Hank Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in loving remembrance of, and in tribute to Mr. Timothy Mills Johnson, a longtime Capitol Hill staffer with our former colleagues Mike Oxley and Spencer Bachus, and the President of the Capitol Hill Tennis Club, who passed away late last year. Tim, as he was affectionately known on the tennis court and in the halls of Congress, was an outstanding staffer, great tennis player and instructor, but most importantly, a friend to so many staffers across both chambers and across the aisles--and friendship is essential to the soul. To say that his was a life ``well-lived,'' is the true meaning of understatement. But first, let me tell you a little bit about Tim. At an early age, Tim started playing tennis under the tutelage of his grandfather Nelson Turnell, a member of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame, and his uncle Daniel Turnell, who played varsity tennis at the University of Mississippi from 1965 to 1968. Tim's competitive tennis career started at Jamestown High School, where he played for Coach Fred Natarelli. Tim had standout seasons in 1977 and 1978 as first doubles on the JHS team. In 1977, Tim was undefeated at first doubles playing in the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Tennis League. Following high school, Tim attended Syracuse University. He graduated in May 1982 with a double major in political science and broadcast journalism, was on the Dean's List for five semesters, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the academic honorary. During the summer of 1980 in Jamestown, he prepared, wrote, announced and produced radio shows on news and sports for a radio reading service for the disabled carried on a sub-channel of WHUG. This led to Tim covering all five General Conference on United States-Soviet Relations at Chautauqua Institution from 1985 to 1989, traveling to the Soviet Union, and received numerous broadcasting awards for his efforts. Following graduation, Tim worked at WKSN radio and was active in the local tennis community until 1994, when he moved to Washington to work in Congress, as a fellow of the American Political Science Association. Tim worked as a legislative assistant to Congressman Mike Oxley of Ohio, who also was manager of the Republican Congressional Baseball team, an annual tradition popular amongst members of Congress, staff, and others. Tim became the coach and one of the principal organizers for the game, a position that continued for nearly 20 years. Tim also happened to be in the dugout during the tragic shooting at Republican baseball practice in 2017. For his work, Tim was quoted about the Congressional baseball game in a variety of publications, such as the Washington Post and Roll Call. He worked tirelessly, as an unpaid volunteer, to raise money by arranging for sponsors for the Congressional baseball game and was recognized in 2014 by the respective team managers for his years of contribution to the game, ranging from shagging balls at 6:30 a.m. practices to organizing the distribution of charitable giving. Tim completed his career on the Hill in the office of Congressman Spencer Bachus, serving as Communications Director until retirement. While Tim was a presence on the Hill during the week, for almost 30 years he served as president of the Capitol Hill Tennis Club, which worked closely with the charity efforts of numerous tennis-related organizations such as the Cystic Fibrosis Celebrity Tennis Gala, the Thanks USA, the Washington Kastles, the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research, Hope Street Kids, and the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation (WTEF). For the WTEF, Tim helped organize an annual celebrity tournament where members of Congress, professional tennis players, Congressional staff, community leaders, and others played to raise money for critical causes around the country. For many years, as part of his duties with the CHTC, for countless weekends in the hot sun of our nation's capital, through his diagnosis, Tim had one of his toughest duties keeping the peace among spirited Capitol Hill staffers as he fed them tennis ball after ball, rain or shine, and more often than not, helping someone perfect a grip, shot, or foot movement on the tennis court with his trademark patience and equanimity. Madam Speaker, right now, Tim is in Heaven, serving, and is up 40- Love, but instead of raining down another serve, he gently guides the ball over the net so as to keep the ball in play and enjoy a long rally as he did for so many of us during his sojourn here.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I thank the bold and courageous women of the House of Representatives with the Democratic Party for their strong hearts, minds, and leadership in pressing the action for passage of H.R. 6, which will help millions of people--men, women, and children-- who by all accounts are already Americans. They pay taxes, serve in our military, and attend our schools. They should not be dehumanized by calling them illegals or illegal aliens. Don't stereotype them as drug dealers, rapists, and murderers. They are real people contributing to America's greatness. My district alone has over 7,000 constituents who would benefit from these Dream, TPS, and DED reforms. These are Americans whom the system is failing, people who grew up on the foundational American principle that if you work hard, you can improve the future for your children. And they do work hard. But Republican inaction and hostility have put their American Dream at risk, and they face deportation to a country they have never known. My Republican colleagues should recognize that this is a good bill. It is a necessary bill. It is a bill that will improve the country we all love. Have a heart. Pass H.R. 6.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2379) to reauthorize the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, as amended.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which 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. The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program stands as a shining example of the public safety collaboration between Congress and local governments to improve public safety and protect the officers who protect us. In the 20 years that the program has been in existence, Congress has allocated funds that have enabled local law enforcement agencies to purchase more than 1.3 million bulletproof vests. Through this program, thousands of officers have survived what would otherwise have been deadly shootings. Without the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program, local jurisdictions that lack the financial means to purchase vests would simply be unable to do so. As reauthorized under H.R. 2379, the program would give priority to small jurisdictions that apply for assistance. Those that most need the Federal support will continue to have priority. An often-overlooked element of the program is the supporting role the National Institute of Justice plays in providing expert analysis on the quality and life expectancy of bulletproof vests, ensuring that officers who patrol our streets every day and every night wear vests that will give them the measure of safety that they deserve. Importantly, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program has worked in recent years to ensure the vests that female officers are issued fit properly and provide the same protection as the vests that male officers are issued. With H.R. 2379, the House today takes a crucial step toward ending an uncertainty concerning the future of the program by permanently authorizing its funding at $30 million per year. It is fitting that we consider this important legislation at the start of National Police Week, which honors those who serve and have paid the ultimate price and sacrifice in protecting our communities. Since President John F. Kennedy first signed the proclamation designating National Peace Officers Memorial Day in 1962, officers and citizens assemble in our Nation's Capital during Police Week to thank law enforcement officers for their service, dedication, and commitment. It is in that spirit that we seek to reauthorize the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program. It is also fitting that this bill names the program in honor of the distinguished Senator from Vermont, Patrick Leahy, who played a critical role in conceiving it and who has been a consistent champion of its continuation and, now, its permanent reauthorization. I thank Senator Leahy for his leadership. I would be remiss if I were not to recognize the tireless efforts of the author of H.R. 2379, my good friend Congressman Bill Pascrell, who has worked diligently to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill that will help protect those who put their lives on the line to protect us. I urge my colleagues to support it today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from New Jersey an additional 1 minute.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This could not be a more solemn moment than what my friend from Georgia just expressed to the Nation about our State and local law enforcement personnel, male, female, Black, White, Latino, Asian, this legislation is an effort to protect them. And I will note that there have not been just one, but actually three deaths of law enforcement officers already this year in the State of Georgia. The numbers are up. It is very concerning, and this is something that we can do to help protect the lives of our law enforcement officers. I know that my friend from Georgia, Representative Collins, has a long and storied history of support for State and local law enforcement, and I stand with him in his concern, and I stand with him in his support for this very important legislation that my friend, Bill Pascrell, has introduced. I will note that a lot of little boys and girls who first go into law enforcement, they go into local and State law enforcement, and then they are able to attain their ultimate dream, which is to become an FBI agent. FBI agents are Federal law enforcement agents. They are sworn to protect and serve; they wear a gun, and they wake up every morning not knowing what they will face during that day. Some have given their lives in the ultimate sacrifice for this Nation. So, in addition to our State and local law enforcement agents, we, today, uphold our Federal law enforcement agents who work for the various Federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, with its storied history of integrity. So, it is not about what we say; it is about what we do. It is about what we say also, because what we say has an impact on those who serve us. And we cannot, because of one or two outliers, indict the entire State or local law enforcement agency for the imperfections of the few; nor can we do so with our Federal law enforcement agencies, particularly our premier Federal law enforcement agency, the FBI. I support the FBI. I support our State and local law enforcement agencies. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining for both sides?

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. The top law enforcement individual in the country is the Attorney General, and our Attorney General has declared war on the FBI by ordering a third investigation into the origins of the Mueller investigation. This is nothing more than an attack on our own premier law enforcement agency. It is politics reduced to its lowest level at the same time as Police Week is occurring. What does it say to those down the line, to those aspiring boys and girls who aspire to be FBI agents? What does it say to the men and women who are currently in law enforcement and looking to move into Federal law enforcement? Well, it doesn't tell them to not aspire to that height. I think most look beyond the politics of the day, and when they consider the legislation that is at hand, they support it without regard to political persuasion. They support the fact that H.R. 2379, introduced by my friend Bill Pascrell, is a testament to the important role that Congress plays in promoting officer safety today and for decades to come. In passing this bill during Police Week, we acknowledge the many contributions that law enforcement officers make to public safety, and we thank them for their service. We also recognize that there are challenges within law enforcement that we must weed out and that are an affront to the ideals that law enforcement officers are taught to adhere to, and we must do that, as well. But today it is not about that. Today it is about bulletproof vests for our law enforcement officers on the State and local level. We will make sure that our Federal officers are always protected, but today it is about State and local law enforcement agents and agencies, particularly those that cannot afford to purchase these bulletproof vests or to keep current in terms of these vests when they wear out. They do wear out, and they have to be replaced, and they have to have money to do that. This bill will enable $30 million per year to be permanently authorized. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that, I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, President Trump's Department of Justice letter seeking the invalidation of the entire Affordable Care Act by the Fifth Circuit is nothing short of self-sabotage. The Trump position in Texas v. United States would deny coverage for those with preexisting conditions, dismantle protections on out-of- pocket costs and the ban on annual and lifetime caps, and the return of the notorious donut hole for seniors on expensive medications would come forward again. I support this resolution. It is important that we band together to protect the Affordable Care Act and its protections against junk insurance policies. The American people deserve to know whether their Representative is going to fight for them and vote to condemn the DOJ's actions or if they will simply fall in line behind this President on his thoughtless and heartless mission to destroy access to the healthcare system for millions of Americans.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Chair, this amendment is well intentioned but riddled with inconsistencies that render it ineffective and unnecessary. Although judges should be held to high ethical standards, it is a false equivalence to claim that Members of Congress and judges face the same dilemmas. Judges do not accept campaign funds, do not represent constituents, and have no term limits. Every person who has the privilege to serve in our government should be held to a code of conduct, yet it is a misstep to assume that all branches of government have the same prerogatives and ethical pitfalls. H.R. 1 already contains a reasonable approach to expanding ethics for the United States Supreme Court, and this amendment would confuse the clarity and enforcement of these standards. The Judicial Conference of the United States is best suited to issue a code of conduct for the courts of the United States. Judges know best what predicaments judges face and how best to protect the integrity of our courts from corruption and improper conduct. We should pass H.R. 1 without this amendment so that we can create effective, enforceable ethical standards for our courts. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 8. I commend the efforts of Congressman Mike Thompson from California for introducing this commonsense legislation. What it simply does is require that all sales of firearms go through a licensed firearms dealer who has to run a background check. Current law mandates that all licensed gun dealers, before transferring a weapon, have to perform a background check. The problem we have in this country is the law allows unlicensed firearms dealers competing with licensed firearms dealers to sell just as many firearms as a licensed gun dealer, but without doing the background check. That enables criminals and people who should not have weapons to have firearms, and that contributes to the proliferation of weaponry on our streets in the hands of those who should not have them. It produces violence, and we are looking to stop the violence with this legislation, and so I ask my colleagues to support it.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 144, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 46) relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.J. Res. 46.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. President Trump's decision to declare a national emergency at the southern border to siphon funds for his border wall is an unconstitutional, grotesque abuse of power. An emergency declaration is not a last-ditch maneuver to employ when all negotiation attempts have failed. The House of Representatives has rejected the President's border wall. The Senate has rejected the border wall. And the American people have rejected this useless wall. The President does not get to override Congress in a raucous temper tantrum over his inability to broker a deal. The National Emergencies Act was enacted in 1976 to expedite the allocation of resources for real emergencies to save American lives and mitigate damage caused by natural disasters and acts of terror. It was not fashioned to allow a President to deny the will of Congress and the American people. Both Democrats and Republicans alike should be very concerned about the ramifications of this unprecedented executive action. It is a direct threat to the balance of power that our country was built upon and a violation of our Nation's Constitution. There is also no factual basis for the emergency declaration. Immigration from the southern border has significantly decreased in the last 10 years. Any attempts to characterize the border as a crisis zone are flagrant abuses of statistics, which have shown that border crossings are at the lowest they have been in 40 years. President Trump has long proved he is not married to the truth or facts, and he has no proof to substantiate his wild claims about the status of the United States and the Mexican border. We cannot abandon our commitment to responsible governing and the truth because President Trump is outraged at his inability to fulfill a campaign promise. There is wide bipartisan support for this measure, and our democracy demands that we condemn this subversion of our Constitution and this misuse of Presidential power. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro).

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The American people should know that there are not any statutes that would allow a President to declare an emergency to build a border wall, not one piece of legislation would allow that. Previous Presidents have declared emergencies, but they have never ventured into the legislative prerogative to allocate funding, and that is the difference that we have here. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), the chair of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have heard a lot of cries from the administration about there being a problem on the southern border with caravans loaded with people being human trafficked, and this is just simply unsubstantiated and unfounded. There are no reports that this happening. This is a figment of the imagination of some in the administration. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett).

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am glad that the other side acknowledges that the people approaching our southern border are not men from Mexico, but they are families with children fleeing violence in Central America. That is an important distinction. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Brown), vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, my friends on the other side keep invoking the mantra, ``Obama, Obama.'' Even though they opposed each and every initiative that he put forward, regardless of merit, now they want to come back and cite him for what he said and what he did. But one thing he did not do was to allocate funding that he was not entitled to. He always requested from the Congress funding authority. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat).

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia).

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), our Caucus chair.