Hank Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Congresswoman, that was something that has happened this year that perhaps not a lot of people know about is that, under this Republican-controlled 112th Congress, the House has voted to do away with or abolish the $1 checkoff on a tax form that you send in. You can check the box and it will automatically deduct a dollar from the amount that you owe or the amount of whatever refund you're entitled to. That $1 then goes into a pot to be distributed among the candidates who applied for this funding. So everything that had been put in place to try to make everything equal, along with giving people their rights to invest to a certain amount in campaign-related donations, everything is being dismantled systematically. It certainly does not help the people on our side of the aisle, the Democratic side of the aisle, who traditionally have depended on workers unions and labor organizations to be the deep pockets for our campaign contributions. I had a visit from one of my good friends in labor the other day back in my district, and this gentleman has grown to be a good friend of mine. He's a good man. He is a full-time union worker, works for the union, the administrative part of the union, not just represented by the union. He told me that with all of the people in the union who are out of work today--and we've got a few jobs in the Atlanta area that are near completion. After completion, even those workers who are able to work won't have any more work, and then there's nothing else on the agenda that these people can go and get jobs at. He said it's gotten so bad with the attacks on labor and the unemployment to where the workers represented by the union can't pay the dues, and then the moneys having been drawn down by the unions to take care of the workers to assist them during this extended period of unemployment are on the decline and almost exhausted. After telling me that, he said, Today is my last day employed at the union because they had to let me go. We both sat there and we cried. It was really touching, because that gentleman is in the same boat that many other workers are in, and the union which represents those workers is suffering greatly. They won't be able to do what they have done in the past for campaigns. But these super PACs and wealthy individuals who fund them--anonymously, much of the time--can afford to actually put millions in and billions in. This is a very serious situation that we face in this country. Who's going to win, is it money or is it the people?

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Yes. I would echo those comments, Congresswoman. You know, Members around here, some folks spend 60, 70 percent of their time, instead of being in committee meetings, they are out making phone calls trying to raise money for their next election. It's not, it doesn't augur well for the country's future for us to have, you know, this kind of leadership, in other words, leadership that depends on others to make the decision. They come in, vote on it, and then go back to the phones making calls.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. It's disturbing to me, with all that the Congressional Progressive Caucus has done to try to level the playing field in this country for working men and women, that we would all be lumped together and called names. I want you to comment about one of our colleagues who, in response to a question asked of him--how many Communists are there in the United States Congress?--this Congressman stepped up to the mike in a calm and polite manner--thoughtful-looking, with a pensive look on his face--and he said, I believe that there are between 78 and 81 members of the Communist Party who are Members of Congress. Now, can you respond to that, Congressman?

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Sir, the next day, a statement was released by the gentleman. The statement was to the effect that the entire membership of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are card-carrying members of the Communist Party. I just think that it's important that we say, first of all, that that's not true and, secondly, that it has no place in the rational dialogue and in the honest dialogue that we seek to have here amongst us on both sides of the aisle. It has no place.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Congresswoman, I believe that you have hit the nail on the head. This Citizens United ruling by the United States Supreme Court definitely puts corporations in a position of superiority over just the regular working people of this country. The reason why is because corporations have now been afforded the same rights that individuals have, to speak freely and with no regulation. Congress refuses to even consider any regulations on that speech for purposes of campaigning and affecting the outcome of campaigns. This is a decision that is devastating to the working people of this country, the people who don't have a voice like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce or like some unknown super PAC that is formed on the eve of an election, funded anonymously, and used to affect an election and used in such a way that you can't even mount a response to it because the cascade of money is in that PAC and you have the slightest ability to raise the requisite amount of money to match it. They control the outcome of these elections with the money, and that is a devastating blow to our democracy.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I'd first like to address, Congressman, the issue of taxes and fair taxes. Yesterday, or, actually, the day before yesterday, I stood with a group of ``Fair Taxers,'' people who are recommending the fair tax as an alternative to our current system. And I stood with them and I spoke to them, told them that I was not there to endorse the fair tax; I was there to tell them that I believed that it was something that Congress should definitely study. We shouldn't just put it aside. There's no doubt that we need fundamental tax reform in this country, and the fair tax is a vehicle to open the door for Congress to start reviewing other possibilities, including the fair tax, as a way of fixing our inherently unequal Tax Code. And our policies--if we can't pass the Buffett rule, which simply says that a millionaire would not pay a less effective rate than working people, and so, in other words, the maids and the butlers and everyone else who--the secretary----

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Congresswoman, I agree. I also want to point out that to label folks as Communists and Socialists just because they believe in fairness for the working people of this country is not true, and I think that it should be called out because, if it's left unaddressed, then some folks will think it's true. With that, I certainly would love for us to get into a discussion about Citizens United, Congresswoman.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Cops who patrol the area, the security guards----

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Well, I am going to tell you, Congresswoman Woolsey, that's why I am going to hate to see you leave, and I know you have been here for 20 years. That's a long time to be anywhere. You have certainly been an unrelenting spokesperson for equity and fairness for all, and you have been a voice for peace, and you have been a voice for telling the truth. You are, indeed, a rare breed in Congress, and I'm personally going to miss you, and I know many others will too. But I'll tell you, Congresswoman, there are people on the other side of the aisle and some, I know, feel the same way that we do. They don't like the way or the route that our country is going. We've even had some good people over there who have already been defeated for reelection based on that special interest money coming in at the last minute, shaking things up and telling a bunch of lies, and then the public votes a good Representative out. I think people on both sides of the aisle are being hurt by what's happening in America right now, and I'm hopeful that this next election will see the kind of change that needs to come here. We need to take care of the people's business. This is their Congress, this is not the corporations' Congress. We should be of, by and for the people, not of, by and for the corporate special interests. You know, I'm afraid that's where we are now. I, myself, have been fortunate so far to be in sync with the people of my district and so, consequently, I've not been forced to go out there and raise a billion dollars, but I still have to raise money. I would prefer a system where I could just be a legislator and we could have a fairness in our elections, everyone starting with the same amount of money to spend; and that way it's not the money, it's your message that counts.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Well, I believe you are right about that. But I will say, though, those moderates on the other side of the aisle who I am referring to are the prime targets of the interests that want to get rid of them and go to an extreme. So folks over here on the Republican side of the aisle are forced to comply with the party line or else they'll suffer the consequences. Even when they follow the party line here, they think, okay, well, we don't trust this person over here because there's some new blood over here that talks much more extremely, and so we want to get rid of that person here and put this new person in.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Well, you know, Congresswoman, you lead into the Declaration for Democracy, which I had the pleasure to sign yesterday, along with many of my other colleagues; and I am sure that the longer that this is around, the more that people will sign up. Have you had an opportunity to sign?

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I'm going to read it. It's the Declaration for Democracy, and it reads as follows: I declare my support for amending the Constitution of the United States to restore the rights of the American people undermined by Citizens United and related cases, to protect the integrity of our elections, and limit the corrosive influence of money in our democratic process. Anytime we start talking about putting limits on any activity and creating more fairness, then we get labeled as socialists and communists and we're just people that care. I don't care what you call it, we're in support of this Declaration for Democracy, which would put the reins of government back into the hands of working people, poor people, everyone. Even the corporations would have a seat at the table, but they would not speak any louder than you or I; and I think it's very important. So I was proud to sign the Declaration for Democracy. We are in a climate where we have an organization that is set up to connect the corporate influence, the corporate money, the special interests. We have an organization that is set up to pair those special interest corporations with legislators from the various State legislatures of the Nation. About 60 percent of the legislators in the United States--the State legislators--have joined this organization. It's called ALEC. ALEC is the American Legislative Exchange Council. And what ALEC does is it's funded, of course, by business interests, billionaires and millionaires, and companies. What it does is it invites the legislators to join. It really entices them to join by offering them for a mere $50 a year--and the taxpayers, of course, pay that--as a professional fee or professional cost. And so the legislators join. Then he or she gets to go off on these 2- and 3-day weekends at some location like Hilton Head or Jekyll Island or Martha's Vineyard, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, wherever they can be alone and with some anonymity and in a luxurious setting. So these legislators who join go to these locations for the retreats. The business interests are there because they're underwriting it. And then they get together in committees, and the committees work out various model laws that are produced before the folks even get there. They're told about these model laws in the committees that they work on--the committees being the legislators and the business interests. And the public's interest is not there. It's all done in secret. And so the result is that the legislators come home, and they have legislation which they can claim as, This is my legislation and I'm introducing it. And, By the way, this is my 80th piece of legislation that I have introduced and it has passed and I'm a busy substantive legislator. So it makes them look good out there on the campaign trail. Nobody knows what the substance of that legislation is and what it actually does and how much it costs. And then, for introducing that legislation, the legislator is rewarded with a campaign contribution also from the same corporations and individuals associated with those corporations. So based on that formula right there you've got business being done behind closed doors to benefit folks other than the people who elect these legislators, and then you never know who those legislators are because that's private information. They keep it private. But if you're a member, you can log into the Web site and then go to a page and find out who all of the corporate and who all the legislative members are. You can only get access to that if you're a member. And to become a member you have to be prescreened in advance to make sure that you are like-minded. And if you can pass that muster, they will let you in. So this is the same organization that announced yesterday that they would not be involving themselves--they're disbanding their committee that had to do with social issues, as they call them, including voter rights. And so the Trayvon Martin killing, the shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin and then the claim of self-defense, stand your ground, but, really, shoot to kill legislation, that legislation was produced by an ALEC committee. I'm glad to know that committee will no longer be in action, but the damage has already been done. As a result of that, you have had some corporations that have decided that this is not--we didn't buy into this. We didn't buy into this social thing. We just joined ALEC because we wanted to deal on the committees that deal with our issues--taxes, FDA, whatever. We wanted to deal on those things, but instead ALEC has gone to an extreme. Now we have corporations that are threatened with boycotts of their goods and services jumping off the ALEC bandwagon, and that caused ALEC to announce yesterday that, We're not going to deal in any more social issues. So I think that is instructive of the power of the people. If the people only know what is happening, the people will come together, despite the differences that we have. We can look at each other and say, Okay, you are older than I am. Plus, you are a white woman. And so, therefore, we don't have anything in common. Or I could say that this person over here doesn't have the same sexual orientation as I think they should and so therefore I'm going to condemn them to purgatory just on that basis alone. Or we can look at somebody and say Well, they've got a hoodie on. He's wearing a hoodie, and it's a black guy in a neighborhood. He can be 9 years old, he can be 15, or he can be 17; but he's still threatening me just by his mere presence. We size people up like that. But when we really get down to it, our interests are the same. And if we can get past the fear that we have of each other and the misunderstanding that we have about each other, we can come together and we can reclaim this country so that it will be a government run by, of, and for the people. And so that is my goal, to continue to work towards that, if my citizens think that I'm worthy of continuing to do that. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia.--that control the estate of these rich folks, the firefighters, ambulances that will come pick them up, they don't pay the same tax rates as those people. And 70,000 of the millionaires in the country didn't pay a dime in income tax, and enjoying all of those benefits--police, fire. It's truly amazing to me that we are still not at the point in this country where we are willing to consider redoing our complicated Tax Code. It's just ridiculous that it's not working. And we can't even pass a bill in this Congress which mandates that common people pay at a rate that is not in excess of those that the millionaires enjoy. That's just an issue of fairness. It's not fair. It's not right. I would suggest to you, Congressman and Congresswoman, that perhaps the reason why we're seeing this kind of favorable treatment afforded to millionaires by this Congress is because almost half of the incoming freshmen, I understand, are millionaires. I think the figure is about 43 percent. And if someone can correct me on that, I'd stand corrected. But my information is 43 percent of the Tea Party freshmen are millionaires, and so they benefit from these laws, these trickle-down economics laws, and they've been enjoying them since 1980. That's when voodoo economics, as George Herbert Walker Bush called it, trickle-down economics, voodoo economics, or whatever you want to call it, it has not worked. But we still have proposals today to make it work. And it's evident by what we did today, with a $46 billion tax cut for what's called ``small businesses,'' but, actually, a small business with 500 employees, when we only have about 1,000 businesses in the country with 1,000 or more employees. So we're actually talking about big business when we talk about 500 employees. It's a one-time, 1-year, $46 billion tax cut that they get, according to this legislation that we passed today, and it's totally unpaid for.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke about a secret organization called ALEC, also known as the American Legislative Exchange Council. I talked yesterday about how ALEC promotes model legislation written by its corporate members and disseminated to conservative State lawmakers around the country. The public, whose votes elect these lawmakers to represent them, are kept in the dark about the fact that their Representative member is a member of ALEC. The legislative member goes on various retreats and junkets. The ALEC corporate members paid tens of thousands of dollars a year to be members, whereas the legislators pay $50 a year. You can see the imbalance there. This is something that is funded by the corporations' special interests. The lawmakers, just to make it look good, have to pay $50 annually to join. We don't know who those lawmakers are, although we do know that 60 percent of the lawmakers in the entire United States of America are members of ALEC. The taxpayers are probably the ones who pay the annual membership fee with which the members are then connected to corporate interests by way of ALEC committees, and these committees produce the model legislation that is then introduced by these same member legislators in their respective legislatures. That was the way that the so-called Stand Your Ground law--but it's really a ``shoot first, ask questions later'' bill--began. That's how it started in Florida. It was an ALEC-produced bill. It has now spread to one-half of the States in the United States of America. Twenty-five States have adopted similar laws despite the fact that self-defense has always been a defense available to people who find themselves in that situation. But the reason why they did this is because they wanted to produce more handgun sales. It's nothing but about money. The NRA and the corporations that sell firearms through the retail outlets across the Nation are benefiting, but we have people dying in the streets because of these weapons. Now that is one question. There is another committee that has been set up by ALEC, and it deals with the private prison industry. Mr. Speaker, the United States imprisons more than any other nation in the world. We currently incarcerate approximately 2.3 million people. America's high incarceration rate is not fitting for a Nation which is routinely touted as the greatest in the world. Although high incarceration rates hurt the United States as a whole, it definitely benefits the private prison industry. In 2010, the two largest private prison companies, CCA and the GEO Group, received nearly $3 billion in revenue that's taxpayer money. The for-profit prison industry is driven by the corporate members of the American Legislative Exchange Council, ALEC. ALEC is a secretive organization that has advocated for harsh sentencing and detention laws that lead to mass incarceration. It provides State legislators with model legislation, and each year ALEC members introduce these bills in State houses across the country. This gives unparalleled access and authority to ALEC's corporate and legislative members, undermining the will of the people and the power of the ballot box. Private prisons have vested interests in maintaining and maximizing their profits. They are not concerned about public safety or rehabilitation or reducing recidivism. Those principles directly conflict with their bottom line and mantra, which is more prisoners and more money. Mr. Speaker, I will again be back to continue to discuss this issue. I discussed it yesterday. Today is another day. I think the American people need to know what is going on in the politics of America. If we don't do something, we are all at risk for losing the rights that we as citizens are supposed to possess: government of, by, and for the people--not for special interests.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, all Americans, and I being one of them, hope for justice in the Trayvon Martin case; but I stand here today because we must stop stacking the deck against all innocent Americans. Over 10,000 Americans died a preventable death by gun violence last year--10,000. And over 2,000 of those, Mr. Speaker, were children. Many of those children were inner-city youth, and many of the victims died at the hands of inner-city perpetrators. Trayvon Martin's case is a little different, but it is another sad addition to these statistics which are very tragic. But his case caught the attention of the American people and it illuminates problems in our society. This is indeed, ladies and gentlemen, a teachable moment. The Martin family's fight for basic justice has been delayed by Florida's ``shoot first and ask questions later'' law which, incidentally, is misnamed as the ``stand your ground law,'' and it grants criminal and civil immunity regardless of the facts when individuals take the law into their own hands. We call this ``vigilante-ism'' or ``vigilantism.'' Florida's law, like so many similar laws in 25, ladies and gentlemen, of the 50 States, was the result of collusion by some of the Nation's wealthiest corporations in conjunction with the National Rifle Association through a secretive networking organization called the American Legislative Exchange Council, also known as ALEC. ALEC promotes model legislation written by its corporate members and disseminated to conservative State lawmakers around the country. The public whose votes elect these lawmakers to represent them are kept in the dark about the fact that their Representative is a member of this network of special interest groups and of corporate interest that wine, dine, and support these lawmakers' campaigns with campaign contributions. Any lawmaker who is a member of the group can log on to its Web site--and I would encourage you to do so, too--and if you're a member, you can find hundreds of model bills to copy and introduce in your legislature. The public, however, is not able to access that information because you must be a member; and in order to be a member, you've got to go through some kind of a screening process so they can make sure that you are of like mind because they don't want any infiltrators in there. They want to keep the business secret. Membership fees for legislators are very small, $50 a year, whereas the corporate members have to pay tens of thousands of dollars per year for their memberships. These memberships are mostly big-lobby interest groups, big corporate-lobby interest groups, and what they do when they get into these meetings that they hold at exclusive resort locations, luxurious amenities, wining and dining these legislators, they spoon- feed them legislation which supports their, the businesses, interests. Now, 60 percent of the legislators in the United States of America, on a State level, secretly belong to ALEC. They are members of that network. Thousands of these ALEC bills have been introduced around the country and many of them have passed. This gives the ALEC members secret and persuasive influence over our legislators, whom we elect to represent us. The Florida Shoot First, or, in other words, Stand Your Ground is what it's called, but it's actually the Shoot First law, was written by an NRA, National Rifle Association, lobbyist in one of those committees that the bought-and-paid-for legislators are members of. I will have further comment on this as the days go by. But the American public needs to be educated about this, and so we will talk further about it.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Today, Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this harmful bill, H.R. 5, the so-called Protecting Access to Healthcare Act. Now, this bill is premised upon what I would call a story, because that's what my mamma used to tell me. My mamma and my grandmamma, as I was growing up, used to say that's wrong to say that someone is lying. Don't say that. You say that they're telling a story. So I grew up plagued with the guilt that comes from calling somebody a liar. I still have that sense of shame associated with that word ``liar.'' I'm not here to accuse anybody of lying, but I will say that H.R. 5, the so-called Protecting Access to Healthcare Act, is a story, is premised on the story that runaway frivolous lawsuits, medical malpractice lawsuits are a major cause of driving the cost of medical care through the roof. That's not true. This bill restricts a patient's ability to recover compensation for damages caused by medical negligence, defective products, and irresponsible insurance companies. It also sets a cap of $250,000 for noneconomic compensatory damages which are awarded to victims for emotional pain and suffering, physical impairment and disfigurement. I'm so sorry to have not had this photograph blown up. It's a photo of Caroline Palmer of Marietta, Georgia. Ms. Palmer was in an automobile accident back on March 23, 2007. She sustained two broken legs, a broken shoulder, abrasions on her arms, and a collapsed lung. While she was at the hospital, recuperating, they noticed that her left hand was swollen, dusky blue, and cool to the touch. But after so noting on her medical record, the doctor left work that day, and no further action was taken about that. That was a clear sign that blood was not flowing to that limb and that something was wrong. Nothing was done. No followup. The next day they found that the IV line had been misplaced in her arm, and they referred her in for some treatments to try to reinvigorate the circulation in that arm, and there was nothing they could do. They tried everything. They even subjected Caroline to a procedure on both arms to relieve the pressure and treat the loss of circulation by producing a large gaping hole in both arms, and that procedure failed. Whereupon, she then was subjected to the cutting off of her left arm and the cutting off of her right arm. Now, we've talked a lot about, well, how much is a leg worth? How much is a leg worth when you lose a leg? Well, how much are two legs worth? How much are two arms worth? This picture shows Caroline Palmer in this horrendous state; and under this amendment, under this bill, H.R. 5, this woman, this victim, would be limited to $250,000 for her pain and suffering and disfigurement, and that's not right. How do you put a cap on someone's pain and suffering? How heartless is it to cap noneconomic damages when one has lost a limb? becomes blind? How much is vision worth? How much is the ability to see? How much is that worth? $250,000, under this legislation. If you become paralyzed at the hands of a negligent health care provider, can no longer walk, how much is that worth? $250,000. These caps hurt the most vulnerable among us: children, senior citizens, and working poor. They can't even recover for economic losses such as lost wages. They may not be working. A child doesn't work. A child left with no arms is limited in noneconomic damages to $250,000. He's got to roll with that for the rest of his life--$250,000. It's not right. Medical malpractice is about real people with real injuries. The Institute of Medicine estimates that 98,000 people die each year in the United States from preventable medical errors. Tort reform proposals, such as H.R. 5, fail to address the deaths and injuries associated with preventable medical errors every year. Now, this, H.R. 5, is an unholy alliance between two stories: the one story which I just outlined to you and the other story being the repeal of the 15-person Independent Payment Advisory Board, also known as IPAB, which was created under RomneyCare. Oops, I mean ObamaCare. Oops, I mean, the Affordable Care Act. Now, while I do believe that there are some good reasons to be opposed to the IPAB and to vote to abolish it--I believe there are some good reasons for that--the rationing of medical care is not one of them. Anyone who says that this IPAB board has the power to cut the benefits paid to Medicare recipients has either not read the bill or is telling you a story. Just for the record, I want to read 42 U.S.C. section G, 1395kkk. I'm not going to comment on the kkk right now, but that's the subsection of the subsection of 42 U.S.C. where the law that was passed, RomneyCare-- I mean ObamaCare, I mean Affordable Health Care Act--is stated, the law, 42 U.S.C., and it says: The proposal shall not include any recommendation to ration health care, raise revenues or Medicare beneficiary premiums under section 1818, 1818A, or 1839, increase Medicare beneficiary cost-sharing (including deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments), or otherwise restrict benefits or modify eligibility criteria. That is what ObamaCare, RomneyCare--I mean the Affordable Health Care Act--provides for. That's the law. Anybody who tells you otherwise is telling you a story. Going back to the first story, I really oppose it for the reasons that I've previously stated. This bill is another example of the Republican majority bringing a partisan bill to the House floor that has virtually no chance of becoming a law. H.R. 5 does not create any jobs or grow the economy. It's a slap in the face, also, of states' rights--something we've heard--that the other side has depended on for a long time, states' rights, the 10th Amendment. H.R. 5, ladies and gentlemen, denies States their right to have their own tort laws. The State of Georgia, for instance, in its constitution, says that all citizens are entitled to a jury trial. The legislature imposed a $350,000 cap on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice and other cases. The case went up to the Georgia Supreme Court, which ruled that to limit noneconomic damages deprives one of their constitutional right to a jury trial. This bill, H.R. 5, would do away with what the Georgia Supreme Court has ruled insofar as Georgia law is concerned. It's a gross overstepping of Federal legislation into the affairs of the State, and I oppose it. I understand that there was a meeting yesterday, a specially called meeting that Majority Leader Eric Cantor called of the Tea Party Republican Caucus to kind of tighten some screws and twist some arms to get the caucus to go along with H.R. 5 so that no one would get embarrassed. Now, we've yet to see what will happen, but I believe that all of the Tea Party Republicans will fall into line and vote in favor of H.R. 5, which has absolutely no chance of passing once it goes to the other body. I want to thank the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, for giving me this time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I certainly don't want to misstate what actually happened, and I think I said that it's my understanding that that meeting was held. That's the information that I received.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, today I rise in tribute to retiring WSB-TV anchor Monica Kaufman Pearson, who brought Atlanta the evening news for almost four decades. Before I go into that, something is compelling me to extol the virtues of a glass of cold iced tea in the middle of the day. After a hard morning at work outside and you come in for your meal, for your lunch, and you enjoy that lunch with a glass of iced tea, it's a Southern tradition, and I want to use that in talking about Monica Pearson. Monica is the recipient of numerous awards, including more than 35 Emmys. She broke the color barrier and the gender barrier by becoming the first black female to serve as evening news anchor in the Atlanta broadcast market. She is known for her commitment to excellence, her commitment to professionalism, and also for her optimism and her compassion. She is also known for sharing her talents by mentoring aspiring female news anchors across the Nation. It was Marian Pittman, news director of WSB-TV who worked with Monica for more than 15 years, who said, ``Monica is to WSB what sweet tea is to Atlanta.'' Yes, she was a quenching force when she arrived in Atlanta. It was at a time where Atlanta had recently elected a blunt-spoken man of action, Mayor Jackson, as the mayor of Atlanta. It was a time of transformation. At those kinds of periods you have a lot of turmoil going on among people--one group losing control, the other group taking control. They were difficult moments during that time politically, and people were polarized and divided. Then Monica arrived on the scene, a young, beautiful, personable, non-threatening, cheerful person. WSB-TV did something that was revolutionary: they made her the first African American and the first female to have that evening news slot. And boy, I'll tell you, you're talking about a glass of iced tea in a hot time, that's what she was. Monica was so enthusiastic--she still is--upbeat, and she just lit up the TV screens. I personally just couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She was so cheerful. Her laugh and her smile are still infectious. She continues to light up Atlanta. She created and hosted one of the most remarkable interview programs in the Nation--``Monica Pearson Closeups.'' She interviewed world leaders, elected officials, and celebrities. Many of the people that she interviewed were just astonished at the depth of her preparation for the interviews. While we are all wishing her Godspeed in her well-deserved retirement, we can take heart that she will continue to be a fixture on the Atlanta scene, always ready with a smile and an insightful word. Monica Pearson is and will remain an Atlanta treasure and a glass of good, cold iced tea.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, we lead busy lives here, and I don't want to blame my colleagues for being forgetful, nor do I want to accuse anyone of just not caring. But I do have to remind the House that before the health care law, insurance companies were free to discriminate against women, and they did so with reckless abandon. Women were charged 50 percent more than men for the same insurance coverage, and pregnancy could be considered a preexisting condition. Reform ends this discrimination, but, unfortunately, many in Congress and people on the campaign trail have forgotten the past, and they seem to be determined to repeal it. Reform put women in control of their health, and shame on those who put insurance companies back in charge.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, this is supposed to be the people's House, but for 428 days of Republican leadership, the American people have been stuck on the outside looking in. House Tea Party Republicans have locked millions of Americans out of this economy and thrown away the key. Republicans have gambled on tax cuts for millionaires, oil companies, and special interests and fought to lay off droves of teachers, cops, and firefighters, all in an effort to see President Obama and our recovery fail. Now, after 2 years of private sector job growth under President Obama, Republicans claim that they now have a jobs plan. Well, I'm going to tell you, rooting against the President, hoping that he will fail, is not a jobs plan. That's called sabotage. Republicans have defaulted on their promises to the American people that they would work to create jobs. Instead, they have started a war against women's health. How much longer will Americans with no jobs, no hope, and no money have to wait before the Republicans pass a jobs bill?

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following Proclamation. Whereas, one hundred years ago a virtuous woman of God, Clara Bryant was born in Oxford, Georgia on March 1, 1912 to Charlie and Lula Bryant; and Whereas, she was raised up in Rockdale County, Georgia and she married Mr. J.C Sims and she has one daughter, Ms. Lula P. Goodson, three grandchildren, ten great- grandchildren and twelve great-great grandchildren; and Whereas, this phenomenal Proverbs 31 woman has shared her time and talents as a Wife, Mother and Motivator, becoming a Georgia citizen of great worth, a fearless leader and a servant to all by always advancing the lives of others; and Whereas, Ms. Sims has been blessed with a long, happy life, devoted to God and credits it all to the Will of God; and Whereas, Ms. Sims along with her family and friends are celebrating this day a remarkable milestone, her 100th Birthday, we pause to acknowledge a woman who is a cornerstone in Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Ms. Sims on her birthday and to wish her well and recognize her for an exemplary life which is an inspiration to all; Now therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim March 1, 2012 as Ms. Clara Sims Day in the 4th Congressional District of Georgia. Proclaimed, this 1st day of March, 2012.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I support H.R. 347, as amended by the Senate, which will assist the Secret Service in performing its protective duties. The bill before us today will help the Secret Service carry out its role in protecting the President, Vice President, and other dignitaries. Current Federal law prohibits individuals from entering or remaining in areas cordoned off as ``restricted'' because of protection being provided by the Secret Service. This bill would simply clarify that the prohibition under the existing statute only applies to those who do not have lawful authority to be in those areas. The bill would also add the White House and Vice President's residence to the definition of restricted areas protected under current law. The Senate made minor changes to the bill, including expanding the bill's protections to areas in which the Secret Service is protecting a person by the direction of a Presidential memorandum. I support this amendment. This bill will assist the Secret Service, which did not have this protective function when it was created. The role of the Secret Service has expanded greatly since it was established in 1865 to fight the counterfeiting of U.S. currency. The Service became part of the Treasury Department in 1883 and took on many additional investigative responsibilities with respect to safeguarding the payment and financial systems of the United States. It wasn't until 1894 that the Secret Service first started protecting our Presidents; and that protective role with respect to the President, Vice President, and other dignitaries has grown substantially since that time. The men and women of the Secret Service conduct themselves with valor and professionalism while carrying out the protective function of their agency. They provide protection for a variety of people and events, including the President and national special security events. The Secret Service has other important functions which also deserve recognition. For example, the investigative role of the Secret Service has expanded greatly from protecting the currency against counterfeiting to investigating a variety of crimes related to this country's financial institutions and credit systems. I commend the gentleman from Florida, Representative Tom Rooney, for his work on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 347. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise to ask my colleagues to support a tax cut to help entrepreneurs start businesses. Today, I'm introducing the Help Entrepreneurs Create American Jobs Act to permanently double the deduction for start-up expenses. Supporting small entrepreneurs, who are the true job creators, and creating jobs should be our number one priority. That is why President Obama called for this tax cut and why I am proud to stand with businesses across my district and the Nation to introduce this commonsense proposal. We must put party aside and make it easier for Americans to start small businesses. I ask my colleagues to support this bill.