Congresswoman Johnson Urges Texas Schools To Test For Lead In Drinking Water And To Address Problems

"During the past year, the nation has watched a tragedy unfold in Flint, Mich., where the drinking water was severely contaminated by lead. Since kids returned to school last month, it's important to know that lead in drinking water is also a major problem in schools across the country, including right here in Texas.

Lead exposure, especially for children, can cause very serious health problems, including decreased bone and muscle growth, damage to the nervous system and kidneys, and developmental delays. In adults, lead exposure can cause kidney failure and high blood pressure.

Lead exposure from drinking water is not a new issue. Historically, lead was used in water mains, service lines, and plumbing fixtures, including in schools built before 1986. Over time, the lead leaches out of the pipes and fixtures and into the water coming out of the taps. Thirty years ago Congress banned the installation of lead pipes after research showed how exposure to lead can be dangerous, especially for children and pregnant women.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control agree there is no known safe level of lead in a child's blood, but water utilities are required to take action only when lead in drinking water is 15 parts per billion in 10 percent of test results.

Lead poisoning is irreversible. But is also preventable. If there is any place we should be preventing lead exposure, it should be in the place where our kids spend most of their time. Yet many school districts across the country have now confirmed lead contamination in schools' drinking water. In Texas, as of July, 28 out of 116 schools tested were found to have unsafe lead levels. 

Some school districts are taking action to get lead out of drinking water. Fort Worth Independent School District began testing drinking water at its 140 schools in June and posted the results online. They are now working to replace hundreds of drinking fountains that are more than 30 years old, eliminating some risk of lead contamination. In Houston and Dallas, all schools will be tested for lead by the end of the year.

All Texas schools should regularly and properly test their water for lead. Schools should post test results online in a timely manner so parents know immediately if their kids are at risk. Schools should be up-front with parents, letting them know that there is actually no safe level of lead in water — even if test results are below levels that trigger mandatory action. Ripping out lead pipes and replacing fixtures is the ultimate solution, but in the meantime, schools need to ensure that kids have safe drinking water right away by installing filters on drinking fountains or providing bottled water.

Testing and replacing lead pipes and fixtures will cost money, and the federal government should provide assistance to our schools. Fortunately, Congress is working to do just that. The Senate version of the Water Resources Development Act would distribute $4.8 billion for national water infrastructure management, including $220 million to address the Flint crisis; a grant program offering $300 million to replace lead pipes; and a new $20 million federal grant program for schools to test for lead. Congress should quickly approve this funding, and the Texas Legislature should match it with state funds in the spring.

 Children spend a significant portion of their young lives at school. We owe it to them to keep them safe from toxic chemicals that may impede their learning and harm their health." - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

SOURCE: Dallas Morning News

Congresswoman Johnson Joins Congressional Black Caucus Members At Department Of Justice

Congressional Black Caucus members spoke to reporters at the Department of Justice about a letter they wrote to Attorney General Loretta Lynch calling for an investigation into the deaths of African Americans in police-involved incidents. Congresswoman Johnson joined CBC Chairman G. K. Butterfield, and members of the CBC at the U.S. Department of Justice to address the systematic surveillance and profiling of African Americans by law enforcement in communities across the country:

“The Congressional Black Caucus is outraged and deeply troubled with the dozens of unlawful police shootings taking place all across America involving unarmed African American men, women and children,” said CBC Chairman Butterfield. “Tensions are very high in our country, and violence does not lead to justice. We urge Attorney General Loretta Lynch and the Department of Justice to aggressively pursue investigations, indictments and prosecutions through the Office of Civil Rights, against any and all law enforcement officers who harm or kill innocent, unarmed African Americans.  There must be a national standard regarding the use of lethal force, and the Congressional Black Caucus will not rest until fairness and justice have been brought to the victims, families and communities who have suffered at the hands of law enforcement.”

Congresswoman Johnson Introduces Energy - Water Nexus Legislation

“I first want to thank my friend, Mr. Cartwright, for joining me in introducing this legislation, which calls attention to the critical link between energy and water and instructs the Department of Energy to ensure due consideration of water issues in its research, development, and demonstration programs.

“As we all know, especially those of us who represent Texas and other southwestern and western states, water is a very valuable and at times rare commodity nowadays. We have experienced crippling droughts in recent years, so it is vital that we do as much as possible to use this commodity wisely. However, not many people are aware of the importance of water to energy generation and, similarly, the crucial role that energy plays in the delivery of safe, sanitary water to our constituents.

“The Energy and Water Research Integration Act is a proactive measure that takes into account recent studies produced by the Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute, both of which have highlighted how closely connected energy production and water usage are. This bill encourages research into energy technologies that would improve and minimize the use of water in energy production, and also establishes a mechanism for federal agencies to work with state and local governments and other stakeholders to advance our understanding of what is known as the ‘energy-water nexus.’ In addition, the bill requires a regularly updated strategic plan to guide these efforts. These provisions are important, positive steps towards using our limited resources in the most efficient and effective way possible.

“I would like to commend the Department of Energy for taking substantive action on this issue in recent years under the leadership of Secretary Moniz, but I certainly do not want us to take any step backward as we move on to the next Administration. This bill will ensure that activities to address the energy-water nexus remain a priority within the Department, and provide additional tools to better guide these efforts well into the future.

“I should also note that the legislation Mr. Cartwright and I are introducing has a bipartisan pedigree – the widely respected former Chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee and fellow Texan Mr. Ralph Hall joined me in introducing this bill in the 113th Congress. All the more reason that I believe all of my colleagues should support it. Working together, we can continue to demonstrate a bipartisan commitment to research and development in this vital area.” - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

Congresswoman Johnson Selected As Conferee For Major Energy Legislation

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson was appointed as a member of the conference committee of lawmakers selected to reconcile the House and Senate versions of major energy legislation.  Ranking Member Johnson will be negotiating the portions of the legislation that fall under the Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s jurisdiction, primarily research, development, and demonstration activities carried out by the Department of Energy (DOE).

“The House Amendment to the Energy Policy and Modernization Act of 2016 – S. 2012 would gut R&D related to clean energy and to electricity delivery and reliability - precisely the R&D that will help secure our nation’s energy future. In addition to these harmful cuts, there are a number of concerning policy provisions in the House bill. For example, it would bar the results of any DOE-supported fossil energy R&D activity from being ‘used for regulatory assessments or determinations by Federal regulatory authorities.’ This could essentially ban the EPA or FERC from using the most up-to-date research results when they set rules to protect our air, land, and water and prevent health hazards to our children and the elderly associated with fossil fuel use.”

“The portion that falls under the Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s jurisdiction is identical to the energy portion of the Majority’s COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015, a partisan bill that could cause grievous and lasting harm to U.S. scientific leadership and economic competitiveness.

“As conferee, I will do everything I can to push back against these irresponsible cuts and policy provisions. It is my hope that we can work in a bipartisan, bicameral manner on a bill that will help us take advantage of promising opportunities and help us face our energy and environmental challenges in the coming years.” - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

Congresswoman Johnson's Statement on Republicans’ Wrong Way Anti-Science Economic Agenda

“It is glaring that for an agenda that talks about a ‘better way to grow our economy’, it says not one word about investing in the R&D that spurs innovation. Perhaps this is not surprising in light of the fact that this year, the Republican budget plan would cut non-defense discretionary programs to irresponsibly low levels; this account includes funding for basic research, energy technology innovation, aeronautics and space exploration, manufacturing, climate science, and any of the other important elements of our nation’s R&D and innovation enterprise. The facts are clear.  Research and education lead to innovation.  Innovation leads to economic development and good paying jobs and the revenue to pay for more research. This agenda is not the way to create an America that is confident in its future wellbeing and competitiveness.

“Of course, the majority of this ‘economic agenda’ calls for making it harder for the federal government to issue and enforce the very regulations that are designed to protect the health of the American people and the environment. This agenda actually says that ‘methane emissions from those [oil and gas] wells have been kept under control’ while we’re still trying to come to terms with just how bad the Aliso Canyon methane leak, the largest methane leak in U.S. history, was. It calls for weakening the federal government’s role in implementing clean water regulations, though we’re still reeling from the lead contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan. And, it calls for the repeal of regulations that deal with climate change, including the Clean Power Plan, while the U.S. and rest of the world works to honor the commitment recently made to address our most serious environmental challenge.

“As an aside, I was surprised to see the Harvard Six Cities Study dredged up again in this report. It’s emblematic of the Republican war on science that they continue to question one of the most world renowned health studies conducted by distinguished scientists at one of our Nation’s premier scientific institutions. In their bizarre attempt to question whether air pollution is unhealthy, the Republicans on our Committee tried to acquire the personal health information of thousands of American citizens who participated in this, and other, health studies. Disappointed that doctors wouldn’t turn over the confidential medical files of more than 8,000 adults and 14,000 children in six U.S. cities to politicians for no legitimate scientific reason, the Republicans decided to try through their ‘Secret Science Reform Act’ to ban EPA from using these crucial studies.

“As I said when we considered the secret science bill in the House earlier this year, this is a bill that would force a public health agency to ignore science. Legislation like the Secret Science bill makes me fear that what we now have is a Majority party which ignores science, ignores public health, and ignores environmental damage—all for the sake of the polluting industries who have endorsed the Majority’s actions. Now I don’t begrudge these companies for supporting legislation that helps their bottom lines. It’s to be expected. What concerns me is that this Congress no longer looks at industry’s requests with a critical eye. We simply rubber stamp them, without any regard for our nation’s scientific experts, health experts, or environmental experts and their concerns.

“There is nothing new and certainly nothing better in this ‘Better Way’ economic agenda. It is simply more of the same tired Republican talking points – anti-regulation, anti-science, pro-pollution at the expense of public health.” - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Member, House Committee On Science Space & Technology

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson Celebrates the Bipartisan Passage of the ‘Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis’ Act

“H.R. 2646 is a demonstration of more than three years of collaboration between not only myself and Congressman Tim Murphy (R-PA), the sponsor of the bill, but the many other members and organizations that came to the table to offer feedback, suggestions, and at times criticism. The end result is a bill that remains focused on enabling the most severely mentally ill to access the treatment they desperately deserve while allowing their family and caregivers to help them along the way.”

This legislation contains several necessary provisions including the establishment of an Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder. It eases our nation’s chronic shortage of psychiatric beds and requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to clarify confusing HIPAA rules surrounding mental health patients. The legislation also increases grant programs that have proven results in helping individuals with serious mental illness gain access to treatment like Assisted Outpatient Treatment and Assertive Community Treatment.

As two of the few mental health providers serving in Congress at this time, Congressman Murphy and I have always been focused on the need of the severely mentally ill. While the homeless and prison populations are particularly vulnerable to mental illness, they are the individuals that get the least amount of attention and access to mental health services. Through our work, we have gained a deep understanding of patient needs. Right now, those needs are not being met. I am hopeful that this bill will be a framework to help us move the needle forward on mental health treatment in America. We still have a long way to go, but the passage of this legislation is certainly a big step forward.” - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

Congresswoman Johnson Honors The 51st Anniversary Of The Voting Rights Act

“Fifty one years ago, President Johnson signed into law one of the greatest guardians of American democracy, the Voting Rights Act. Since the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court three years ago, voters throughout our country have seen more restrictive voting laws. Right here at home in Texas, we have seen the elderly, minorities, and students blatantly disenfranchised by restrictive voter ID laws.” 

  “ We in Congress have a responsibility to ensure our democracy does not take a step backward, and we must start by renewing the Voting Rights Act. Too many people throughout the history of our Nation have given their lives to ensure the right to vote for every American. I join my Democratic colleagues in calling upon House Republican Members to support bipartisan legislation to fully restore the protections of the Voting rights Act. Free and fair elections, where every person’s vote counts, are the foundation our democracy.” - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson