macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-12-10
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to one of the great legislators of our time. Congressman HENRY WAXMAN. I have had the honor of working with HENRY on the Energy and Commerce Committee for many years. In that time. we have worked together on childrens health coverage. affordable prescription drugs. environmental protection. and universal health care coverage. the Affordable Care Act. In Congress. HENRY has served as the Chairman and currently serves as the Ranking Democrat on Energy and Commerce and previously served as the Ranking Democrat for the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. HENRY and I both currently serve as cochairs of the Democratic Israel Working Group where we have worked together in supporting our nations partner in peace in the Middle East. Israel. HENRY. along with fellow Californian. Rep. GEORGE MILLER. are the last two House Members of the "Watergate" Class of 1974 and have left an indelible mark on our chamber. Their leadership will be sorely missed. Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank HENRY for his years of public service on behalf of millions of Americans who have benefitted from his work from tobacco regulation and reproductive rights to air and water quality standards and ensuring that all Americans have access to health care coverage.
Date: 2014-12-10
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to one of the legislative giants of our era. A man who I am proud to call my colleague and my friend. Congressman GEORGE MILLER. GEORGE first came to Congress as part of the legendary "Watergate Class" of 1974. In the four decades that GEORGE has been a member of this chamber. he has played a key role in the passage of some of our nations most import education. labor. and health statutes. GEORGE has served as chairman of three committees: the Select Committee on Children. Youth and Families. the Committee on Natural Resources. and the Committee on Education and Labor. He continues his legacy of leadership to this day as cochair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. GEORGE has been a tenacious fighter in support of workers rights. students and teachers. workplace safety. the environment. and a livable wage for all working Americans. As a card carrying member of the Communications Workers of America and someone who shares GEORGEs commitment for working Americans. Congressman MILLER has been a colleague I have continued to look to on issues important to the labor community. Before I close. I would like to thank GEORGE for his decades of public service on behave of our nations working families. Our chamber will be losing one of the true lions of our generation and I wish him and his family all the best.
Date: 2014-12-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. on April 24. 2013. the world witnessed the deadliest disaster in the history of the garment industry. That morning Rana Plaza. an eightstory building housing five garment factories just outside Bangladeshs capital of Dhaka. collapsed. 1.138 people were killed and over 2.500 more were injured. Just 5 months earlier. at least 112 people were killed. and scores more were injured when they leapt from a burning building at the Tazreen Fashions factory. These tragedies laid bare the broken system. ineffective government oversight. and failed corporate responsibility and the powerlessness of the garment workers. They also left nearly 4.000 survivors. families of the victims in need of longterm compensation. Many of the survivors are unable to find work. struggling with physical disabilities and mental trauma that could last for a lifetime. The injured workers and their families who lost loved onesfor many of them. their only income earnerare now trying to survive economic impoverishment in addition to the painful memories. In the wake of these disasters. the International Labor Organization helped set up compensation funds for victims and families. Labor groups. the Bangladeshi Government. and several prominent retailers and brands who sourced from Bangladesh have committed funds to the survivors of Rana Plaza. Two years after the Tazreen fire. an agreement has also been reached on compensation for these survivors. The Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund needs an estimated $40 million to provide for Rana Plaza survivors and victims families. but as of last month the fund only had collected $22 million. barely half the amount. Injured workers and victims families are being shortchanged. Nearly 40 global garment brands had recent or current orders in the five garment factories in Rana Plaza when it collapsed. They owe better compensation to the victims of their carelessness.
Date: 2014-12-11
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the Senate amendments to H.R. 4007. the Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act. I am an original cosponsor of this important legislation which will finally authorize the CFATS program in federal code and not through the appropriations process. Last October. during the government shutdown. the American people saw that without authorization of the CFATS program. there were no legally binding regulations in place to protect our nations chemical facilities from criminal and terrorist attacks once appropriations expired. I have the honor of representing north and east Harris County and the Houston Ship Channel. at the heart of our nations petrochemical industry. The expiration of the CFATS program puts the safety my constituents who work in and live in the communities that surround these facilities in danger and it is obligation. as the peoples elected representatives. to do everything we can to protect them from harms way. This measure passed the House in July by voice vote. I backed the Houseversion of this measure because the bill will solve the personnel surety issue by allowing workers who have TWIC or HME cards to have access to chemical facilities without having to get another federal credential. This is important to my constituents who already have TWIC cards and work in our petrochemical plants and drive the trucks to deliver raw materials and products they produce. I am supportive of some of the changes the Senate made to this legislation. In particular. I am supportive of measures that will add greater worker participation into plant security plans and provide greater whistleblower protections for plant employees who want to report unsafe conditions at a plant. I do have some concerns with allowing smaller facilities to selfcertify. as added in by the Senate. because even smaller facilities. as we have unfortunately seen in Texas in recent years. can be dangerous and the American people deserve full assurance that facilities near them are safe. Nonetheless. the underlining legislation is still sound and needs to be enacted. I urge my colleagues to join DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson. and impacted stakeholders and vote in support of the Senate amendments to H.R.
Date: 2014-12-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would just like. so my colleagues fully understand this. to read the list of some of the unions that are supporting this legislation: North Americas Building Trades Unions. International Council of Employers of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers. International Union of Operating Engineers. International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry. Service Employees International Union. the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Actors Equity Association. and the American Federation of Musiciansa very diverse group of American workers who are asking us to give them the option to make decisions about the future of their pension. Some of these pensions are in better shape than others. but they are all asking for this right. For those who may be opposed to this legislation. dont like this legislation. they dont have to exercise their right. but we cannot deny these workers this opportunity to make this decision about their very hardearned pensions. As Mr. NORCROSS said. they made these decisions together where they are today. and they ought to be able to make the decisions together to change direction and to head off for an opportunity at greater solvency and longevity. Mr. Speaker. I want to again thank Congressman KLINE and all of the staff and all of those who have cooperated and all of these organizations that have spent many years trying to investigate the best way to answer this nagging question of how to save these plans. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2014-12-11
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I submit the following for the RECORD: OVERVIEW The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act. ("Cromnibus") is comprised of: 1. 11 FY2015 Appropriations bills. and 2. Continuing Resolution maintaining the current rate of Homeland Security funding until February 27. 2015. Discretionary budget authority: $1.014 Trillion. Overseas Contingency Operations (Defense): $64 billion. Overseas Contingency Operations (State): $9.258 billion. Total OCO: $73.258 billion. Emergency Ebola funding: $2.72 billion (L HHS Ed). $2.530 billion (SFOPS). $112 million (Defense). Total emergency Ebola funding: $5.484 billion. 1. Agriculture Division of 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Act 2014 Total enacted level: $20.9 billion 2015 Committee mark: $20.9 billion 2015 Omnibus: $20.6 billion
Date: 2005-01-04
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

appeared at the bar of the House and took the oath of office. as follows: Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies. foreign and domestic. that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. that you take this obligation freely. without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which you are about to enter. So help you God.
Date: 2005-01-04
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank.the gentlewoman for yielding me time. T]he gentlewoman is correct: I currently serve on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. And despite what I read in the morning papers. the Republican leadership is eliminating a major traditional ethics standard of the House. While we are relieved that the Republican leadership did not go as far as they wanted .to. I do not think we can be happy with the trend that is clearly downwards as it is today. The new rule means no ethics violations will be investigated of party leaders. whether they be Republican or Democratic. control their members. since a tie vote means a dismissal. The logical result is more partisan political pressure on the committee members. America was intended to be a city on a hill with the highest standards for the government in the world. and sadly. today we are lowering those standards. The majority is proud of their political power and their skills at political .games. and politics is an important part of our business. but principles must be held above politics because no man can serve two masters. both principles and politics. When we are guided by only political consideration in the House leadership today. the House abandons its principles and the moral compass. I do not enjoy serving on the committee. I do know something about legislative ethics. having first been elected to the State house of representatives after a tremendous Sharpstown bank scandal in Texas 1972. Born and raised in Texas. I understand what it means about conservative government. but I cannot begin to explain how eliminating a traditional ethics standard is conservative in the slightest. The House leadership can fool some of the people some of the time. like they did today when the papers said they were dropping ethics changes. when they clearly continue to weaken the standards. However. the people recognize this for what it is. a weakening of our governments ethics in pursuit of political parity by one party. be it Democrat or Republican.
Date: 2005-01-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I give thanks to the chairman * and ranking member for having this resolution before us this evening. When we turn on the TV. when we read the news and we learn of just the scope of the magnitude of this disaster. it is simply staggering. In India and Sri Lanka and Thailand and Indonesia. Malaysia. the Maldives. Baigladesh. Burma. even Kenya and Somalia on the African coast. the devastation is simply stunning. And it is important that the United States show leadership to the world and to the victims in coming to -grips with this. I really cannot think of an event in my lifetime that has been this enormous in terms of loss of life and longterm implications for this part of the world. So I am glad that we are here on this first day of the 109th Congress to show the world that we stand ready and in solidarity with those who have lost their lives. those who have lost members of their family. and certainly there are those from other parts of the world visiting South Asia. I want. as others have mentioned. to give great thanks to my constituents in Silicon Valley first started by Americans who were from South Asia or whose families were originally from South Asia. organizing volunteer efforts. and the response has been dramatic and huge from every corner of Silicon Valley to step forward and to help with the relief effort. However. as others have mentioned. our assistance is going to be needed for some time to come. I heard on the radio news this morning that in some of the towns. 80 percent of the teachers have been lost. 85 percent of all the police officers have died. The infrastructure of civilization for many of the towns and localities is simply gone. So we will look to so many of our fellow citizens to do volunteer efforts and to donate generously. They are not disappointing us. But it is the institution of the United States Government that is going to have to be in with a helping hand to help these parts of the world become civilized again. to come up from the muck that the tsunami brought to them and to take once again their place in the world. I am pledged to work with all of my colleagues in the House towards that end. I am proud that the Speaker and the gentlewoman from California . our leader. each made this tragedy part of their opening remarks at the start of the 109th Congress. I thank them for that.
Date: 2005-01-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to our fellow Californian and BOBs colleague on the Committee on Ways and Means
Date: 2005-01-04
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. in my 30 years in the Congress you have the honor and the privilege of meeting so many people from so many different walks of life. not just my colleagues that I have served with in the House of Representatives but obviously the people that I represent and the people who come to the Nations capital to seek our help in so many endeavors that they are engaged in their families and their livelihoods. but there are a few who are very special. They stand out in our professional life. They stand out as our peers and our colleagues. BOB MATSUI was a very special person. for all of the reasons that my colleagues have said here tonight. We all know that at his core was the gold standard in conviction. in morality and integrity and in giving us the unvarnished truth from time to time when we did not agree with him. I think that is one of the reasons we were so fond of him. When you had a disagreement with him. he sought you out and he wanted to discuss it with you. facetoface. persontoperson. colleaguetocolleague. trying to work out the difficulties to make this a better country. but when you discussed it with him. you understood that he was clinging to principle. and he was clinging to integrity because it was the core of his existence. Many have referred to the fact of this familys experience in the internment camp. and I do not think there is any question but that gave him a compass to set a course on the issues of social justice and opportunity in this society and civil rights. It is unparalleled. I think. We all work in these fields. and we have some outstanding individuals in this Congtess that I have served with over 30 years who have fought these fights. BOB was one of those. I had the opportunity to work with him on the reparations bill and in the Manzanar Historic Monument bill of one of the internment camps so that this country could remember what happened in the Tule Lake and the other internment centers. I do not know what else to say except that this is the loss of a really. really special person who was a wonderful friend. who was a great. great credit to this institution and who leaves behind a magnificent legacy along with a magnificent family. a family that no spouse or father could have been more proud of than he was of Doris and Brian and daughterinlaw Amy and this new granddaughter Anna. To see him and Doris at public events. engaged in their community and the partnership that they had and their conferring back and forth on the issues.and the battles that he was engaged in. was a wonderful experience. I am going to miss him greatly. I think this country is going to miss him even more.
Date: 2005-01-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Iwould like to conclude by thanking all of those who have participated this evening as well as some of our colleagues who were unable to actually physically be here but who have prepared their statements for our colleague. a giant of the legislature. a man who warmed our hearts. who broke our hearts when he died. someone who was never petty. always modest but always a leader. always someone who could make America proud.
Date: 2005-01-06
Speaker: TUBBS J6NES (democrat)
Chamber: S

a Representative from Ohio. and Mrs. BOXER. a Senator from California. object to the counting of electoral votes of the State of Ohio on the ground that they were not. under all of the known circumstances. regularly given.
Date: 2005-01-25
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of this resolution. January 27. 2005. marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and serves as a reminder to each of us where racism. bigotry. and religious intolerance can lead. Poles. Soviets. and prisoners of other nationalities were imprisoned and died in this camp. but it was the mass murder of millions of European Jews by Hitler that made Auschwitz the symbol of inhumanity and brutality during the. Holocaust. From 1940 to 1945. the Nazis deported over 1 million Jews. 150.000 Poles. 23.000 Roma. 15.000 Soviet POWs. and over 10.000 prisoners of other nationalities to Auschwitz. Nearly 1.5 million prisoners perished in gas chambers or died of starvation and disease. Overall. 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust. Sixty years after Allied troops liberated Auschwitz. it is important to remember what lessons can be taken from the unspeakable atrocities that took place during the Holocaust. It was racism. bigotry. antiSemitism. and general religious intolerance that drove Hitler to pursue the destruction of the Jewish people. To honor the victims who lost their lives in the Holocaust and ensure that such acts never happen again. there must be a concerted effort to fight intolerance and discrimination. That is what this resolution does. Madam Speaker. I have not had the opportunity to visit Auschwitz. but before I was elected to Congress in 1990. my family and I and our two children visited Dachau in southern Germany. not only for my wife and I but also for our. at that time. 14- and 15yearold children to see what inhumanity mankind could do to itself and not only for our generation but for that next generation to make sure that that never happens again.
Date: 2005-01-25
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. Libusa Breder. a Jewish prisoner. said. "There was no God in Auschwitz. There were such horrible conditions that God decided not to go there." With the passage of time. it has become more difficult for my generation to grasp what happened 60 years ago. The contributions and courage of the Greatest Generation enabled my generation of Americans to grow up in peace and be the first generation ih decades to live without facing conscription. In Auschwitz. at least 1.5 million innocent people suffered unfathomable pain and ultimate death. They were from many different nations. over 90 percent of them Jews. South Florida. where I am from. is home to the second largest population of Holocaust survivors in North America. the majority of whom live in my home county of Broward. The concept of "never again" was in-* stilled in me for my.entire life. Unfortunately. in recent times. we have had vicious criminal acts against humanity. and we must remember that we must stay vigilant and not let the passage of time weaken our resolve. We are all proud of the Greatest Generation. but with todays resolution and the anniversary approaching. we focus on the Lost Generation. It is our solemn responsibility to make sure that these lost souls did not (Ue in vain. We must never forget what happened to them. and we must use the lessons of Auschwitz to stop modernday atrocities -such as the ethnic cleansing in Sudan. History can and will repeat itself unless we stand in the way and fight against evil.
Date: 2005-02-02
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I would like to express my strong support of *House Resolution 56. January 9. 2005 marked a historic day for the Palestinian people. This resolution commends the Palestinian people for holding free and open elections and congratulates Mahmoud Abbas for being elected President of the Palestinian Authority. This resolution also commends Israel for its role in facilifating the election proceedings. These elections mark a historic accomplishment for the people of Palestine and a great opportunity for the IsraelPalestine peace process to move forward. The only way this can happen is for Mr. Abbas to act immediately to end terrorism by stopping the flow of money. equipment. and recruits to Palestinian militant groups. Mr. Abbas has taken steps since his election to stop these groups. but these efforts must be continued and expanded to end the terrorism that has killed and injured thousands of Israelis and Palestinian people. Mr. Abbass election provides an excellent opportunity for the Palestinian Authority to reign in these terrorist groups and for the Palestinian people to move beyond this violence and work with Israel to create a lasting peace. Mr. Speaker. I have traveled to Israel. several times and know that the Israeli Government and the Israeli people are ready and willing to work with the Palestinians but have not had a reliable partner to negotiate with in the past. Mr. Abbas has the opportunity to put the Palestinian Authoritys past failures behind him and demonstrate to Israel and the United States that he is dedicated to the peace process by stopping terrorism and fulfilling Palestinian commitments under the roadmap. Again. I strongly support this resolution and would like to congratulate Mr. Abbas on his January 9th election. and I am hopeful he will take this timely opportunity to work with Israel toward a peaceful resolution to the IsraelPalestine conflict.