Hank Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 1031. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy and a member of the Impeachment Task Force which heard evidence of the unacceptable conduct of Judge Porteous, I continue to feel strongly that the integrity of our judiciary is of the utmost importance. Based on the evidence provided to the Task Force, Judge Porteous violated his responsibility to uphold the honesty of our judiciary. Congress must vote in favor of this resolution to demonstrate that such conduct cannot and will not be tolerated from our judiciary.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, January 4, 2010, was a Monday morning, the first Monday morning of the new year. This incident happened that morning. Monday mornings are always very busy, if not the busiest times, at courthouses throughout America. People are coming in to litigate their disputes, to answer calendar calls, to answer trial calendars. There are witnesses who have been subpoenaed. There are jurors who have come to court, having been notified that they need to be there. There are courthouse workers. Of course, you pass through security. It's just like we do here at the United States Capitol and in our legislative office buildings. We pass through security. Sometimes, when people are in a hurry, they get a little antsy, and they take that out on the security officials. Though, I will tell you, despite all that was ongoing on that morning, Judge Poe, as you well know of these things that I just spoke of, on that day, a madman entered the courthouse and struck at a very soft part of security, which is when you walk right in the door and before you go through security. In the midst of all of that activity going on, he killed Officer Stanley Cooper, and he wounded Marshal Joe Gardner. Had it not been for their selfless and professional conduct at the time, there is no doubt that others could have lost their lives or could have been wounded as well. So everywhere we have security checkpoints, the officers who man those checkpoints deserve our respect. They deserve our cooperation. They deserve our recognition as well for the fine jobs that they do. I want to take this opportunity to let all of those folks on the front lines know that we here in Congress, regardless of party affiliation, appreciate their service to us. Lastly, we wish the family of Officer Cooper, as well as U.S. Deputy Marshal Joe Gardner and his family, the best in the future. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1061) honoring the heroic actions of Court Security Officer Stanley Cooper, Deputy United States Marshal Richard J. ``Joe'' Gardner, the law enforcement officers of the United States Marshals Service and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Court Security Officers in responding to the armed assault at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse on January 4, 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this resolution honors the heroic actions of Court Security Officer Stanley Cooper, Deputy United States Marshal Richard J. ``Joe'' Gardner, the law enforcement officers of the United States Marshal Service and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, as well as the court security officers involved in responding to the armed assault at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past January 4, 2010. On January 4, 2010, a man entered the lobby of the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse, pulled a shotgun from underneath his jacket, and began firing indiscriminately from outside the security area where visitors pass through the metal detectors. Through a swift response, law enforcement officers were able to chase the gunman from the courthouse and ultimately subdue him. Court security officers and members of the United States Marshal Service and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department acted bravely to subdue the gunman and minimize risk and injury to the public. Without regard for their own safety, they performed their duty and protected all who were present in the courthouse that day from the threat of deadly harm through their swift and effective response. Court Security Officer Stanley Cooper was a 26-year veteran of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and worked as a courthouse security officer since 1994. On January 4, 2010, Officer Cooper was fatally wounded and died heroically in the line of duty while protecting the employees, occupants, and visitors at the courthouse. Deputy United States Marshal Richard J. ``Joe'' Gardner was wounded in the line of duty while protecting the employees, occupants, and visitors of the courthouse. This slaying and wounding of these two officers is a sobering reminder, Mr. Speaker, that law enforcement officers put themselves in dangerous situations every day in order to protect and serve the citizens of our country. Through our recognition today of the exemplary actions of these officers, we are celebrating the nameless, unrecognized acts of bravery and service performed every day by our brothers and sisters in law enforcement. By way of this resolution, the House of Representatives commends the brave actions and quick thinking of the court officers, the United States Marshals, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in responding to the assault at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse. It also extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Officer Cooper, who valiantly gave his life in the line of duty. And it wishes Deputy Gardner a speedy recovery from the wounds that he sustained in the line of duty on that day. All of these officers are heroes. We hope their families will take pride, and in the case of Officer Cooper, a small measure of consolation and comfort, in the knowledge that their actions were recognized by this body and they are celebrated today. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished representative from Nevada, Dina Titus.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished congresswoman from Nevada, Shelley Berkley.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H. Con. Res. 249 which honors the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and acknowledges the role that it played in ensuring the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I would also like to commend Representative Lewis, the sponsor of this resolution, for his continued commitment to preserving the importance of Bloody Sunday and to also acknowledge the unwavering courage of Congressman John Lewis, and all of those men and women who suffered the brutality of Alabama State Police on that Sunday on March 7, 1965. Much blood was shed when all white troopers and sheriff's deputies used tear gas, nightsticks and whips to break up the march. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is pertinent today as it continues to provide much needed protection for minorities in my District and Americans across the country. Because of Bloody Sunday and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, all of my constituents in the Fourth District of Georgia have the opportunity to exercise their rights under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Indeed, it was because of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that all Americans were extended the right to vote guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. Mr. Speaker, in the century following reconstruction, African Americans faced tremendous obstacles to voting. Despite the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which had enfranchised black men and women, southern voter registration boards used poll taxes, literacy tests, and other bureaucratic impediments to deny African Americans their legal rights. Southern blacks also risked harassment, intimidation, and physical violence when they tried to register or vote. As a result, African Americans had little if any political power. Sunday, March 7, 1965 was certainly a milestone for the United States. I am proud to say we have come a long way from that time. It is an honor to be an African American representative from Georgia and to be a legacy of the day on which 600 civil rights marchers were demonstrating for African-American voting rights. It is through the work of leaders like Representative Lewis and the late Hosea Williams--who was a DeKalb County Commissioner, reverend, political activist, and science teacher from Georgia--that helped to codify civil rights in both the law and the heart of America that I am able to have the privilege of representing the great State of Georgia in the House of Representatives today. Mr. Speaker, as the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday has come to pass, let us not forget the work of the 600 men and woman who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, and what they did for America and the world and let us recognize the importance of this anniversary. I applaud Congressman Lewis for his leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor. Furthermore, I commend him for leading those brave marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama to stand up for political equality and fight against racial discrimination. This resolution recognizes the heroism of these freedom fighters with respect to the events that occurred on Bloody Sunday and their commitment to ensuring equal voting rights for all Americans. I strongly support H. Con. Res. 249.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 4506 an act to amend the federal judicial code to authorize the appointment of additional permanent bankruptcy judges in various states. This legislation was introduced by Representative Cohen, my colleague from Tennessee. As a member of the judiciary committee, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. As Chair of the Courts and Competition Policy subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, I have long championed the increase in federal judgeships across the United States. In this Congress, I introduced H.R. 3663, The Federal Judgeship Act of 2009, which would have done exactly this: increase the number of federal judges. The U.S. is also in need of more bankruptcy judges. According to Michael J. Melloy, Chair of the Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System, ``Additional judgeships are critical to ensure that the bankruptcy courts have sufficient judicial resources to effectively and efficiently adjudicate the rights and responsibilities of parties in bankruptcy cases and proceedings''. New bankruptcy judgeships have not been authorized by Congress since 1992, yet case filings have increased by 61 percent. The current recession has had an adverse effect on the Bankruptcy Court system. The courts are now faced with much more complex and time- consuming bankruptcy cases, not to mention an increase in volume of cases. This has led to more cases per judge than they are able to handle. It is therefore necessary that we act and authorize additional bankruptcy judges. In addition to authorizing new judges, H.R. 4506 would also convert certain temporary offices of bankruptcy judges to permanent offices, extend certain temporary offices of bankruptcy judges, reduce the amount of bankruptcy fees to be deposited as offsetting collections to the United States Trustee System Fund, and increase bankruptcy filing fees. All of this would lead to a better and more efficient bankruptcy judicial system. My state of Georgia has the third highest personal bankruptcy rate in the nation. According to the National Bankruptcy Research Center, Georgia's federal bankruptcy courts handled 66,925 filings during the first 11 months of 2009. This was 22 percent higher than the same period of 2008. This resolution will give the bankruptcy judicial system the resources necessary to review cases in a thorough yet timely manner, and turn the hectic bankruptcy process into a much more manageable one. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation, and vote in the affirmative for H.R. 4506, the Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, 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, what a dubious situation I find myself in, having to go behind the Honorable John Lewis, my colleague from Georgia, and to be in opposition to his view. But that is the position that I am in, and I will take on the responsibility. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Afghan War Powers Resolution which is before us today and give the reason why, although I do want to commend Representative Kucinich for enabling the House to have a debate on such an important issue, and I thank you for that. But I cannot foresee any good coming out of a situation where we enable the Taliban to regain control over Afghanistan and to thus become a safe haven for terrorist recruitment, development, and deployment. I'm concerned that passage of this resolution would be an extraordinary usurpation of the power of the Commander in Chief in favor of a Congress where petty, partisan politics have lately been trumping policy. Our strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan is achieving some promising successes. Pakistan is increasingly cooperating against militants within its border and our military campaigns in Afghanistan are routing the Taliban from their strongholds while decimating Taliban and al Qaeda leadership. The President clearly stated that he would bring focus to our efforts in Afghanistan and he would seek to improve conditions prior to drawing down U.S. forces. Passage of this resolution would prevent him from implementing that strategy and force a premature withdrawal. Madam Speaker, let me be clear. My intent is always to oppose war. I believe that the President shares that instinct. However, I oppose this resolution, not because I support war, but because this resolution is ill-timed and ill-conceived. Now is not the time for Congress to start a constitutional turf war. I find the premise of this resolution to be flawed at the outset. Remember, we have authorized ongoing operations in Afghanistan, and we are having enough trouble managing our ordinary legislative duties as it is. Let the President execute the strategy he said he would implement and which is yielding positive results. Passage of this resolution would send a message to the world that our President's authority to conduct foreign policy has weakened in favor of a Congress that bickers over arcane Senate rules when major policy decisions are left hanging in the balance. After too many years wasted in Iraq, an unfocused deployment of our troops in Afghanistan, this President has finally chosen to use the authority of Congress to provide a focus on the real threat. I'm happy to hear Republicans saying that the President is doing a good job, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, the earthquake on January 12, 2010, was the worst disaster to afflict Haiti in over two centuries. According to recent estimates, the earthquake has killed 230,000 people and displaced another 1.3 million. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with a long history of exploitation at the hands of world powers. Now, with severe damage to roads, ports, and hospitals, and a desperate need for clean water, food, shelter, and basic sanitation, Haiti faces reconstruction burdens that may exceed $14 billion. With such expenses in the future, Haiti is in no position to repay the debts it owes wealthy international creditors. Madam Speaker, with that in mind I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4573, legislation I cosponsored that would promote debt relief for our Haitian brothers and sisters. The bill urges the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the United States executive directors at the International Monetary Fund, IMF, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other multilateral development institutions to use the ``voice, vote, and influence of the United States'' to cancel immediately and completely all debt owed by Haiti to such institutions; suspend Haiti's debt service payments to these institutions until the debts are canceled completely; and provide additional assistance from these institutions to Haiti through grants so that Haiti does not accumulate additional debt. Despite significant debt relief last summer, Haiti owes a total of $828 million in debt to multilateral financial institutions, including $447 million to the Inter-American Development Bank, $284 million to the IMF, $39 million to the World Bank, and $58 million to the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Haiti also owes about $400 million to other individual countries. Madam Speaker, it is abundantly clear that extraordinary circumstances render impossible Haiti's timely repayment of this debt. Furthermore, our humanity should compel us to extend a compassionate hand to our neighbors in need. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

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

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today we seek to correct a technical and unintentional mistake in the trademark laws that could result in inadvertent abandonment for trademark owners who registered under our international agreement on trademarks, which is called the Madrid Protocol. At the expiration of their trademark registration term, trademark owners are required to submit affidavits to the United States Patent and Trademark Office stating that they have continuously met the statutory requirements of use in commerce or, alternatively, excusable nonuse. Such affidavits are essential to maintain current trademark registrations and to clear the register of inactive trademarks. However, due to a technical mistake in the Lanham Act, our trademark laws unintentionally prevent trademark owners who file these affidavits for registering extensions under the Madrid Protocol from having the same rights as other U.S. trademark owners. Compliance with regulations should not reduce the rights of trademark owners. Today, we will harmonize our laws with the Madrid Protocol so that this particular injustice no longer occurs. Additionally, this legislation gives the Director of the USPTO discretion to allow applicants to correct good-faith and harmless errors that otherwise would have severe and unreasonable intellectual property ramifications. The Intellectual Property Organization and the American Intellectual Property Law Association both support this legislation. In their letter in support of this bill, the American Intellectual Property Law Association stated that this bill is, ``a highly desirable amendment to the Trademark Act,'' and refers to this legislation as a ``cure'' for specific technical inconsistencies for trademark owners. However, the bill is not perfect. It includes a study provision regarding alleged trademark lawsuit abuse and small businesses. While we don't want to delay the necessary relief to the trademark owner that this bill will provide by immediate passage of S. 2968, the ranking member and I are committed to working with Senator Leahy to refine the text of this study provision at our soonest opportunity. It is time to finally give our trademark owners who register under the Madrid Protocol the rights they should have had originally. This legislative update accomplishes just that, and bolsters the rights of all U.S. trademark owners. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2968) to make certain technical and conforming amendments to the Lanham Act.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today in strong support of this resolution encouraging everyone across the United States to participate in the 2010 Census and recognizing the month of March as 2010 Census Awareness Month. Since 1930, we have undertaken the monumental task of counting the total U.S. population every 10 years on April 1st. I urge everyone across the Nation to join in the count and I applaud the actions of Representative Silvestre Reyes from Texas for introducing this resolution. Active participation in the 2010 Census is especially important in minority communities, which have been historically underrepresented in previous counts. It is important that we do all we can to spread the word about the upcoming census count in these groups. In the year 2000, 3 million of our friends, family and neighbors were not included in the census count. We can no longer afford such oversights which prevent these individuals and their communities from receiving funding. This count affects more than $400 billion in Federal and State funding for public investments, hel planners across the Nation in determining the location of schools, hospitals and senior citizen centers, and assists in determining the makeup of local and national voting districts. Mr. Speaker, fewer things in life are easier than filling out census forms. Answering these 10 questions is vital to attaining an accurate count of the American people. Let's go to work and make sure that everyone is counted. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today, I am saddened as I rise in support and on behalf of the American people who do not believe that the fate of the Nation should be subject to the whims of just one single individual Senator. The Senate filibuster was first used in 1837, and for more than a century, it has been used very sparingly and as a last resort. Even as recently as the 1960s, when the filibuster was used to obstruct historic civil rights legislation, it was used to block legislation in less than 10 percent of major bills, but a rule change in the 1970s opened up the floodgates for abuse. Suddenly, by simply threatening to filibuster, a single Senator could obstruct any bill that lacked 60 votes. Today, the filibuster is the last stand of special interests and is a platform for grandstanding by obstructionist Senators. In 2009, the Party of No, the Senate Republicans, paralyzed the country, filibustering our political process--80 percent of major legislation filibustered. Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that the Founders of our Nation intended for the Senate to be a moderating influence on the process of legislating. So they gave Senators 6-year terms of office. At the same time, they gave House Members 2-year terms of office so that they could be closest to the will of the people. The Senate was to be the deliberative body. George Washington is said to have argued that the Senate would cool legislation as a saucer cools hot tea. In that same spirit, James Madison explained that the Senate would be a necessary fence against the fickleness and passion of American politics. Yet the Senate no longer cools the tea of legislation. It freezes it cold--solid. It is no longer a fence against fickle passions; it is an impenetrable wall which is obstructing progress. The prerogative of a single Senator to single-handedly block any bill is an affront to democracy. It is clear that the minority party, utterly incapable of governing effectively while in power, has decided to obstruct those of us who are here to solve problems. The filibuster is their weapon of choice. This week, we are witnessing what must surely have been one of the most shameless exploitations of the filibuster in American history. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening after witnessing this shameless exploitation with sadness in my heart, with sadness at the absurd posturing of my friend, the retiring Senator from Kentucky, who has single-handedly blocked passage of highway jobs investment, unemployment insurance, and health coverage for Americans who have lost their jobs. When this Senator and when the previous administration were running this country, they threw wild pitch after wild pitch--an unnecessary $3 trillion war; runaway spending that turned a healthy surplus into a massive deficit; massive tax cuts for the rich that were not paid for; utter mismanagement of the economy; financial crisis and devastation to Main Street America--one wild pitch after another. So the American people went to the bullpen. They put a pitcher with better stuff on the mound. He was a lefty, but he is throwing strikes straight down the middle with speed and accuracy. But now the Senator is looking to get back into the game, and he has thrown a beanball straight down the throats of the American people. This week, in the midst of a deep recession, thousands of jobs have been furloughed, millions of unemployed Americans have feared the loss of their lifelines, their unemployment benefits, and construction projects ground to a halt. All because a single, lame-duck Senator--ostracized even within his own party--wants some attention. Well tonight I have an urgent message for the American people. Call him. Call Senator Bunning. Tell him Americans are suffering. Tell him Americans have no patience for his shameless games. Tell him America will not be held hostage. Tell him to be part of the solution or to get out of the way.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the actions of the House of Representatives in addressing the need for America's students to receive high-quality, safe, nutritious meals in school. I strongly support H. Res. 362 and urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. Many of our children depend on the National School Lunch Program for nutritious meals. In Fiscal Year 2007, more than 30.5 million children each day got their lunch through the National School Lunch Program. In my home state of Georgia, about 74 percent of public school students eat school lunch. In some counties, in the Fourth District of Georgia, up to 90 percent of students participate in the school lunch program. For many of the children in my District, school lunch fuels their day. I applaud Representative Watson for introducing this resolution. It recognizes the link between proper eating, goad health, and educational performance. We should do all we can to ensure that our children continue to have nutritious meal options available through the National School Lunch Program. I join the chairman in urging my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, last week I was shocked to learn that in the middle of the great recession, which was caused by the deregulation, hands-off policies of the prior administration, and during this time when families across my district and across the Nation are struggling with rising unemployment and while health insurance companies have recently announced that last year was their best year on record as far as profits are concerned, $12 billion last year in profits for the insurance industry, and while that's the case, they are announcing plans to raise insurance premiums by 40 percent in some markets. During this time of hurt and pain and also making money by the insurance industry off these people who are hurting and in pain, we are considering today removing the antitrust exemption that insurance companies have enjoyed for over 60 years. And it's time for this protection and immunity from antitrust law and this anticompetitive behavior, it's time for it to come to an end. This insurance industry which delivers health care to the people has been broken for a long time. We all know it, and it's time to change it. And this is a good place to change it. It will help with competition if we pass this law today. That will happen only if we start applying anticompetitive, antitrust legislation to the insurance industry. There's simply no reason why they should continue to benefit from it. Don't listen as the health insurance industry tries to tell you that they can't live under the antitrust laws. Every other industry does. It's high time that they do too. Consumers will benefit, the economy will benefit, and health insurance insurers who want to compete honestly will too. Let's give struggling American families an honest health insurance market by enacting this important bill.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the masters of information, which I call my colleagues on the other side of the aisle here, can't disagree with the fact that jobs, homes and insurance have been lost by Americans due to the failed Bush policies of trickle-down economics. I want to talk about health care. A few people came up to me during our last district work period, and said, I've lost my job. I've lost my home to foreclosure, but take care of health care. We can do it together if we stop the obstruction on the other side of the aisle. This is very important for the American people. Instead of being masters of misinformation, I think my colleagues on the other side should put aside their partisan agenda and work towards what is best for the American people.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1048, which would commend the efforts and honor the work of the men and women of the USNS Comfort and the United States Navy who assisted those affected by the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. Madam Speaker, in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake that wrought devastation upon our friends and neighbors in impoverished Haiti, President Obama pledged the ``unwavering support'' of the United States and a ``swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives and support the recovery.'' Today we recognize some of those who have worked tirelessly to fulfill that pledge. The USNS Comfort, a Mercy-class hospital ship, has previously been deployed to support Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Sea Signal, Operation Uphold Democracy, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Joint Task Force Katrina, Operation Continuing Promise, and now Operation Unified Response to support relief efforts in Haiti. The Comfort's 550-person medical staff includes trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, head and neck surgeons, eye surgeons, obstetricians and gynecologists. As of January 24, 2010, the medical staff had performed over 100 surgeries. By January 25, the ship's staff had saved the lives of 98 percent of the ship's patient population. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, which expresses our deepest condolences to the victims of the tragic earthquake; our solidarity with Haitians, Haitian-Americans, and all those who have been affected by this natural disaster; our commendation of all who have contributed to relief efforts; and, in particular, and our recognition of the invaluable efforts of those life-savers on the USNS Comfort and in the United States Navy who have provided critical immediate assistance to those suffering as a result of the earthquake.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, Whereas, the DeKalb Youth Pops Orchestra and Still Waters Youth Sinfo-Nia Orchestra are unique tools for service and inspiration for citizens around the world; and Whereas, over the past twenty plus years members of these stellar organizations have continuously given to our community by giving of themselves, their talent and their time; and Whereas, the DeKalb Youth Pops Orchestra and the Still Waters Youth SinfoNia Orchestra have instructed thousands of youth in the arts of music, performance, showmanship and civic responsibilities; and Whereas, these orchestras have performed locally, nationally and internationally enlightening the lives of people from all walks of life; and Whereas, Presidents, Governors, Legislators and citizens of the world have been touched and moved by the performances of these remarkable orchestras; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia wishes to honor and recognize the DeKalb Youth Pops Orchestra and the Still waters Youth Sinfo-Nia Orchestra for its outstanding service to our Community and wish them well on their 1st Reunion Concert; Now Therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim Saturday, February 20, 2010 as DeKalb Youth Pops Orchestra and Still Waters Youth Sinfo-Nia Orchestra Day in the Fourth Congressional District. Proclaimed, this 20th day of February, 2010.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, Whereas, DeKalb County serves as home for many of our Veterans that have served in the United States Military; and Whereas, forty-nine years ago servicemen who fought in wartime joined forces to form the ``VFW Belvedere Post 4706''; and Whereas, our beloved country, has and continues to benefit from the service of the members of the VFW Post 4706 in the areas of leadership, service and scholarship to our community; and Whereas, this unique group has given of themselves tirelessly and unconditionally to preserve integrity, advocate for our enlisted service personnel and veterans; and Whereas, the VFW Post 4706 continues to serve our country by being involved in the planning, organizing and conducting of ceremonies that commemorate and recognize those who served our country in the United States military, our children who desire scholarships to gain higher education and veterans who have fallen to homelessness; and Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor, recognize and congratulate the VFW Post 4706 on their 49th Anniversary for their outstanding service to our District; Now therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., do hereby proclaim February 21, 2010, as Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Post 4706 Day in the 4th Congressional District. Proclaimed, this 21st day of February, 2010.