macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1987-03-10
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. many times I have stood here on this floor and have asked my colleagues to continue our Nations commitment to the men and women who grow the food that feeds us. and the world. That commitment involves some Federal supportand I have asked my fellow Members to recognize that if we abandon our farmers and ranchers. we leave them totally defenseless in a world where most every major trading nation supports its own farm structure. So. too. must we view the existing oil price crisis that has brought many small and mediumsized U.S. oil producers into the nightmare of bankruptcy. With the producers failure. the myriad of contractors. subcontractors. equipment suppliers. marketers. and so forth. come tumbling down as well. U.S. oil. like farm products. is defenseless if left to the wolves "out there." There Is no such thing as a free market hand which invisibly guides the market price of oil. Conservatives in this Nation who normally cringe at the thought of Federal intervention into any aspect of life are flocking to the speakers podiums to call for Federal action to defend our domestic oil producers against the world. Why? Because over 75 percent of the available oil in the worid today is owned or managed by other governments. it is not owned nor managed by private commercial interests. Even more so than agriculture. oil lives in a trading world fully dominated by political entities who control price and productionmuch to our own disadvantage. Some people say. "Well. who cares about OPEC and their pricing schemesthere is over 700 billion barrels of oil yet to be drilled from the Earth." The frightening truth is that since the first oil shock of 1973total world consumption for the last 14 years has been 350 billion barrels. At that pace. our reserves will be used up before our children are grown. Our esteemed colleague. Representative ARCHER. is to be commended for setting aside this time today in order for us to focus critical attention on the serious matters at hand. I join him with eagerness and resolve. So what are we doing? What should we do? We might start by accepting the reality of the need for some U.S. Government intervention. Unlike our current administration. I believe there are other legitimate roles for the federal government to fulfill besides simply national defense. Then we might proceed to synchronize our national efforts on taxation. consumer use. and production stability into a coherent policy designed to keep the U.S. oil producers producing. Lets face it: we cant produce oil for less than $20 a barrel. Maybe OPEC can do itbut we cant. And the sooner we accept that fact of life. the quicker we will arrive at a national solution. And if we do notthen we have turned our backs on the several hundred thousand Americans who are already unemployedand those unfortunates still to come.
Date: 1987-03-10
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it is indeed fitting that we gather today to pay tribute to Bryce Harlow. and I am delighted to participate in this special order. One of the first thoughts that comes to memory is how we met When I came to Washington I was working with a group from Texas on the Amistad Dam proposal. At that time Bryce Harlow was with the House Committee on Armed Services. His vast knowledge of the workings of the House proved invaluable to me in moving this project forward. While that was a long time ago. in many ways it seems like yesterdaybut in the years to follow Bryce Harlow went on to continue his extraordinary work. Consistently erudite and impressive in legislative ability. Bryce Harlow scaled great heights in his career. Much admired and respected by all. Bryce Harlow was truly a man I am honored to have known and to call my friend. His passing leaves us all a bit sadder. but for having known Bryce Harlow I am indeed a better man.
Date: 1987-03-11
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. when I was bom in my homeland of deep south Texas. the world was an undeniably different place than it is today. Our society was still driven and maintained on science and engineering principles laid down a long time ago: electricity. magnetism. and gravity. The internal combustion engine was the wonder of the world. And nowin just a small span of yearsthese terms ad principles seem pedestrian. indeed. any schoolchild can tell you about them. Now we are using terms such as cryogenicity. quarks and the strong force. We have made incredible advances in scientific research and applied engineering since those earlier times. But you do not obtain this knowledge without investment. without seeking. Twentyfive years ago. we did not have cancer chemotherapy or laserassisted surgical procedures. We have them now because we developed our theories and spent the money necessary to improve our lot. And that is what the superconducting super collider [SSC] is all about. Accelerating beams of protons in a staged collision to examine and study the fundamental elements of physical reality can open up a whole new vista of medical and engineering spinoffs more impressive than anything man has yet been fortunate enough to see. A construction cost of $3.2 billionbest DOE estimate available--is a small price to pay for such scientific advancement. If we do not do thiswe have no way of examining the elements of reality that have so far eluded our clear vision. There is no other way to delve deeperwithout a high energy particle accelerator. we just stop our research in this direction. There are some who say we should stop because this is too much money to spend on one projectand that it will rob other research areas of their fair share of scarce funds. To them I say this: I will support adequate congressional appropriations for all worthy scientific endeavors so that no U.S. scientific research need stop or be delayed because of the successes in another research area. We must proceed with everything that is of benefit. My thanks to our colleague Representative. TERRY BRUCE for organizing this special order. It is fitting that he do so: His home State of Illinois is host to the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Representative BRUCES interest is most understandable. And to end. I would add. Mr. Speaker. that Texas would be the logical home for the new SSC. We still have enough wide open spaces to lay aside 52 miles for the proton racetrack.
Date: 1987-03-12
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. on February 4. 1987. the House passed and sent to the Senate H.R. 431. The House bill contains several important tools to help the Federal bank regulators deal with troubled financial institutions. It extends. until September 15. 1987. the authority contained in titles I and II of the GarnSt Germain Act to make emergency interstate acquisitions of closed institutions and permits the regulators to issue net worth certificates which give institutions additional time to improve their financial condition. The bill also contains a temporary extension of the National Credit Union Administrations conservatorship and merger authority. I would like to advise Members at this point that upon completion of this bill I plan to ask unanimous consent to consider a bill that the gentleman from Ohio and I introduced to make permanent the NCUA conservatorship and merger authority. When H.R. 431 was considered in the Senate. an amendment was adopted deleting the Net Worth Certificate program. Net worth certificates were first authorized in the GarnSt Germain Act of 1982. Since that time. the bank board has assisted over 120 institution. with this program. I fail to see the wisdom of terminating net worth certificates at a time when the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation is under continuing pressure.
Date: 1987-03-12
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speakers table the bill to extend until September 15. 1987. the emergency acquisition and net worth guarantee provisions of the GarnSt Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982. with Senate amendments thereto. and disagree to the Senate amendments.
Date: 1987-03-12
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that theCommittee on Banking. Finance and Urban Affairs be discharged from further. consideration of the bill to make permanent certain authority of the National Credit Union Administration Board. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 1987-03-12
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. the ability to use conservatorships. rather than outright liquidations. has saved the credit union insurance fund substantial sums and has enabled NCUA to remedy problems within sick credit unions. Without this authority. NCUA is faced with taking drastic action to close credit unions and charge the liquidation costs to the insurance fund. Unfortunately. Mr. Speaker. the authority for the conservatorship died last October when titles I and II of the GarnSt Germain Depository Institutions Act expired. The House passed a renewal of the act on February 4. but the Senate has disagreed on an unrelated section of the act. Thus. today. we are proposing that the conservatorship authority. which is noncontroversial in both Houses. be acted on separately from the extension of the GanSt Germain Act. Mr. Speaker. we know of no opposition to granting the NCUA this important authority. and we hope the House will agree to this bill today. It is simply a bill to give the credit union regulator some flexibility in dealing with problem credit unions and the ability to save valuable insurance funds. At the moment. Mr. Speaker. I am informed that NCUA has several credit unions that have serious prob-. lems where the conservatorship is needed. So it is important that we move expeditiously.
Date: 1987-03-12
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and. extend their remarks on the two pieces of legislation just adopted.
Date: 1987-03-17
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank my distinguished colleague. and I appreciate all the effort that he and this committee have done In this behalf.
Date: 1987-03-17
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to provide for an acreage diversion pilot program applicable to the wheat program for the 1987 and 1988 crops. as amended.
Date: 1987-03-17
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oklahoma . one of the prime sponsors of this legislation.
Date: 1987-03-17
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri . who is also one of the authors of the legislation.
Date: 1987-03-19
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I wish to express my support of House Resolution 108. which provides funding for the standing and select committees in the House. including the Committee on Agriculture. The Subcommittee on Accounts and the Committee on House Administration have developed a reasonable funding authorization which is only $3.928.849 over the 1986 authorization and is $105.772 less than the total authorization for It is essential that the committees of the House are provided with sufficient funds to carry out their legislative and oversight responsibilities. A review of the agendas proposed by the committees for this year indicates that this will be one of our busiest sessions and there are critical and complex issues which must be dealt with by the committees. We all sustained reductions in funding in 1986. it is therefore essential that we have adequate resources to enable us to meet our responsibilities during this session. The Committee on Agriculture. throughout its history. has prudently administered its funding and will continue to do so. We remain one of the lowest funded standing committees of the House despite our extensive and complex jurisdictional obligations. The majority and minority members of our committee have traditionally worked together in the interests of effectively meeting our responsibilities to the U.S. Congress and the people of this Nation. The Committee on House Administration has cited us for our equitable distribution of resources and for our record of fiscal management. The committee will again be faced with a heavy workload during this difficult year of continuing problems for American agriculture. I hope my colleagues will fully support House Resolution 108. which will enable us to do the work with which we have been entrusted.
Date: 1987-03-24
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I bet Joe Elder of Biloxi. MS. would chuckle over the fullpage ad in last weeks Washington Post in which the banks beat on the Senate Banking Committee for not passing their expanded powers wish list. "At a time when the world financial community is running at microchip speed. the current proposal would hamstring the ability of Americas commercial banking industry to compete." the ad reads. "Microchip speed." Im sure Mr. Elder would be laughing all the way to the bank. That is until he got there and found that his local bank had put on the brakes. Mr. Elder. believing technology was on his side. asked that his VA disability check be direct deposited into his account. Assuming that he would have quick access to his funds. he went ahead and wrote a $50 check. Boy was he surprised. The bank. traveling at the speed of light. held his disability check for 2 whole days. The $50 check bounced. resulting in a $15 charge. Now a $15 bounced check may not mean much to the American Bankers Association. the Association of Bank Holding Companies. the Association of Reserve City Bankers. the Bank Capital Markets Association. or the Consumer Bankers Association. but It sure means a lot to Mr. Elder. It means a new pair of shoes. a portion of an electric bill. or something to eat. Mr. Elder might as well have saved himself the trouble and stuffed the cash under his mattress. If only the banking industry was as intent on using the latest technology to give customers quick access to their deposited funds as it is on using "microchip speed" to compete with the insurance. securities. and real estate industries. Before the banking industry gets its day in court on the expanded powers Issue. it must first prove its commitment to the consumer. The industry can do this by supporting the Expedited Funds Availability Act. which I introduced last session. The House passed the bill not once. but twice last year. Unfortunately. the Senate rejected our bill in favor of a watered down "disclosure only" version which the House found unacceptable. This year. hopefully. we can get a meaningful bill enacted into law. Lets give the Joe Elders of this world a break. ON MARCH 10. Tm SENATz BANKG0 Commrr-
Date: 1987-03-31
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. 70 years ago today this country acquired its newest territory in the Caribbean. the United States Virgin Islands which had been Danish possession until These islands have come a long way in 70 years. We have become a vital center for U.S. activity in the eastern Caribbeanattracting 1.3 million visitors a year. and offering modem business facilities and a university that educates thousands of students from the region. Politically. we also have progressed from colonial status to substantial selfgovernment. We gained U.S. citizenship in 1927. elected our first unified legislature in 1954. then elected a Governor in 1970 and a delegate to this Congress in 1972. Nowwith the delegates from Guam and American Samoa and more than 110 cosponsorswe seek another basic right. Today. on this 70th anniversary. we introduce a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment giving American citizens in the U.S. territories the right to vote for President and Vice President. There is no reason why U.S. citizens should have to give up this fundamental right just because they live in a U.S. territory. I ask for your support to ensure that Americans in the territories get to exercise the full right of their U.S. citizenship.
Date: 1987-03-31
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. pursuant to rule X. clause 2(a). the rules of the Committee on Banking. Finance and Urban Affairs for the 100th Congress were printed in the RECORD on February 5. 1987. The following is an amendment to those rules: In rule 15. at the end of the description of the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Coinage. add the following: The Subcommittee shall not schedule a hearing on any commemorative medal legislation unless the legislation Is cosponsored byat least 218 Members of the House. In considering legislation authorizing Congressional gold medals. the Subcommittee shall apply the following standards: (1) The recipient shall be a natural person. (2) The recipient shall have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipients field long after the achievement. (3) The.recipient shall not have received a medal previously for the same or substantially the same achievement. (4) The recipient shall be living or. if deceased. shall have been deceased for not less than 5 years and not more than 25 years. and (5) The achievements were performed in the recipients field of endeavor. and represent either a lifetime of continuous superior achievements or a single achievement so significant that the recipient is recognized and acclaimed by others in the same field. as evidence by the recipient having received the highest honors in the field.
Date: 1987-04-09
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speakers table the bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to extend the date for submitting the report required by the National Commission on Dairy Policy. with a Senate amendment thereto. and concur in the Senate amendment.
Date: 1987-04-09
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

The gentleman is correct. Mr. Speaker. the House passed H.R. 1123 on March 3. 1987. The House passed bill would have amended the Food Security Act of 1985 to extend for 1 year the date by which the National Commission Dairy Policy must submit its report to the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress. The effect of the amendment would be to extend the life of the Commission for 1 year. Briefly. the Senate amendment retains the House passed language to extend the National Commission on Dairy Policy. and includes provisions toFirst. amend section 144 of the Food Security Act to provide the Dairy Commission with authority. to the extent there are sufficient funds available to the Commission. to lease office space in the District of Columbia. and procure temporary or intermittent services. il201i1 Second. amend section 1212 of the Food Security Act to conditionally release from the program ineligibility provisions of the sodbuster law. production on highly erodible land planted to alfalfa during each of the 1981 through 1985 crop years as part of an approved rotation practice. if the person has submitted a conservation planwhich must be approved by the local soil conservation district. in consultation with the local ASC Committee and the Secretary of Agriculture. then the person would have until June 1. 1988. to comply with the plan. Third. amend section 1212 of the Food Security Act to clarify that a conservation plan. for the purpose of the sodbuster law. documents the decisions of a person with respect to location. land use. tillage systems. and conservation treatment measures and schedules. Fourth. amend section 1212 of the Food Security Act to provide that the Secretary. Soil Conservation Service. and local soil conservation districts must minimize the quantity of documentation a person must submit to comply with sodbuster provisions that allow an exemption for a person that complies. as of January 1. 1990or 2 years after completion of a soil survey for the farmwith an approved conservation plan. Mr. Speaker. we have reviewed the Senate amendments and find them to be acceptable. I urge my colleagues to support the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendments to H.R. 1123.
Date: 1987-04-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. once again our friends from the Appropriations Committee have done what we think is an attempt at legislating on an appropriations bill. There is some discussion as to whether it actually is. or it is not. because of some craftily written language. Nonetheless. I appeared before the Rules Committee. and I asked that a waiver not be granted. The Rules Committee acceded to our request. Therefore. they were very gracious. and I feel that we must support. and I will support. the rule. I will withhold my decision as to the vote on final passage after discussions during the general debate on this and other issues.
Date: 1987-04-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman. I would like to respectfully ask my colleague and dear friend. the gentleman from Mississippi . the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. if we might not engage in a colloquy at this point to try to clear up some areas about which we are not very certain in regards to the next three paragraphs to which I have reserved a point of order. I would like to ask if my distinguished friend from Mississippi would allow me. Is It the intention of the chairman that the Secretary of Agriculture endeavor to find out from farmers what their attitude or desires would be in regard to supply management or mandatory management of programs for basic commodities?
Date: 1987-04-23
Speaker: D LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

What I want to know is. what does my colleague want the Department to do? I am not talking rules now. What does my colleague want the Department to do?
Date: 1987-04-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

What I am trying to get at is. and the gentleman is not giving me much information. is something that would be understood in south Texas and Mississippi. Does the gentleman want a referendum or does he want an opinion ballot or does he want an election? How does he want the Department to go about getting the information?
Date: 1987-04-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

May I ask the gentleman now. since he says the Secretary of Agriculture says he does not have authority. basic authorizing authority. to hold a referendum or to write opinions-
Date: 1987-04-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

So then what the gentleman does nothing. If the Secretary does not want to do it. he does not have to. Is that right?
Date: 1987-04-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Well. is it the intent of Congress should be from an authorizing committee that studiedHow many days of hearings did the gentleman have on this issue?
Date: 1987-04-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

It is turning around. The issue is coming around. The cotton is working very well. the rice is working very well. the peanut program is working very well. the tobacco program is working fairly well. the sugar program is working fairly well.
Date: 1987-04-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Well. I do hope so. because I think that all the information that we can get can be useful. and as always I appreciate--
Date: 1987-04-23
Speaker: D LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

I do hope that we can do that. because we in the Agriculture Committee sometimes feel that we should be under the rules the responsible committee. and we always welcome from our distinguished friends 39 yearsplus of experience-