Hank Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. You create controversy where there is none.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. This is a game that, certainly, many people see is being played, but I wish far more people saw and understood what is actually taking place in their House of Representatives. I believe that it's one reason we have two groups of 99ers--the Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party movement, those who are dissatisfied with how things are going in America.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I just want everyone to know that even though I stand up and talk about the Grover Norquist-Tea Party Republicans, I admire the Tea Partiers because they got up off of their duffs because they were upset about how things were going. They were misled in terms of thinking that the health care reform was not going to be good for them. It's good for them. And they will soon find out--they will continue to find out--that the things that we have done are good for them and their attention will be diverted from this President to their pocketbook. And so I look forward. I admire them for their activism. I love them. Don't take it personally when I talk about you being a Dick Armey-Tea Party Republican of the Grover Norquist ilk. With that, I will close. I believe that my friends on the other side of the aisle are ready to delude you with some information.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I do believe that you are 100 percent correct on that, and I want to give a shout out to those millionaires who are socially conscious. There are so many people who are afflicted and who are just eaten up with greed, and they already have more money than they can possibly spend in this lifetime; yet they have an insatiable quest for more and more and more. They are the ones who are supporting people like Grover Norquist and like Dick Armey----

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Who is a proponent of the Tea Party movement; and those are the people, the Koch brothers, those kinds of interests that benefit from our system of government but then, ironically, they would support and encourage those who want to do away with government. They want to strip government of its power to regulate. They want to strip government of its power to protect and to create fairness and prosperity. And it is just basic. I don't care how rich you are, but if you're riddled with envy and with the need for more, you know, you just can't be satisfied, you are going to be unhappy. And the person who is unemployed but doing their best to find a job and take care of their family and despite all obstacles is willing to do with half a crumb that they have extended to their neighbor because their neighbor is in the same shape, we're all in this together. Those are the types of ideals that we used to have in this country, we used to exemplify. But now it's this culture of greed and avarice and self-satisfaction. Reminds me of the old days of the Roman Empire.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. So be it.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Give back.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Every man for himself.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Only the strong survive. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Fair enough.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. All the while, Congressman Ellison, pitting Americans against each other, trying to stoke hatred and anger amongst the 99 percenters on any issue they can.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. They don't have any idea that your dad is a Republican.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I don't represent him, and he doesn't represent me or the folks that predominate my district. I've got a 99er district.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. That's the way it is. So right now, Congressman Ellison, I feel like I have to say this because you're such a great example of a true American patriot, one who lives life in accordance with your inner ideals. We have the freedom in this country to do so, but there are those right here in this Congress who would try to turn the American people against you and people like you because of the religion that you have chosen to follow.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I could not have said it better; and I will say, so that I don't repeat what you've said, that when we do have a strong government, then government is there to protect the interest of all of the people, those who are the so-called job creators, who haven't been creating a lot of jobs here lately, by the way. I don't know why they still have that title, because all the jobs have been moving offshore, out of America and leaving these workers here without jobs. We're doing ourselves a disservice by cutting government and cutting our ability to clean up the mess that has been created through decades, now, of deregulation. It has caused us to be a society where we spend more money on health care, but we're the sickest people in the industrialized world, among the industrialized nations. We've got a financial system that nearly collapsed because of lack of regulation. And the same people who profited so mightily back during those winner-take-all days want to keep the winner-take-all days, make the big bonuses, the obscene bonuses at year end that they're getting ready to publicize now, and they would rather collect those bonuses than create jobs for Americans to clean up the environment, to reregulate Wall Street. They want to cut those jobs, so job creation, it will actually result in the job creators, or the 1 percent, being able to experience even more profit. People should understand that if you help someone else, it comes back to you. These are just simple concepts of living that we have gotten away from as a society.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. If the gentleman would yield, what we do when we create job growth and when we spread the wealth, it means that we're able to pay down that deficit, that debt that we have. We are able to clear that out. America is certainly not in a crisis as far as debt is concerned. We borrow money at 2 percent. You can't get it much cheaper than that. And while that cheap money is available, we should be borrowing that money and investing it in our own economy, in our infrastructure, in our research and development for medical care, health care delivery, energy production, our education system from the buildings on down to the lowest piece of equipment that's in there, the teachers who teach our children. We should be investing in those areas. We'll see this economy turn around rather quickly, and we'll see that debt disappear quicker than most people believe that it will.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Nobody said anything and nobody is saying anything because they want those tax cuts to become permanent while they at the same time would vote to impose a balanced budget amendment, which really would just simply lock in an unfair tax rate or a tax system that is unfair, would lock it in and make it much more difficult to change it. So, Congressman, these are issues that I'm pleased to sit here and discuss with you. I look forward to further dialogue from both people on this side of the aisle, along with my friends on the other side of the aisle, because when it's all said and done, we're all in the same boat together.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

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

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule and the underlying bills. Instead of creating jobs, the Grover Norquist/Tea Party Republicans are assaulting the very regulations that ensure we have clean air, safe water and food, along with safe prescription drugs and other products that Americans consume. They want us to create so many barriers and obstacles that it would essentially make it impossible for Federal agencies to do their jobs, all in the name of simply increasing the profits of big business. The Regulatory Accountability Act would require agencies to perform 60 additional analyses and other procedural actions within the rulemaking process, further slowing down an already burdensome process. I am talking about bureaucratic red tape. They want to take it to the next level. They want to duct tape and blindfold and put a straitjacket on Federal agencies issuing regulations that help Americans. This would also make it much easier for large corporations to evade their obligations to protect the public by giving special interests multiple points in the process to tie up the process in knots. The Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act is no better. It's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Don't be fooled. This is not about helping small businesses. It's about halting regulations and increasing the profits of big business. Under the guise of small business protection, it would subject any regulation that could conceivably have any direct impact on small businesses to a more lengthy process, thereby delaying the implementation of virtually any action any agency proposes and wasting agency time while doing so. I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule and the underlying bills.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in great sadness to recognize fallen Doraville police detective, Corporal Robert ``Shane'' Wilson, a citizen of great distinction in my district, who gave his life on behalf of the people who live there. Responding to a home invasion on November 14, he was tragically involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. He was off duty at the time, responding. An 8-year veteran, Officer Wilson was just 27 years old. He was a member of the SWAT team. He served his community courageously and honorably and was very well liked and respected by his colleagues and fellow officers. He was a loving husband, father, brother, and son from a family steeped in law enforcement. In his off hours he loved to play drums and piano, and he composed music and always had a smile on his face. All Georgians are affected by this tragedy, but our thoughts and prayers go out especially to his family, friends, and colleagues. Robert ``Shane'' Wilson was one of the best, and he'll be greatly missed.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to submit the following two documents into the Record: One is from the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the other is from the AARP--both of which express their opposition to this ill-founded measure before us, H.J. Res. 2.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 2. It represents an attack on the middle class and the most vulnerable in our society by the Grover Norquist Tea Party Republicans. You see, there is no fiscal emergency, but the fiscal crisis has been manufactured by the Tea Partiers, along with Grover Norquist and the Republicans that represent them, for the purposes of tricking the American people into thinking that America can't pay its bills. We paid our debts, we can pay our debts, and we'll continue to pay our debts. Just like families of America who incur debt as a normal course of taking care of their families, we've heard a lot of analogies to the Federal Government should balance its budget like a family. But how many 99ers, how many families do you know that can go out and purchase a car for cash? How many of those 99ers, how many of those families out there working can afford to pay cash for a house? Everybody out there incurs debt for legitimate expenses, and this Nation has legitimate expenses that it has to pay debts for, like two wars, like a Medicare part D supplement, and like the Bush tax cuts that they don't want to expire. So what they're doing, ladies and gentlemen, is they are trying to enshrine in the Constitution what is already an unfair tax system, a system that favors the rich and balances the budget on the backs of the middle class. Those are the people that pay for America's expenses, not the corporations and wealthy individuals, many of whom do not pay one red cent in taxes--and you know it's true, and they know it's true. So, ladies and gentlemen, I rise in strong opposition. This is shortsighted, mean-spirited, unfair, and wrong for America, and I urge my colleagues to vote against it.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, our right to vote is under attack. Photo ID laws on the books in nearly a dozen States, including in my home State of Georgia and pending in 35, are most troubling. Proponents say State-issued photo ID laws prevent voter fraud, but in-person voting fraud has not been a significant problem throughout the years. The problem was that too many people went to vote for President Obama. An estimated 21 million people do not have current government-issued photo IDs. The numbers are even higher for blacks and Hispanics and other minorities. The Texas legislature passed one of the worst laws whereby a concealed-weapon permit qualifies as a voter ID while a student ID does not. The Justice Department should vigorously challenge these voter ID laws. Nothing is more fundamental, ladies and gentlemen, than our right to vote. We must reject any attempts to curb citizens in the exercise of their right.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I agree wholeheartedly with my colleague from Texas, Chairman Smith. This legislation does, in fact, insert the Federal Government into State licensing of firearms, and it does it in a big way. It actually eviscerates the States' ability to regulate how or the qualifications for applicants to be able to receive a concealed-carry permit. As I stated earlier, 34 States require applicants to complete a firearms safety training course; unfortunately, Georgia does not. But that does not mean that that is right or proper. I believe that other States can certainly have a more conscientious approach to gun licensing, and certainly States have had a right to do that, and I want to preserve that right. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of my amendment to this dangerous bill, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act. My amendment is about protecting a State's right to decide who may carry a concealed, loaded handgun within its borders. It would require the possession of or carrying of a concealed handgun in a State be subject to that State's law regarding firearm safety training, including live-fire exercise. Currently, at least 34 States require applicants to complete a firearm safety training course or present proof of equivalent experience in order to obtain a concealed-carry permit; 19 States require live-fire instruction to obtain a carry permit. However, some States only require minimal training such as an Internet-only instruction. Even worse, however, are the States that do not require any firearm training to obtain a concealed-carry permit. This bill would override State laws and require States to allow out- of-State residents to carry loaded, concealed weapons in public, even if they have not met basic licensing or training requirements mandated for carrying in that State. This does not make any sense. By federally mandating recognition of all out-of-State concealed handgun permits, H.R. 822 would allow individuals who do not meet a State's live-fire firearm training standards to carry concealed weapons within their borders and prohibit States from ever restricting carrying by those individuals. According to the Violence Policy Center, since May 2007, at least 385 people, including law enforcement officers, have been killed by individuals with concealed-carry permits. None of these incidents involved self-defense. Some of these incidents included mass shootings--the most recent occurring in July at a child's birthday party at a Texas roller rink--claiming the lives of 89 innocent victims. This illustrates why States should have the right to determine who is eligible to carry firearms within their borders. They know what is best for their communities. This bill is all about the National Rifle Association and its needs, not about the American people and putting them back to work. Congress should not put its stamp of approval on this dangerous and misguided legislation. States that require a person to demonstrate that they know how to use a firearm or meet minimum training standards before obtaining a concealed-carry permit should not be forced to allow out-of-State visitors to carry concealed weapons if they do not meet that State's concealed licensing requirements, especially if a State requires that individuals undergo live-fire training to ensure they know how to properly operate a firearm. This is common sense. This is a commonsense amendment, and it will keep Americans safe. It simply would require the possession or carrying of a concealed handgun in a State be subject to that State's law regarding firearm safety training, including live-fire exercises. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and oppose the underlying bill. I reserve the balance of my time.