ms. johnson approved a change in organizational structure that resulted in eliminating the position that ms. walker was in. i recall seeing an e-mail from last summer. i do not recall the details around this. as i understand it, this person was serving in an at will position, and it is those that will positions that cannot be used for organizational restructuring in a way that one just decides we do not want that person any more. if the city has to pay these kinds of claims in damages for this and other past actions, it has ultimately cost us a lot of money. i would hope that you would look carefully again at these kinds of employee settlements, how much this costs, and what we can do in future to avoid these costs. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> motion to convene a closed session and incurred attorney- client privi week, two weeks in advance? >> the third, which is a tuesday. the thursday before is when the information will be provided. i do not know yet when the complete budget book will be ready, but we will certainly provide you enough information so that you can have an informed disc

ms. johnson to step forward with kitty wong, who is a personnel analyst and a six year veteran with the agency. i had the opportunity to spend a good part of yesterday afternoon getting briefed on the personnel process and what it takes to do what in many workforces is a fairly simple task -- hire somebody. it turns out in the mta and city government, it is not that simple. between union rules, civil service rules, and our own rules, it is a very complex system. it was a window into the complexity for managing resources. the daunting challenge of managing a chart and the agency gives me an even greater importance to somebody behind the scenes working to make the process as smooth and equitable as possible. she supervises the division services unit within our h.r. department, which handles referrals and processing, which are basic elements of the hiring process. she is an expert in many aspects of the very complicated and convoluted rules, such as premium pay and above the entrance requirements. she hopes the managers of the department figure out how to work through the process, and to do so pr

ms. johnson: to strike the last word. the chair: the gentlewoman is recognized for five minutes. ms. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. the bill i am speaking on is the transportation and infrastructure committee bill. the secretary of transportation, who has served on this committee, has clearly explained what this bill and -- in its present form will do for this country. i know probably no one wants to quote this particular secretary who has had inside experience as well as outside experience, and he is very aware because he served on this committee during the time we worked in a bipartisan fashion. and we are talking about highways and because someone will put a lot more extra curricula, extraneous kind of stuff in this bill that doesn't relate to these highways, then -- but the progress that could have been made was really stymied by this very kind of propaganda and bad policy. the current transportation bill , offered by the majority, could invest in our nation's highways and -- won't invest in our nation's highways and kill jobs. we want to do something about the crumbling infrast

teachers may never rescue their students from burning cars all across this nation teachers like ms johnson go above and beyond the call of duty every day when it comes to helping our children frankly it's time we worry them for their passion and do more to fund those who are molding the future of america the bad minnesota republican republicans the minnesota house of representatives helped pass a voter id measure today that would require voters to show government issued id at the polls when they vote voter id laws are popping up all over the nation as conservatives try to disenfranchise millions of american citizens those hurt most by the laws such as the elderly the poor and minority voters tend to vote for a more progressive candidate so basically voter id laws allow conservatives to play pick and choose with the american electorate i guess preventing millions of americans from being able to vote is one way to rid. and the very very ugly fox so-called news box so-called news has created an audience filled with a racist hatred after an article about the trayvon martin death was posted on

ms. johnson: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in strong opposition to the ryan republican budget that will end medicare as we know it. reminiscent of last year, the republican budget provides tax breaks for the millionaires and billionaires while ending the medicare guarantees for our seniors, sticking them with the bill for rising health care costs. the proposals in the republican budget lack balance and jeopardize the health and economic security of our nation's seniors. the 300,000 texas seniors who have saved almost $200 million on prescription drug costs since the affordable care act was signed into law will be forced back into the prescription drug doughnut hole. i urge my republican colleagues to end this attack on our seniors as they have already been through enough and we have given the rich too much leeway while the middle class and poor pay for the bills. thank you, madam speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut seek recognition? >> i ask unan

ms. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask for unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman has been yielded to. mrs. wilson: mr. speaker, this is tre'von martin. his murderer -- is travon martin. his killer is still at large. i want america to see this sweet young boy who was hunted down like a dog, shot in the street, and his killer is still at large. not one person has been arrested in travon's murder. i want to make sure that america knows that in sanford, florida, there was a young boy murdered. he is buried in miami, florida, and not one person has been arrested even though we all know who the murderer is. this was a standard case of racial profiling, no more. no more. we were -- we will stand for justice for travon martin. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady -- the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. under the speaker's announced policy of january 5, 2011, the gentle

ms. johnson: madam speaker, for decades women in this country have unfairly borne the burden of excessive health care costs. fortunately through the affordable care act, millions of women no longer have to worry about going bankrupt if they get sick. the affordable care act ensures that being a woman will no longer be treated as a pre-existing condition. the affordable care act bans insurance companies from requiring women to obtain a referral for access to necessary ob-gyn care and bans insurance companies from dropping women when they get sick or pregnant. despite these accomplishments in women's health, the war on women continues in texas. the governor, governor perry, political decision to forego nearly $40 million in federal funding for the texas medicaid women's health care program would leave 130,000 women without access to preventive health services. despite these obstacles, i will continue to fight for the increased access to quality health care for women in texas. thank you, madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new hampsh

johnson. all right. live people. the pins point come downs on the butter fly. the knuckle come down on ms. sisly. the mallet come down on the cd case. wait! the mallet come down on the butter fly. the pins point come down on the ms. sisly. the knuckle come down on the cd case. wait! >> the knuckle come down on the buttir fly. the pins point come down on the cd case. dammit. the butter fly, ms. sisly the cd case. the roses rips at the spit much the phoenix dazzling petals births something. the martir's smile that saves something. what did we make? listen to the butter fly, the pinpoint makes no sound sticking the [inaudible] no brass wail to the air here it's silent as a necktie this is not right. ms. sisly a cd case and a pin striped suit did he stick her lips red. i don't know, i don't know. sometimes he wore a pin striped 3 piece and a dazzling tie. i have a mallet did he kiss her. lips red. did he stick her with a pins point much listen to the brass ware and butter fly the plastic and silence breaks. this is a man thinking he can build with a mallet. a martir with knuckles. this it is a man wh

ms. cantwell: mr. president, i rise to talk about the cantwell-johnson-graham amendment that's going to be voted on shortly in this series of votes that we're going to be having, and to urge my colleagues to support this important amendment that would reauthorize the ex-im bank for four years until 2015, and the current authorization is set to expire in may of this year so it's very urgent that we pass this authorization, and it would increase capacity for the bank because there is demand. the ex-im bank people may know or maybe not know supplies credit stability to foreign purchases of u.s. product where those purchases have limited access to the -- the purchaser has limited access to private sector capital due to political risk or instability or limited access to capital, and it's something we've had since 1934. so this program has been away -- a way for u.s. manufacturers, small businesses, a variety of u.s. companies to make sure that they get sales of their products in international markets. so it's been an incredibly important tool. somebody called it one of the most important tool boxes in u.s. econ

johnson. the honorable camilla harris. mrs. mike harris. -- maya harris. the honorable wendy sherman. mr. stokes. the honorable brooke anderson. mr. james -- ms.ann windosr. mr. shelby bryant. mr. harvey weinstein. ms. georgina chapman. >> i have not seen her yet. [inaudible] [laughter] [inaudible] i am very excited. >> [inaudible] >> too humble in his accomplishments. people will learn. >> i am very excited. >> [inaudible] that was a surprise. >> [inaudible] mrs. amanda barton. mr. david ajai. mrs. ashley jasmine scott. the honorable nancy ann depearl. rm jason depearl. -- mr. jason depearl. the honorable patrick f. kennedy. ms. elizabeth slope. governor o'malley. judge katie o'malley. senator richard lugar. mrs. charlene lugar. >> we have been watching the guest arrivals at the white house for the state dinner for british prime minister, at david cameron. the dinner happening on the south lawn. we continue to follow the arrivals on our web site. coming up, at 8:15, we will bring you the coast from tonight's dinner and comments from president obama and david cameron. we will also speak to marc mardell and get his perspective. all of that comi

ms. wilson: mr. speaker, this afternoon i rise to thank those members and witnesses who joined together yesterday to discuss the tragic shooting of trayvon martin. representative conyers, jackson lee, brown, barbara lee, richmond, nadler, johnson, green, quigley, rush, deutch, yvette clarke, danny davis, carson, meeks, sewell, richardson, waters, chu and cohen. i cannot tell you how comforting it was, mr. speaker, to his parents and to everyone there to see such very strong support from this body. together we can continue to apply pressure in the case of trayvon martin, a little boy from my district, district 17, miami-dady county, florida, and -- miami-dade county, florida, 32 days and still no justice. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on the motion to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered, or on which the vote incurs objection to under clause 6 of rule 20. any recorded votes on the postponed question will be taken later. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that when the house adjour

johnson. the honorable camilla harris. mrs. mike harris. -- maya harris. the honorable wendy sherman. mr. stokes. -- bruce stokes. the honorable brooke anderson. mr. james -- ms. ann windosr. -- anna wintour. mr. shelby bryant. mr. harvey weinstein. ms. georgina chapman. >> i have not seen her yet. [inaudible] [laughter] [inaudible] i am very excited. >> [inaudible] >> too humble in his accomplishments. people will learn. >> i am very excited. >> [inaudible] that was a surprise. >> ready. forward. >> very pretty. they look better. >> they do. >> present arms. ♪ ladies and gentleman, the president of the united states barack obama and mrs. obama accompanied by the prime minister of britain, david cameron and his wife, samantha. >> good evening, everyone. please have a seat. welcome to the white house. i was just telling the prime minister that so far, the evening has been successful because i have not stepped on michelle's train. my main goal this evening. michelle and i could not be more honored that you could join us as we host our great friends, the prime minister of the united kingdom, david cameron, and his remarkable wife, samantha. give them a round of

ms. landrieu: this letter was received yesterday. these are very important letters received just recently, that's why i'm asking people, wake up, pay attention. securities and exchange commission, march 13, this is to chairman johnson, ranking member shelby. basically saying last week the house of representatives passed h.r. 3606 as the senate prepares to debate many of the capital formation initiatives i want to share with you my concern on some important aspects of this significant legislation, and it is signed by mary shapiro, chairman, outlike lining a -- outlining a dozen of her concerns because of course she thinks there is going to be a debate. she would expect a debate on a bill of this nature and magnitude and diversion from the ordinary. but we weren't going to have a debate. we were just going to be told to take the house bill or leave it until a few of us said no, slow this train down, no way to run a railroad, we're not trying to kill the bill, we're not trying to delay, we're trying to have at least a two- or three-day debate on on important piece of legislation that if it's not done right is going to absolutely ruin the best chance we've had in decades to actually get capital into the hands of busine