macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Madam Chairman. let me state that the collocation. there is a lot of confusion. but collocation as it is being used now by USDA means that all of the different offices of USDA would be put in one location. in one building. and that is already being done in my home county. The USDA offices are collocated. and farmers come to one specific spot. and all of the agencies are there. The bill does that. The argument here is that we should not have a consolidation of some of the programs. and basically this amendment will undo the thrust of the bill basically. but there is a reason for separation of a highly technical area. And my colleagues who just spoke. all that we do on the Soil Conservation is change the name. It does not do any basic change. but the important thing is that we are moving to collocation. That is where the savings are going to be. That is where the savings are. and the service to farmers. and not necessarily to the farmers. because the Soil Conservation Service works in the countryside with different owners of different lands. and as I mentioned in .the beginning. and I repeat it now. what a farmer needs besides being a good farmer is he needs good soil. he needs good water. and he needs clean air. - This is the area where historically the Soil Conservation has worked. and they have technical expertise that cannot be merged with book and/or desktypeoperations like the ASCS office. although the ASCS office goes and measures farms and acreage. some with Soil Conservation figures. and in cooperation with. and if you have them side by side. collocated. then you would have fulfilled the desire to streamline. You would have a more efficient operation to have the farmers come to one location. I would urge my colleagues to vote no on this amendment. because otherwise. the thrust of this legislation would fall by the wayside.
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Madam Chairman. I do so in order to say that this amendment was introduced by Mr. ROBERTS. or almost the text of this amendment. in the committee. and it was defeated in the committee. Yes. there is some philosophicaldisagreement. I guess. amongst us. but the fact is nonetheless that this bill as we are considering now does -save money. It does provide for streamlining. We are already in the process of collocating to save money. and there are areas where you need to consolidate and streamline. This bill does that. All of the work that we have done through the months and maybe years now would be undone by this amendment. This amendment will just keep the status quo. The status quo is not acceptable any more. Yesterday there was a group outside here. in front of the Capitol. with 10 items that *they want to change because they do not want the status quo. Some. of those areas I might even agree with. So. the fact now is. -and the issue now is. do we want streamlining. do we want to enhance USDA operations to where Mr. Lincoln wanted it 100some years ago? Or. if you vote for this amendment. then you will undo. you keep the status quo as it is. This is a bill for change. This is a time for change. Everyone around this Hill is clamoring for change. So. Madam Chairman. a "no" vote on this amendment is a vote for change. for better change. and streamlining the Department of Agriculture.
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

I do not know that it is. I have not been able to find out who the Mr. Gillespie is that is putting out the press releases.
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

That is what I read about this contract thing. but this may not be the time or the place to discuss this issue.
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the -concerns of the gentieman on the issue of protecting socalled whistleblowers. We appreciate his interest. appreciate his going into this area. and we will be happy to work with the gentleman. Unfortunately. this is not the time or the area where we can address fully this issue. but the gentleman has a commitment from me and from the committee that we will work with him. that we will address this issue fully and hopefully to his satisfaction.
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman. I do so only to thank our colleague. the gentlewoman from Maryland for bringing us this information. working with us. and we look forward to her continued input and working with us as we address this issue in the next year.
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I also rise to thank the gentleman and commend him for his energetic and vigorous pursuing of this issue. We will work with him diligently and we will appreciate his input into the process as we work in this area and commend him for all the work that he has done. The people of his area and his district should be proud of the vigorousmanner in which he has pursued this issue.
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. and I yield to my colleague. the gentleman from New Jersey .
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. the en bloc amendments include clarifying the process for computer purchases at USDA. the local farmer committees keep the authority to hire an executive director. that committees could not merge unless farmers vote. socially disadvantaged farmers. the National Appeals Division which modernizes it. technical conforming amendments. and the amendment mentioned by the gentleman from Ohio to buy American equipment.
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speakers table the Senate bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to reorganize the Department of Agriculture. and for other purposes. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Meibers may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bills just passed.
Date: 1994-09-28
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. due to appointments with constituents and a series of previously scheduled town meetings. I was unable to register my votes on three occasions last week. On September 20. rollcall votes No. 425 and No. 426. I would have voted "yea" on both. on September 22. rollcall vote No. 437. I would have voted "yea."
Date: 1994-09-29
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. yesterday (Wednesday. September 28) the House Agriculture Committee considered and approved by voice vote the bill H.R. 4379. the Farm Credit System Agricultural Export and Risk Management Act. This legislation has two basic objectives. -First. the bill expands the authority ofFarm Credit Systems banks for cooperatives to finance exports of agricultural products. The bill allows the banks for cooperatives to- participate in financing arrangements with other domestic or foreign businesses to promote the export of U.S. agricultural commodities. The bill also allows the banks for cooperatives to finance joint ventures. partnerships and similar arrangements by eligible U.S. agricultural cooperatives. with certain limitations. To safeguard. American jobs. the. bill prohibits any of these institutions from financing the relocation of a plant or facility from the. United States to another country. Second. the bill allows Farm Credit System banks- and associations to better manage the risk in. their loan portfolios. The bill authorizes Farm Credit System institutions. to purchase and sell loan participations with nonSystem lenders. thus reducing. their concentration of risk by geography and industry. Mr. Speaker. the bill was introduced by myself and Mr. ROBERTS. the ranking minority member of. the Committee on Agriculture and several other Members from both sides of the aisle. The bill has been the subject. of a public hearing and- was. also. included in. our committees proposals for inclusion in the Uruguay round implementation bill. This provision was not included in the final implementation bill andso.we bring ift to. the House. floor today so. it. can. be: considered as a separate- measure. Mr. Speaker. the committee has. not had.an opportunity to: complete. its report to accompany H.R. 4379. I do. however. want to submit and have printed in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD at this point in the debate. official correspondence and a technical analysis of the. legislation received from the Farm Credit. Administration. the. Federal agency that regulates and examines the Farm Credit System institutions. The correspondence and.technical anak ysis follows::
Date: 1994-09-30
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. the Republicans have presented the American people with what they are calling a contract. However. this contract is more like a bill because it costs at least $800 billion to fulfill the promises they make. Yet they do not say which programs they will cut to achieve these needed savings. The Republicans did not strike a nerve. they slashed their wrists. I urge my colleagues to read the fine print in this contract and discover what this contract will really mean for America. It will cut Social Security and Medicare. In order to make that cut. they will have to drastically cut Medicare and Social Security. This contract means that senior citizens will no longer be receiving their health benefits under Medicare or their Social SeCurity checks. Just this year. Congress voted on a balanced budget amendment. The reason it did not pass is they would not exempt Social Security. Yet we are going to get it again and they are going to say. "Well. we cant balance the budget without cutting your cost of living or Social Security." For the first time. the people are finally realizing that they are not going to lose their benefits. We are not going to balance the Federal budget on the backs of senior citizens for their 30second TV spot.
Date: 1994-09-30
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. let me say to the earlier speaker. coming from Houston. I stood next to Akeem Olajuwon. and he could stand on it all hewanted. and he would not be 8 foot tall next to- Akeem Olajuwon. I am proud to serve on the committee. and I would like to thank the chairman. the gentleman from Michigan . and the subcommittee chairman. the gentleman from Michigan . for all of their work. This bill has been read. The folks who are opposing this bill have had a year and a half to read this bill. We have had a year and a half of hearings here in Washington and all over the country on reauthorizing elementary and secondary education. We have spent time reading. We have heard from our constituents. and again. we can read the bill. and I have read it. but it does not mean that you may be able to understand it just by reading it. because it does a great many good things. Let me correct some of the fallacies we have heard this morning. This is more Federal control: by one of my colleagues on the committee. There is much less Federal control in this bill than any reauthorization bill that has come up.. Let me read the mandate section alone. the first time the conference committee has put this in an education bill: "Nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize any officer or employee of the Federal Government to mandate. direct. or control a State or local agency. education agency. or schools curriculum./program. instruction. or allocation. State or local resources. mandate a State or any subdivision thereof to spend any funds or incur any costs not paid for under this act." People have been asking for years. do not send us mandates unless you send the money. We are not doing it in this bill. and everyone who votes against this rule. votes to recommit. or votes against the bill. will be voting against that language. For the first time. we actually are not sending mandates without money. This bill is one of the most farreaching education bills we have ever passed in the 30 years of Federal funding. Let us talk about the prayer amendment. This prayer provision in here is not what the House had. and I voted for the instructions for the House. But we could not get. that in conference committee. But I will tell you what. Senator HELMS voted for this amendment that is in here on the floor. Senator HELMS did. and if I. as a Democrat. follow what Senator HELMS did in the Senate on prayer. I think I am probably in pretty good shape. .The people supporting the bill are a broad spectrum: education leaders. obviously religious leaders. That is why I encourage all of the Members to vote for the rule and ultimately vote against the motion to recommit..
Date: 1994-09-30
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the conference- report for H.R. 6. the Improving Americas Schools Act. H.R. 6 is the culmination of months and months of hard work. Committee members and staff have invested many long hours in this bill. I commend our chairman. BILL FORD. and subcommittee chairman. DALE KILDEE. for their outstanding leadership on H.R. 6. In many ways H.R. 6 is one of the most important pieces of legislation this House will consider this session. H.R. 6 will provide assistance to our schools. assistance our schools need to provide a solid education to this countrys futureour children. If our children do not receive the tools they need now. not only will they suffer. but this country will suffer. H.R. 6 provides $11 billion in education aid annually for 13.000 local school districts. Without this bill. this money will not be available for our schools. H.R. 6 provides funding for the disadvantaged in this country. Without this bill. they will not receive the extra help they need. H.R. 6 provides a professional development program. continues the chapter 2 block grant program. includes a safe and drugfrde schools provision. and does much more. Unless we support H.R. 6 today and vote "no" on the motion to recommit. none of this assistance will reach our schools. And our schools cannot afford for this bill to fail. I urge my colleagues to vote "yes" for education. "yes" for H.R. 6 and "no" on the motion torecommit.
Date: 1994-10-03
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill . to amend the Federal Insecticide. Fungicide. and Rodenticide Act with respect to minor use pesticides. as amended.
Date: 1994-10-03
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. our colleague. the gentleman from California has read a statenient that I would disagree with. This bill does not change criteria for safety and for risk. I quote from where I read before: "Waiver of certain data requirements. as long as the absence of this data does not prevent a determination of the pesticides risk." Just an expedited review. And this thing about children and amounts. that is in anotherarea. That is the FIFRA. That is in the full pesticide area. We were very careful to see that we did not do any of that. All -we are trying to do is say that these chemicals that are used. which EPA will not allow them to be used unless they are safe. to animals. to people. and the ecosystem. All of that has been done. What is happening is because of the delay. because of the cost. nothing to do with data. nothing to do with safety. the companies were not manufacturing or were trying to stop manufacturing these items. * If the gentleman wants to stop manufacturing. that is another area. That has nothing to do with this. This is trying to have healthy people eating clean and safe food. and nothing to do with children. nothing to do with grownups. nothing to do with the areas. the gray areas. that people speak negatively about chemicals. So I would hope that the Members understand that and support this bill.
Date: 1994-10-03
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. let me add further that this bill seeks to ensure the availability of pesticide use to protect public health. It takes into account the risks of potential diseases that are controlled by the use of pesticides. We could be overrun by plagues of every kind. and some of these chemicals are used to do that. This bill takes that from another bill. So I wanted to assure my colleague. the gentleman from California that we have as cautiously. as studiously. and as positively as we can. tried to protect all of the areas he is interested in. that we are interested in. That has nothing to do with the areas he mentioned with the National Academy "of Science. All this is. is a few items of incentives to the companies to continue to. manufacture these items that are needed. We are the best fed people in the history of the world for the least amount of disposable income per family. and we want to keep it that way. We are the healthiest people in the world also. I am a little frustrated that they would say that we in the Committee on Agriculture. with out best intentions. are not looking at the public health. That is not so.
Date: 1994-10-03
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I have not given the gentleman time that he could have as much as.he needed. Mr. Speaker. we do not change that part. They started calling today. Somebody may not like this bill. We have had hearings. -We have been debating this. I have been saying my views for I year. 2 years. basically. This was the most expeditious way. But I want to ensure the gentleman. FIFRA legislation will come. hopefully. next session. We will have ample debate. In the meantime. I can assure the gentleman and I assure my colleague and the general public that this in no way is intended to be negative to publie health. to be negative to anyone. If they do not understand it. OK. I can understand that. If they feel that we have moved too fast. this is the time that weare caught in the web here. But there is no Intention in any way whatsoever to go around the FIFRA. to go around the National Academy of Sciences. to go around anywhere. What we do here. I stand. behind it. that it is for the public health. that it is for the benefit of the producers of America without any intention at all to go around the basic legislation that the gentleman will have an opportunity to work with us in the next session. And hopefully. we will do so as he has always done. We agree in our intention. We are not on opposite ends. We agree. His desire and my desire are identical. We may go about it In a different way. We may have" different constituencies. But the desire and the end result are the same. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 1994-10-03
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to. the resolution (H. Res. 559) concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 4217 with an amendment.
Date: 1994-10-03
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself -such time as I may consume. I Mr. Speaker. the amendment that I am offering to H.R. 4217 is comprised of an agreement we have informally reached with the Senate on two major pieces of agricultural legislation that have passed both bodiesreform of the Federal Crop Insurance Program and the reorganization of the Department of Agriculture.
Date: 1994-10-03
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Dakota [Mr. JOHNSON1. our distinguished colleague who is a major participant in the endeavor which we are about to finalize.
Date: 1994-10-03
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would liketo thank our distinguished colleague. the gentleman from Kansas . our distinguished colleague. the ranking member. and all of the Members who have worked so diligently in this ef* fort. everyone who has cooperated in every way possible with us to bring this to this point in time. Mr. Speaker. I would like to say I certainly would give strong commendation to our former colleague. Mr. English. as was mentioned. to the gentleman. from Texas . and to all who have worked with us. I might add one more word: The leadership exercised by Secretary Espy has been very helpful to us. His personal participation in this endeavor has been exemplary and we -thank him for allowing us to be able to reduce expenditures. to consolidate programs. and to be able to be a more efficient agency. We appreciate his very helpful cooperation.
Date: 1994-10-03
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 967. as amended. be modified as follows: On page 34. line 4. strike "require" and insert in lieu thereof "provide technical assistance to".
Date: 1994-10-04
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. during rolloall vote Nos.. 465 and 466 on S. 21. I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present I would have voted "no" on rollcall No. 465 and "yes" on rollcall No. 466.
Date: 1994-10-04
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding and I rise in support of this legislation. unfortunately in a sad way because we have just lost our dear colleague. Judge Claude Harris. He served on our committee and was a major contributor to many of the laws that were enacted while he was a member of our committee. His great love for the Guard and the military was always noted. and he was a very kind and gentle person who cared much for his family. for his State and for his country. I might add just one little personal note. that before he left here we had visited. and I had observed that I had seen a sweater with some geese on it. embroidered on the sweater and I forgot about it. After he had been gone for about 6 months from here. a package came with the sweater. This is the kind of individual that he was. This building will have indeed a great American for its name. and I join all of my other colleagues and associate myself with their remarks. and extend our condolences to his family. his friends on the terrible loss to the State of Alabama and our country. But we are glad he came this way and we had the opportunity to serve briefly with him. and indeed to know him as we knew him.
Date: 1994-10-04
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture be discharged from further consideration of the bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey lands to the city of Rolla. MO. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 1994-10-04
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. this legislation was introduced by our colleagues. the gentleman from Missouri . It is land deeded for city purposes in the city of Rolla. MO. We recommend its passage.
Date: 1994-10-04
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. Iask unanimous consent that the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service be discharged from further consideration of the bill to expand eligibility for the wetlands reserve program to lands covered by expiring agreements. under the Water Bank Act. and. ask for its immediate consideration in the House.