Hank Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the historical account that was just delivered by my colleague on the Judiciary Committee, former Chairman Sensenbrenner, and I have abundant respect and admiration for him and his motives and his desire to protect the civil rights that we all hold dear. But I find it disturbing that today we're going to start out on a 9\1/2\-hour debate on a meaningless, redundant measure that simply instructs Congress and its committees to review regulations and we could be spending that time dealing with such a very important, serious issue such as reauthorization of this so- called Patriot Act. This bill is too serious, it's too important, to be reauthorized without any hearings, no markups, no opportunity for amendments. I was glad to be one of the true patriots to vote against this measure when it was brought to the floor yesterday on a suspension of the rules without due consideration by our Judiciary Committee. There is bipartisan consensus that these provisions need some improvement--roving wiretaps, the lone wolf provisions, especially business records. While the threat of terrorism is real and law enforcement must have the right tools to protect Americans, any counterterrorism measure must have a solid constitutional footing and respect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. If Congress reauthorizes these provisions with no changes, Americans will remain subject to warrantless intrusions into their personal affairs and a gross overreach of Federal investigative authority that could be and has been abused. It's just not how we do things in this country, ladies and gentlemen. Rather than taking the time to craft reforms that will better protect private citizens' communications and privacy from overbroad government surveillance, the Republican Party simply wants to ram this bill through without providing any opportunity for anybody to offer amendments that would improve the bill.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. We all acknowledge that law enforcement needs new tools to keep up with 21st century threats, but surely it's our responsibility in Congress to reexamine legislation that was hurried through Congress in the wake of 9/11 to make sure it lives up to our national ideals. Because this bill fails to contain any checks and balances to prevent law enforcement abuses and protect civil liberties, I must oppose the rule and the underlying bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give some advice to the Members of the majority party. My grandmama used to tell me, ``Son, keep your promises.'' As we all know, the majority promised to be focused on job creation; but the 11 bills that have passed this body thus far, in 2 months, have failed to create a single job. Watch out for these budget cuts that these Republicans are proposing also. I'm going to tell you, if you are a firefighter or a police officer or a teacher, you are out of luck. This recovery needs to work for the working people of this Nation, not just for the Wall Street bankers. Today, we should be voting for investing and making products in America, not on toothless resolutions. If we continue on this path much longer, the American people will see for themselves that they've been lied to. To the majority party, you need to keep your promises and stop shrinking the middle class. You need to be about job creation like you promised. Don't turn America into a pink slip Nation.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following: Whereas, Pastor Woodrow Walker II is celebrating fifty (50) years in preaching the gospel this year and has provided stellar leadership to his church on an international level; and Whereas, Pastor Woodrow Walker, under the guidance and calling of God began preaching the word of God as a child and has transformed over the years; and Whereas, he has pioneered and sustained Abundant Life Church, as an instrument in our community which uplifts the spiritual, physical and mental welfare of our citizens; and Whereas, this remarkable and tenacious man of God has given hope to the hopeless, fed the hungry and is a beacon of light to those in need; and Whereas, Pastor Walker is a spiritual warrior, a man of compassion, a fearless leader and a servant to all, but most of all a visionary who has shared not only with his Church, but with our District and the world his passion to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Pastor Woodrow Walker II as he celebrates fifty years (50) in the ministry; Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim October 29, 2010, as Pastor Woodrow Walker II Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, This 29th day of October, 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, Jesse and Ruth Young are celebrating seventy years (70) in marriage today in Decatur, Georgia; and Whereas, on September 12, 1940, because of their union then, our community today has been blessed with a family that has enhanced our District, Mr. Young as a peace officer and Mrs. Young as a housewife and caregiver, they both are instruments in our community that uplifts the spiritual, physical, economic and mental welfare of our citizens; and Whereas, this remarkable and tenacious man of God and this phenomenal and virtuous Proverbs 31 woman have given hope to the hopeless, fed the hungry and are beacons of light to those in need, they both have been blessed with ten wonderful children, fifteen wonderful grandchildren, twenty-eight great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren; and Whereas, Jesse and Ruth Young are distinguished citizens of our District, they are spiritual warriors, persons of compassion, fearless leaders and servants to all, but most of all visionaries who have shared not only with their family, but with our District their passion to improve the lives of others; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Jesse and Ruth Young as they celebrate their 70th Anniversary, seventy (70) years in marital bliss; Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim September 11, 2010, and September 12, 2010, as Jesse and Ruth Young Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, This 11th day of September, 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, twenty-five (25) years ago a virtuous woman of God accepted her calling to serve as Senior Pastor, and Whereas, Pastor Grace C. Washington has served twenty-five (25) years as a Senior Pastor with faithful service and devotion that has and continues to improve the lives of citizens in our district; and Whereas, this great woman has shared her time and talents as a Teacher, Counselor, Friend and Pastor, giving the citizens of Georgia a person of great worth, a fearless leader, a devoted scholar and a servant to all who wants to advance the lives of our community; and Whereas, Pastor Grace C. Washington service to the Love Life Christian Church speaks volume not only to our community, but to the nation as a whole; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Pastor Grace C. Washington on her anniversary as a Senior Pastor and to wish her well in her endeavors; Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim October 9, 2010, as Pastor Grace C. Washington Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, this 9th day of October, 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, Justice Robert Benham, a tenacious man from Cartersville, Georgia utilizes his gifts, talents and wisdom everyday to insure that justice prevails for the citizens of the state of Georgia; and Whereas, Justice Benham is a world renowned judicial leader, husband, father and community leader; and Whereas, Justice Benham is the first African American to serve on the Georgia Supreme Court, and Whereas he is a man of honor and a strong advocate of justice, education and family; and Whereas, this wise elder and man of God has shared his time and talents for the betterment of his community and his nation and through his tireless works, words of encouragement and inspiration continues to be a beacon of light to all who know him; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Justice Robert Benham for his outstanding leadership and service to all citizens in the state of Georgia, including and especially the citizens of our district; Now Therefore, I, Henry. C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim February 5, 2011, as Justice Robert Benham Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, This 5th day of February, 2011.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, we are saddened by the untimely death of Mayor Ray Jenkins because our lives have been touched by the life of this one man . . . who gave of himself in order for others to stand; and Whereas, Mayor Ray Jenkins' work is present in Doraville, Georgia, for all to see, being one of Doraville's favorite sons; and Whereas, this highly effective public servant was elected as Mayor of the city of Doraville in 2003 and again in 2007; and Whereas, he gave of himself, his time, his talent and his life as he served our nation in the U.S. Navy, with two tours during the Korean Conflict and served in the U.S. Postal Service until his retirement in 1986; and Whereas, Mayor Jenkins was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend and a man of great integrity who remained true to the uplifting of our community; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to bestow a special recognition on Mayor Ray Jenkins for his leadership, friendship and service to all of the citizens of Georgia and throughout the Nation as a citizen of great worth and so noted distinction; Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby attest to the 112th Congress of the United States that Mayor Ray Jenkins of Doraville, DeKalb County, Georgia is deemed worthy and deserving of this ``Congressional Recognition'' by declaring Mayor Ray Jenkins, U.S. Citizen of Distinction in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, This 7th day of February, 2011.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, the Grandparents of our Nation give of themselves to better the families and communities of our District; and Whereas, Grandparents teach our children, raise our leaders and Grandparents demonstrate a spirit of giving, service and leadership to our District; and Whereas, our District, families and communities have benefited from our Grandparents working to build a strong foundation in the lives of our community; and Whereas, our Grandparents have worked tirelessly to give their best to support our community mentally, spiritually and physically; to be a resource for our future and by being the bridge to our past; and Whereas the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize the Grandparents at Peace Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia, for their service, love and leadership; Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., do hereby proclaim Sunday, September 12th as Grandparents Day in the 4th Congressional District of Georgia. Proclaimed, This 12th day of September, 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, reaching the age of 80 years is a remarkable milestone; and Whereas, Ms. Lillie McGowan was born on December 16, 1930, and is celebrating that milestone; and Whereas, Ms. McGowan has been blessed with a long, happy life, devoted to God and credits it all to the Will of God; and Whereas, Ms. McGowan is celebrating her 80th Birthday with her family members, church members and friends here in DeKalb County, Georgia, on December 16, 2010, at William Booth Towers; and Whereas, the Lord has been her Shepherd throughout her life and she prays daily and is leading by example a blessed life; and Whereas, we are honored that she is celebrating the milestone of her 80th birthday in the 4th District of Georgia; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Ms. Lillie McGowan for an exemplary life which is an inspiration to all, Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim December 16, 2010, as Ms. Lillie McGowan Day in the 4th Congressional District of Georgia. Proclaimed, This 16th day of December, 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, since its founding, the Kings Daughters continues to be a worthy instrument for good; and Whereas, the Kings Daughters through Word Church International, has enhanced the lives of young girls in DeKalb County; and Whereas, the Kings Daughters goals are to provide a safe, structured and conducive environment for the youth to express themselves, learn and grow; to teach girls to love themselves as God does; and Whereas, this unique organization has seen its members give of themselves tirelessly and unconditionally to provide support for all the young ladies involved; and Whereas, the Kings Daughters continues to serve by tutoring and mentoring our youth; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize the Kings Daughters for their outstanding leadership and service to our District; Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim October 16, 2010, as the Kings Daughters Day, in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, This 16th day of October, 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, thirty four years ago a tenacious man of God accepted his calling to serve in the Internal Revenue Service in Atlanta, Georgia; and Whereas, Mr. Johnny Ross began his career with the IRS as a Control Clerk in the Collection Branch and today retires as a Case Advocate in the Taxpayer Advocate Service Team; and Whereas, Mr. Ross has shared his 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, Mr. Johnny Ross 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 Mr. Johnny Ross on his retirement from the Internal Revenue Service and to wish him well in his new endeavors; Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim September 24, 2010, as Mr. Johnny Ross Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, This 24th day of September, 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, our lives have been touched by the life of this one man . . . who has given of himself in order for others to stand; and Whereas, Mayor Howard ``Trey'' Tygrett work is present in Clarkston, Georgia for all to see, being a man of action for the citizens of Clarkston and DeKalb County; and Whereas, this giant of a man was elected as Mayor of the city of Clarkston in 2009, he accomplished much during his time in office; and Whereas, this remarkable man gave of himself, his time, his talent and his life; he never asked for fame or fortune to uplift those in need, he just wanted to move his beloved city forward and to inspire the citizens to do the same by witnessing him walk the walk and talk the talk; and Whereas, Mayor Tygrett led by doing behind the scenes and on the front lines for the city of Clarkston, be it traveling to Washington, DC, the Georgia Gold Dome or downtown Decatur to represent and advocate for the city of Clarkston; Mayor Tygrett was a husband, a father, a son, a friend; he was our warrior, our patriarch, a man of great integrity who remained true to the uplifting of our community until his end; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to bestow an honorable mention and recognition on Mayor Howard ``Trey'' Tygrett for his leadership, friendship and service to all of the citizens in Georgia and throughout the Nation; a citizen of great worth and so noted distinction; Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby attest to the 112th Congress that Mayor Howard ``Trey'' Tygrett of Clarkston, DeKalb County, Georgia, is deemed worthy and deserving of this ``Congressional Honorable Mention''. Mayor Howard ``Trey'' Tygrett, U.S. Citizen of Distinction in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed This 22nd day of January, 2011.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Whereas, Reverend Dr. George Moore is celebrating fifty-five (55) years in ministry this year and has provided stellar leadership to his church on an international level; and Whereas, Reverend Dr. George Moore, under the guidance of God has pioneered and sustained Saint Philip AME Church, as an instrument in our community that uplifts the spiritual, physical and mental welfare of our citizens; and Whereas, this remarkable and tenacious man of God has given hope to the hopeless, fed the hungry and is a beacon of light to those in need; and Whereas, Reverend Dr. George Moore is a spiritual warrior, a man of compassion, a fearless leader and a servant to all, but most of all a visionary who has shared not only with his Church, but with our District and the world his passion to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Reverend Dr. George Moore as he celebrates fifty-five years in ministry and to salute him as he retires from pastoral leadership; A true Man of Excellence; Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim September 10, 2010 as Reverend Dr. George Moore Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, this 10th day of September, 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 514, which would reauthorize expiring provisions of the Patriot Act without important modifications necessary to safeguard our civil liberties. While the threat of terrorism is real, and law enforcement must have the right tools to protect Americans, any counterterrorism measure must have a solid constitutional footing and respect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. This legislation fails to address shortcomings in the original Patriot Act legislation, and for that reason I will vote against it. One of the major problems with this bill is its failure to address the issuance and use of national security letters. These letters permit the government to obtain the communications of anyone deemed relevant to a terrorism investigation, even if that person is not suspected of unlawful behavior. If Congress reauthorizes these provisions with no changes, Americans will remain subject to warrantless intrusions into their personal affairs--a gross overreach of Federal investigative authority that could be abused. It's just not how we do things in this country. Rather than taking the time to craft reforms that will better protect private citizens' communications and privacy from overbroad government surveillance, the Republican majority simply wants to cram this bill through without providing any opportunity for anyone to offer amendments that improve the bill. We all acknowledge that law enforcement needs new tools to keep up with 21st century threats; but surely it is the responsibility of Congress to reexamine legislation that was hurriedly passed through Congress in the wake of 9/11 to make sure it lives up to our national ideals. Because this bill fails to contain any checks and balances to prevent law enforcement abuse and protect civil liberties, I will be voting against it, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, yesterday's action of repealing the health care reform, cynically called the Job-Killing Health Care Act by my friends on the other side of the aisle, is definitely an ironic misnomer--job killing--when the health reform is poised to create 4 million new jobs. The number of jobs created by repeal? Zero. So we're not about protecting jobs on the other side of the aisle. We are about protecting insurance companies' bottom line.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I thank my colleague for yielding to me. I must admit that I feel somewhat, gosh, it seems like only yesterday that the Republicans were accusing us of not taking care of what was the business at hand, which was job creation and what they call reckless spending. They accused us of wasting our time in the 111th Congress where we should have been dealing with jobs and spending, and they are doing the same thing. They are wasting their time. The first month of the 112th Congress, they are wasting their time trying to repeal health care for Americans, the Affordable Care Act. It's mind-boggling to me that after the Democrats' first month in office we dealt with the recovery package, jobs, and thereafter we went through a long process of putting in place a measure that will create 4 million new jobs in this economy that they ran into the ground. We pulled the car out of the ditch, got the car running, ready to create 4 million new jobs, health care, 4 million new jobs to accommodate the 32 million more Americans who would have access to the health care system in this country as a result of our passage of that act. And the Republicans, the first thing they do is want to kill a job-creating act that will enable their constituents and mine to have affordable health care. It boggles the mind that we would want to turn the clock back, that we would want to start walking in the opposite direction, taking away benefits that have already gone into effect under the health care act that we passed. They want to hurt small businesses which are able to receive a 35 percent tax credit when they spend money insuring their employees. I saw a report earlier today indicating that hundreds of thousands of new policies have been issued by insurance companies based on these small businesses of less than 50 people that are choosing to offer health care insurance to their employees. That is significant. The health insurance industry is making a profit by offering fair coverage to Americans. Preexisting conditions were something that young people, children, were denied insurance for under the old regime of insurance regulation. Under our act that the Democrats passed, no more can you ban children from getting insurance based on preexisting conditions, and that is something that's good. My colleague from Iowa was just talking about a young child in his district who would be denied coverage for a preexisting condition if his parents had to go back into the market to purchase insurance due to loss of a job or whatever, move, whatever the case might be. So this is quite significant. We don't want to take that health care coverage away from the children who have received it even though they have preexisting conditions. The $250 rebate for seniors who had reached the dreaded doughnut hole, seniors got a $250 check in the mail in 2010 to help them with that. In 2011, they will get a 50 percent discount on all brand name and generic drugs, 50 percent. That is going to help so many Americans with their drug bills. This is what they want to repeal. They want to cost you, as a consumer, more money for prescription drugs. And I am happy to stand on the side of those who say ``no'' to a repeal of the health care legislation that we passed. They want to be able to repeal provisions in the law that prevent and prohibit insurance companies from canceling your insurance when you get sick. That's a commonsense regulation to protect American consumers. My friends on the other side of the aisle would, at the behest of those in the insurance industry who spent about $100 million to defeat health care legislation--and that was unsuccessful, so they went out and spent hundreds of millions of dollars more to defeat the Democrats who voted for it. And so now we are at the point where they want to reciprocate to those who elected them at the expense of the very American people who voted for them. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, Mr. Speaker, it really does not. Lifetime caps on coverage already in effect, they would repeal that. They would allow the sale of insurance policies that would have a cap on them, a lifetime cap. So you would pay ever-increasing premiums with an ever-lessening amount of lifetime insurance coverage. Well, we have taken that cap off. We have taken the unfairness out of that equation by mandating that those clauses in insurance contracts are void and unenforceable. So no more lifetime caps on insurance. These are some of the things that enabled the insurance companies and their corporate bosses, offices, shareholders and the like to obtain millions and millions and billions and billions of dollars of profits every year, going up every year. Your premiums going up also, just reckless; no regulatory impact, no care about what that's doing to America. It's actually costing the taxpayers a lot of money, Mr. Speaker, because if people don't have insurance, that does not immunize them from getting sick. We're all going to get sick one day. We're all going to need medical care. We're all going to, at some point, need the care of a doctor or a nurse. And it costs money. And if we don't have insurance, it can't be paid for. So people without insurance don't get access to the health care system until they get so ill that they have to go to the emergency room. And at that point, taxpayers have to subsidize that cost. And so it stands to reason that with 17 percent of our gross domestic product being spent for medical care in this country, and the fact that that has an impact on our interstate commerce, it means that the Federal Government certainly has a role to play in regulating the health insurance industry. And that's exactly what we did. I want to now recognize, or flip it, if you will, back to my good friend from the Virgin Islands.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Ranking Member. I rise in opposition to the repeal of health reform. Repeal of health care reform would strip 32 million Americans of health insurance, including 139,000 residents of my district. Repeal will allow insurers to discriminate against people with preexisting conditions and reopen the doughnut hole, which would devastate Joseph Williams, a former corrections officer in my district who relies on Medicare for his prescription drugs. I will be voting against repeal, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution that recognizes the tragedy in Tucson on Saturday. I'm deeply shocked and saddened, and I'm praying for Gabby, her family, staff, and the other victims of this senseless act of violence. In times like these, words often fail to describe our anguish and pain. As a fellow Member of the class of 2006, I've gotten to know Congresswoman Giffords well and have developed enormous respect for her intellect and her love for this country. She and I have served together on the House Armed Services Committee. And she was very gracious on the morning of President Obama's swearing in. She offered to share her blanket with me as we both braved the cold during the inauguration. We kept each other warm, and we had warm dialogue and happy moments. Gabby and her staff were performing a fundamental duty of a Member of Congress: That is listening to the concerns of her constituents. Our democracy depends on this type of open and informal meeting of elected officials and the people that they serve. We cannot let this cowardly act of violence prevent us from engaging with our constituents. I encourage my colleagues to take appropriate caution but to continue holding constituent meetings and do the job we were elected to do without fear. To do otherwise would allow the gunman a small taste of victory and would diminish our democracy and dishonor the victims of this senseless act. I look forward to Gabby's speedy recovery and to working with her on the Armed Services Committee again soon. And I would like to say a few words about Federal Judge John Roll, who lost his life on Saturday. Judge Roll was with Congresswoman Giffords the day of the shootings to press for funding to relieve overcrowding in his district.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Judge Roll had been a lifetime servant of his community and his State, 63 years old. And as Justice John Roberts said, Judge Roll's death is a somber reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it. Finally, I would like to recognize the other victims. I won't name them, and I do not know them personally, but I want to express my sympathy and condolences to their families.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution to Cut Congress's Budget. The American people are hurting and they deserve responsible leadership. This legislation, however, is an effort to deceive the American people into thinking that this new Congress is making a real effort to reduce the deficit. In fact this Congress is on a path to grow the deficit even further without providing any help to the American people. As families cut their budgets to get their fiscal house in order, Congress should do the same. I have returned $109,000 to the Treasury since I took office and will take further efforts this year to save taxpayer money. That is why I am confident that a five percent reduction in the budget for Congress will be manageable for Members and staff and good for the United States. I understand why this bill is on the floor today and I support this bill. Unfortunately, it is a symbolic and purely political gesture. This majority recently passed rules that will exempt tax cuts from complying with the PayGo rule, guaranteeing a ballooning of the government's debt. In addition, they repeal a rule that prohibits reconciliation bills from increasing the deficit, further paving the way for tax cuts, regardless of the impact on the deficit. The hypocrisy continues with an exception for the cost of repealing health reform. In fact, repealing health reform explodes the federal deficit by $230 billion over the next ten years and $1 trillion over the next two decades, while stripping Americans of important benefits. It's pure hypocrisy to add $1 trillion to the deficit, and then tell the American people we are doing something about the deficit by cutting our own budgets by 5%. I would remind the new majority that PayGo rules in the 1990s led to enormous budget surpluses. It was the Republican controlled Congress that repealed the PayGo rules allowing Republicans and President Bush to cut taxes and engage in two wars without concern for the deficit. We are paying for their mistakes today and we will be paying for them for generations. I regret that today's Republican majority appears to be the same as the old. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and then to fight for real fiscal responsibility that puts the middle class first.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of House Resolution 1779 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to include their statements into the Record.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 6560) to amend title 28, United States Code, to clarify and improve certain provisions relating to the removal of litigation against Federal officers or agencies to Federal courts, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, the Removal Clarification Act of 2010 will enable Federal officials--Federal officers, in the words of the statute--to remove cases filed against them to Federal court in accordance with the spirit and intent of the current Federal officer removal statute. Under the Federal officer removal statute, 28 U.S.C. 1442(a), Federal officers are able to remove a case out of State court and into Federal court when it involves the Federal officer's exercise of his or her official responsibilities. However, more than 40 States have pre-suit discovery procedures that require individuals to submit to deposition or respond to discovery requests even when a civil action has not yet been filed. Courts are split on whether the current Federal officer removal statute applies to pre-suit discovery. This means that Federal officers can be forced to litigate in State court despite the Federal statute's contrary intent. This bill will clarify that a Federal officer may remove any legally enforceable demand for his or her testimony or documents, if the basis for contesting the demand has to do with the officer's exercise of his or her official responsibilities. It will also allow for appeal to the Federal circuit court if the district court remands the matter back to the State court over the objection of the Federal officer. When a similar bill passed the House in July, I explained that the bill will not result in the removal of the entire case when a Federal officer is merely served with a discovery request. The version of the bill we consider today reflects refinements proposed by the Senate to make that even clearer. The bill now states that ``[i]f there is no other basis for removal, only that proceeding may be removed to the district court.'' This makes very clear that the Federal court must consider the discovery request served on the Federal official as a separate proceeding from the underlying State court case. This bill continues to have strong bipartisan support, and I would like to thank Chairman Conyers, Ranking Member Smith, and the Ranking Member of the Courts Subcommittee, Howard Coble of North Carolina, for their work on this bill. I would also like to thank Courts Subcommittee counsel Liz Stein for all her tremendous work on this bill over several months. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.