macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-17
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. on rollcall No. 382. due to a technical difficulty. my vote was recorded as a "no." It should have been an "aye."
Date: 2003-07-18
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. first of all. I want to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from Louisiana. Mr. Chairman. I ask the amendment be adopted. The Buy American Act applies to supplies costing more than $2.500 and establishes a preference for domestic supplies that are manufactured In the U.S. Generally. It applies to acquisitions below the $177.000 Trade Agreements Act of 1979. TAA threshold. Commercial firms are required to certify compliance with the Buy American Act. potentially exposing them to civil false claims and other sanctions. even if they have made a good faith effort to comply with the Governmentunique requirements. This creates significant financial and legal burdens for Industry. given that more and more Information technology and goods so critical for the Governments needs being sourced in our global economy from around the world. Some companies have responded to Buy American Act restrictions by establishing costly. laborintensive product tracking systems that are not needed in their commercial business. to ensure that products being sold to the Government meet the governmentunique requirements. In a few cases. companies have simply stopped selling certain products in the federal marketplace. denying access to some of the latest. more costeffective products. The Buy American Act imposes financial and legal burdens on the taxpayers and the commercial companies that sell to the Government. This restriction on the Governments ability to obtain needed technology goods from the World market is a cold war anachronism. Given our growing reliance on information technology and other advanced productsand the current global nature of industry. the Govemnments ability to get the goods it needs at reasonable prices will be crippled by this restrictive provision. Therefore. I ask.support of my amendment.
Date: 2003-07-18
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in memory of Specialist Jeffrey Mattison Wershow. A member of the Florida National Guard. Specialist Wershow served admirably before his life was tragically ended by an assailant in Baghdad a little over a week ago. Jeffrey was the son of Jonathon -Wershow and Ann Made Mattison. At 22 years old. this young man managed to create a long list of accomplishments. After graduating from High School. Jeffrey enlisted in the Army and served for three years in the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg. Upon fulfilling his obligation as an active duty soldier. Jeffrey received an honorable discharge from the Army and returned to Gainesville. Florida where he began pursuing his degree at Santa Fe Community College. Everyone who knew Jeffrey recalls his vast knowledge of history and his lifelong desire to be a soldier. One of the most Impressive things about this young man is that he had enough wisdom at such a young age to pursue both of his dreams. While continuing his education at Santa Fe and becoming actively and successfully involved in local politics. he also passionately served in the Florida National Guard. Specialist Jeffrey Wershow was a soldier. a son. a brother. and a friend. He was also a proud American who we can. all remember as an example of why this country is so great. I would like to offer my most sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Date: 2003-07-21
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. this year marks the final year of the United States 50th anniversary of the Korean War commemoration. Beginning on June 25. 2000. which marked the 50th anniversary of the invasion of South Korea. the commemoration period will continue through Veteranss Day of this year. This Sunday. July 27th holds special significance because It will mark the 50th anniversary of the Korean War armistice. Begun only five years after the end of World War II. the Korean War was. in many ways. the first reminder that America must remain the worlds leading force for peace. prosperity and freedoma responsibility we still hold today. Called to fight back the brutal forces of communism. 1.800.000 Americans courageously participated in the Korean War. The United States suffered over 36.000 dead and over 100.000 wounded In some of the most horrific conditions In the history of warfare. .. The service and sacrifices of our Korean War veterans 50 years ago saved a nation from communities enslavement and gave South Korea the opportunity to develop and flourish under freedom and democracy. Sadly. the Korean War Is sometimes referred to as the "forgotten war:" Perhaps it was the mood of a nation wanting to retum to peace after the Second World War. But for the U.S. men and women who served. and for the families and friends of those who paid the ultimate price. the Korean War can never be forgotten. May this resolution. along with all the Korean War commemoration events taking place this year across the country. send a message. loud and clear. that "we will never forget." All Americans must know. as the words etched on the Korean War Memorial reminds us. "Freedom Is Not Free." It cannot be taken for granted. Should this great country wish to preserve its freedom. we must pay tribute to those who paid the price for freedom. Korean War veterans. I salute you.
Date: 2003-07-22
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. by the direction of the Committee on Rules. I call up House Resolution 327 and ask for its immediate consideration.
Date: 2003-07-22
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. for purposes of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for purposes of debate only.
Date: 2003-07-22
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan . a distinguished. fine leader of the Committee on Appropriations.
Date: 2003-07-22
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The legislation that we bring to the floor today Is extremely important to the national interests of the United States. The $17plus billion In this legislation helps millions of people throughout the world. This is an extremely important piece of legislation. We bring it to the floor with an open rule. In other words. any relevant amendment. any germane amendment by any Member of this House will be able to be introduced and debated. It is an open rule. So again I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman KOLBE) and the gentlewoman from New York . ranking member. and members of the subcommittee for their hard work on this important issue. and at this point. once again. urge all of our colleagues to support the underlying legislation and this open rule.
Date: 2003-07-22
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.
Date: 2003-07-22
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. two sections of this. on page 47 and page 55. lines 19 through 23. there are two sections here that are basically legislating on an appropriations bill over which our committees has jurisdiction. We have discussed these sections with the gentleman from Virginia and have come to an agreement that We will not at this point exercise a point of order. but want to work with the committee in the future as they draft these bills to work with our committee so that we can craft appropriate language to meet our mutual goals. Is the gentleman in agreement?
Date: 2003-07-22
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I wish to be heard. Let me just say this also falls under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Government Reform. I was coming over to also offer our objection to this section because this was put in without consultation With our committee. and this is under our jurisdiction. However. after listening to the gentleman from Virginia explain the rationale put forward by both the Federal Communications Commission in defending the policy and looking at the wide array of special interest trips that have been paid for by special interests to employees of the FCC. this is probably an appropriate vehicle to try to stop that process and try to raise the regulatory regime there to make it freer from interest group influence. Obviously. if somebody goes on a paidfor trip. is put up in a hotel. gets their golf game paid for. and it is paid for by an interest group that is regulated by the FCC. we should stop it. So we are not going to exercise a motion to strike on this. I agree with the gentleman from Virginia. I appreciate him bringing this forward. I hope he will work with us during the next year as we craft these together so that we can keep these jurisdictionally a little bit clearer.
Date: 2003-07-22
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Again. section 603 puts a limitation on 5 United States Code section 3109 and restricts the use of temporary outside consultants and experts by the Departments of Commerce. Justice and State to contracts that are a matter of public record. Because of exceptions to this section. it does not significantly restrict these outside consultants. But this again falls under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Government Reform. We have consulted with the chairman on this. He feels very strongly about this Issue. We will not raise a point of order on this. but hope that in the future we can work together on these sections. exercising our joint jurisdictions for the public benefit.
Date: 2003-07-22
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I make a point of order against section 607 (a) and (b) on the grounds that this section changes existing law in violation of clause 2(b) of House rule XXI. And it is therefore legislation included in a general appropriations bill.
Date: 2003-07-23
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

First of terials used in the UNRWA educational system that promote antiSemitism. denial of all. they concede the point of order. the existence and the right to exist of the What they are doing is legislating on state of Israel. and exacerbate stereotypes an appropriation bill without any con- and tensions between tre Palestinians and sultation with the committee of juris- Israelis.
Date: 2003-07-24
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. on rollcall No. 436. I was off the.House floor and didnt hear the bells. Had I been present. I would have voted "aye."
Date: 2003-07-24
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to this bill. The argument is we are dealing with reimportation. not drugs manufactured in Canada. Ask yourself the question. why are there no major manufacturing facilities in Canada? The reason Is they invest billions of dollars in these drugs to save our lives. Of every thousand they work on. seven hit the market place and one makes a profit. Now. ask yourself the question. Canada represents 1 percent of the marketplace. That is all they represent. Do you believe that U.S. manufacturers are going to ship enough drugs to Canada to sell them back at less prices in the United States to fill the volume that is needed in the largest market in the world? When people get sick in Canada and they are seriously ill. they come to the United States. Why? Because we have the best health care and the best treatment forms in the world. It is already legal to reimport if you can prove safety. but they cannot prove safety. and you know it. And they will have that same difficulty in the future. So do not believe there is some. manufacturer in Canada who is just arbitrarily going to ship drugs here. Our companies do not meet the demand.
Date: 2003-07-25
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr Chairman. certainly coming from Florida I have a very large veterans population. I have the second largest veterans population in this Congress. When I went back home and told them about the amount of funding that was in the budget that we passed. I can tell Members they were delighted. It was not enough even then. but it sure made a big difference. Today. the bill that we will be voting on will be cutting $1.8 billion from the veterans health care appropriation. That is wrong. We are breaking a promise that we made when we went home and told them about the funding that was in the budget. I think veterans deserve better. They have defended our country. Tomorrow. I am going to be presenting medals to Korean War veterans. celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Korean War. Can we give them a medal and turn our backs on what they may have in health care needs? We also have men and women coming home from Iraq. What kind of health care are they going to have? I know how hard the chairman of the committee. the gentleman from New J uly 25. 2003 York . worked on this and how hard the members of the Committee on Veterans Affairs and the Committee on the Budget worked on this. because I serve on both. We took some tough votes because we were told there would be additional funding in the final appropriations bill that was passed. I cannot vote for this bill. and I think that there are many in this Chamber who are really. as we used to say back in New York. having agita over this vote. This is not a vote that I can cast affirmatively.
Date: 2003-07-25
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to say goodbye to Eve ButlerGee. the Chief Journal Clerk in the House. who will retire at the end of August after 20 years of service to the House of Representatives. Eve began her professional career in the House. After an interlude working for a charitable foundation. she returned to the House in 1987 as the Minority Enrolling Clerk of the House. She served in that capacity for 8 years before her appointment as Chief Journal Clerk in 1995. With this appointment. Eve became the first woman in the history of the .House of Representatives to serve as Chief Journal Clerk. Eve and three assistant journal clerks are responsible for keeping the journal of the House proceedings in that big journal minute book which we see her with here every day at the rostrum and which we vote on half the time. According to House rules. the first order of business each day is the vote on the Chairs approval of the Journal of the last days proceedings. The Journal Clerks office also publishes the journal of each session of Congress for use as a reference by the House Parliamentarians. Members of Congress. regional libraries and State governments. Under Eves direction the publication of the House Journal has been brought up to date and publication procedures modernized and refined. Much has transpired during her service on the House rostrum staff. The House has voted on the Gulf War resolution. grieved a gunmans killing of two U.S. Capitol policemen. evacuated the House during the attacts of September 11. enacted counterterrorism measures. dealt with anthrax attacks and voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq. Eve has often said that she has been privileged to witness history every day in this Chamber. Those who know Eve ButlerGee know her faith life and her service in the Episcopal Church is also an important part of who she is. She serves as head verger at the Church of the Holy Comforter in Vienna. Virginia. where her husband. Tom Gee. also serves as director of lay liturgists. After her retirement. she plans to serve as a volunteer verger at the Washington National Cathedral. She and Tom plan to spend their time traveling and enjoying the comfort of friends and family. including Eves daughter and soninlaw. Lora and John Williams. her grandson Evan. and Toms son Sean Gee. Tom and Eve also eagerly await the birth of a new grandchild in December. Following a trip to Ireland in September. Eve hopes finally to have the free time to resume her lifelong interest in writing and community theater. In closing. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank her for her faithful service to this body and wish her health and happiness in the years to come.
Date: 2003-09-03
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 350) congratulating Lance Armstrong for winning the 2003 Tour de France.
Date: 2003-09-03
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 350.
Date: 2003-09-03
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. again. on behalf of the House. I want to congratulate Lance Armstrong for his most recent Tour de France win. I urge all Members to support the adoption of House Resolution
Date: 2003-09-03
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2300 Redondo Avenue in Signal Hill. California. as the "J. Stephen Horn Post Office Building." as amended.
Date: 2003-09-03
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2309.
Date: 2003-09-03
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 2309. as amended. introduced by my distinguished colleague from the State of California
Date: 2003-09-03
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from California . for introducing this -important legislation. Steve Horn was not an athlete. he was not a recordholder. but he was in every sense a champion. a champion of good government and government efficiency and a champion for the American people. I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 2309. as amended.
Date: 2003-09-03
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

(during the Special Order of Mr. SMITH of Michigan). from the Committee on Rules. submitted a privileged report (Rept. No. 108258) on the resolution (H. Res. 351) providing for consideration of the bill making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation and Treasury. and independent agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30. 2004. and for other purposes. which was referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.
Date: 2003-09-04
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I hope the chairman recognizes the authorizers role in overseeing GSA in this and the appropriators role in this and will keep us in the loop. and will not try to authorize without consultation with the authorizers. Am I correct on this. or am I being rolled on this?
Date: 2003-09-04
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. my question is although the Committee on Appropriations has appropriations oversight. I would hope we would work with the authorizing committee on GSA. which is the Committee on Government Reform. which I chair. as we work towards language on this. We have spent a lot of time on these issues as well. The language of the gentleman from New York was worked out and shared with us. I hope this is not an attempt on the part of the appropriators to once again override authorizing committees and try to accomplish what they could not accomplish on the floor.
Date: 2003-09-04
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I appreciate my friend from Maryland for taking leadership on this. and my colleague from the District. I have asked the chairman of the subcommittee. I know he is interested in this as well. This is something that 9/11 shut these airports down. They are actually very. very important to the Nations security here in terms of ingress and egress. and we have. I think. a national interest in preserving these. As was stated before. It is just a pittance. but it is important to keep them economically viable. Let me ask the chairman of the committee can he work with us to make sure that in conference this money is included if he is not comfortable with where this money is coming from at this point.
Date: 2003-09-04
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I raise a point of order against section 212 on the grounds that the section changes existing law in violation of clause 2(b) of.House rule XXI and is therefore legislation included in a general appropriations bill.
Date: 2003-09-04
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I raise a point of order against section 621. This section changes existing law in violation of clause 2(b) of House rule XXI and is therefore legislation included in a general appropriations bill.
Date: 2003-09-05
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I have a lengthy statement talking about generally what is in this bill. really basically praising the gentleman from New Jersey and the gentleman from Pennsylvania for putting together a very good bill. I would like to address briefly. though. the Davis amendment that will be coming up before this body a little bit later. I will submit for the RECORD a Washington Post editorial written by Tony Williams. the elected mayor of the city. Kevin Chavous. elected council member and chairman of the Districts education committee. and Peggy Cooper Cafritz. the elected chairman of the school board. all supporting my amendment and the school voucher program. I will also submit for the RECORD a May 12. 2002. editorial from the Washington Post which sets the record straight on the history of school vouchers in Washington. Let me just say. the idea that this is an antivoucher city is something we need to contend with. The vote in 1981 was not on a school voucher program like we have here. It was on tuition tax credits that one could argue hurt the .District budget. I think we have solved that here by Ifringing additional money in. and more money will be coming into the city that would not otherwise come in as a result of the appropriations process I think at the end of this. So that was a completely different proposal. That vote was in 1981. The Washington Post. a newspaper of some renown in this town. ran a poll in May of 1998 that asked. do you favor or oppose using Federal money in the form of vouchers to help lowincome students in the District go to private or parochial schools? In that poll. 56 percent of city residents said they favored the idea. If that is the idea of antivoucher. I think that we are being misled. City opinion is split on this. but the elected mayor and the elected chairman of the school board have come to us. they are in charge of this. they are entrusted by the voters to focus on this particular issue. and they have said that they need this to help D.C. schoolchildren get the same level of opportunity that the rest of us have for kids in our districts. Over the years I have worked hard to try to bring this city back. I have worked with my friend. the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia