Congresswoman Johnson Highlights The Benefits Of Affordable Care Act For Texas

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson announced a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which highlights the number of people in Texas that are already benefiting from the Affordable Care Act. March 23rd is the third anniversary of the enactment of the Affordable Care Act.

"Millions of Texans, including many of my constituents, are already seeing lower health care costs and receiving better insurance coverage," said Congresswoman Johnson. "I will continue to oppose Republicans' efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and work with my Democratic colleagues to ensure that this important law continues to be implemented effectively." Congresswoman Johnson continued.

The new report shows that the health care law has already provided:

- No lifetime limit on health insurance coverage for 7,536,000 residents of Texas, including 2,771,000 women and 2,094,000 children. The health care law prohibits insurers from placing a lifetime limit on coverage. In the past, lifetime limits on coverage have forced some families to declare personal bankruptcy.

- Lower drug costs for 206,304 seniors in Texas.The health care law makes prescription drug coverage for people with Medicare more affordable. It does this by gradually closing the gap in drug coverage known as the 'donut hole.' Because of this provision, in 2012 alone, 206,304 seniors in Texas saved over $140.2 millionon their drugs - an average of $680 per senior.

- Free key preventive services for 5,198,000 Texans. The law requires many insurance plans to provide coverage with no deductible or co-pay for a number of preventive health services like flu shots, annual wellness visits, mammograms, Pap smears, and colon cancer screenings. Because of this provision, 5,198,000 Texans now have access to these preventive services at no cost.

- Coverage for 357,000 young adults in Texas, who would otherwise be uninsured. The health care law requires health insurers to permit parents to retain coverage for their children until their 26th birthday. As a result, 357,000 young adults inTexas have gained health insurance through their parents' plan.

- Rebates from insurance companies benefiting 1,516,721 consumers in Texas. Under the health care law, insurers must spend at least 80 percent of premiums on medical care and quality improvement - rather than on CEO pay, profits, and administrative costs. Insurance companies that fail to meet this standard must pay rebates to their customers. Last year, 1,516,721 consumers in Texas benefited from $166,975,840 in rebates from their insurance companies.

Congresswoman Johnson Hosts Her 10th Annual Math & Science Lecture Series

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Member on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, hosted her 10^th Annual Math and Science Lecture Series at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center located in Dallas, Texas.

“The students are the future, and the Nation is depending on them,” said Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. “In order to remain globally competitive, we must have more students interested in the STEM fields.”

The University of Texas at Dallas created the Eddie Bernice Johnson Math and Science Lecture Series in honor of Congresswoman Johnson. Each year Dallas-area high school students are exposed to  the best and brightest minds in mathematics and science. They are urged to seek training that will prepare them for career opportunities in those fields.

This year the keynote speaker was Dr. Cynthia McIntyre, the Senior Vice President at the Council on Competitiveness. Dr. McIntyre spoke about her early experiences in STEM and about the conference she started for Black physics students.

“Don’t limit yourself by not taking risks,” said Dr. McIntyre. “Take a risk and do the interesting thing. Take the opportunities and maximize them for your benefit.”
Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center has received recognition at the state and national levels as one of America’s top high schools.

Congresswoman Johnson Opposes The Ryan-Republican Budget

Congresswoman Johnson recently voiced her opposition to the Ryan-Republican Budget.

“The Ryan-Republican budget does nothing to address the needs of the American people.  Families all across this country are depending on us to work together to both create jobs and reduce the deficit.   House Republicans have consistently refused to address the top priorities of the middle class, and they continue to produce these same failed policies that are not moving the country forward. The American people deserve better. Our budget needs to reflect the ideals and values of all American families and I will only support a plan that does just that.” - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

The House passed the Ryan-Republican budget by a vote of 221-207. For the third year in a row, all House Democrats voted against the Ryan-Republican budget.

Congresswoman Johnson & House Committee On Science Space Technology Examine Threats From Space

Congresswoman Johnson, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing titled, “Threats from Space:  A Review of U.S. Government Efforts to Track and Mitigate Asteroids and Meteors, Part 1,” to hear testimony on the roles and responsibilities of agencies in detecting, tracking, and monitoring near-Earth objects (NEOs), including those that are potentially hazardous; the resources, technologies and methods used; and coordination between government agencies or organizations.  Testifying before the Committee were The Honorable John P. Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP); Gen. William L. Shelton, Commander of the U.S. Air Force Space Command; and The Honorable Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Part 2 of the Committee’s examination of NEOs will be held by the Subcommittee on Space in early April.

Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson said in her opening statement, “There is increasing scientific evidence that impacts by large asteroids and comets have had profound consequences for life on Earth at various times in the past, even contributing to mass extinctions. While such events are very rare, they obviously can cause untold damage, and are not something we want to have happen if we can avoid it. I think it is our increased scientific understanding of Near Earth Objects and their potential to impact the Earth that has led Congress to take this subject seriously in recent years.”

The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has led the establishment of U.S. policy on dealing with potentially threatening near-Earth objects since the 1990s. Congress has issued direction to NASA to survey, monitor, and characterize potentially hazardous objects and to meet stated goals and timelines. NASA’s NEO program and survey has been implemented in response to the Congressional mandates. In addition, the 2008 NASA Authorization Act included direction on the establishment of a lead agency for protecting the planet and on initiating international dialogue in response to the threat of a hazardous near-Earth object headed for Earth.

Witnesses and Democratic Members discussed a number of issues including the importance of international cooperation when dealing with NEOs; which agency would have overall responsibility for protecting the U.S. from NEOs; the challenge in establishing the cost effectiveness of investing in detection or mitigation; and the impact of the sequester on the U.S.’s ability to effectively make progress on addressing these issues and emergency response.

Source Committee On Science Space & Technology

Congresswoman Johnson Introduces The STEM Opportunities Act

Congresswoman Johnson, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science Space & Technology, has introduced H.R. 1358, the STEM Opportunities Act of 2013. The legislation combines two bills that Ms. Johnson had introduced in past Congresses, the Broadening Participation in STEM Education Act and the Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Act.

Congresswoman Johnson said, "Many reports over the past decade have found that it is critical to our Nation's economic leadership and global competitiveness that we educate and train more scientists and engineers. In the meantime, research shows that women and underrepresented minorities, who by 2050 will comprise more than 50 percent of our population, are disproportionately lost at every transition point in their STEM studies and research careers. As a Nation, we cannot afford to continue hemorrhaging so much talent." 

The legislation would require the National Science Foundation (NSF) to collect more comprehensive demographic data on the recipients of federal research awards and on STEM faculty at U.S. universities (while protecting individuals' privacy); promote data-driven research on the participation and trajectories of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM so that policy makers can design more effective policies and practices to reduce barriers; develop, through the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), consistent federal policies for recipients of federal research awards who have caregiving responsibilities, including care for a newborn or newly adopted child, and consistent federal guidance to grant reviewers and program officers on best practices to minimize the effects of implicit bias in the review of federal research grants; require NSF to develop and disseminate guidance to universities to aid them in identifying any cultural and institutional barriers limiting the recruitment, retention, and achievement of women and minorities in research careers and developing and implementing current best practices for reducing such barriers; require OSTP to develop and issue similar guidance to all federal laboratories; and authorize NSF to award grants to universities to implement or expand research-based practices targeted specifically to increasing the recruitment and retention of minority students and faculty.

Ms. Johnson said of the legislation, "We did much more than just staple two bills together. We solicited fresh input from governmental and non-governmental stakeholders and completely overhauled some of the provisions that have been around for a while to better reflect today's needs and opportunities. The result is a more comprehensive bill that attempts to systematically address the full suite of issues facing both female and minority STEM researchers, from work-life balance policies, to campus climate, to better data collection, to recruitment and retention practices. We also expanded the bill to include not just researchers at universities but also researchers at our federal laboratories. Finally, we significantly strengthened the research components of this bill to increase our understanding of the trajectory of women and minorities in STEM research careers."

She continued, "I hope we can make this a bipartisan bill and move it through this Congress. Making sure we are engaging all of the talent of this country in STEM degrees and careers should not be a partisan issue."

"The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME), an organization representing 38 corporations and 50 universities, salutes Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson for the introduction of the STEM Opportunities Act of 2013," said Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, President and CEO of NACME. "We remain optimistic that the Bill will get the attention of lawmakers in the present Congress and within the Administration. The continued underrepresentation of African American, American Indian, and Latino women and men in STEM education and careers represents 'the New American Dilemma.' The failure to resolve this dilemma threatens U.S. competitiveness and our quality of life."

"We are pleased to see legislation that will support equal educational access for women interested in STEM careers," said Alyse Stofer, president of the Society of Women Engineers. "Creating environments where women and other underrepresented minorities have the opportunity to contribute genuinely is the key to creating diversity that fuels innovation.

Source - www.Spaceref.com

Congresswoman Johnson Introduces the Violence Against the Homeless Accountability Act of 2013

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson has introduced the Violence Against the Homeless Accountability Act of 2013 (VAHA).  VAHA includes bias-motivated attacks against homeless individuals as a category within the uniform crime statistics collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for the purposes of hate crimes reporting.

Current federal hate crimes reporting standards categorize hate crimes as a crime where a victim is selected based on his/her actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

“Before we can solve the problem, we must understand the problem,” said Congresswoman Johnson.  “This legislation is desperately needed if we are to send the message that homeless individuals are not out of sight and out of mind.”

“As it stands today, we must rely on third-party organizations to track the severity and scope of attacks on our homeless.  These organizations simply do not have the resources to collect complete data.  VAHA would put the resources of the federal government behind the collection of reliable data on violent attacks against homeless individuals all across the country.”

The Violence Against the Homeless Accountability Act of 2013 has gained the support of twelve original cosponsors, and is endorsed by the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Congresswoman Johnson Calls For Executive Order Protecting LGBT Workers

Congresswoman Johnson sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to sign an executive order requiring federal contractors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policies.

The letter indicates that 43 percent of gays and lesbians and 90 percent of transgender people have experienced workplace discrimination.

“Our request begins with a simple premise,” the letter said. “It is unacceptable that it remains legal to fire or refuse to hire someone based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.”

In February, 37 senators sent Obama a similar letter.

The executive order would expand one signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965, which has been expanded several times to include contractors and subcontractors doing more than $10,000 in business with the federal government. Categories currently covered are race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

While an executive order does not replace a comprehensive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, it would cover everyone but it would extend nondiscrimination protections to more than 16 million workers.

Some states have enacted workplace protections, but it remains legal to fire employees for their sexual orientation in 29 states and for their gender identity in 34 states including Texas.

During his 2008 campaign, Obama said he would sign such an order. Since then he has backed off that pledge saying he would prefer the legislative solution of ENDA.

Source Dallas Voice

Congresswoman Johnson Awarded Torch Award For Political Achievement

On March 14, 2013, the National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation awarded Congresswoman Johnson the Torch Award for Political Achievement. Congresswoman Johnson was recognized for her political accomplishments and demonstration of leadership in Congress on behalf of Black communities of America.

“It’s an honor to receive this prestigious award from NNPA,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “I applaud the efforts of the NNPA for their work in the press and I hope that together we can continue to advocate on behalf of the needs of our communities” said Congresswoman Johnson.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association, also known as the Black Press of America, is a 69-year-old federation of more than 200 Black community newspapers from across the United States.

Congresswoman Johnson Supports Congressional Black Caucus Budget For Fiscal Year 2014

Congresswoman Johnson released the following statement on the Congressional Black Caucus Alternative Budget for Fiscal Year 2014:

“The Republican Members of Congress have produced a budget that would jeopardize seniors, families, and those most vulnerable.  The CBC budget protects these interests while addressing the fiscal future of our country,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “We know that tough decisions must be made regarding the deficit, but we do not believe that cutting the services that families need the most is the solution.”

The CBC Alternative Budget, Pro-Growth. Pro-People. Pro-America., would abolish the sequestration cuts, in addition to reducing the deficit.  The CBC budget focuses on creating jobs, strengthening vital programs, increasing economic opportunity for poverty-stricken communities, and ensuring continued investment in education, workforce development, and infrastructure.

Congresswoman Johnson noted, “In this budget we also propose additional funding for investments in science and technology.  These investments are critical to the development of new technologies, innovations, and will ensure that America remains globally competitive.  The impacts of sequestration on the Nation’s R&D enterprise will only be made worse if the Ryan Budget plan were enacted into law.   The additional deep cuts to non-defense discretionary budgets proposed in the Ryan Budget would do severe and long-lasting damage to America’s ability to innovate and create the highly-skilled jobs of the future.  The CBC believes that we can and should do better.”

Congresswoman Johnson Discusses Planned Parenthood, Sex Education, And Teenage Pregnancy Rates With MSNBC's Martin Bashir

MB: from the cattle to cowboy stadium , proud texasens like to dell us everything is bigger in the lone star state . to that list we can now add the rate of teenage pregnancy . yes, according to the most recent statistics, texas led the nation in teen births with 47,751, or an average of 130 each day. despite these desperate numbers, the state'sfamily planning budge has now been slashed by 2/3. more than 50 clinics have closed. estimates show these cuts could result in 24,000 additional births at the cost of over $270 million to taxpayers. never fear, republicans in texas now want to create planned parenthood free zones in public schools referring abstinence is the only advice for family planning . congresswoman johnson is a democrat from texas sevrving her tenth term after becoming the first nurse elected to ocongress. i have a particularly soft spot for nurses because my mother-in-law was a nurse and my wife is a nurse. can you explain to our audience why in the light of the evidence lawmakers in texas would prefer not to teach teenagers about safe sex and contraception and family planning ? why would they do that in the light of being number one for teenage births?

EBJ: no, thank you, martin, for inviting me today. i am very chagrinned at my state. over 25 years ago i tried to carry a bill for sex education . you know, it's so sad, frankly, that we talk about education being half of every problem of getting answers. yet we're trying to stop education in one of the most essential areas of our life. and childbearing. and we can tell that the information is not being done scientifically because of the results. we still get more and more teenage pregnancy .

MB:  but i still -- ma'am, i don't understand how politicians who struggle to keep their own underwear on, as we know, by reputation and practice, can expect young children simply, and young students simply to embrace abstinence only and will not even allow the education, the sex education , that most developed nations regard as absolutely essential nowadays?

EBJ: well, abstinence is only a very small portion and we wrap that into religion. however, there is a scientific way to teach health practices that can be done in a classroom by a health problemgressal. that's what we need. if we don't do it in the classroom, the kids will get it online or for gossip, because they will get it one way or the other. it seems to me if we can do it professionally, we will make some gains in eliminating teenage pregnancy . we are not going to eliminate sex. we have to make sure that the proper information is in place to eliminate unwanted pregnancies.

MB:  right. now, governor rick perry has just wrapped up a speech at cpac. as you know, he's been fighting to defund planned parenthood for years. and he's still refusing anyfederal funds tied to the affordable care act . what does that mean for your constituents on a day-to-day basis?

EBJ:  well, it means for my constituents and many, many others throughout the state that women will have no access to health care and health preventative measures. because planned parenthood , where we have no physicians, and in many parts of our state, are physicians who do not take people on medicaid, and we're eliminating that, that get mammography, for prevention, and other tests. and now he's outlawing altogether. we are moving backwards. i thought we were trying to head out of the 18th century , but it appears to me we have some mentality in office now that's going to make us the laughing stalk of the nation.

MB: congresswoman johnson from texas . ma'am, thank you very much.

EBJ:  thank you very much.

Watch Video

Congresswoman Johnson's USA Today Article Defending The Voting Rights Act

"During oral arguments for Shelby v. Holder, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dismissed the overwhelming Congressional support for the Voting Rights Act as the "perpetuation of racial entitlement," and his comment was met with requisite gasps from those in the courtroom. The sheer audacity of this statement only further highlights the racial amnesia that makes the Voting Rights Act absolutely crucial. There is no excuse for Justice Scalia's willful ignorance of the hard-fought gains of the Civil Rights movement and the continuing threat to the voting rights of the disenfranchised in this country.

Blood was shed by many to ensure the right to vote for future generations. The Ku Klux Klan was ruthless in their resistance to Black voter registration. Most notably, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney were all murdered in Mississippi for registering voters. On the day known to all as Bloody Sunday, some 600 unarmed civil rights leaders marched across the Edmond Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama; they were met by state troopers with nightsticks and tear gas. Gutting the Voting Rights Act is disrespectful to all civil rights leaders who were brutalized while fighting these injustices. Dishonoring the work of these brave men and women is akin to trampling on the graves of those who gave their lives for our rights.

Those who would eliminate voting protections for the diverse body that makes up the fabric of our nation argue that these injustices have long since past. Yet the evidence shows us that racial discrimination still runs rampant in many parts of our country. In the 2012 election, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act prevented discriminatory voter ID laws in my home state of Texas. But this issue is not limited to southern states. Counties and townships in California, New York, Michigan, and New Hampshire are covered under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, and the law has protected African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans alike. After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Voting Rights Act ensured that hundreds of voters in New York City's Chinatown area were not disenfranchised. Without these protections, discriminatory policies designed by those with deep-rooted racial resentment will continue to chip away at the rights of other Americans.

The right to vote is at the very core of our democracy. As American citizens, we possess the inalienable right to cast our vote and to do so without the threat of voter intimidation. It is intolerable for election officials to neglect to provide a sufficient number of voting machines in communities of color. It is a disgrace to witness long lines of people waiting to vote, as we have seen in recent elections. We need the Voting Rights Act to combat the worst of present-day disenfranchisement.

Our country has come too far and made too much progress to have our rights stripped away from us. We cannot and will not go back. The march is not yet over. The fight has not yet been won. The role of Congress to enact legislation enshrining our constitutional rights is clear, and Congress has spoken unequivocally. The right to vote is a constitutional right and the dismissive reference to it as a "racial entitlement" is outlandish and cynical. The Supreme Court must uphold Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and send a strong message to the American people that racial discrimination will not be tolerated." - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

Article from USAToday

Congresswoman Johnson Expresses Concern About the Impact of Sequestration on Women and Children

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson joined a press conference with women Members of the Democratic Caucus to stress the impact the upcoming budget cuts will have on women and families.

In the state of Texas, approximately 600,000 women and children would be dropped from the Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) from March through September. Head Start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately 4,800 children in Texas, reducing access to critical early education. Close to 2,300 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care.

Congresswoman Johnson stated after the press conference, “Women and children will be hit the hardest by the sequester. Programs like Head Start and child care services, the vital services that the American people depend on everyday to care for their families, will be eliminated for thousands of women. The GOP is asking women and children to bear the burden of the sequester, and that is disgraceful.”

“The American people need to know the consequences of these budget cuts, and how many women and children will be severely affected. The sequester will be detrimental to the growth of our economy and the investments we have made for our future,” Congresswoman Johnson noted. “We are doing a disservice to the American people by allowing these cuts to take place, and I urge my Republican colleagues to seriously consider the harm they are causing to our country.”