macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-05-03
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia: Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman from California for yielding me this time. I rise today in support of House Resolution 228. which marks the 30th anniversary of thr fall of Saigon. Last weekend. thousands of Vietnamese Americans from across the country came to Washington for the Vietnam Freedom March. This event celebrated the freedom and the heritage of the VietnameseAmerican community. honored the sacrifices of American and Vietnamese veterans. and highlighted the desperate need for freedom and basic human rights in Vietnam today. I am proud to have been an honorary cohost of this event. along with over 20 of my House colleagues. and I look forward to the support of this entire body for the resolution in todays vote. As the.congressional representative of the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam. it is a great privilege to bring this legislation to the floor today on their behalf. Madam Speaker. the gentleman from California is right. The Vietnamese community here in America has done an incredible job. They are hard workers. they are business owners. they are in the top universities. they are getting educated. they are beginning the political process. having now been elected in many of the areas. in Orange County and also in Texas. and. I believe. in VIrginia. It is great to see the strides that they have made as an immigrant community here in the United States. But the truth of the matter is that the people. especially people back in Orange County and around here that are Vietnamese Americans. are still worried about the situation in Vietnam. We know that the people of Vietnam awaken every day under a very harsh and repressive regime. and events such as the Vietnam Freedom March remind those of us here in Washington that even 30 years after the fall of Saigon. there remains much to be done before the Vietnamese people can enjoy the freedom and the liberty that we here in America often take for granted. I hope that my.colleagues will work with me and with the Vietnamese community of the United States to work on the human rights issues still left there in Vietnam. They came here because they were seeking freedom and liberty. We fought and we lost 58.000 Americans in that war trying to find freedom and liberty. I hope we will continue as Americans to fight for freedom and liberty.
Date: 2005-05-03
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I rise as a coauthor in stroig support of H. Res. 228. a resolution that marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Republic of Vietnam and that h6nors the contributions of VietnameseAmericans to American society over the past three decades. April 30. 1975 marked a very somber day for millions of people when the Republic of Vietnam fell to Communist forces from North Vietnam. Instantly. the world was faced with millions of refugees. many who resettled in the United States. but also hundreds of thousands who perished at sea in their attempt to escape Communist forces. Those who remained in Vietnam were forced to reeducation camps and detention as their punishment. Unfortunately. to this day. the Vietnamese Communist government continues to violate basic human rights of its own citizens. As it has been documented by various States Department reports. the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Amnesty International and various VietnameseAmerican groups. the Vietnamese government has been an egregious violator of religious freedom. human rights. and free speech. The government in Vietnam has continuously imprisoned religious figures who simply want to practice their faith. journalists attempting to print basic information about the actions of their government. and democratic activists in Vietnam. VietnameseAmericans are playing a vital role to ensure that the Vietnamese government improves its human rights record. but much work remains to be done. Even though April 30th. 2005 marks the 30th anniversary of a very sad day for millions of Vietnamese and American families whose sons and daughters gave the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War. it is also a day to enthusiastically commend countless contributions that millions of VietnameseAmericans have made in the United States. In just 30 years. 1.5 million Vietnamese refugees rebuilt their lives to become leaders in education. business. and government in the United Sates and have greatly enriched the cultural diversity of ou country. So today I rise to remember the sacrifice of American and Vietnamese soldiers who fought for democracy in Vietnam and for their families who suffered their loss and injury. But I also rise to commend millions of courageous VietnameseAmericans who have successfully rebuilt their lives in the United States while fighting to improve the human rights situation for their brothers and sisters left in Vietnam.
Date: 2005-05-03
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise to defend the integrity of the House this evening. The established practice of the House regarding committee reports is to accurately and objectively describe the proceedings when a bill is considered in committee. These reports are historical products that are used to understand and determine theintent of a bill. opposition to a bill. and to provide any additional information to understand the context of a bill reported by committees of the House. In committee we argue and we disagree and we offer amendments and we vote. We may vote and disagree in committee. but when the report is issued it -is supposed to be objective. This institution must uphold this established practice of describing a committee markup in an accurate and objective manner so that history is accurately documented and reported for generations to come. Unfortunately. that is not what happened last week when the Committee on the Judiciary reported H.R. 748 to the House floor with the committee report. House Report 10951. Republicans that ruled the Committee on the Judiciary mischaracterized five Democratic amendments in an extremely disparaging and distorting manner. When alerted to the misleading and inaccurate description of the amendment in the committee report. they refused to correct the mischaracterization. Here is something I can say that would be true about H.R. 748. The bill could permit a father who raped his daughter to profit in a lawsuit against his minister. Tlhat it a true thing about that bill. It is an argument against the bill. But no one expects that argument against the bill to. substitute for the name of the bill in the committee report. In prior Congresses. Democratic amendments like these were described in neutral terms. The vote last week was about H.R. 748. The vote this week is about arrogance and abuse of power and ignoring the rules. The Republicans changed the ethics rules when they were afraid they might not work for them at the beginning of this Congress. and we are all watching the other body looking about changing the rules relative to filibuster because it suits their purpose and now this. We. including the chairman of the committee. each have a duty to uphold the integrity of this institution. We must not play politics with the records of history. The majority should live by the rules and precedents of the House. The House cannot function if the majority uses its raw power to corrupt the record of the proceedings.
Date: 2005-05-03
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I am going to rise tonight to talk about a pressing problem of health care. but before I do. I want to associate my remarks with the gentleman from Texas . my colleague and neighbor. on Craig Washington. Congressman Washington replaced Mickey Leland. if anybody could replace Mickey Leland. in this House. and I served as a State house member and State senator with Craig. I can only say and echo what the gentleman from Texas said. who I know saw him across from his bench many times. as he was both a brilliant lawyer and statesman. but also one of the most intelligent people I have known. Again. I want to associate myself with those remarks and thank the gentleman from Texas for doing that for Craig.
Date: 2005-05-03
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. today. I am proud to join our nation in celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. This is a time to recognize the enormous contributions of Asian Pacific Americans to our society. The United States is a country of immigrants. known for its diversity. Asian Pacific Americans have increased that diversity. adding their unique experiences to our culture. I am proud that my home state of California has a larger population of AsianAmericans than anyplace else in the country. It is important to renew our commitment to serving the specific needs of this community. Congress must not only reflect and acknowledge the past. but also look forward to meeting the future needs of a growing population. We need to work together to make the American dream a reality. Improving access to educational opportunities. enacting comprehensive immigration reform. and reducing health disparities should be priority initiatives. The theme of this years Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is "Liberty and Freedom for All". This month serves as a reminder that we should all strive to make this theme a reality for every American. We should also acknowledge the contributions of Asian Pacific Americans. My district in particular has benefited from their service and leadership. There are several prominent Asian Pacific Americans who dedicate themselves to improving our communities in southern California. They are a source of strength and inspiration to all of us. I would like to recognize someone who has provided invaluable service. Laura Lee. of Cerritos. is committed to improving her community by helping those around her. She was elected to the Cerritos City Council in March 2003. -However. this barely acknowledges the extent of her public service. She has made Cerritos her home since 1979. and in that time. has built an extensive list of accomplishments. Laura has provided her service and expertise to the American Red Cross. the ABC School District Legislative/Policy Advisory Committee. the Su Casa Domestic Abuse Network. and the Southern California Chinese Womans League. Additionally. she is very active professionally as a real estate broker. She has used this experience to take on leadership roles with the California Association of Realtors. the Rancho Southeast Association of Realtors. and the Cerritos College Real Estate Department. Laura Lee has contributed greatly to the growth or our economy. the diversity of our culture. and the quality of our education. She is someone we can all look to as a role model. This month is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the Asian Pacific American community. They are a valuable asset to our diverse culture that should be recognized.
Date: 2005-05-04
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to urge my colleagues to support this bill. Unfortunately. last week when the majority of members in this body passed the Budget Resolution. they also voted to zero out funding for programs under the Carl Perkins Act. Through the Perkins Act. hundreds of thousands of students have received an education beyond just high school. They have developed marketable skills that enable them to work at competitive wages. often to support themselves or their families as they receive their college education. Sam Houston High School is in my District. It is a school with hardworking students who often live under circumstances that do not allow them to enter a 4year university right after high school graduation. Many of these students stay at home and enter the workforce to help support their families. Due to decreases in state and Federal funding. Sam Houston High School recently lost their vocational education program. This has been devastating to some students who were relying on learning a unique skill that would give them the ability to earn enough to pay for the rising cost of college and get the work experience that will benefit them in the future. These programs allow high schools to enter articulation agreements with our local community colleges so students receive college credit for many of the courses they take and they develop skills to enter the workforce. Perkins offers a winwin opportunity for many students to earn c6llege credit and get training and job offers from companies such as General Motors. Continental Airlines and Lockheed Martin. The Carl Perkins Act recognizes that not everyone goes to college immediately. but that does not mean these students do not want to further their education. Many students who participate in programs such as Tech Prep enter higherpaying jobs after high school to help pay for college. Recently. the NationaLAssociation of Manufacturers released a report stating the U.S. will face a shortage of almost 10 million skilled workers by 2020. The students who benefit from the Perkins Act also benefit our economy by preventing the outsourcing of jobs and keeping industry in America flowing. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. The students in my district support Perkins and if we pass this bill today. they will be able to continue to pursue their goals.
Date: 2005-05-04
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. as Members have heard. the purpose of this amendment is to make sure that no monies expended under this act will be used to pay for propaganda by members of the media. Specifically. my motion requires that the prepackaged news stories put together with Federal funds must be disclosed to viewers. This portion of the motion was offered as an amendment to the supplemental by Senator BYRD and was passed 98 to 0. The motion also prohibits using public funds to pay journalists or media commentators to promote the views of the agency. which directly addresses the Armstrong Williams propaganda fiasco. The Department of Education Inspector General recently issued a report that I requested that concludes that the Department squandered hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars in a contract with Ketchum Communications and a subcontract with media commentator Armstrong Williams. Specifically. the Inspector General found that Department officials involved in the Armstrong Williams contract made poor management decisions. exercised poor judgment and oversight. and paid for work that did not reach its intended audience. and paid for work that the .Department never received. The report notes that the covert editorial comments by Armstrong Williams in support of No Child Left Behind were specifically required by Department work orders. and confirmed by activity reports submitted by Mr. Williams. In my view. the Federal Government was defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in this case. An even greater concern is this may not be an isolated case in the Department of Education. The Inspector General is preparing the release of a second report in coming weeks that will review a number of highly questionable activities regarding the use of propaganda by the Department of Education officials. We must stop this act of the abuse of taxpayer funds. This motion to recommit is very simple. Members can vote for it and report the bill back to the House. and then we can pass the bill. It is a simple choice. Do we want to use education dollars for the education of our children. or do we want to use it for propaganda? This amendment says we shall not use it for propaganda. we shall not pay news commentators to engage in propaganda on behalf of the Department of Education. Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Connecticut .
Date: 2005-05-04
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for her support. Again. the choice is very simple here: whether or not at a tifne when education programs are being cut in the Federal budget that we passed last week. whether or not we will now decide not to use these hardearned education dollars. hardpaidfor education dollars by the taxpayers that we represent to develop propaganda that they shall be restricted to the uses for which this program was passed. and that is the vocational education of our students in this country. I urge the support of this motion.
Date: 2005-05-04
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. on Wednesday. May 4. 2005. I was unavoidably detained due to a prior obligation. reflect that had I been present and voting. I would have voted as follows: Rollcall No. 153. "yea" (On Motion to Recommit with Instructions on H.R. 366. the Vocational and Technical Education for the Future Act).
Date: 2005-05-05
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (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 and include extraneous material on the subject of this special order.
Date: 2005-05-05
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. Yom Hoshoa. Today is a day of reflection and remembrance. not just for Jews. but for everyone who needs to learn from the worlds injustices in order not to repeat them. Today we need not just say. "never again." We must live our lives by this mantra. A few weeks ago. I attended a solemn ceremony to remember the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. As I reflected upon the horror of the death camps where at least 1.5 million innocent people from many different nations died. 90 percent of whom were Jews. I asked myself the following question: how far have we come as a civil society and a world in the last 60 years? How much have we learned? Have we honored their memory by not allowing these atrocities to be repeated? Unfortunately. my answer had to be not far enough. In the last 15 years. we have seen genocide raise its ugly head in Bosnia. Rwanda and. most recently. in the Darfur region in Sudan. where at least 180.000 people are dead and over 2 million people displaced from their homes. On Yom Hoshoa. let us recommit and reaffirm our vigilance against acts of horrific inhumanity. Let us make sure that the lost souls from the Holocaust did not die in vain.
Date: 2005-05-05
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in remembrance of and in mourning for the millions who perished in the Shoah. the Holocaust. the most systematic and brutal persecution of a people ever perpetrated in human history. We grieve for all human suffering and misery. The death of one is not more significant because of his or her race or their creed. But there were so many ones lost in that time. And not just individuals. whole families. whole villages. an entire way of life in many cases. Poland. Hungary. Ukraine. these countries will never regain the vitality they lost when they lost their Jewish people. We grieve today not just for the Jewish deaths. Jews were not the only ones to perish in the Holocaust. This atrocity was visited upon Gypsies. homosexuals. the disabled. Catholics. Africans. tradeunionists. Jehovahs Witnesses. Protestant Pastors and anyone who opposed the Reich. The Holocaust was and is an offense. not only to the victims. their families and their friends. but to humanity. Some demonize the Nazi brutality. calling it inhuman. But I think the fact that the Holocaust was a human event makes -it all the more terrible. And it makes our obligation to prevent such a thing from ever happening again even more essential and pressing. Pastor Niemoller famously reflected on his inaction at the time of the Holocaust: First they came for the Communists. but I was not a Communist. so I said nothing. Then they came for the Social Democrats. but I was not a Social Democrat. so I did nothing. Then came the trade unionists. but I was not a trade unionist. And then they came for the Jews. but I was not a Jew. so I did little. Then when they came for me. there was no one left to stand up for me. On this day of remembrance. let us pledge that this will not be our legacy.
Date: 2005-05-05
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this Yom HaShoah. we honor those whose lives were lost in the atrocities of one of the darkest periods in human history. We pay tribute to all who lost their lives during World War II and reflect on the loss of more than six million Jewish lives. We honor the heroes who perished in the one of the most valiant battles for liberty and justice the world has ever known. The most fitting tribute that we can offer to the countless heroes who suffered under the Nazi regime is to work to ensure that they did not suffer in vain. As we reflect on the unfathomable loss suffered during the Holocaust it is also important that we vow to build a more peaceful world. Today. more than fifty years later. we must teach our children about the horrific events that transformed the world so that the mistakes of the past are never repeated. It is important that we fight ignorance on a daily basis through a dedication to leaming about the origins and realities of the Holocaust. With examples of malice and terror everpresent in todays society. we are reminded of the strength and courage of the Jewish people. Their dedication to begin anew in the aftermath of the Holocaust serves as an example of steadfast determination. Through their example. we learn how the human spirit can triumph over the hollowness of vengeance and anger. On this day we celebrate that spirit. Mr. Speaker. I am proud to join the commemoration of Yom HaShoah and I hope that all Americans will join me.
Date: 2005-05-05
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. communities will gather in the United States. Israel. and around the world today to observe Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day. known in Hebrew as Yom Hashoah. This solemn day commemorates the anniversary of the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. This year. the day comes as the world marks the 60th anniversary of the end of World War I1. In order to irevent the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust from ever being repeated. we all have a responsibility to educate younger generations. We must take time to remember the atrocities suffered by countless Jews diring the World War II era. The martyrs gave their lives for their beliefs. protected their own people. and stood up for their most sacred principles. The heroes did everything in their power to stop the spread of evil across the globe. It is the stories of these martyrs and heroes that need to be repeated. so that young people can better understand this dark period in history. One resource to help us teach the next generation is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I recommend a trip to this landmark whenever someone from my district is visiting Washington. D.C. There is so much worth to what this museum has documented for the world to see. The documents. photographs. and films offer an appropriate way of remembering such a serious subject matter. Despite the lessons of the Holocaust. discrimination. persecution. and eveo genocide still persist around the world. Today. it is inperative to renew our commitment to fighting injustice in all its forms. In doing so. we recognize the sacrifices and suffering of the Holocaust. Let us all work to educate the next generation. so that they never forget the martyrs and heroes who fought to protect their Jewish traditions. and never gave up in thel face of evil.