Bill Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. I need to point out this is not an earmark. It has already been determined that this is not an earmark. This is a question of whether or not the United States of America is going to maintain its superiority as the world leader and protect our ability to provide for our nuclear security. The company in New Mexico, URENCO, is not an American-owned company. My colleague from Colorado has already made the comments very clearly. From the National Nuclear Security Administration, from the State Department, write on down the line, we are required to purchase these types of uranium-enriched products from a domestic, indigenous source. That's what this bill is about. I would be the first one to agree that everything that we're doing in this session of Congress has to do with trying to grow our economy and create jobs. This is one area where national security is concerned where I believe it takes preeminence. With that, I urge us to defeat this amendment.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4970, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. Domestic violence is an all-too-common reality, occurring most everywhere here in the United States, and one that deeply impacts all involved. In Ohio alone, there were reportedly 70,717 calls in 2010 for domestic violence incidents. While not all of these resulted in criminal charges, it is vitally important that law enforcement have the knowledge and resources necessary to appropriately respond and investigate domestic violence calls. It is also crucial that all victims of domestic violence have access to the help they need to get out of a harmful situation and overcome not only physical abuse but the emotional scars that deeply impact the lives of victims. I am confident that H.R. 4970 would play an integral role in alleviating domestic violence in our communities by providing more than $680 million for funding per year to help prevent domestic violence and protect victims of abuse. This legislation would also increase resources for sexual assault investigations, prosecutions, and victim services, in addition to strengthening penalties for abusers. Importantly, this legislation also seeks to promote awareness for the prevention of violence by funding State prevention education programs and enhancements for campus programs. As a son, a husband, a brother to two sisters, a father of two grown women, and a grandfather of four little girls, I understand the importance of preventing domestic violence against women and also ensuring that all women have the necessary resources and protection should they ever be in need. The number of occurrences of domestic violence, physical violence, and stalking within the United States is staggering and simply unacceptable. It is my hope that this reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act will have an immediate impact on reducing domestic violence and improving services for its victims.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, growing up on that two-wheel wagon rut mule farm, I learned firsthand the critical role that America's farmers and ranchers play in our economy. And on the 150th anniversary of the United States Department of Agriculture, we are reminded that the average farmer in the United States feeds more than 150 people worldwide, creating countless jobs along the way. Just think about where your bowl of cereal, your toast, and your pancakes came from this morning. The grain was planted, raised, harvested and sold, then bought, produced, marketed, and sold to you for your morning meal. Think about all those jobs that originated from one planted seed. As the world's second largest producer and the largest exporter of agricultural products, a robust agriculture industry is critical to America's economic success. Today, I honor and thank America's farmers and ranchers who feed the world while putting America to work. And I commend the USDA on its anniversary for helping them do so.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, for almost 40 months, unemployment has been at or above 8 percent. That's too high for too long. Right now, over 88 million people are not even considered in the workforce. These are people who have given up on searching for a job. It's time to restore economic freedom to America and put Americans back to work. This will happen when Washington stops being an obstacle to job creation through its overtaxing, overspending, overregulating practices, and starts promoting an economic environment where our job creators can do what they do best: create jobs. Americans are ready to go to work. Just this past week, I sponsored a job fair in East Liverpool, Ohio, where hundreds of Ohioans showed up for a chance to enter the workforce. In fact, many job seekers actually left the job fair with renewed self-confidence, hope in the fact that they had a job to go to the next day, and a belief that the American Dream still might exist for them. We need to see more of this, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, today, House Republicans will stand up to business as usual in Washington and vote for a budget that will help our economy grow, guarantee the promise of Medicare for everyone, and put forth a true all-of-the-above energy strategy in America. Now, compare this to President Obama's budget, one filled with more of his failed tax-and-spend policies, one in which he called for over $45 billion in new taxes on energy production. With prices surging at the pump--more than doubling since President Obama took office--it's unconscionable that he would want to further burden America's small businesses and families who are already struggling. America sits on top of the largest amount of total recoverable energy resources in the world, including oil, natural gas, and coal. That's 1.3 trillion barrels of oil equivalent. Just imagine if we developed them as part of a real all-of-the-above strategy. Job creation would surge, gas prices would fall, and America would be one step closer to energy independence.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, President Obama's job-killing EPA is at it again. Last year, the EPA proposed a rule on manganese alloy production that would close down the last two manganese alloy production facilities in America, costing over 500 direct American jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. One of the facilities is in my hometown of Marietta, Ohio. These manganese alloys are vital raw components to the steel industry and are used in a wide variety of industries, including defense and the automotive industry, just to name two. The proposed EPA rule would require scientifically unproven and costly process controls to be installed on the two facilities, and the EPA has ignored the warnings that if the proposed rule is finalized it will not be economically feasible for these plants to continue to operate. Furthermore, if this rule is finalized, American steel companies will be forced to import this vital raw material from China or other foreign sources. Today I will begin work with my House colleagues to ensure the EPA does not go forward with this job-killing rule.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Madam Speaker, it's worse than we thought. President Obama and his activist Interior Department are threatening an estimated 100,000 direct and indirect coal jobs, according to a new study. This is from the administration's proposed rewrite of the stream buffer zone rule that would cut coal production in half. Instead of developing one of America's most abundant resources, the Obama administration chooses to attack the coal industry and the jobs that go with it and would rather put the American taxpayer on the hook for failed companies like Solyndra. This is unacceptable. We need solutions and real growth to create jobs through energy development, because the President's current policies continue to hurt America and are making our economy worse. House Republicans have a plan to stop President Obama's attack on coal. It's part of the plan for America's job creators that's being blocked by President Obama and Senate Democrats. This failure of leadership is irresponsible, and it needs to stop.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, here's the sign at a gas station at the corner of Pike Street and I 77 in Marietta, Ohio: $3.69 for a gallon of unleaded regular. It's one example of surging gas prices across southeastern Ohio. When President Obama took office, the price for a gallon of gas was $1.86. It has now doubled, and some estimate that it will be around 5 bucks by this summer. This is just one indicator that President Obama's energy policies have failed America and are continuing to make our economy worse. He says that he wants an all-of-the-above approach to energy, but his actions do the exact opposite. In fact, President Obama cut oil production on Federal lands by 11 percent last year and he blocked the Keystone XL pipeline. We can't afford President Obama's destructive energy policies anymore. Not only will increased energy production lower the price at the gas pump, but it will create much-needed jobs right now. Hardworking Americans need both, not more of the same from President Obama.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, President Obama's activist EPA is at it again. This destructive agency, in advancing the administration's war on coal, is forcing the closure of six coal-fired power plants in three States. Just a few weeks ago, it was announced that the Muskingum River Power Plant in my district would have to close and eliminate over 100 jobs because of burdensome EPA regulations. President Obama's war on coal is nothing new. With just one proposed rewrite of one rule, President Obama is putting tens of thousands of direct and indirect coal-related jobs at risk. Just over a week ago, the President stood in this Chamber and told Americans that he wants to create jobs and grow the economy, but his policies do the exact opposite. Hardworking taxpayers across America deserve better. They deserve effective leadership that moves us forward rather than holding us back. With over 14 million Americans out of work, we can't afford more of the same failed policies from this administration. They are hurting America.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. I thank my colleague for yielding, and it's great to be here with so many of them who also believe in not only the Keystone pipeline but that America can attain energy independence and security. When the President came into office, gasoline at the pumps was about $1.68 a gallon. Today, it's approaching $3.40, and in some places even higher than that. We face a dichotomy of leadership here in Washington, D.C. You just heard our colleague from Alabama talk about the President's State of the Union address, and he talked about an all-of- the-above approach to energy. Well, the administration's actions and their words simply don't match. And there's no more striking example of this than the President's rejection of the Keystone pipeline, a project that would have created 20,000 immediate jobs, bipartisan support, even the unions are supportive of that project, upwards of 100,000 jobs as it trickled down through the life cycle of that project; and yet the President rejected it. Hardworking taxpayers across America, particularly those in my district along eastern and southeastern Ohio, are very tired of Washington taking more and giving less. They want real leadership, they want real solutions, and they want a return to American exceptionalism. I remember, and I know many of you do, a time when we grasped the concept of American exceptionalism. President Kennedy told us back in the '60s, he said, We're going to go to the Moon in 10 years. We didn't make it in 10 years; we made it in 7 because he engaged every fabric of our society--academia, our industrial base, our economic base, our political will, and even our military was behind this idea of getting to the Moon. We saw industries crop up around space exploration. We saw millions of jobs created. We saw young people lining up to get into institutions where they could major in disciplines that would prepare them for careers in space exploration. Think about what would happen if we really had an all-of-the-above approach to energy similar to that. Think about what would happen if America had an energy policy that said, starting today, we're going to draw a line in the sand, and over the next decade, we're going to set a goal to become energy independent and secure in the United States. We're no longer going to sit on the sidelines. We're going to go after the 3 trillion barrels of oil that we already own. We're going to go after the natural gas we own because we're sitting on the world's largest deposits of it. We're going to continue to mine coal; and because we're going to invest in it, we're going to learn how to use it more environmentally soundly. We're going to expand our nuclear footprint because guess what? It's the cleanest, safest form of energy on the planet. We're even going to look at wind and solar and find out where they fit into the energy profile. We know they can't solve all the problems, but they have a niche where they can. But we're not going to sit idly by and do nothing, and we're going to start by telling our regulatory agencies to become partners in progress with American businesses, to become rather than the department of ``no,'' the department of ``let's move the ball forward'' and get over throwing up arbitrary barriers that are keeping America from going after its own natural resources. I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that if we had that kind of all-of-the- above energy policy that had action behind the words, you would again see America believe in American exceptionalism. You would see young people lining up to get into institutions to major in disciplines to prepare them for advances in energy production, distribution, and even usage. And at the end of the day, we would see and we would find out that we would learn how to produce, store, and use energy in ways that we've never even imagined. Do you know why? Because I do believe in American exceptionalism, and I know that my colleagues believe in American exceptionalism. I just don't think that our leaders in Washington and in the White House and in this administration believe in American exceptionalism. It was a striking example back last March, last spring, when the Prime Minister of Australia stood in this very Chamber and gave a presentation. We were all here. She related a story, and she said, I remember being a young girl sitting in front of my television and watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the Moon thinking to myself, wow, Americans can do anything. She went on to talk about the history of America and Australia and how we worked together to address the world's problems and how America had stood by Australia during World War II. She gave many examples. At the end of her speech, she said, I'm not that young girl today. I'm the Prime Minister of our country, and I've got a lot more experience under my belt, but I still believe that Americans can do anything. I was sitting right over there, and I remember I could feel a cleansing breath take place in the House Chamber. You could have heard a pin drop in here. We heard something from a leader of another nation that we so desperately want to hear from our own leaders. Mr. Speaker, America is the exception. We are gifted with the ability to innovate, compete, and solve the world's problems; and we've been doing it for over 230 years. We can become energy independent and secure in this country. We can return the idea of American exceptionalism to this country. We can put the American Dream back into play to the over 14 million Americans that are out of work and the 40-plus million Americans that are underemployed. I ask the President and the Senate today to begin to work with us in the House of Representatives to advance the idea of a real, no-kidding, all-of-the-above energy policy, one that puts America first above politics and above campaigning. I want to thank my colleagues for being here again tonight. Thanks for giving me an opportunity to share.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1022 authorizes the National Park Service to study alternatives for commemorating and interpreting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in the early years of the national parks. The Buffalo Soldiers were a segregated Army unit composed of African American cavalrymen. For nearly 25 years before the creation of the National Park Service, Yosemite National Park was administered by the U.S. Army. The Buffalo Soldiers played a key role protecting those park resources that have since been enjoyed by millions of Americans. Their success will be examined by this study that will focus on existing resources inside current national parks. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, may I ask if the minority bill manager has any additional speakers? We do not.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1022) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of alternatives for commemorating and interpreting the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in the early years of the National Parks, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

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

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), the author of the bill.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 290, introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), will allow the inclusion of religious symbols as part of military monuments. In 1913, a memorial that included a 43-foot tall cross was placed on Mt. Soledad in San Diego, California, as a tribute to the members of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives to defend the United States. In 1989, the city of San Diego was sued over the cross, with critics claiming it violated the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and to the California Constitution. Several remedies were attempted over the years to avoid the cross being removed by the courts. These included transferring the property to a nonprofit organization, but this, too, led to a lawsuit. The property was also declared a national memorial by Congress in 2004. In 2006, Congress enacted Public Law 109-272 to transfer the memorial to the Department of Defense. The Federal Government was sued, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the cross was unconstitutional. While the legislation does not specifically resolve the constitutionality of the Mt. Soledad cross, this legislation will, for the first time, statutorily protect religious symbols in all war memorials and make clear Congress' intent in the U.S. Code. I urge adoption of H.R. 290, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 290) to amend title 36, United States Code, to ensure that memorials commemorating the service of the United States Armed Forces may contain religious symbols, and for other purposes.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Bilbray).

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

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

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