macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-03-15
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. I rise in support of the MaloneySinchezCrowley amendment. Let me tell my colleagues a little bit about what this amendment is about. and I will try to be brief. It is about providing women with hygiene kits that include soap. aspirin. sanitary napkins. I. like some of my colleagues before me. had a chance to travel there and see what the UNFPA is doing there. and I urge my colleagues to vote "yes" on the SinchezCrowley amendment. This is what the UN Population Fund distributes to women devastated by the tsunami. By voting for this amendment. you. will affirm your support for women and children in dire need of our help. The Maloney Amendment will aid the tsunami recovery effort by providing UNFPA with muchneeded funding. Its a shame that the U.S. Government has not offered their support to this organization. Ive traveled to some of the areas hardest hit by the tsunami. and I can attest to their tremendous work. Our support for the UN Population Fund should be a top priority. because its one of the few organizations that provides resources for the care of Women and newborn children. Again. were talking about soap. toothpaste. and sanitary napkinsbasic needs. UNFPA also distributes birthing kits. which are vital. Nearly half of all women give birth without a skilled attendant present. or any medical care whatsoever. These kits are sometimes all thats available to birthing women. For women who have no access to hospitals. we must support organizations that provide these kits. Its a matter of protecting life. UNFPA provides the bare essentials. These supplies are critical to stopping the spread of diseases. like malaria. Today. Congress can make a. statement to those hit hardest by the tsunami. We can show our commitment to the recovery effort by supporting UNFPA funding. Today we have a chance to put politics aside and support the work of an organization that is promother and prochild care. Helping those in need is the right thing to do. This shouldnt be a political issue. this is a moral issue. I urge you to vote yes on the Maloney/Sdnchez/Crowley Amendment to help the victims of the tsunami.
Date: 2005-03-16
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I thank my colleague from South Carolina. our ranking member on the Cqmmittee on the Budget. for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. I wish I had enough time to respond to the Majority Leaders problems with this budget. but. in all honesty. the War on Terror. we just passed the supplemental that was not part of this budget. and most of us. in fact I voted for that supplemental because it was the War on Terror. But I rise to oppose the drastic cuts in Medicaid in this budget resolution. Medicaid is not the problem child of our health care system and should not take the fall for this administrations inability to balance the budget. I Medicaids cost per capita growth is lower than Medicare or even private insurance. despite the fact that Medicaid has absorbed an increased beneficiary population due to gaps in Medicare coverage. an economic downturn and the decline of employersponsored. health insurance. Medicaid is a success story in this country. not a program that belongs on the Federal chopping block. As a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I cannot support this budget resolution instruction to my committee to cut $20 billion outs of Medicaid. The robust Medicaid program is critical for the health care delivery in my home State of Texas. Fortyfive percent of all infants born in Texas are covered by Medicaid. 45 percent. Nearly 50 percent of all children receiving care in our childrens hospitals are Medicaid beneficiaries. Medicaid is the singlelargest health insurer for out Nations children. How can we cut the most vulnerable in our society. our children. and still consider ourselves looking out for the least of this society? To paraphrase the Bible. let us not suffer the little children. That is not our job here in this Congress. If Congress goes forward with these illadvised Medicaid cuts. the States will be left holding the bag and their only option is to further cut the benefits. Mr. Chairman. 45 million Americans currently are uninsured. It makes no sense to slash Medicaid spending. which will virtually guarantee an increase in the number of uninsured in our country. Medicaid cuts will not better our bottom line. It will only make our problems worse.
Date: 2005-03-16
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from South Carolina . for his leadership on this budget matter. Shame. shame. shame. I cannot believe the Republican budget. Our men and women that serve this country are putting their lives on the line. and what are we doing? Cutting benefits and refusing service. I am reminded of the words of the first President of the -United States. George Washington. whose words are worth repeating over and over again. "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war. no matter how justified. shou]d be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars are treated and appreciated." The independent budget puts support by the veterans community as $300 billion short. I say that President Bushs budget and the House Republican Bush budget should be dead on arrival. Let me repeat that. I said that Bushs budget and the House Republican budget as it relates to veterans should be dead on arrival. On top of all of this. this budget tells the Veterans Affairs Committee. which I am on. to find $800 million in cuts over the next 5 years for savings. You know. the Republicans practice what I call reverse Robin Hood. robbing from the veterans to give tax cuts to the rich. The President keeps telling us we are at war. Well. put your money where your mouth is.
Date: 2005-03-16
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. My colleague from Florida is always so eloquent. and one of the things that has struck me from the time I have been privileged to serve in the Congress. for about 10 weeks now. is that we really stand on the shoulders of giants in this Chamber and there are precious few that fall into that category and that deserve that accolade. And Congressman Lehman was most definitely one of them. I am privileged to represent a good portion of his district. I can only hope. as I am sure the gentleman can because he also represents a portion of his former district. that both he and I and our colleagues from South Florida can even begin to fill his shoes. Certainly it is our responsibility to carry on his legacy. and I know that is what we will strive to do every day on this floor. and I look forward to the hour that will be devoted to his life.
Date: 2005-03-16
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

That is right. Madam Speaker. And if the gentleman will continue to yield. the one thing I want to add is that for those who did not know Congressman Lehman. his name was far more widely known because there are far too numerous to mention car dealerships across Florida and. quite honestly. Congressman Lehman was a leader in transportation for good reason. because there are thousands and thousands of drivers who began their driving careers thanks to Mr. Lehman and his family. And he has bebn not just a pillar of the community but a giant when it comes to transportation. and I think that should not be lost on this body.
Date: 2005-03-16
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

In the last several weeks I have tried to talk about the impact on women that the Bush administrations policies have had. For example. there are 20 millionwomen in this country without health insurance and millions more who can barely afford to pay their premiums. but this budget does nothing to hold down health care costs. It slashes Medicaid by a total of $45 billion over the next 10 years. That is a devastating cut on women and children because women account for over 70 percent of adult Medicaid beneficiaries. In terms of violence against women. the Presidents budget cuts the Violence Against Women Act programs by $19 million. child care. the budget freezes funding for the Maternal and Child Health block grant and eliminates the Universal Newborn Screening Program. Now. I have a 19monthold. You have young children. I have passed legislation in Florida that ensured that we expanded screening for genetic anomalies and problems in newborns. and this Bush budget reverses all of that progress. If we do not make sure we screen newborns for hearing problems. then we will have learning disabilities that are directly related to hearing abnormalities and without any excuse. But we have got to make sure that we think about children and families when prioritizing and that is whatwe could do. And the proof is in the pudding that we do not.
Date: 2005-03-16
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I also wanted to talk a little bit about health care because one of the most important issues that we have in this country is the skyrocketing cost of healti care. We have 45 million Americans who do not have health insurance. That means when they are sick. they cannot go to the doctor and they have to let their health care problems spiral out of control until they have to go to the emergency room to get the problem solved. And young Americans. our generation. are the most likely group to be insured. We think we are invincible. We think we are not going to have to worry about having health insurance and going to the doctor. so we go without. But more often we also cannot afford it. Thirty percent of young adults age 18 to 24 have no health insurance at all. Compare that with 18 percent of adults who are 35 to 44 and only 1 percent of seniors. So the health care crisis disproportionately affects our generation. and there .is nothing in the Bush budget to improve that. Where is this Presidents leadership on expanding access to health care? When I go down the street. when I go to the supermarket at home. when I go to street festivals. people stop me in the street. I have heard the gentleman talk about people stopping him in the street and talking about issues that are important to them. The thing that they stop me on the most often is education and health care. They say. if my baby girl or my baby boy is sick. I have no health insurance and I cannot get them shots. If they have a cold. I cannot bring them to the doctor. I have to wait until the problem is bad enough to bring them to the emergency room. and no mother. or father should have to suffer through something like that. This President needs to exercise some leadership in this budget on how to solve this problem and he has not. It is an abdication of leadership.
Date: 2005-03-17
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

It is not you. it is your policy. When I say "big dog." I am talking about those huge tax cuts to the rich while we cut veterans programs. programs for health care. programs for the people that need it the most.
Date: 2005-03-20
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding me time. There are a number of things that I would like to correct for the record before I begin. I apologize for not knowing the State that the gentleman is from. but the representation regarding the care of Theresa Schiavo by her husband as represented in the Chamber is totally inaccurate. Theresas husband. and I am quoting from the guardian ad litem report. the independent guardian ad litem report that was required by Florida law during the special session in October of 2003. it says: "Theresas husband. Michael Schiavo. and her mother. Mary Schindler. were virtually partners in their care of and dedication to Theresa. There is no question but that complete trust. mutual caring. explicit love. and a common goal of caring for and rehabilitating Theresa were the shared intentions of Michael Schiavo and the Schindlers. Despite aggressive therapies. physician and other clinical assessments consistently revealed no functional abilities. only reflexive rather than cognitive moments. random eye opening. no communication system. and little change cognitively or functionally." And the gentleman referenced the percentage of the medical malpractice damage award being $486.000 going to attorneys fees and to helping her reach her demise. That is also totally inaccurate. Also quoting from the guardian ad litem report: There was a medical malpractice case filed and pursued. Michael Schiavo and Terri Schiavo were awarded $750.000 in economic damages. The economic damages were put into a trust that was meticulously cared for according to the guardian ad litem and which was managed by South Trust Bank as the guardian and independent trustee. This fund was accounted for and Michael Schiavo had absolutely no control over its use. Michael Schiavo was awarded $300.000 for loss of consortium damages. That is money that was awarded to him. There is not very much of that left. And there is no truth to the accusation that he would benefit financially from that damage award and there certainly was not $2 million in damages awarded. Mr. Speaker. I submit for the RECORD the report of the guardian ad litem. [Dec. 1. 2003]
Date: 2005-03-20
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. our colleagues have spent this evening reiterating factually inaccurate information. and I want to make sure we clear it up. The independent guardian ad litem appointed to represent Terri Schiavo has said in his report that. despite the facts cited by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have said that Terri felt pain and laughs and cries. that that is factually inaccurate. that her cerebral cortex has been liquefied. and that is the area of the brain that responds to emotion and reason. So that is impossible what they have detailed here tonight. Additionally. they talk about six neurologists and eight physicians that have said that she is not in a persistent vegetative state. Also factually inaccurate. Those physicians to which they refer have only viewed Terri via videotape. The five courtappointed physicians that have examined Terri. two appointed on Michael Schiavos side. two on the Schindlers side. and one courtappointed physician. who have all examined her. the board certified neurologists who had scientificallybased academicallyresearched testimony. their testimony was deemed to be clear and convincing by the court that she was and is in a persistent vegetative state. The other physicians testimony was discounted as anecdotal only. In addition to that. I want to just close with the commentary from the guardian ad litem. He spent 20 of 30 days with her. He put his face up close to hers and tried to make eye contact. pleading desperately. trying to will her into giving him any kind of sign. He said. I would beg her. please. Terri. help me. You want to believe there is some connection. You hope she is going to sit up in bed and say. "Hey. Im really here. but dont tell anybody." Or. "Im really here. tell everybody." But Schiavo never made eye contact. When Wolfson visited her when her parents were there. she never made eye contact with them either. he said. And for all of Wolfsons pleadings and coaxings. he never got what he most wanted: A sign. He said. I felt like there was something distinctive about whoever Terri is. but I was not clear it was there. inside the vessel. During those 30 days. Wolfson was plagued by nightmares. He concluded that the medical and legal evidence behind Schiavos diagnosis of being in a persistent vegetative state was credible. but he still felt that for all their expertise. those medical experts would never truly know where Schiavo was. He was dismayed to learn Friday that Barbara Weller. an attorney for the Schindlers. claimed Schiavo tried to speak. He said. Terri does not speak. To claim otherwise reduces her to a fiction."
Date: 2005-03-20
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. our goal must be to honor the wishes of Theresa Schiavo regarding this difficult endoflife decision. We are a nation of laws. That is what distinguishes our country from so many others. In this case. the courts of the State of Florida have thoroughly reviewed the facts of this case and weighed the evidence about what Theresa Schiavo would want. They have concluded that Theresa Schiavo. through her words and deeds before her accident. would not want to be kept artificially alive in a persistent vegetative state. The Congress should not now substitute its judgment for that of Theresa Schiavo and the Florida courts. Who are we to impose our own personal preferences in this case? We should not be playing doctor. judge. and jury.
Date: 2005-03-20
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I support this legislation. S. 686. for the relief of the parents of Terri Schiavo. This deeply personal family matter has come to our attention and been acted upon by Congress when the State courts have already made their decisions and rightfully so as this matter is in their jurisdiction. Now we find ourselves in the middle of a deeply personal battle between Terris husband and her family. While we all understand the pain and tragedy of this familys struggle. we cannot overstep our boundaries in this heartwrenching situation that many families have made and will have to make in the future. No one wants to witness the death of a family member. however. if that person stated their wish was not to be kept alive artificially. those wishes must be upheld. In this case. the State courts of Florida have ruled that Terris wishes were indeed to not be kept alive artificially if she were to ever fall into a persistent vegetative state. The idea that Congress would intervene in this case is indeed unsettling and does bring some disturbing questions of constitutionality to the table. We are justified in sending this highly emotional case to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida even though Terri remains in this persistent. seemingly unrecoverable. state. The Federal courts should review Terris case to determine if her constitutional rights have been violated because it is not the role of Congress to make such decisions regarding these issues.
Date: 2005-04-05
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. like most of my colleagues. I have recently spent time traveling through my district and listening to my constituents. The Presidents plan to privatize Social Security was the number one issue for many of my constituents. Not everyone has the means or ability to prepare for the future. and none of us .can protect our families against all the misfortunes that can sweep us into economic hard times. Mr. Speaker. the Presidents plan to privatize Social Security is social insecurity. not social security. By forcing people. especially seniors. to rely on private accounts that fluctuate with the market. the President is gambling with our economic safety net. When the market loses ground. as it has in the past year. the safety net for Americas seniors could be yanked away. not only for the seniors. Mr. Speaker. but. for the survivors and the children. We need to make sure that Social Security will continue to provide the same safety net against poverty that it has for almost 70 years.
Date: 2005-04-05
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. March 25. 2005 has been designated "Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy." I am pleased to join my colleagues in recognizing the unique contribution of Greece and of GreekAmericans. Ancient Greeks created a form of government that got people involved in the task of governing themselves. Our founding fathers. as ratified in our Constitution. enshrined this principle in American law and created a system of "Grecian republics" which was based on the Hellenic belief that the authority to govern derives directly from the people. We will always owe a great intellectual debt to that rich and vibrant civilization. Today. our two countries share a great cultural affinity. are partners in the NATO alliance. and have many other ties that bind us together. In Dallas. Texas. the warm winds of the Greek Isles are just a step away in Yiayia Sofias Greek Village. the permanent exhibit at the Dallas Childrens Museum which offers children the rare opportunity to explore a replica of a home and village square in Greece. Mr. Speaker. more than a million citizens of Greek descent live in America today. and their devotion to family. faith. community. and country has enriched me. my community in Dallas. Texas. as well as our Nation. For that I am always appreciative of the Greek beauty and culture that has enriched my entire life. Im pleased we take time out each year to recall how we are all enriched by the art. the ideals. and the spirit of Greece.
Date: 2005-04-05
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank my colleague. Mr. Speaker. I think that statistic and those two numbers there are so illustrative. They really are. People can feel. touch. taste and understand what $26.000 means. For every single person. including an infant in this country. that is their share of the national debt. I think people have a harder time. though. I mean none of us literally have an understanding of what $7 trillion is. $7.781.336.014.734.14. That is the national debt. Now. what does that mean? If you are going to try to break it down into what $7 trillion is like. and there are people actually out there figuring this stuff out to try to translate that concept of a trillion dollars into more understandable bites of information. for example. if you stacked a thousand $1 bills. you took a thousand $1 bills and stacked them on top of each other. $1 million would equal 1 foot high of thousand dollar bills. That is how high. Mil RYAN of Ohio. One bill that equals $1.000 stacked. Okay.