majority's own witnesses at a hearing held in a prior Congress before the House Judiciary Committee clearly debunked the myth that regulations stymie job growth and job creation. Christopher DeMuth of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, stated in his prepared testimony that the ``focus on jobs . . . can lead to confusion in regulatory debates'' and that ``the employment effects of regulation, while important, are indeterminate.'' Even Bruce Bartlett, a senior policy analyst in the Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush administrations, has refuted the claim that regulations undermine the economy or job growth. He explains that ``no hard evidence is offered for this claim; it is simply asserted as self- evident and repeated endlessly throughout the conservative echo chamber.'' While I appreciate the sensitivity that the author of this amendment has for employment and job development, I would encourage him to support my amendment, which would except from the REINS Act's onerous requirements all regulations that the Office of Management and Budget determines would result in net job development. My amendment would ensure that job creating rules are not delayed or derailed as a result of the REINS Act's nearly impossible procedural hurdles. Unfortunately, this amendment could add even more analytical burdens on agencies by forcing them to make a speculative assessment of whether a regulation will facilitate job creation or have a depressive effect. Instead of trying to turn Congress into a superadministrative agency, which is what the REINS Act would do, we should be considering legislation that would actually create jobs, stimulate our Nation's economy, and help millions of struggling Americans regain their financial footing with meaningful ways to encourage full employment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chair, this amendment I oppose. It would require agencies to publish in the Federal Register a list of information on which a rule is based, including data, scientific and economic studies, cost-benefit analyses, and where the public can access this information online. While this amendment purports to make scientific information available that is used in developing a rule, the amendment does not define or limit what would actually constitute the term ``data.'' As a result, the term could include sensitive health data, classified data, confidential business information, and all other forms of information subject to a rulemaking by any Federal agency. Especially in light of the recent disclosure that the personal and sensitive information of millions of Federal employees maintained by the Office of Personnel Management was hacked, Congress should be working to prevent Federal data breaches by reducing the accumulation and potential loss of sensitive data rather than requiring that the publication of such vast amounts of sensitive data be the rule of law. We just simply cannot afford that in this day and time. In sum, this amendment would exacerbate the risk of identity theft and data breaches. For those reasons, I must oppose this amendment. I urge my colleagues to do so as well.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would except from H.R. 427 all rules that the Office of Management and Budget determines would result in net job creation. As with many other deregulatory bills we have considered this Congress, the proponents of H.R. 427 argue that it will grow the economy, create jobs, and increase America's competitiveness internationally. But we cannot pretend that this politicized legislation is about economic growth or American prosperity. As I have noted during the consideration of each of the antiregulatory bills that we have considered in the 114th Congress, there is simply no credible evidence in support of the majority's reiteration of ``job-killing'' regulations undermining economic growth--zero. The tired rhetoric that my Republican colleagues have repeated again and again since the passage of the REINS Act in 2011 has not changed in light of the changing facts on the ground. The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployment has fallen to 5.3 percent. While there is more work to do to grow the economy and help our Nation's middle class, there have been 64 straight months of private sector job growth. That is 12.8 million private sector jobs created amidst a regulatory environment that is proworker, proenvironment, propublic health and prosafety, and proinnovation. And to those who would brush aside these strong employment figures, the Department of Labor also reported last week that claims for unemployment benefits have dropped to the lowest levels in over 40 years, the lowest level since November of 1973. Do these numbers mean that the major rules adopted during the Obama administration have decreased employment, grown the economy, or contributed to the drop in unemployment benefit claims? While I would submit that regulations have a positive effect on sustainable economic growth, the reality is that there is little correlation between regulations and the economy. Don't just take my word for it; take the word of the San Francisco and New York Federal Reserve Banks, which found zero correlation between employment and regulation. Take the word of Bruce Bartlett, a senior policy analyst in the Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush administrations, who strongly refuted the claim that regulations undermine the economy or job growth, explaining that Republicans ``assert that Barack Obama has unleashed a tidal wave of new regulations, which has created uncertainty among businesses and prevents them from investing and hiring. No hard evidence is offered for this claim; it is simply asserted as self- evident and repeated endlessly throughout the conservative echo chamber.'' Take the word of the Washington Post, which gave ``two Pinnochios'' to industry estimates of the costs of regulations earlier this year. Take the word of the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which debunked claims that regulations have a trillion dollar cost to the economy. Mr. Chairman, we need real solutions to help real people, not yet another thinly veiled handout to large corporations and the economic elite. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and to oppose H.R. 427. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose the amendment.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chair, how much time is left?

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I oppose this amendment because it would make the REINS Act thoroughly problematic insofar as the Affordable Care Act is concerned. One of my principal concerns about the REINS Act is it would jeopardize the health and safety of Americans by substantially delaying and possibly derailing critical regulations from ever going into effect. As currently drafted, the REINS Act only applies to major regulations, that is, regulations having an annual effect of $100 million or more on the economy; regulations causing a major increase in prices or costs for consumers, individual industries, governmental agencies, or geographic regions; and regulations having a significant adverse impact on competition, employment, investment, and productivity. This amendment, however, would subject all regulations, not just major regulations issued under the Affordable Care Act, to the REINS Act's burdensome requirements. It is obvious that this amendment has a different purpose. It is yet another attempt by the majority to undermine the implementation of the comprehensive healthcare reform legislation that was enacted in 2010, the Affordable Care Act, which, I might remind my colleagues, has been upheld not once, but twice, by the United States Supreme Court. We cannot allow the majority to do through this antiregulatory bill what it has repeatedly failed to do during the last 4 years, namely, to defeat healthcare reform. The REINS Act is a hopelessly flawed bill, and this amendment would only make it worse. Accordingly, I must strenuously object to the amendment and oppose the amendment. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against it. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I often hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle repeat false information, and it is unfortunate that it would be perpetrated that economic growth has been hurt because of an explosion of regulations during the Obama administration. I will be the first to admit that, with the historic passage of the Affordable Care Act, which has enabled 16 million Americans to now have access to the healthcare system--16 million people--it could have been more if the policies had not been obstructed so much; if we hadn't had 50-plus votes to do away with the Affordable Care Act, we would have more people having access to the healthcare system in this country, but bringing that many people into the healthcare system and actually changing the healthcare system required new regulations, and so people have been trying, for 75 to 100 years, to establish health care for everyone in this country. The Affordable Care Act was the closest that we could come to that ideal, but it was a transformational bill, and it did require new regulations to nurture it and to get it to this point, which has been a complete success, despite all opposition. And then we had the Dodd-Frank legislation that was passed as a result of the Great Recession, which was caused by a lack of regulation. So we had regulations that had to come forth as a result of the passage of that legislation to protect the health, safety, and financial well-being of everyday Americans. And so with that act having passed and controls put on excessive speculation in the financial services industry, we have seen economic growth. That is the bottom line. We had 64 straight months of private sector job growth. That is 12.8 million private sector jobs created amidst a regulatory system that is proworker, proenvironment, prohealth and prosafety, and proinnovation. That is a significant accomplishment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.