U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson Memorial Va Clinic Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. CROCKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Self for bringing this bill.

It is interesting to just hear the overlap between Congressman Self's bill and the bill that I have been trying to get out of committee. Congressman Self is doing this on behalf of Congressman Johnson, and I am doing it on behalf of Congresswoman Johnson.

Interestingly enough, they both were from the Dallas area or spent time in the Dallas area, as my predecessor is not from Dallas herself. However, she started her career at the Dallas VA, the Dallas VA that she ended up representing in Congress for 30 years.

After becoming the first woman and the first Black woman to be a head nurse at the Dallas VA, she then became the first nurse to ever swear into Congress.

As it was already laid out about Congressman Johnson, she went into the Texas State House, as well. She went into the Texas State House in 1972 as one of the two first Black women to ever swear into the Texas House, and then she went on to the Texas Senate where she was one of two only Black women to still ever serve in our Texas Senate.

Most importantly, I currently represent the Dallas VA, and we lost a hero in Dallas. We lost a hero in this country just like here recently, her sorority sister, when we lost Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

I am just asking, considering the standards that are set out by this committee, that we allow my bill to move forward as well because the first standard is that such individual is deceased, which she meets. The person is either a veteran or a Member of Congress. She was a Member of Congress. The individual performed outstanding service for veterans. She did that in her 16 years in service directly but also in the work that she did afterwards.

In addition to that, each member of the congressional delegation has demonstrated their support in the form of a letter. This was not met by Congressman Self's bill, and it is not met by mine. However, I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, that I stood with Congressman Self on his bill, and I am happy to say that he stood with me on mine, as well.

The final requirement is letters of support from VSOs. We both have met those requirements. The only requests that I have--because I do, again, stand in support of this--is that we bring my bill to the floor as well to honor the late great Eddie Bernice Johnson who passed in December of 2023.

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