Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson is serving her 15th term representing the 30th Congressional District of Texas. In December 2010, Congresswoman Johnson was elected as the first African-American and the first female Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. From 2000 to 2002, she was the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education where she emphasized STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)... Read more about Congresswoman Johnson.
One of the highest callings of Congress is to properly provide for the health and wellbeing of the American people. As a non-practicing registered nurse, providing the most advanced, efficient, and affordable healthcare possible for our community has always been a priority of mine. In my twenty five years in Congress, I have used my professional experience in the medical field to expand access to quality healthcare for all Americans.
In that vein, I fully supported President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, as well as Medicaid and Medicare, which provides care and support to majority of Americans. I have also authored and co-sponsored bills that better support our hardworking nurses, provide greater choice for women, and assist families dealing with difficult mental health issues. Further, I have continued to fight for increased funding for the medical science community that will improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of our treatment plans.
It has become plainly evident that America’s immigration system is broken. Our country has always prided itself on its incredible multiculturalism; our community in Dallas alone is home to families from across the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Unfortunately, shortsighted legislation has left us with a patchwork of ineffective laws that hurt families. With the right reforms, Congress can forge comprehensive reforms to our immigration system that will foster economic growth, keep families and communities together, protect workers’ rights, and restore this nation to being a more peaceful and tolerant society.
I have always pursued pragmatic immigration reform that serves to better our country and the constituents in the 30th district of Texas. It is important that Congress works towards legislation that provides positive impacts for all, without disadvantaging any American or resident of this great country. I believe that an approach of offering a regulated pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, a streamlined system for legal immigration, and increased disincentives for illegal immigration is the best step forward for both immigrants and citizens. To this end, I have pursued legislation such as the DREAM Act, which provides for conditional residency agreements for immigrants who were brought to this country as children- and have been positive members of the community during their time here. This is a meaningful step, but more must be done by Congress.
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson currently serves on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. She also serves on the Highways and Transit, Aviation, and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittees. In 2007, Congresswoman Johnson was appointed by then-House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.) to serve as chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment during the 110th and 111th Congresses. She was the first African-American and female in Congress to hold this position of subcommittee chair. As the highest ranking Texan on the Committee, Congresswoman Johnson continues to support legislation that enables the growth and maintenance of critical U.S. transportation infrastructure, such as highways, bridges, airports, and waterways.
As a non-practicing registered nurse, my path to Congress was heavily influenced by my position as the Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Hospital. In that role, I saw the plight of individuals suffering from mental illnesses, and the inadequacies of the system that allowed them to fall through the cracks. Because of my experience I am uniquely placed to tackle these issues, and have strived for common-sense reforms and legislation to help our most vulnerable.
Our country must reevaluate the way we talk about and classify mental illness, in order to initiate a pragmatic and comprehensive reform of our mental healthcare system. That is why I served as the Democratic co-sponsor of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (H.R. 2646) during the 114th Congress. I am so proud to see much of the framework of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act enacted into law in 2016 through the 21st Century Cures Act. By providing more proven and effective services to more individuals, we can offer the tools and mechanisms to treat mental health issues and improve the lives of those affected by mental illness in the U.S.
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson is the first nurse to be elected to Congress. She became the Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Dallas before entering elected office. Since that time, Congresswoman Johnson has worked tirelessly to bring real accountability to the VA healthcare system so that our veterans can receive the care and benefits that they have rightfully earned through military service. Congresswoman Johnson has been a granddaughter, daughter, niece, wife, and sister of a veteran and has remained committed to serving the veteran population her entire life.
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson currently serves as a Vice Chair on the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus. The Caucus is dedicated to raising awareness of voter suppression efforts across the country and to create and advance legislation that blocks current and future discriminatory tactics that would deny American citizens their sacred right to vote.