macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1996-08-01
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the rule and to the legislation for a multiplicity of reasons. One is that I saw a friend of mine recently. and this bill is making us the laughing stock of the world. He said. you Americans are going to speak English? I said. We do. But you are going to make it the official language? It is. This just puts it a line on a piece of paper. My district begins with Hispanics. what we call "Anglos. Czech. Slovak. German. Polish. little Hungarian. That is the makeup of my district in south Texas. All of them speak English. All of us speak English in one form or another. But this is Inean spirited. I do not care how we camouflage it. It is aiming at someone. It is. aiming at a group in California or some other place. We do not want this. We do not want any more immigrants. We are going to shut it out. What are we going to do to the Statue of Liberty? I guess -erase what it says on there. This is a problem that we have. This is mean spirited. It is camouflage. It is trying to stop people from doing something. English is the language of this country. That is what we speak. That is what we do. Everyone does that. My congressional district. we are teaching the kids. But do you want to stop something? Why do the big companies spend millions of dollars in Spanish on the billboards? To sell their product. to sell their product. Mr. Speaker. saying that the Government of the United States has to function solely in English is ridiculous. it is absurd. Now let me tell my colleagues something. President Reagan stood in front of the -wall in Berlin and says. "Mr. Gorbachev. tear down this wall." Had bailing wire and bricks and mortar. it was torn down. We are going to rebuild the Berlin Wall around the United States of America. Not going to be bricks and mortar. it is going to be something called "English only." We are going to build a wall around us. and my colleagues will live to regret the day.
Date: 1996-08-01
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. why. why. why? I listen to my good friend. the gentleman from California . I agree with him. I listen to the gentleman from Pennsylvania . I agree with him. Mr. GoODLING said this does not mean anything. only the Government. the Government. the Government. We have to teach. we have to educate people. If this does not do anything. what it will do is you can pound your chest and say. we put one line in the law that says that English is the language of our Government. Fine. Go pound your chest. but the world will laugh at us. Why? Why? Why?
Date: 1996-08-01
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I thank my colleague for allowing me to speak. I rise in opposition to the bill. but I support English as our common language. But our colleagues are trying to divide Americans on language basis. and I say to my colleague from Pennsylvania that no one asked to have that translation of that charter. In the State of Texas even with our Hispanic heritage our charters from our Secretary of State come only in English. Some time ago. USA Today reported that the Englishonly effort is a phony solution in search of a problem. There is no more adequate statement that I have heard on any other thing in this issue. According to the findings in this bill. English is a common thread that binds individuals from different backgrounds. In short. English is what makes us Americans. We have more in common than our language. and. Lord knows. we all speak English in a different way. Americans share a common set of values. those of democracy. freedom. and opportunity. and that can be said in English as well as lots of other languages. Our fellow Americans who are not fluent in English are no less patriotic than my colleagues or me. In fact in some cases. particularly Hispanic heritage. we can go and talk about individuals who have literally laid down their lives for our country. Contrary to what the sponsors of the bill claim. English is not being threatened. If one files a document in court. the public records are in English. If they get a charter from Pennsylvania. like my colleague said. it is in English. English is the language that is used today in Congress and all our official activities of our Government. Then why are we debating this bill? Only to divide us as Americans. We are not divided because of our language. Mr. Chairman. We are divided today because of those of us who may not speak English as our first language. My ancestor did not speak English as a first language. they spoke German. But they also learned English. but we also lament that in our ancestry we lost the ability to speak German. I hesitate to say anyone coming to America. they are going to learn English. but I do not want them to say. "Dont learn your heritage". and that is what this bill is saying. This bill is trying to divide us. Mr. Chairman. based on language. and we do not need to be divided any more in this country.
Date: 1996-08-01
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition of H.R. 123. the misnamed English Language Empowerment Act. Mr. Chairman. Englishonly laws. especially eliminating ballots in other languages. will disconnect millions of Americans from their Government. Denying citizens minority language assistance in voting will not force or encourage them to learn English. On the contrary. it will lead to less integration or inclusion of these citizens in mainstream society. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census. over 97 percent of Americans can speak English. Research has illustrated that todays immigrants are leaming to speak English even faster than previous generations. Publications and information materials in other languages allow those who are leaming. but not yet fluent in English. the opportunity to participate in our democracy by making informed decisions. Laws to make English official in all governmental services and departments is an avoidance and dismissal of the fact that above all institutions. our Government should respect the differences in our social mosaic. Providing multilingual services promotes participation by all persons in this country and recognizes that people who contribute to our tax base should have access to services for which they are eligible. Mr. Chairman. another concern of mine is that as we force nonEnglish speaking Americans to learn the English language. we hinder their efforts to leam English by eliminating funding for bilingual education programs. Rest assured. Mr. Chairman. that I will continue to preserve our American heritage. however. I cannot deny that the American heritage has been enriched by the culture of other nations. Mr. Chairman. I urge my colleagues to defeat this divisive bill. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 1996-08-02
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the rule and the bill. Mr. Speaker. today is a good day for our Nations working people. both men and women. What a difference a year makes. This Republican majority Congress passes a minimum wage increase. The world has definitely turned upside down. With the passage of this conference committee report. working Americans will finally see an increase in their wages. To again quote the late Senator from Texas. U.S. Senator Ralph Yarborough. we are putting the jam on the lower shelf for the little people to reach it. This is a day to celebrate. But we should not forget the Republican attempts to stonewall. derail. and defeat the increase. The American people brought the Republican majority to this point. in some cases kicking and screaming. with a few exceptions. My colleague. the gentleman from New York . is to be commended for his leadership on this effort. The credit should go to the American people. who made it absolutely clear to the Republican leadership that they expected an increase in the minimum wage. Eighty percent expected that. American workers understand that the purchasing power of the minimum wage will soon be the lowest in 40 years. and now they will make an additional $1.800 a year in their pocket to spend. Let us stop talking about it. Let us give the American people what they want and deserve. an increase in the minimum wage. The best welfare reform is a job that pays a decent wage.
Date: 1996-09-04
Speaker: JOHN H. GIBBONS (democrat)
Chamber: S

Director. Office of Science and Technology Policy. Old Executive Office Building. Washington. DC. DEAR MR. GIBBONS: I would like to congratulate you on the work your office has done to implement the Presidents Executive order to bring Federal surplus computer equipment to schools. This initiative is sorely needed to transfer serviceable computer equipment no longer needed by Federal Agencies to our public schools where the need for this technology is great. Senator Murray and I offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 1997 Appropriations report for Treasury. Postal Service. and General Government which reinforces the importance of the Executive Order and urges governmentwide cooperation in speeding its implementation. I also strongly supported Senator Murrays language in the Legislative Appropriations bill bringing the United States Senate into compliance with the Executive Order. Congress should be leading the charge to bring surplus and excess computer equipment to our schoolsSenator Murrays language will put the Senate -in the race. For your information. I have included a copy of the report language in the Treasury and Legislative Appropriation bills. I believe that the steps Federal Agencies are taking to conform with the Executive Order will be effective in bringing more surplus equipment to schools at less cost to the government and the schools themselves. A timely analysis of the progress that has been made and the problems Departments and the Federal Executive Boards may have run into would be very helpful in evaluating the success of the initiative. Because of the central role your office has played in this important effort to bring computers to schools. I think the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is the most appropriate body to carry out such an evaluation. Specifically. I request that OSTP report to Congress by January 30. 1997 on the implementation of the Federal Executive Order. This report should include information on the progress of Federal Agencies and Congress in making surplus computer equipment available to schools. and on the effectiveness of the Federal Executive Boards in channeling this equipment through the regions. I look forward to working with your office to make sure that unused Federal computer equipment is made available to schools around the country. If you have any questions about the requested report please contact Amy Rainone in my office at 2244242. Sincerely.
Date: 1996-09-05
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I have no fear of taking a drug test. and I suggest we do it here on the floor of the House. Let me talk about the cuts that we have in safe and drugfree schools. the same people we have heard this morning talk about the increase in drug use. and yet this majority Republican Congress cut $99 million out of safe and drugfree schools that the President requested. again the DARE programs. But that is not what I want to talk about today. Mr. Speaker. I really wanted to talk about the proposed spending of all the political career of Senator Dole as a budget balancer and now calling for a 15 percent tax cut. This sounds great and all of us would like to have one. but how are we going to pay for it? In recent history. If there is any indication. it will be paid for by cuts in education. by cuts in the Medicare needs for seniors. and of course. remember last year when Senator Dole bragged about voting against the creation of Medicare in 1965. Now he says he wants to preserve and protect it. Mr. Speaker. I am concerned that after November 5. if that happens. we will then hear about where those cuts are going to come. and they are going to come from education. from Medicare for seniors and from programs that we need to plan for the 21st century.
Date: 1996-09-11
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Going back. let me say something else about budget cuts. obviously Medicare and student loans. but they have to go to discretionary spending if they do not do entitlements. Some of that discretionary money is Border Patrol. the FBI. crime control. airline safety. There are a lot of programs that would be on the chopping block. But again they doubled the tax cuts they wanted September 11. i996 in 1995 and 1996. they could not get them. and in Texas we call that a pig in a poke. Our folks are not going to buy it. and that is what this is. This proposed $500 billion tax cut is a pig in a poke.
Date: 1996-09-12
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I am glad the Speaker brought that ice bucket in here. My concern is that they sire going to ice Medicare with that $548 billion tax cut. Yesterday. in front of the Republican Caucus Senator Dole said that this years campaign is about trust. Senator Dole wants the American people to believe and trust that his proposed tax cuts will improve their economic conditions. He wants them to believe that a $548 billion tax cut will not lead to higher budget deficits and increased interest rates. but major Republican economists say that Senator Doles tax cuts will not work. If history is any lesson. when Speaker GINGRICH and then Senator Dole tried to pass a $245 billion tax cut last year. they went after Medicare. $270 billion. Do not let them ice Medicare. Senator DAMATO admitted that under the Dole plan funding for such programs as Medicare would definitely be affected. He went even as far as to say. I know I am not running this year. so he can tell the truth. Even former economic advisers to Reagan are now saying that tax cuts do not produce the kind of economic stimulation Senator Dole promised. Mr. Speaker. let us not repeat the 1990s budgetbusting plans.
Date: 1996-09-17
Speaker: JOHN DINGELL (democrat)
Chamber: H

becomes chairman of the Committee on Commerce. he will. "reexamine GOP legislation capping awards in civil damage suits and limiting investor suits." In other words. if Democrats get control of Congress again. we can just forget about any commonsense legal reform. The Democrats In Congress are also making plans to repeal the welfare reform bill signed by the President. and they have not given up on the Idea of having the Government take over our health care system. The Democrat agenda remains. as always. to put the Government first. They want more Government spending. more Government control. more Government influence over the lives of the American people. Mr. Speaker. if the Democrats regain control of the Congress. they .will reverse the great progress we made over the last 2 years to make the Federal Government work better for working Americans. I urge my colleagues and the American people to take notice. When they vote this November. they have a choice of moving forward with an agenda of commonsense change or moving backward to the old days of higher taxes. more wasteful Washington spending. and a bigger. more intrusive Federal Government.
Date: 1996-09-17
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. we heard earlier last week and over the weekend that this years campaign is about trust. I am concerned about what may happen to some of our programs. that if we go forward with what Senator Dole wants. proposed tax cuts of $548 billion. that could lead to higher deficits and also increased interest rates. Mr. Speaker. I think we only need to look at recent history to show the concern that last year. in which there was only $245 billion in tax cuts. Medicare was on the chopping block. Senator Dole has promised the American people he will not cut Medicare. Social Security. or veterans benefits to pay for the cuts. but we just do not know where the money is coming from. Where is it? Are we going to cut Border Patrol or education funding even more? Senator Doles cut. according to the article in this weeks Time Magazine. the Border Patrol. FBI. and drug enforcement programs may be faced with cuts as deep as 40 percent. Yesterday. Senator Dole said he will get tough on drug enforcement and crime. I do not know if this is any trust. We need to know where these tax cuts are coming from to be paid for. Are they really going to come out of drug enforcement?
Date: 1996-09-17
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. and I thank the chairman of our committee for sharing this time with me. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 3803. This legislation is a good example about how a onetime small investment by the Federal Government can create a new and selfsufficient program that assists young people at a very fine institution in Texas. Texas A&M. and also recognizes the contributions of former President George Bush and the Bush Schoor of Public Affairs at Texas A&M. Public service. The school is scheduled to be opened in the fall of 1997 in conjunction with George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. and Texas A&M will initiate a private fund drive that will raise much more than the $3 million that is authorized in an effort to endow the Bush Fellows and programs in future years. I support this legislation because it makes a difference in the lives of these students. will help them learn how to work with our government. and again it honors former President Bush. who served this country not only as President. but in many other capacities. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 1996-09-17
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the legislation. Let me say at the outset that I cannot understand the praise and then the meatax approach. I challenge anyone to deny my commitment to a balanced budget. I introduced a balanced budget amendment 30 years ago. so I do not want anyone that has been here one or two terms saying that we who try and do something constructive. that we have to go after a balanced budget with a meatax. I am offended that anyone in honesty would say that this is a bustthebudget type situation. There is no need for me to discuss what George Bush did in his lifetime. his contribution. that of his wife. his family. Members are fixing. under the guise of balancing the budget. to embarrass a former President of the United States. the father of the Governor of Texas. saying we are going to balance the budget no matter what. when I daresay many are asking for a canal here and a building there. just go to the Committee on Appropriations. just go to the committees that fund. and many of those that might vote against it are looking for something in their area. Mr. Speaker. this is an investment in the future. that is what it is. working with the young people at a great institution Texas A&M so. that we might recognize what George Bush contributed to this country. let me repeat again. not because he is my friend. not because he was my colleague. not because he was the President. not because he was a Vice President. but because there are right things to do and this is one of them. Sometimes we get misdirected. This balance the budget with a meatax approach just will not do it. I will support the legislation in honor of this great man. and ask all of my colleagues to do so.
Date: 1996-09-17
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. let me talk a little bit for the Members and colleagues who may have some confusion about this. Historically. there have been Presidential fellowships for former officials. and this is not breaking new ground. It was pointed out by the opposition that there are private donations and private fundraising. This is really a onetime appropriation of seed money of $3 million. There will be much more raised. Again. it is an educational program that I am proud to support. not only for President Bush. but also at a great university. Texas A&M. One of the things I heard during some of the debate in opposition was we had 760 education programs that the Federal Government administers. Let me talk about some of those 760 that they list. Sixty of those are scientific and medical research programs. including 48 here at the National Institutes of Health. Sometimes some of these statistics are thrown around up here and people may think. oh. we have 760 Presidential fellow programs. That is not true. Some of these other programs they have. they are mentioning in those 760. include job training programs. include educational programs for Lyme disease. Let us deal with apples and not compare them to oranges or pineapples or anything else. and really talk about the effort that we need to make in recognizing a great President. Mr. Speaker. I have to admit. I did not vote for George Bush. but I also recognize that he was a President of our country. and just like now. we recognize the contributions of him. but during his tenure. there was controversy. There were Members on the floor of the House who disagreed with him. just like now with President Clinton. I would hope that once someone serves their country like President Bush has. we can recognize him with this fellows program in conjunction with his presidential library at Texas A&M. Again. it is a great university. and it is a great program to enhance the ability of young students. students to learn about their Government through the George Bush School of Public Service.
Date: 1996-09-17
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. you have stated that Chairman GOODLING has the right to close on this matter. The gentleman from Michigan says that he wants to be last. I assume before the gentleman from Pennsylvania . My parliamentary inquiry is. does he have a right to that spot? Or can the gentleman from Texas. Mr. GENE GREEN. be the one who speaks next before the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Date: 1996-09-17
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I will use my last minute. I guess. and talk about the importance of this bill. Again H.R. 3803. the George Bush School of Government and Public Service Act. is a onetime appropriation. in the tradition that we have done in many other examples. including I believe I was told. in 1978. Senator Hubert Humphrey that I would have supported in 1978 to my colleagues who are here from Minnesota who opposed it. The documentation that has been used. again. the 760 educational programs. are just ludicrous. to talk about compare this with those. Some of those include the educational programs. American Printing House for the Blind. That is just ludicrous to have that used in opposition. This is a great example of honoring a former President and also a great institution in Texas A&M. and I would hope we would have a resounding number of "aye" votes for H.R. 3803.