Bill Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained during this vote, but had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 70.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, America is hurting, with painfully high gas prices, rampant inflation for everyday goods, from groceries to clothing, and it looks like it is going to get much worse before it gets better. How did we get here? Well, some say it was the pandemic, others say it is the war in Ukraine. Well, what if I told you this has been going on for quite a long time? In 2017, Republicans in Congress started an investigation into Russian interference. No, not that Russian interference, but real interference into the debate over American energy. Let me explain. The Biden administration is right now trying to distance itself from their anti-coal, anti-oil and gas actions and policies. Their war on affordable, reliable energy, blocking pipelines, slowing permits, and promoting an ill-advised rush to green. You see, Europe tried this already, walking headlong into dangerous energy dependence on Russia. The results of that are now clearly evident. We see it playing out in the horror unfolding in Ukraine. Europe could have taken a path of self-reliance if it wasn't for their politicians caving to radical activists to rush renewables and cutting off their own reliable energy resources like nuclear, oil, gas, and coal. France banned fracking in 2011; Bulgaria in 2012; the Netherlands in 2015; Germany in 2017; the U.K. in 2019. All the while becoming more dependent on Putin's Russia for reliable energy. Well, what if I told you that Russia sent at least $95 million to radical green groups in Europe who helped achieve these goals? The investigation I mentioned earlier conducted by the Republican-led Science, Space, and Technology Committee, uncovered evidence that Russia may have done and is continuing to do the same thing right here in America. It is time to reopen that investigation. I sent a letter today to the relevant committee chairs to do just that. Throttling back our own American energy resources is exactly what Vladimir Putin would want us to do. To borrow a term from the Cold War, Madam Speaker, let's not be fellow travelers with the green agenda. Let's reopen that investigation into potentially real Russian interference.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. The Bible, wow, what a book. You know, Billy Graham said in the 1950s in one of his early books called ``Peace with God,'' he said: There is one thing that has never changed since day one of creation. The truth has always been the truth, and it always will be. There is only one place to go to find that truth, and that is in God's Holy Word, the Bible. You know, I think our Founders understood that nearly 2,000 years before Billy Graham ever spoke those words on the floor of the Constitutional Convention. Benjamin Franklin, in a moment of frustration because they were at an impasse trying to write the Constitution of the United States, brought focus to what was happening on the Convention floor. He was recognized by the President of the Convention, George Washington, and he stood up and said these words: I have lived long, sir, and the longer I live and the more I see, the more convincing proof I see of this truth that God deals in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow can't fall from the sky without His notice, how do we think it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? Other Founders understood where the truth was to be found. John Adams went on to say: The Constitution of the United States is a document designed to govern a moral and religious people, and it is wholly inadequate for any other. I believe that is because our Founders understood that to be a self- governing people, we had to be grounded in our faith. We had to be self-responsible people and that there were no more self-responsible people on the planet than those who lived by the truth contained in the Scriptures. My prayer for our country and for each of us today is that we would live by the prayer that Paul prayed to the church in Ephesus: That God would send His Holy Spirit to give us His wisdom and His revelation that we might know Him better because it is only knowing God better that we can understand the truths that lie in that precious book, the Bible.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, this administration's assault on American energy--oil, natural gas, and coal--is causing energy prices to surge. They say they are doing this to address climate change, but make no mistake, this is not about carbon, it is about control. President Biden and his liberal allies in this body do not want our Nation to return to the energy independence we had just 2 short years ago because it means they would have less control over our daily lives. They want working families to feel economic pain in order to force them to change their behavior and reject fossil fuel generated electricity. Consider this. Gas prices are up 61 percent over last year. It is estimated American families could face a 54 percent increase in their home heating bills this winter. When asked about its plan to lower energy prices, the Biden administration essentially told us that high energy prices are punishment for using fossil fuels--oil, gas, natural gas, coal--and that sacrifices must be made to make progress on the climate crisis, something China and Russia are absolutely not willing to do. Surging energy prices in the Biden administration's out-of-control government spending that is causing inflation to surge to more than 6 percent is causing everything to cost more, from gasoline to groceries. Yet, while this Thanksgiving could be the most expensive in history, one administration official called this inflation tax a ``high-class problem.'' Put simply, when inflation increases, wages decrease. Everyday goods cost more. It hurts the poor, the middle class, our seniors, and those living day-to-day on a fixed income the most. Make no mistake, hardworking Americans can't afford this administration's agenda and its complete lack of compassion and respect for working families any longer. I urge my colleagues to stand up to this administration's far-left social reengineering agenda and the assault on fossil fuels that will continue harming the very Americans they claim so much to want to help the most.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, there is a major disconnect between political elites here within the Washington beltway and the hardworking Americans that live beyond it. The American people in Virginia spoke loud and clear Tuesday. Those serving in this building and at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue would be wise to listen. Americans want less government in their lives, not more. They are sick of mandates. They are tired of being called racist. They are worried about the increasing lawlessness in our cities. They are angry their fellow Americans were left behind in Afghanistan. They are frustrated that more of their paychecks are being taken from them at the gas pump and the grocery store. And they distrust a media that arrogantly dismisses their concern. They are facing a bleak holiday, a cold, expensive winter, and a down-sized American Dream. And they know full well the bigger Washington gets and the more it spends, the less freedom they have. The President's agenda isn't about protecting the climate, providing vaccines, healthcare, or education funding. It is about control. And the American people are seeing through it.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, the cost of everything is spiking, from gas to groceries. One of the main reasons for these spikes is that energy costs are soaring. Affordable, reliable energy fuels our economy and our daily lives. But some of my colleagues don't like the affordable, reliable energy that has built our economy and lifted billions of men, women, and children around the world out of poverty. Why? Because this energy has been provided by fossil fuels and nuclear power, energy sources vilified by many wealthy elites and the activist class, those least impacted by these high prices. Make no mistake, when pipelines are blocked, new leasing on Federal lands is stopped, and mines are forced to close, working families pay the price. This rush to green is a tax on working families, the middle class, because a larger part of their paychecks is consumed by these increasing prices on items necessary for daily life. The American people should know, this race to green is not really about carbon. It is about control.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this harmful methane resolution. It is just another example of this majority's and this administration's ever-changing ``support our global competitors at the expense of America's workers'' energy narrative. They say they don't want to ban hydraulic fracturing, interfere with American energy dominance, or increase supply chain dependence on China, but with their renewed Obama-era regulations, the cancellation of America's pipeline projects, and proposed bans on domestic plastics manufacturing, it is clear they have an ulterior energy plan that might as well have been written in Moscow or Beijing. And the American taxpayer is footing the bill. As oil and gas prices rise with our country reopening from the pandemic, there should be an increase in new wells being drilled and rigs being brought online to meet demand, but reports suggest this is not the case. Under pressure from radical environmentalists, coupled with the risks of an uncertain regulatory environment, American oil and gas producers are reducing drilling investments, costing jobs, and increasing the likelihood of continued price spikes at the pump and at the grocery store. While Democrats continue their assault on America's hard-earned global energy dominance, our adversaries have positioned themselves to take advantage of America's absence at the leadership table while also making a profit. In just the latest example, President Biden lifted sanctions on the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Putin's pipeline, which will be operational soon, sending Russian gas to Europe and billions into Putin's pocket. While he lifts sanctions on the Russians here at home, the President is, in effect, imposing sanctions on America's energy workers, all without Russia or China having to lift a finger. America's energy security--in effect, our national security--cannot depend on President Biden's weak leadership any longer. Mr. Speaker, you can just add this methane resolution to the long list of President Biden's predictably terrible policy solutions. Not only are we better than this, but we are smarter than this. I urge my colleagues to oppose this measure.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Reauthorization Act. I thank my colleague, Representative Thompson, for his hard work to get this important legislation across the finish line; and I thank Ranking Member McMorris Rodgers for yielding time. The United States Anti-Doping Agency, or USADA, has worked hard to ensure that our athletic programs are the best in the world, and also the cleanest. Critical to maintaining that success is ensuring our athletes are competing fairly, without the use of performance-enhancing drugs, which is why I have introduced the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Reauthorization Act. USADA must have the resources it needs to ensure the integrity of its programs and advance the American values of sportsmanship and playing by the rules on the global stage. In addition to funding the agency, this legislation adds a special focus on clean sport training for young athletes and their coaches, and enables USADA to better coordinate with Federal law enforcement. With the Olympics and other international sporting events just around the corner, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this objection and to give voice to the 249,386 men and women of Ohio's Sixth Congressional District who have had their voices silenced by the rogue political actors in Pennsylvania who unilaterally and unconstitutionally altered voting methods to benefit the Democratic candidate for President. Secretaries of state and State supreme courts cannot simply ignore the rules governing elections set forth in the Constitution. They cannot choose to usurp their state legislatures to achieve a partisan end, Constitution be damned. Madam Speaker, this is a sad day for America. We have seen too many sad days like this recently: assaults on courthouses, police stations, and now the U.S. Capitol. People who disagree with the results of police work and court decisions are wrong to respond violently. And people who disagree with the results of an election are also wrong to respond with violence. Thank you to the Capitol Police and all the law enforcement involved for protecting the people's House today. Madam Speaker, some may question our motives for raising these objections, but other than the Bible, our Constitution is the most sacred document known to man because it created the most free and prosperous nation in human history. 2021 has the chance to be remembered for when the leaders of a deeply divided America came together to defend that sacred document and to ensure that the integrity of future Presidential elections is ensured. It is imperative we take this opportunity. The future of our Republic depends on it. Benjamin Franklin, in the summer of 1787, during the heated debate to create our sacred Constitution, said these famous words: ``I have lived long, sir, a long time . . . and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth . . . that God governs in the affairs of men. ``And, if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writing that `Except the Lord build it, they labor in vain that build it.' '' Madam Speaker, I pray that we would turn to the God Almighty that ordained our Nation into being to help us in our time of need.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I, too, rise today to pay tribute to my good friend and mentor on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Greg Walden. I spent 27 years in the United States Air Force. We lived by a code of conduct every day. We came to work. We embodied those core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all that we do. In my experience, it is not often that you find people in private life or in other sectors of public life who also embody those same core values, but Chairman Greg Walden does. Whether he was fighting for healthcare changes for the American people, to make America more energy independent and secure, whether he was trying to make sure that Big Tech did not overrun the American people, you could always count on Greg Walden to be out in front leading, not following, and, certainly, not leading from behind. I learned a lot in the 6 years that I served with Greg Walden when he was on the Energy and Commerce Committee as the chairman, and even before that as chair of our National Republican Congressional Committee. It is with a great deal of sadness that we see him leave because a lot of core institutional knowledge is going to go out the door. But I want to say how much I have admired working with Greg Walden.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about a missed opportunity, a missed opportunity to deliver for the American people an energy strategy that advances America's exceptionalism. Instead, while this energy package isn't quite the radical left's Green New Deal, it is certainly inspired by it. Madam Speaker, you have heard about the dozens of other amendments Republicans offered to show our vision for America's energy future, including two of mine that would break down regulatory barriers to export more American LNG and advance America's nuclear power technology. But those amendments were ruled out of order by the majority. What we are left with is unserious legislation that picks winners and losers, throws billions of taxpayer dollars at green pet projects, and lacks the needed regulatory reforms to bring America's energy economy into the 21st century. Energy dominance is key for America to remain at the head of the global leadership table. Unfortunately, today was a missed opportunity to strengthen America's position, an exercise in futility since the Senate will not consider this bill, nor should it. Madam Speaker, while I support this Republican en bloc of amendments, I urge my colleagues to oppose the underlying bill.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, for those wondering what it is like to be a Black police officer amid the violent demonstrations that continue in cities across our country, consider what Portland Police Officer Jakhary Jackson said about the rioters in his own words. ``It's been very eye-opening. It says something when you're at a Black Lives Matter protest and you have more minorities on the police side than you have in a violent crowd, and you have White people screaming at Black officers.'' Let me repeat Officer Jackson's words once more, because you will not hear any of this from our national media. Once again, here are the words of a Black police officer facing a violent mob of predominantly White anarchists. ``It's been very eye-opening. It says something when you're at a Black Lives Matter protest and you have more minorities on the police side than you have in a violent crowd, and you have White people screaming at Black officers.''

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, we are here today debating a massive stimulus bill, not by choice but by duty. The coronavirus is an unseen enemy that threatens countless American lives, a nuclear bomb to our economy. Yesterday, we learned a record 3- plus million Americans have filed for unemployment. Workers are hurting. Small businesses are hurting. Thousands of Americans are sick. Health experts tell us we have several more weeks of this collective suffering ahead. But there is good news, lots of it. Americans from coast to coast are pitching in to help the cause. Businesses are changing production lines to make ventilators and hand sanitizer. Surgical masks are being donated by the millions. We are lining up to give blood. Healthcare workers are being cheered like rock stars during shift changes. Americans are pulling together. Everyday heroes are emerging, the teachers teaching their classes over the internet and the doctors and nurses working superhuman shifts while friends and neighbors step up to provide childcare for them. We are seeing the best of America. Now the House must do its part. Vote ``yes.''

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, this is a sad day for America. This partisan impeachment sham seeks to disenfranchise 63 million American voters. I want to use my time to call on this Chamber, for Members to rise and observe a moment of silent reflection, to give every Member here the chance to pause for a moment and remember the voices of the 63 million American voters the Democrats today are wanting to silence. Madam Speaker, disenfranchising 63 million voters gives me 63 million reasons to vote ``no'', and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Chair, Americans see a Congress paralyzed by impeachment and other distractions. We should change course, do our job, and put our constituents before partisan politics. Reducing prescription drug prices is a way to do that. My friends across the aisle brag about ``affordable'' healthcare in other countries, but they don't mention the hidden costs. Look at a young boy from Canada, Ashton Leeds, who, in 2018, was stricken with an aggressive form of thyroid cancer. Treatments approved by the Canadian health system failed, and his life was saved when his family brought him to America for a cutting-edge treatment unavailable in Canada. This isn't an isolated instance. As my Republican colleagues have described today, the data shows that H.R. 3 takes us in the wrong direction--stifling innovation and reducing future cures. Madam Chair, Americans are desperately looking for relief at the pharmacy counter, and we can give it to them with H.R. 19, a bipartisan proposal with a real chance of becoming law, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation that will benefit all Americans by addressing the nuisance of robocalls. Unwanted and annoying robocalls are increasing at an alarming rate. Some estimate that U.S. consumers received nearly 4 billion robocalls per month in 2018. This needs to end. This legislation would require service providers to adopt call authentication technologies and would establish additional protections for consumers receiving unwarranted and sometimes fraudulent robocalls. It would also require the FCC to work with other Federal agencies on improving deterrence and criminal prosecution of robocall scams. I am also pleased that the legislation includes legislation that I sponsored with my colleague, Representative Butterfield, which requires the FCC to publish an annual report on the private-led efforts to trace the origin of unlawful robocalls, an important step in stopping these bad actors from reaching consumers. It is time for Congress to act and prevent these illegal and unwanted robocalls, and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, once again, Members returned to Washington this week. And, once again, important bipartisan work on issues like lowering prescription drug prices, encouraging rural broadband build-out, passing the USMCA trade bill, and improving America's aging infrastructure has stalled because of the very partisan efforts to impeach President Trump. This week, the Democratic majority will hold more secret meetings in the Capitol basement, release more selective, cherry-picked leaks designed to confuse the American people, and continue their guilty- until-proven-innocent sham to impeach the President. They have been plotting this since he was walking down Pennsylvania Avenue on January 20, 2017, and probably even before that. But, the Russian collusion hoax failed miserably, and the Robert Mueller testimony gave them nothing. So, now, they are on to plan B. They say they have the evidence to impeach, but we have already heard that song. Democratic leaders have claimed to have evidence before. Let's see if they can actually produce their evidence this time. Let's get on with working for the American people.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the important work being done at the VA to help prevent suicides. An estimated 45,000 Americans die each year from suicide. Roughly 6,000 are veterans. That is over 16 per day, over 115 per week. Suicide is a national public health issue, and it is important that we educate ourselves on how to recognize the warning signs. In the spirit of Suicide Prevention Month, the VA has launched efforts to help deliver assistance to veterans, funding for additional research, strategies to educate communities about suicide prevention, and collaboration with public and private partnerships to implement tools to help curb suicides among our Nation's veterans. As a fellow veteran, I have seen firsthand some of the difficulties veterans face following their military service, and we owe to them our support after they have sacrificed so much. Veterans are all around us--neighbors, friends, and family members--and they deserve our utmost attention. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the VA for their support and their work in addressing this important issue.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3375, the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act. These unwanted and annoying robocalls, which are increasing at an alarming rate, need to end. I am very pleased that the House has set aside partisan differences and worked together on legislation to benefit all Americans and address this serious issue. This important legislation would require service providers to implement new technology that ensures caller ID is authenticated and establishes additional protections for consumers receiving unwanted and sometimes fraudulent--robocalls. I am also pleased that H.R. 3375 includes legislation that I sponsored with my colleague, Representative Butterfield, which would require the FCC to publish an annual report on the private-led efforts to trace the origin of unlawful robocalls, an important step in stopping these bad actors from reaching consumers. This kind of illegal, annoying, and harassing activity must stop, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Chair, my amendment would address the ongoing opioid crisis by funding the Regional Centers of Excellence in Substance Use Disorder Education, which was authorized last year as a part of H.R. 6. This program aims to increase the amount of education that health professional students receive on substance use disorder, pain management, and addiction. While health professional students are eager to address addiction and the opioid epidemic, only a handful of medical schools have robust curriculums on the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders. By recognizing institutions that have put a focus on these areas and sharing their strategies publicly, we hope to ensure that the next generation of health professionals are fully prepared to address the opioid epidemic and other forms of addiction. Healthcare providers are in a unique position to recognize a patient suffering from addiction, and it is important that their training fully prepares them to take on this important and potentially lifesaving role. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for supporting the amendment. I, too, urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I thank Representative Tonko for working with me on this program in the Energy and Commerce Committee and on this particular amendment. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 10- year anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war, a conflict that is estimated to have left over 100,000 people dead. Today, I wish I could also rise in celebration of a now-unified Sri Lanka, where war crimes for this bloody conflict had been accounted for and transitional justice had occurred; where land used by Sri Lanka's military had been fully returned to its citizens and the government was a true democracy, operating with transparency and representative of all its people, regardless of ethnicity or religious beliefs. However, 10 years later, these essential rights have yet to be fully recognized. Mr. Speaker, while it is true that the Sirisena government has made some progress towards fulfilling its commitments at the U.N. Human Rights Council, I rise to urge the Sri Lankan Government to make meaningful progress on all fronts to restore democratic principles for all Sri Lankans and ensure the country can move forward as a unified, prosperous nation.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I was absent during last night's amendment votes and final passage vote on H.R. 987 due to travel for an unavoidable medical appointment back in Ohio. Below is how I would have voted on the amendments and final passage. Had I been present, I would have voted: YEA on Roll Call No. 210; NAY on Roll Call No. 211; NAY on Roll Call No. 212; YEA on Roll Call No. 213; and NAY on Roll Call No. 214.