macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-04-14
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Washington law firms. I want to point out. these firms are doing good work. There is nothing wrong with what these firms are doing. But dont tell the American people that these are small businesses. Over $50 million a year. They can help do their share to get our deficit under control. Go back to the Clinton administration rates. Lets have a balanced approach. Yes. we need to do cuts. We understand that. But as the bipartisan fiscal commission said. youve got to do revenues. too. and if you dont. heres what happened: President Bush inherited a $5.6 trillion surplus from the Clinton administration. and where did it go? When President Obama was sworn in. the day he put his hand on the Bible. he faced a deficit in that year of over $1.3 trillion and a 10year deficit of over $10 trillion. Lets have a balanced approach. Lets have shared sacrifice. Lets be serious about getting our deficits under control.
Date: 2011-04-14
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. I thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding to the CBC. The CBC budget saves $325 billion in interest over 10 years which the Republican budget does not. I am glad to stand here and talk about ports and public transit. but I am even more glad to talk about the $5 billion that goes into general sciences. space and technology. and the $5 billion for community development. The reason I want to say that is for all of the tax cuts to the wealthy. $800 billion. the CBC budget understands that they can invest in health. income security. education. and transportation. In addition. may I say to you that this is the face of what we are trying to fight for: a hardworking nurse and a beautiful child. This is what America is all about. And I would just say to my good friends. the CBC budget does not engage in slashonomics. It does not engage in losing jobs. jobs. jobs. We create jobs through community block grants. through space. science. and technology. through transportation. And all the bill for the Republicans will do to America is slash jobs. slashonomics. Vote for the CBC budget. Madam Chair. I rise in support of the Congressional Black Caucus Alternative Budget for Fiscal Year 2012. The CBC Alternative Budget provides a far superior alternative to the Republican Budget in general and especially in the areas of job creating area of transportation and infrastructure.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. the bipartisan fiscal commissionno fringe groupsaid that the Republican plan was unbalanced because it doesnt ask for shared sacrifice. Its a lopsided approach. This budget takes us farther off the deep end. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. the time bomb thats ticking is the time bomb on the Medicare guarantee. With that. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California . the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

We can get our fiscal house in order and do this in a balanced way without ending the Medicare guarantee. With that. I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York .
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. may I inquire as to how much time remains on each side. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Maryland has 2 minutes remaining. and the gentleman from New Jersey has 33/4 minutes remaining.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would remind the body that the $500 million in Medicare reform savings. which we got from ending some of the big breaks to the insurance industry. are kept in the Republican budget. You keep those savings. What you do not do is what we did: use some of those savings to close the prescription drug doughnut hole. So you took the savings. but you left the seniors with the doughnut hole. I yield 11/2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman. we do need to make tough choices. The question is what choices do we make? You choose to give another round of tax cuts to millionaires at the same time youre cutting investments in our kids education. You choose not to get rid of the subsidies. taxpayer subsidies for oil companies while you end the Medicare guarantee. while you immediately eliminate the effort to close the doughnut hole. and while you cut funding for seniors in nursing homes by slashing Medicaid. Those are the choices you have made.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I move to put in order the Democratic substitute budget. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the following:
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. our top priority in this Congress should be to support a robust economic recovery and put America back to work. That is what the Democratic plan does. It reduces the deficit in a steady. predictable way without slashing important investments in our kids education and strategic national investments. without ending the Medicare guarantee. and without putting seniors. disabled individuals and kids at risk who rely on Medicare. and it reduces the deficit in a balanced way by $1.2 trillion more than the Presidents budget and achieves primary balance in the year 2018. The Republican plan weve been discussing is a narrow vision of Americaa place with no shared sacrifice. a place where those who have benefited the most from what our country has to offer give little in return. The Democrats have a different vision for our country. We believe our strength springs not only from the undisputed benefits of a free people pursuing their ambitions and their dreams but also from sometimes harnessing those talents for important national purposes. We believe Americas greatness is rooted not only in a collection of individuals acting alone but from our capacity to work together for the common good. We believe that is a patriotic vision of America. We do not see the government as an enemy but as the imperfect instrument by which we can accomplish together as a people what no individual or single corporation can do alone. Small business owners recognize that they must make certain investments to build a successful enterprise. Similarly. our Nation must make the strategic national investments necessary to keep our country strong in an increasingly global economic marketplace. Our plan does that. We also believe we can do that while making cuts. and we make sensible. targeted cuts. But we do it in a smart way. not with a meat ax that threatens the fragile recovery. We also agree with the fiscal commission that security spending should be part of this debate. Admiral Mullen. the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. has stated. and I quote. that the most significant threat to our national security is our national debt. There is growing bipartisan consensus that those security agencies must themselves be part of our effort to reduce our debt and strengthen our country. Our approach is a balanced one. We take cuts in the discretionary and bring down that part of the budget to the lowest point as a percentage of the economy since the Eisenhower administration. We take cuts in other areas. We take cuts in mandatory programs. including agriculture subsidies. But we make different choices than the Republican budget. We end the subsidies to Big Oil rather than keeping those as we cut education for our kids. We ask the folks at the very top to pay the same tax rate they paid during the Clinton administration rather than end the Medicare guarantee and slash funding for seniors in nursing homes and others who rely on that support. We make very different choices in this budget. but we accomplish the goal in a fiscally responsible way. With that. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. the fiscal commission said of the Republican plan it was an unbalanced approach. Our approach is a balanced approach. Secretary Gates comments were directed to the fiscal commissions recommendations. Our proposals are in line with what the President outlined just the other day. I would point out that Governor Haley Barbour said. "If we Republicans dont propose some savings of money on defense. we will have no credibility on anything else." Of course the Pentagon has never passed a GAO budget. and I think everybody who does budgets recognizes there is some savings to be found there. With that. I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished assistant leader. the gentleman from South Carolina .
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I urge Republican Members to read their own budget. It does not give seniors the same deal as Members of Congress. Members of Congress have a fair share formula. Seniors do not under their bill. Seniors get an immediate cut to the prescription drug benefit to the extent that we closed the doughnut hole. and they dont. Lets get our facts straight. With that. I yield 3 minutes to the chairman of the Democratic Caucus. the gentleman from Connecticut .
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. this is a time of choosing. Our budget chooses to make investments in our kids rather than choosing to provide even bigger tax breaks to the very wealthy. and we choose to get rid of subsidies for oil companies instead of cutting nursing homes funding through Medicare for seniors and disabled individuals. With that. I yield 1 minute to the distinguished ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. the gentleman from California .
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I would remind my colleagues that the reason Medicare was created in the first place was because the private insurance industry wouldnt cover seniors affordable care. Thats what they want to go back to. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts .
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

May I inquire as to how much time remains? The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Maryland has 134 minutes remaining. and the gentleman from Wisconsin has 6 2 minutes remaining.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I yield myself 45 seconds. What we heard just doesnt fit the facts. In fact. our budget does make cuts to domestic programs. but we do not do it in a meat ax way. We make cuts to agriculture subsidies. We do tax reform as the commission recommended. getting rid of a lot of clutter in the Tax Code for special interests. That is what we do. With respect to defense. our numbers track what the President was saying the other day. but we do get rid of a socalled overseas contingency fund which we think our Republican friends would like to join us on which gives the executive branch a blank check to undertake any military operations whatsoever for the next 10 years and doesnt have to ask Congress. Thats what we do. What we dont do? We dont end the Medicare guarantee. What we dont do is we dont keep giving subsidies to oil companies while we cut education for kids. Thats what we dont do. Mr. Chairman. I yield the balance of my time to the very distinguished Democratic leader. Ms. PELOSI. The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from California is recognized for 1 minute.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. we are turning back the clock. Were turning back the clock on progress and were turning back the clock-
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. what the Republican budget does is turn back the clock on a fair deal for the American people. Every person in this body today loves this great Nation of ours and believes its a special place. We have to maintain the dynamism and exceptionalism of this country. We see different paths and make different choices to accomplish that goal.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. may I inquire as to how much time remains. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Maryland has 91/2 minutes remaining.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. we all agree we have to act now to put in place a plan to reduce our deficit.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent to begin my remarks from the beginning and reset the clock. The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Maryland?
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I thank my colleagues. As I said. nobody doubts that every person in this Chamber loves this country and wants to do the right thing.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you. Mr. Chairman. As I said. I was tempted to reserve my time and allow my colleague to proceed. But as I understand the Chamber is now quiet. let me begin where I left off and say that all of us agree. everybody in this Chamber agrees. we need to put in place a plan to reduce our deficit in a predictable. steady manner. The question throughout this debate has been not whether. but how we do that. And as the bipartisan fiscal commission has indicated. any responsible effort requires a balanced approach. And the Republican plan simply fails on that score. And thats what the cochairs of the bipartisan fiscal commission said. They said it. "falls short of the balanced. comprehensive approach needed for a responsible plan." And when you peel off the layers. what you find is the Republican plan is not bold. Its just the same old. tired formula weve seen before of providing big tax breaks to the very wealthy and powerful special interests at the expense of the rest of Americaexcept this time its dressed up with a lot of sweetsounding talk of reform. But at the end. its the same old ideological agendaexcept this time on steroids. To govern is to choose. Each of us is sent here to make difficult choices. and the choices that are made in the Republican plan we believe are wrong for America. We do not believe its courageous to protect tax giveaways to big oil companies and other special interests when were slashing investments in our kids education. scientific research. and critical investments in the future. We dont think its bold to provide another tax break to millionaires while ending the Medicare guarantee for seniors and sticking seniors with the bill for everrising health care costs. We do not believe its visionary to award corporations that ship American jobs rather than American products overseas while were terminating affordable health care for tens of millions of Americans right here at home. And we dont think its brave to give Governors a blank check of Federal taxpayer dollars and then a license to cut support for seniors in nursing homes. individuals with disabilities. and poor kids. And we dont think its fair to raise taxes on middleincome Americans to pay for additional tax breaks for the folks at the very top. Yet those are the choices that are made in the Republican budget. Where is the shared sacrifice? We have American men and women putting their lives on the line in Iraq. in Afghanistan. while others hide their income in the Cayman Islands and Switzerland and refuse to pay their fair share to support our national efforts. And that is why the bipartisan commission. among other reasons. said that the Republican plan is just not balanced. Its not. Lets say "no" to the Republican plan. Lets say "yes" to finding a balanced way to reduce our deficits in a way that protects the values and priorities of the American people and in a way that gets our economy moving and America back to work. With that. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I would point out that even if we adopt the Republican budget. were going to have to lift the debt ceiling for years and years to come. So lets not play Russian roulette with the economy and the full faith and credit of the United States Government. Now. on the question of jobsthe question of jobsduring the Clinton administration. we asked the very wealthiest for a little bit more sacrifice than they have today. And do you know what happened to jobs? Twenty million jobs were created during the Clinton administration. Under the current tax rates. after 8 years of George Bush. the private sector lost 630.000 jobs. So you see the pattern here. During the Clinton administration. economic growth was booming. and 20 million jobs were created. During the 8 years of the Bush administration. there was a net loss of 653.000 jobs. We need to continue to invest in this country and make sure that the entrepreneurs of this country can continue to thrive. We need to do this in a balanced way. I would point out that the folks who said that this Republican plan we are debating would increase jobs are the same people who predicted that the Bush tax cuts would create jobs. Thats the blue line. Thats the prediction of the Heritage Foundation about what would happen. The red is the reality. If we want to create jobs and reduce the deficit. we need to do it in a balanced way. Thats what the fiscal commission said. Thats what the Democratic plan does. We urge everyone. respectfully. to vote "no" on the Republican plan. Its the wrong choice for America. With that. I yield the balance of my time to the distinguished Democratic leader. Ms. PELOSI. The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from California is recognized for 1 minute.
Date: 2011-04-15
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. over the last 48 hours. this House engaged in its constitutional right of creating a pathway for revenue for the United States of America. Sadly. we ended just a few minutes ago on a Republican budget that cannot claim that it will. in essence. reduce the deficit or create a surplus in any given year. I am delighted to have supported the Democratic budget that reduces the deficit and reaches a primary balance by 2018. But more importantly. I think I am very delighted that the American people will see a heart in this budget: that we will not destroy Medicare. that we will not burden on seniors the extra $12.000 that seniors will have to paythat is right. $12.000in the Medicare program under the Republican plan. and that young people will not be prevented at the doors of colleges from going to school. and that Head Start will end and Medicaid for the disabled and seniors will end. I do have faith in this country. and I believe we will get a budget that is both merciful and balanced the right way for the American people. not the wrong way. Today. unfortunately. we made a wrong step. but I believe together we will make it right. BUDGET
Date: 2011-05-02
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. for those of us who were here on 9/11 in this humble place and saw the building smoke. we know what today and the last 24 hours have meant. Thank you to the Navy SEALs for their bravery. for their strategic genius. for providing a safety net to bring them all out. to make sure that the women and children were protected. Thank you to President Clinton. President Bush. President Obama. the continuing chain of those who experienced terrorism who worked together. Thank you. President Obama. And. again. to the families of the victims. no one knows the story. those who were victims whose family members died at the USS Cole or in Africa or on 9/11 or in 1993. So I ask us not to move forward in this country as Democrats or Republicans but as Americans. not as conservative radio talk show listeners who seemingly cannot find a glistening of hope. But come together as Americans. Osama bin Laden is dead. and we have the opportunity to thank the Navy SEALs and the United States military. And we have the ability to move forward as Americans. to move forward for peace and democracy and to be able to thank those who have laid down their lives. who sacrifice so that our flag can fly and justice can prevail in our Nation and around the world.
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. this is an open dialogue with the American people through their Members of Congress. I thank the gentleman from Colorado. and I thank the manager of the majority. but this is an open dialogue. To my good friend from Tennessee. who may not have read the bill the Affordable Health Care Act and who may have missed the fact that Health Savings Accounts are allowed. no one is blocking anyone. and the accounts are considered "sufficient" under that bill. So. if you desire to have a Health Savings Account. so be it. but those savings accounts really adhere to those who are more wealthy and who are more endowed with finances. What these repeal bills will do. both H.R. 1213 and H.R. 1214and I was hoping the Rules Committee would have voided these bills and not allow them to go forward. but they did not. I thank them for the amendment that they gave me and the respect they gave me in the time that we were before that committee. But the fact is that the exchanges are to allow those who do not have means to get into an open market. the same thing that our Republican friends have been talking about. to allow people to go across State lines to buy the cheapest State policy or the policy that they can for families that have the sickest of the sick. children that are disabled. others that are in need who heretofore have been blocked. By the way. the Affordable Care Act takes away the bar of anyone who has a preexisting condition. such as pregnancy. from not being able to get insurance. What is wrong with that? By the way. the Congressional Budget Office. an independent budget office. says that if we repeal these provisions. the exchange. the premiums of the American people. the farmer. the small business will go up and not down. Go up. What more common sense can you have as a reason for voting against these bills and voting against the rule? H.R. 1214 has to do with schoolbased clinics. That is an innovative concept. In fact. as a member of the Homeland Security Committee. we have begun to think of schools as a site for individuals if they are built in this new structure. the way they are funded. to be able to be designed in a way to ensure that they are secure as a site for evacuation. a place to go when there is a disaster. That means that a schoolbased clinic that can be part of the community health system will be available in times of emergencies. What sense does it make to eliminate the opportunity to improve a communitys safety and security in these times of trouble and questioning about terrorism. finding a place where the community could go? I dont know whether there are structures in Alabama that could have withstood these horrible tornados. but we are trying to build schools now to be more safe and secure. So both of these bills make no common sense. Some 1.900 schoolbased clinics serve our children and their extended families. Do we want a community and a Nation that is healthier. or do we want to have a Nation of sick people?
Date: 2011-05-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the gentleman from Colorado for his kindness. This is what these two bills will allow us to become: One. to ignore those who dont have the resources for a health savings account. are not packing big wads of money in their pocket. to be able to say I can independently go out and get insurance based upon the monies that I am going to put into some kind of account. Fine for those who can do it. But I can assure you. the Nations farmers and small businesses are glad to be able to know that their employees can go into an exchange. They are also glad to know there are tax incentives just for them in this bill. And. finally. I would say the Nations parents. single parents. parents that are making ends meet are glad for schoolbased clinics. Vote against the rule and the underlying bill.