macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-31
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: . Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. 10 years ago. the Childrens Health Insurance Program. better known as CHIP. was created as a partnership between the States and the Federal Government to. ensure that more children would have access to health insurance. Over the last decade. it has been received as a strong. bipartisan effort. The sucdess of the program is not questioned. Thanks to CHIP. the number of uninsured children has decreased every year for the last decade. except for this past year when the number of children actually increased. This week. the House will vote on the CHAMP Act. a bill that strengthens the Childrens Health Program so that it reaches nearly all of the children that are eligible for the program. Currently. CHIP reaches 6 million. but there are 6 million kids that arent insured yet. Today. there is simplS. not enough funding to enroll more children. But that is going to change this week. when the House adds on an additional $50 billion over the next 5 years to the CHIP* program. That will ensure that an additional 5 million children are insured. Lets once again act in a bipartisan fashion this week and pass the CHAMP Act.
Date: 2007-07-31
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of S.1. the Honest Leadership. Open Government Act of 2007. S.1 contains the contents of an agreement between the House and the Senate in the reconciliation of provisions between the respective bills of these institutions to impose the highest standards of ethics reform on the House and the Senate and to restrict the influence of special interests and lobbyists. The American people spoke loud and clear in their demand for change on Capitol Hill. They conveyed a very strong message that an environment that accommodated Duke Cunningham and Jack Abramoff was unacceptable and that the culture of corruption must stop. As a result I urge the House tp adopt this measure. This Conference agrtement between the House and Senate contains some of the following provisions: Bans lavish convention partiesprohibits Members of Congress from attending national political convention parties held in their honor and paid for by lobbyists or their clients. Creates new transparency for lobbyist political campaign fund activity and other financial contributionsrequires disclosure when lobbyists bundle campaign contributions for any federal elected official. candidate or leadership PAC. and requires lobbyists to detail their own campaign contributions. and payments to Presidential libraries. Inaugural Committees or entities controlled by or named for Members of Congress. Ends KStreet ProjectProhibits Members of Congress and their staff from attempting to influence employment decisions in exchange for political access. Imposes restrictions on corporate flightsrequires Senators. Senate candidates and Presidential candidates to pay charter rates for trips on private planes. bars House candidates from accepting trips on private planes. Expands public disclosure of lobbyist activitiesrequires lobbyists to file reports on their lobbying twice as often each year. and for the first time to file them electronically in a public.
Date: 2007-07-31
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. as cosponsor of this legislation. I rise in strong support and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This legislation corrects and clarifies a serious misinterpretation by the Supreme Court when it ruled earlier this year in the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear. In that 54 decision. the majority ruled that Lilly Ledbetter. the lone female supervisor at a tire plant in Gadsden. AL..did not file her lawsuit against Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in the timely manner specified by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The court determined a victim of pay discrimination must file a charge within 180 days of the employers decision to pay someone less for an unlawfully discriminatory reason. such as. race. sex. religion. etc.Prior to the Supreme Courts ruling. the widely accepted rule in employment discrimination law was that every discriminatory paycheck was a new violation that restarts the 180day clock. H.R. 2831 restores the law prior to the Supreme Courts Ledbetter decision. by clarifying that the clock for filing a discrimination charge starts when a discriminatory pay decision or practice.is adopted. when a person becomes subject to the pay decision or practice. or when a person is affected by the pay decision or practice. including whenever she receives a discriminatory paycheck. The Supreme Court must not be able to roll back workers rights in one ruling. Congress must pass this legislation to ensure workers are protected and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2831.
Date: 2007-08-01
Speaker: PETE STARK (democrat)
Chamber: H

and the members of that committee and many. many mt5re on the floor of this House. who are not just Members of Congress. but we arealso parents and we are grandparentsI The real champions. however. are the parents across America working to make ends meet and provide their children with a healthy and successful life. We are on their side today and every day. even in the face of resistance from the White House. where the President suggests that the health care for Americas kids can be found in the emergency rooms of local hospitals. That is wrong. Instead. through the SCHIP program and childrens health care and this innovative partnership between communities. States and Federal Government. we will make important investments in our kids and their health today that will pay dividends down the road for our economy. It will reduce the strain on our emergency rooms. our crowded local emergency~rooms.:and it will reduce the strain on moms and dads. This is...iiideed. historic day. aday_ for a new direction..a day full of hope. for the health of our children and a better America. I urge a "yes" vote .on the previous question and on the rule. The material previously referred to by Mr. SESSIONS is as follows:
Date: 2007-08-01
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of the Childrens Health and Medicare Protection Act. This is the best piece of legislation since 1997 when the childrens health care was created. but this time we will cover 5 million more children if we vote "yes" today for this bill. I want to particularly thank the committee. although we didnt -get to have a markup in ours because the Republican minority refused to let us even have votes on our amendments. so we have to have it on the floor today. We have to have that discussion. I am just glad they included that it would cover 12 months of insurability for our children. because some States have made 6 months the way to cut children off of health care. Let me say one other thing. I have heard. particularly last night. I think it was insulting to say that this bill takes money away from seniors to give to illegal alien children. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Thats just outrageous. When you look at the bill and actually current law that we dont change. it prohibits undocumented children from getting any assistance. Now the States are going to be the ones that have to prove that. If the States cant do it. they have to pay for it. It is just outrageous that you throw out the "illegals" every time you dont have any other argument. I am particulady proud of the SCHIP provisions in this legislation. which would provide muchneeded health insurance coverage to lowincome children in need. Currently. the SCHIP program provides coverage to 6 million lowincome American children. Unfortunately. an additional 6 million children are eligible for SCHIP benefits. yet remain upinsured. This legislation would reach about 5 million of those children by putting in place a more efficient funding formula based on projected enrollment and providing states with incentives to find eligible children and get them enrolled. I am particularly thankful for the committees support of our language to ensure that children in SCHIP get 12 months of continuous eligibility. This provision is critical to ensuring that eligible SCHIP children remain in the program and are not dropped due to cumbersome bureaucratic requirements imposed on families whose primary focus is on making ends meet. A recent Health Affairs article underscores the importance of continuous eligibility in addressing retention problems in*SCHIP. Of the policy options suggested. the authors state that "[f]irst and foremost. the renewal process should be simplified as much as possible. by reducing the frequency of renewal to once a year." This bill does just that. For many states. this bill reaffirms the compassionate and effective policies currently in place. But for a state like mine. this bill will: ensure that the State of Texas does right by Texas children and doesnt use the flexibility inherent in the program to kick them off the rolls on a budgetary whim.. I encourage my colleagues to stand up for lowincome children and pass this important legislation.
Date: 2007-08-01
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H

of -Florida. Mr. Speaker. today I rise in strong support of the CHAMP Act. The CHAMP Act is another achievement that the Democratic Congress can point to that is fulfilling the needs of the American people. In my home State of Florida. KidCareFloridas CHIP program--covered 303.595 children in 2006. but 718.603 children remain uninsured. The CHAMP Act could provide Florida with approximately $2.54 billion in new federal funding and an opportunity to get more children covered. States like Florida need to step up to the plate and fund their CHIP program to the fullest extent.
Date: 2007-08-01
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R..3162. the Childrens Health and Medicare Protection Act. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children in the nation. Twentyfive percent of Texas kids have no health insurance. � The Texas- state legislature has- done a great disservice to these children. and they are working to remedy the problems but have a long way to go. The Federal Government can help by expanding SCHIP so that States can enroll more kids into the program. These are children of the working poor. I support generous expansion of this program. Children with health insurance are more likely to be up to date on immunizations and to receive treatment for sore throats. ear aches and other illnesses. Good health means fewer sick days and better school performanceand less burden on our emergency rooms. I urge my colleagues to avoid delay in passing this bill. that is critical for the health of so many children.
Date: 2007-08-01
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank the Rules Committee leader. Congresswoman MATSUI. for yielding� I am pleased to support the rule for the conference report for H.R. 1495. the Water Resources Development Act of The bill authorizes water resources projects and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers policy and programmatic changes that our Congress has failed to consider for far too long. Water resources legislation is most effective when it is considered every 2 years. I support this 2year cycle as it provides stability to the program and assurance to the nonFederal sponsors who support Corps projects. [] 2000 Unfortunately. no Water Resources bill has been enacted since year 2000. the entire term of the current administration. I The authorizations in the language are time sensitive and there should be no surprise that this bill contains a substantial number of provisions. Many of these authorizations have been waiting for action more than 6 years. . I urge.my colleagues to vote "yes" on the rule. as well as the underlying conference report. so -that we may. once and for all. advance this vitallyimportant legislation for the American people.
Date: 2007-08-01
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

I want to thank Chairman OBERSTAR and Chairwoman JOHNSON as well as Mr. MICA and Mr. BAKER for their hard work in completing this longawaited bill. With the new leadership in the House and on the committee. this legislation will soon be on the way to the Presidents desk for his signature. These water projects and these projects are extremely important to. my home State of Florida and for the Nation as a whole and have been held hostage for far too long. Like all transportation projects. these included in this bill will put people back to work. improve our communities. and create economic activity. This legislation also ensures that workers are paid a fair rate for their hard work. It is these workers taxes that pay for these projects. and they deserve fair wages that allow them to adequately provide for their families. By delaying the passage of this muchneeded legislation any further. -we are doing a disservice to the people we represent. I encourage my colleagues to support this conference report so we can move forward with these critfcal projects this bill contains and so that we can begin to work on the next WRDA reauthorization so we dont have to wait another 6years to fund these critical water infrastructure projects. Again. I want to thank Chairman OBERSTAR. especially Chairwoman JOHNSON formaking this conference a reality. I want to thank Mr. MICA and
Date: 2007-08-01
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I would like to Ailust. 1 2097. (30 submitintoi the:-RECORD a letterffr6in E.G. Pittman. rChairman. of tbe TexasWater Development Board. .rstrokigy supporting :the passage of thig conference report. : ". . The State of Texas has recently completed a nationally recognized comprehensive water plan. Provisions in H.R. 1495 would greatly assist the State in addressing changes in the population. water availability and quality. technological improvements. and promotes increased collaboration with the Corps of Engineers.
Date: 2007-08-01
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I want to congratulate the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for reporting out the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) and getting through conference so we can send a bill to the President. The previous two Congresses have failed to do so. and because of that. much needed flood control projects in Houston. TX. had been put on hold. I appreciate the inclusion of our language for the Halls Bayou Federal Flood Control Project in Houston. which will allow the Harris County Flood Control District. HCFCD. to start work on this project in the near future. Historic flooding along Halls Bayou has been severe and frequent in some neighborhoods. During Tropical Storm Allison in June 2001. Halls Bayou was hit very hard. with more than 8.000 homes flooding within the watershed. No project can keep all homes from flooding. but a project can help reduce
Date: 2007-08-02
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. the people of Minnesota and. indeed. the people of this country have suffered a great tragedy. And I think this is one of the few times when I can say that I speak for all of the Members of the House when I say that our sympathies and our desire to be of assistance is with them. We want them to know that they are not alone in this moment of tragedy. I also want to say this. Mr. Speaker. Yesterday. the House voted 225204 -to provide a health care safety net for. the children in this country. This will lrelp the children in the State of Texas. where I happen to represent the Ninth Congressional District. and we have the largest portion of uninsured children in the entire Nation. This is the safety net that children need. Children dont decide where theyre born and to what families they come. Children need health care. This will help Texas to do what it should have done when it lost $830 million to other States because it didnt spend CHIP funds..( J . Mr. Speaker. Im grateful to the Members who voted to help children. 11 million in this country who are uninsured. I thank each of you. And our sympathies are with the people of Minnesota. r
Date: 2007-08-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank the chairman. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the conference report. I want to applaud the work of Chairman GORDON. the conferees and the staff for getting us to this historic place in time on behalf of this COMPETESAct. which will make a great difference in Americas economy in the future. The issue of competitiveness has been at the top of our agenda since November 2005 when the House Democrats under the leadership of Speaker PELOSI. unveiled the Innovation Agenda. The Innovation Agenda. which was developed in consultation with the business community. is aimed at keeping America competitive in our ever growing global economy.
Date: 2007-08-02
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me express my appreciation to Mr. GORDON and Mr. HALL. Dr. GINGREY. Dr. EHLERS and others who have been active on the other side and shown interest. not just recently. but over the years. Mr. Speaker. my colleagues and I in the Science and Technology Committee have held numerous hearings and markups to prepare the legislation that is before us today in the form of a conference report. Today this bill authorizes $33 billion over fiscal years 20082010. You know. Igrew up with my father saying nothing is free. and you get what you pay for. If you invest. you will get a return. and thats just where we are. We are in need of stimulating our teachers and our students to specialize in these areas so that we can be competitive in the world. We have allowed ourselves to get behind. we are investing less than almost any other developed country. and we must step up to the plate now. the time has come. It will help to.prepare thousands of new teachers and provide � teachers with better materials and skills through. our expanded Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program and through the Math and Science Partnerships Program. In my district are the number one and number two public schools in the Nation. as Newsweek says. Texas Instruments has invested numerous dollars. thousands. in that school. and it is very good. We. put out some of the best students in the Nation from our schools. but it only has about 20 to 25 percent of the students that need all of this. It is needed across the Nation. We are not going to get it until we provide for it. We will not get competitive until we do this. So I would say please support the conference committee for H.R. 2272. It only provides what we need. and w.e cannot get it for free. I know that we have spent a lot of money on this war. a lot more than they.are asking for in here. but we have got to take care of this Nation.
Date: 2007-08-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. . in 2005. the National Academies released a report. Rising Above the Gathering Storm. Its authors. a team of scientists. academic leaders. and business executives. gave Congress a strong wamingunless we take comprehensive action. America will- lose its competitive edge in the world economy. Today. I am proud to join my colleagues in a bipartisan effort to respond to that call to action with the 21st Century Competitiveness Act. This bill addresses this centurys challenges with new investments in education. research. and small businesses. It is a comprehensive way to ensure that America remains at the forefront of discovery and innovation. We recognize the need to foster student potential and encourage them to enter the fields of science. math. technology and- engineering. This bill invests in 25.000 new teachers. helping them pay for school and training them to enter our nations classrdoms and engage students in math and science. It increases the number of teachers- who scan. teach Advanced Placement. -and.-. Intemational Baccalaureate classes andvpush.)our. students- to work with more challenging curricula.- It- puts -new science and math teachers in highneeds schools so we can reach more students. And it establishes publicprivate partnerships so business and community leaders can identify highneeds fields and help students pursue innovative careers. We recognize the need to push the boundaries of current research. explore new ideas. and foster innovation. This bill puts us on a path to double funding for our research institutionsthe National Science Foundation. the National Institute of Standards and Technology. and the Department of Energys Office of Science. Our scientists at these institutions are engaged in remarkable. groundbreaking work. and we must redouble our support to ensure that America continues to be a leader in scientific advances. This bill will also provide grants to young researchers at the early stages of their careers to allow them to pursue their ideas and encourage them to continue their study in U.S. institutions. And. recognizing the importance of research into new energy technology as we work to combat global warming and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. this bill creates a new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy. Finally. we recognize -the importance of small businesses and entrepreneurial success in the development of our economy. This bill will double funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership over 10 years and will create a Technology Innovation Program to support revolutionary technology development at small and medium sized companies. Mr. Speaker. we must take proactive steps to secure Americas place in an" era of global. economic and scientific competition. This bill. by increasing the number of students entering STEM fields and stimulating exciting research at our national scientific institutions and in our business community. will do just that. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.