[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 97 (Thursday, June 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7032-S7034]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        Honoring Denise Johnson

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Madam President, once again I rise to honor a Federal 
employee whose service to our Nation is exemplary. Before I do, I want 
to thank my distinguished colleague from Mississippi, Senator Cochran, 
for his June 11 statement about Federal employees. It is my great 
pleasure to join with him and other Senators to recognize the enormous 
contributions to the security and prosperity of our country by those 
who work in the Federal Government.
  Madam President, last week, I shared the story of a Federal employee 
who spent his career working at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. He 
helped design and test the advanced missile systems used by our 
military to defend our ideals overseas. This week, I wish to share the 
story of a Federal employee who also works to advance our interests 
overseas--that of humanitarian good works. Both are vital to our global 
leadership.
  I have spoken before about the groundbreaking medical research 
performed by Federal employees at the National Institutes of Health. 
The advances in medicine and biotechnology pioneered by those working 
at NIH keep America's health care the most innovative in the world. Yet 
making breakthroughs and developing treatments are only a part of how 
the Federal Government is helping to promote global health. One of our 
foreign policy and humanitarian priorities is to expand access to new 
medications and health technologies among those who live in the 
developing world.
  The hard-working men and women of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention are at the forefront of initiatives to bring lifesaving 
medicines to those in greatest need. Foremost, the CDC monitors, 
prevents, and, if necessary, contains the outbreak of deadly diseases 
in the United States, such as West Nile and Swine Flu. Part of this 
effort is a push to eradicate some of the most dangerous viruses 
throughout the world.
  With the lens of Congress now focused on our health care system, so 
much has been said about its shortcomings. Yet for all the problems we 
face on this front, Americans are blessed with freedom from fear of 
diseases that afflicted previous generations.
  When I was young, tens of thousands of children each year were 
stricken with polio. In the early part of the 20th century, polio 
outbreaks occurred in the United States with deadly frequency. Parents 
used to keep their children home and away from their peers. Many became 
paralyzed or had to make use of the iron lung. We have all seen those 
famous images of President Franklin Roosevelt seated behind his desk in 
the Oval Office signing New Deal programs into law and overseeing a 
World War against the enemies of liberty. But at the same time, few 
Americans knew that behind that desk our President sat in a wheelchair, 
his legs paralyzed from his own battle with polio.
  Today, in parts of Africa and South Asia, hundreds of children each 
year still develop polio. While children in developing nations 
routinely receive the Salk or Sabin vaccines, this is a luxury for 
rural villagers in places such as India, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and 
Somalia. The CDC has set a goal of vaccinating every child on Earth. 
Leading this charge over the past decade, Denise Johnson serves as the 
Acting Chief of the CDC's Polio Eradication Branch.
  Before she was recruited to direct this project, Denise served for 6 
years as the manager of the CDC's Family and Intimate Partner Violence 
Prevention Program. In this role, she oversaw the promotion of 
nonviolent, respectful relationships through community and social 
change initiatives. This was around the time that Congress passed the 
Violence Against Women Act, which was one of the proudest achievements 
of my friend and predecessor, Vice President Joseph Biden, during his 
career in the Senate.
  When asked why Denise was highly sought after to work on the polio 
project, one of her supervisors at the CDC said:

       If you do a good job keeping women and children from being 
     beaten, you can eradicate polio.

  With Denise at the helm, the Polio Eradication Branch has been 
working in close concert with the World Health Organization and UNICEF 
to promote immunization. In her first few years alone, Denise and her 
team helped immunize over a half billion--let me repeat that, a half 
billion--children in 93 countries.
  From her office in Atlanta, Denise oversees a staff of over 40 
professionals working overseas. Her effective leadership has proven to 
be a key factor in the program's success. Denise administers the 
purchase and distribution of over 200 million doses of the oral polio 
vaccine--bought for a mere 63 cents per dose--and routinely serves as a 
field consultant in polio hotspots around the world. In fact, Denise is 
in Kenya right now, taking the fight against polio straight to the 
front lines.
  Twenty years ago, there were over 350,000 cases of polio in 125 
countries, but today there are fewer than 2,000 cases. That is 350,000 
cases down to 2,000 cases because of the diligent work

[[Page S7034]]

performed by Denise and the rest of her team at the CDC's Polio 
Eradication Branch. It is only a matter of time before this disease no 
longer threatens our world's children.
  Madam President, Denise is just one of so many Federal employees who 
have dedicated their lives to serving the greater good. She and her 
team are truly engaged in what President Obama has called ``repairing 
the world.'' Their work saves lives and helps demonstrate our Nation's 
commitment to humanitarian leadership in the global community.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring Denise Johnson and her 
team for their outstanding work, as well as the important contributions 
made by all of our excellent public servants.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CARPER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Hagan). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.