Eddie_NP0 Bernice_NP0 Johnson_NP0 is_VBZ a_AT0 consummate_AJ0 politician_NN1 ,_PUN an_AT0 outsider_NN1 who_PNQ became_VVD an_AT0 insider_NN1 ,_PUN a_AT0 lawmaker_NN1 whose_DTQ influence_NN1 in_PRP Washington_NP0 has_VHZ translated_VVN into_PRP good_AJ0 things_NN2 for_PRP North_NP0 Texas_NP0 and_CJC especially_AV0 Dallas_NP0 ._SENT Johnson_NP0 's_POS announcement_NN1 that_CJT she_PNP will_VM0 retire_VVI next_ORD year_NN1 after_PRP her_DPS 15th_ORD term_NN1 representing_VVG the_AT0 30th_ORD Congressional_AJ0 District_NN1 of_PRF Texas_NP0 represents_VVZ a_AT0 major_AJ0 loss_NN1 of_PRF legislative_AJ0 clout_NN1 that_CJT comes_VVZ when_CJS seniority_NN1 and_CJC purpose_NN1 intersect_VVB ._SENT It_PNP also_AV0 opens_VVZ up_AVP a_AT0 seat_NN1 for_PRP a_AT0 new_AJ0 generation_NN1 of_PRF politicians_NN2 who_PNQ have_VHB waited_VVN for_PRP the_AT0 domino_NN1 effect_NN1 of_PRF her_DPS decision_NN1 ._SENT The_AT0 nation_NN1 's_POS top_AJ0 transgender_NN1 official_NN1 came_VVD to_PRP Texas_NP0 this_DT0 weekend_NN1 to_TO0 call_VVI out_AVP what_DTQ she_PNP called_VVD the_AT0 ..._PUN Whenever_AVQ North_NP0 Texas_NP0 needed_VVD federal_AJ0 support_NN1 ,_PUN a_AT0 chat_NN1 with_PRP Johnson_NP0 was_VBD a_AT0 productive_AJ0 first_ORD stop_NN1 ._SENT Passionate_AJ0 but_CJC never_AV0 blindly_AV0 ideological_AJ0 ,_PUN Johnson_NP0 has_VHZ publicly_AV0 exuded_VVN gravitas_NN2 and_CJC dignity_NN1 ,_PUN but_CJC she_PNP has_VHZ also_AV0 been_VBN demanding_AJ0 and_CJC not_XX0 shy_AJ0 to_TO0 wield_VVI sharp_AJ0 elbows_NN2 toward_PRP lawmakers_NN2 or_CJC her_DPS staff_NN0 ._SENT Without_PRP Johnson_NP0 's_POS ability_NN1 to_PRP maneuver_NN1 Congress_NN1 '_POS sausage-making_AJ0 factory_NN1 ,_PUN Dallas_NP0 might_VM0 look_VVI quite_AV0 different_AJ0 ._SENT She_PNP brought_VVD an_AT0 indelible_AJ0 change_NN1 to_PRP Dallas_NP0 ,_PUN delivering_VVG federal_AJ0 dollars_NN2 that_CJT made_VVD possible_AJ0 Dallas_NP0 Area_NN1 Rapid_AJ0 Transit_NN1 's_POS expansion_NN1 ,_PUN construction_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 Margaret_NP0 Hunt_NP0 Hill_NP0 Bridge_NP0 over_PRP the_AT0 Trinity_NP0 River_NP0 as_CJS well_AV0 as_CJS improvements_NN2 to_TO0 protect_VVI Dallas_NP0 from_PRP flooding_NN1 ._SENT There_EX0 also_AV0 are_VBB dozens_CRD of_PRF smaller_AJC ,_PUN low_AJ0 profile_NN1 infrastructure_NN1 projects_NN2 —_PUN traffic_NN1 signals_NN2 ,_PUN streetlights_NN2 and_CJC other_AJ0 city_NN1 and_CJC community_NN1 improvements_NN2 —_PUN that_CJT Johnson_NP0 produced_VVD funds_NN2 to_TO0 make_VVI possible_AJ0 ._SENT In_PRP 1994_CRD ,_PUN when_AVQ American_AJ0 cities_NN2 faced_VVD deadly_AJ0 crack_NN1 cocaine_NN1 and_CJC violent_AJ0 crime_NN1 epidemics_NN2 ,_PUN Johnson_NP0 voted_VVD for_PRP the_AT0 Violent_AJ0 Crime_NN1 and_CJC Law_NN1 Enforcement_NN1 Act_NN1 ,_PUN a_AT0 vote_NN1 that_CJT became_VVD controversial_AJ0 decades_NN2 later_AV0 when_CJS criminologists_NN2 blamed_VVD the_AT0 law_NN1 for_PRP high_AJ0 incarceration_NN1 rates_NN2 of_PRF young_AJ0 Black_AJ0 men_NN2 ._SENT She_PNP never_AV0 backed_VVD down_AVP ,_PUN defending_VVG the_AT0 vote_NN1 as_PRP the_AT0 right_AJ0 response_NN1 at_PRP the_AT0 time_NN1 ,_PUN saying_VVG that_CJT "_PUQ if_CJS the_AT0 circumstances_NN2 were_VBD the_AT0 same_DT0 today_AV0 as_CJS they_PNP were_VBD back_AVP then_AV0 ,_PUN I_PNP would_VM0 do_VDI the_AT0 same_DT0 thing_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ Thirty_CRD years_NN2 in_PRP Washington_NP0 is_VBZ a_AT0 long_AJ0 time_NN1 and_CJC occasionally_AV0 this_DT0 editorial_AJ0 board_NN1 voiced_VVN concerns_NN2 about_PRP her_DPS staying_VVG on_AVP ,_PUN notably_AV0 in_PRP 2010_CRD ,_PUN when_CJS we_PNP criticized_VVD her_PNP for_PRP the_AT0 questionable_AJ0 awarding_NN1 of_PRF thousands_CRD of_PRF dollars_NN2 in_PRP college_NN1 scholarships_NN2 to_PRP four_CRD relatives_NN2 as_CJS well_AV0 as_CJS to_PRP an_AT0 aide_NN1 's_POS children_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC whether_CJS that_DT0 outweighed_VVD the_AT0 years_NN2 of_PRF good_NN1 she_PNP 's_VBZ done_VDN for_PRP the_AT0 region_NN1 ._SENT But_CJC there_EX0 can_VM0 be_VBI no_AV0 denying_VVG that_CJT her_DPS years_NN2 were_VBD consequential_AJ0 both_AV0 as_CJS a_AT0 lawmaker_NN1 and_CJC a_AT0 pioneer_NN1 ._SENT She_PNP was_VBD the_AT0 first_ORD Black_AJ0 woman_NN1 to_TO0 be_VBI named_VVN a_AT0 ranking_NN1 member_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 U.S._NP0 House_NN1 Committee_NN1 on_PRP Science_NN1 ,_PUN Space_NN1 and_CJC Technology_NN1 ._SENT 
