macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-03-23
Speaker: JODY B. HICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Speaker. today the High Court is considering the Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell. a most important case regarding religious liberty and the First Amendment. The Little Sisters of the Poor is a religious institution dedicated to assisting the elderly poor. but an unfair and unjust dilemma has been forced upon them. They must choose whether to violate their religious beliefs by complying with the HHS mandate or pay massive fines. The government cannot compel people to violate their conscience and their religious faith. But today we are watching the government force people to choose between their faith or a government decree. To place citizens of this country in this inescapable position is not only reprehensible. but also a direct violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Mr. Speaker. I pray that the Court be granted the wisdom and discernment necessary to resolve this case in support of religious liberty and conscience rights. People must not be forced by the government to violate their faith.
Date: 2016-04-12
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of House Concurrent Resolution 115. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 2016-04-14
Speaker: MIMI WALTERS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise in memory of Jean Hamilton Aldrich. who passed away on March 23. 2016. at the age of 96. Mrs. Aldrich was married to the University of CaliforniaIrvines founding chancellor. Daniel G. Aldrich. Jr. Together they witnessed Irvine evolve into the hub for business and technology it has become today. all centered around one of the Nations top research universities. Their work played a tremendous role in this transformation. But Mrs. Aldrichs public service reached far beyond the university. She participated in health and arts projects throughout Orange County and served on boards for a home for the developmentally disabled and South Coast Repertory. a professional theater company in Costa Mesa. She will long be remembered for her infectious laughter. her ability to keep her composure in highpressure situations. and her service to the Irvine community. Mrs. Aldrich leaves behind a rich legacy. She is survived by 3 children. 7 grandchildren. and 16 greatgrandchildren. We join them in mourning the loss of Mrs. Aldrich. who was truly a leader in our community.
Date: 2016-04-14
Speaker: JODY B. HICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Speaker. we all know this time of year is when the American people are held accountable to pay their taxes. Unfortunately. the IRSand especially its head Commissioner John Koskinenhave proven over and over and over that they cannot be trusted to hold themselves to the same standard that they hold the rest of us. It is critical that we. as Congress. as we are trying to do here this evening. that we ensure that the IRS is held accountable for its actions the same way the American people and other Federal agencies are held accountable for their actions. House Republicans. my colleagues and I. many of us on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in particular are very familiar with Commissioner Koskinen. Under his leadership. the IRS has failed to respond to multiple subpoenas for evidence. There has been destruction of thousands of key documents. thereby really hindering the work of Oversight investigations. possibly obstructing justice. John Koskinen. as has already been mentioned here just moments ago. sat before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and lied under oath multiple times. providing false and misleading testimony. which. of course. as we all know. is outright perjury. John Koskinens continued role as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Servicewhich we all know is one of those powerful Federal agenciesdespite his continued attempts to deceive Congress and the American people. is nothing but the living embodiment that the IRS indeed does not play by the same rules that they demand of other Americans. The American people are well aware that the IRS has placed itself above the law. above the rest of us. In fact. according to a recent Rasmussen poll. only about 30 percent of Americans actually trust the IRS to fairly enforce the law. which means that we have got nearly 70 percent of Americans who dont trust the IRS to abide by the law here in America. One of the most powerful agencies that we have cannot be trusted. And the American people dont trust them. This is a Federal agency that desperately needs to be set on the right track. Of course. the first step to that is eliminating the failed leadership. So I join my colleagues on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. many of whom are here this evening. I am proud to be a cosponsor of H. Res. 494 to impeach Commissioner John Koskinen. This is absolutely one of our most important roles in Congress: to hold our Federal agencies and heads of these agencies accountable. So with that mission. I appreciate the gentleman for the opportunity to speak a few moments. and I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 494 to impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. Again. I want to thank my good friend. Congressman DESANTIS. for leading this Special Order.
Date: 2016-04-18
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to amend the Department of Agriculture program for research and extension grants to increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science. technology. engineering. and mathematics to redesignate the program as the "Jeannette Rankin Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program".
Date: 2016-04-18
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
Date: 2016-04-18
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 4570. the 100 Years of Women in Congress Act. This legislation would honor a true pioneer of American politics by naming an important agricultural research program as the Jeannette Rankin Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program. This competitive research grants program is designed to increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in the fields of science. technology. engineering. and mathematics. I can think of no better person to identify with this important program than former Representative Rankin. who was the first woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives. an achievement made even more significant by the fact that Ms. Rankin was elected to Congress several years prior to the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2016-04-18
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I would like to take a brief moment to thank my colleague. Ms. DELBENE. for her kind comments and for helping to ensure that this great bill is going to make it through with a very bipartisan majority. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from the great State of Montana . my colleague who is one of the most courageous Members of Congress. somebody who served our Nation in our U.S. military for many years and deserves our thanks.
Date: 2016-04-18
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. it has been 100 years since the first woman was elected to serve in this great institution. and now I am blessed to serve with so many great women on both sides of the aisle. This is a recognition that is long overdue. I urge all of my colleagues. along with those you have already heard today. to support this important piece of legislation to give Ms. Rankin the respect and the honor that she deserves when she walked here 100 years ago. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2016-04-18
Speaker: JODY B. HICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

I am grateful to my colleague from Florida for yielding this time. Mr. Speaker. today the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments on what certainly has every potential of being one of the most important cases of our time. Of course. we are talking about a case involving an unprecedented and inexplicable expansion of powers by the President. We all remember in November 2014 when President Obama. fresh from. I might add. losing midterm elections. announced his executive decision to grant amnesty to some 5 million illegal immigrants. Immediately 26 States. my home State of Georgia being one of them. quickly moved to challenge this Presidents decision in the courts. Those States rightly and correctly argued that they were being forced by the Federal Government to bear the costly burden of this Presidents abuse of power. So after months of legal wrangling in the lower courts. now we watch United States v. Texas being considered in the High Court. We watched this being put on in the Supreme Court. and I am hopeful. as many of my colleagues. all of us here tonight. that the rulings from the lower courts will stand and that. ultimately. this Presidents executive amnesty will be ruled for what it is. a clear violation of the Constitution. That is what we are dealing with tonight. a violation of the Constitution. specifically article II. section 3. the faithful execution clause. Many ask: What is that? Basically. that clause requires the President to enforce the laws of the land. Is it too much to ask for the President to enforce the laws of the land as written by Congress and interpreted by the courts? This President has turned that upside down. He has turned our Constitution on its head with his own legislative policies from the executive office and the abuse of executive authority. Many of us here have voted multiple times to oppose many of the Presidents unconstitutional actions. and I have cosponsored many bills trying to deal specifically with his planned amnesty program. Going forward. now we have the Supreme Court case before us. and we all hope that they will see that what the President has done is a direct. gross violation of our Constitution. Again. I want to thank my friend from Florida. Congressman YOO. for putting together this Special Order.
Date: 2016-04-20
Speaker: MIMI WALTERS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the No Hires for the Delinquent IRS Act. Between 2004 and 2013. nearly 1.600 IRS employees intentionally violated tax laws. according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Just last year. the same Inspector General reported that the IRS rehired 141 former employees who had bungled their own tax returns. Five of those rehires had intentionally failed to file their returns at all. Think about that for a moment. The Federal bureaucrats who are responsible for ensuring the American people pay their taxes are not paying their own taxes. and they face no repercussion for botching their own returns. This is one more example of how Washington is out of touch with the people it is meant to serve. It is no wonder the American people do not have faith in this Federal agency. This bill will require the IRS to exclusively hire employees who pay their own taxes. It is essential to protecting American taxpayers and ensuring the IRS is held accountable. It is just common sense. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1206.
Date: 2016-04-26
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize a dedicated and hardworking member of my office who is graduating and will be a leader in our Nations Armed Forces. Over the course of two semesters. Matts Wilcoxen made a lasting impression in my district office with his work ethic. good attitude. and commitment to public service. Despite being a fulltime student at the Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville campus and a member of their ROTC program. he volunteered several days per week to assist constituents and communities throughout my congressional district. Matts has distinguished himself far beyond the walls of my district office. He will graduate from SIUE as a Distinguished Military Graduate signifying that he finished in the top 10 percent of all cadets that are commissioning this year. He additionally served as the battalion commander for the first semester of this academic year and was the deputy battalion commander during the second semester. Next month. Matts will not only graduate. but he will also be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Armor Branch of the U.S. Army. Matts is a motivated leader who will serve our Nation proudly in the Army. I am proud of Matts and his dedication to public service and our country and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.
Date: 2016-04-28
Speaker: MIMI WALTERS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. the Department of Labors fiduciary rule serves no purpose other than to make it more challenging for hardworking Americans to plan for retirement. This illadvised rule will limit choice and access for those who seek financial advice to prepare for their future. It will be especially damaging to middleclass families who will lose access to affordable retirement advice. and it will discourage small businesses from helping their employees save for retirement. Saving for the future is difficult enough. and now this outoftouch administration is stepping in to make it even more challenging. We can and we must get Washington out of the way. Americans cannot afford to have the Federal Government interfering in their retirement planning. Under the Congressional Review Act. we can prevent implementation of this harmful rule. Congress should do everything it can to empower Americans to secure their future. I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 88 to stop this misguided government intervention and allow the American people to achieve their retirement dreams.
Date: 2016-04-28
Speaker: SENATOR MCCONNELL (republican)
Chamber: H

AND CONGRESSWOMAN PELOSI: July will mark five years since the federal minimum wage was last raised. We urge you to act now and enact a threestep raise of 95 cents a year for three yearswhich would mean a minimum wage of $10.10 by 2016and then index it to protect against inflation. Senator Tom Harkin and Representative George Miller have introduced legislation to accomplish this. The increase to $10.10 would mean that minimumwage workers who work full time. full year would see a raise from their current salary of roughly $15.000 to roughly $21.000. These proposals also usefully raise the tipped minimum wage to 70% of the regular minimum. This policy would directly provide higher wages for close to 17 million workers by 2016. Furthermore. another 11 million workers whose wages are just above the new minimum would likely see a wage increase through "spillover" effects. as employers adjust their internal wage ladders. The vast majority of employees who would benefit are adults in working families. disproportionately women. who work at least 20 hours a week and depend on these earnings to make ends meet. At a time when persistent high unemployment is putting enormous downward pressure on wages. such a minimumwage increase would provide a muchneeded boost to the earnings of lowwage workers. In recent years there have been important developments in the academic literature on the effect of increases in the minimum wage on employment. with the weight of evidence now showing that increases in the minimum wage have had little or no negative effect on the employment of minimumwage workers. even during times of weakness in the labor market. Research suggests that a minimumwage increase could have a small stimulative effect on the economy as lowwage workers spend their additional earnings. raising demand and job growth. and providing some help on the jobs front.
Date: 2016-04-29
Speaker: JODY B. HICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Speaker. my friends and colleagues from the Georgia delegation and I rise in honor of the lives of four bright young University of Georgia students who were killed in a tragic car accident outside of Athens on Wednesday evening. We pray for and grieve for the families of Christina. Halle. Kayla. and Brittany. and the entire University of Georgia community. We also pray for Agnes. who remains in critical condition. that she may be healed. The remarkable impact of these women upon UGAs campus is evidenced by the thousands of students. faculty. and staff who gathered yesterday in an outpouring of love. support. and remembrance. Mr. Speaker. this tragedy is every parents worst nightmare. and our hearts ache for these families. I ask all my colleagues and all of those watching to pray for these families and to join the Georgia delegation in a moment of silence for Christina. Halle. Kayla. and Brittany. as well as for Agnes. and to know. in the words of Psalm 147:3: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds their wounds."
Date: 2016-05-10
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleagues. Mr. GUINTA. Ms. KUSTER. and the previous Special Order leader. Ms. CLARK. This is tremendously a great turnout for such an important subject. and for you three to lead it. Especially my good friend. Mr. GUINTA. I want to say thank you on behalf of the many families who have been affected by this epidemic in Central Illinois where I am blessed to serve. I think this shows how serious Congress is about addressing the issue of opioids and addiction in our country. and I am happy the House is going to consider important pieces of legislation this week. I want to read a quote from todays Bloomington. Illinois. Pantagraph. It says: "The profile of a typical heroin user shooting up in an alley or backstage at a rock concert no longer holds true." According to the CDC. there were more than 1.700 drug overdose deaths in my home State of Illinois in 2014. and the eighth highest in the Nation. As of March of this year. the Illinois Department of Public Health reported that 761 deaths in 2015 were attributed to heroin alone. And while the majority of these occur in the Chicagoland area. our States rural communities. the communities that I serve. have seen a noticeable rise of heroinrelated deaths in recent years. As a matter of fact. just yesterday in Bloomington. Illinois. the towns of Bloomington. Normal. McLean County. I was there. There have been seven deaths last year attributed in that one county to heroin use. I had the opportunity to join McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage and County Coroner Kathy Davis and talk about what they see firsthand. Mr. Speaker. I saw for the first time in my life what heroin looked like in the evidence locker at the McLean County Sheriffs Office just yesterday. I also had the opportunity to ride along with McLean County Sheriffs Deputy Jonathan Albee. a handler in the departments K9 Unit. and his dog. Keej. who liked to bark at me a lot while I was in that car. We discussed the recent rise in heroin overdoses. as well as the 70 percent increase in arrests for controlled substance possession that the McLean County Sheriffs Office says they have seen in the last year. And during that ridealong. I got to experience a stop where drugs were found. but not heroin. This is the community where my daughter just finished her freshman year in college. I have seen how this epidemic cannot just touch larger communities. many urban communities like Bloomington. Normal. and McLean County. it touches my home county of Christian County. too. Mr. Speaker. just a few years ago our county health department director was arrested for heroin use and heroin possession. If it can happen to our own county health department director. it can happen to anyone. regardless of your socioeconomic status. Mr. Speaker. there are many factors that have made this epidemic widespread. from prescription practices. to the actions of cartels south of the border. and that is why we are addressing this important issue this week in the House of Representatives. I am proud to join with my colleague.
Date: 2016-05-12
Speaker: MIMI WALTERS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. across the United States we are faced with a substance abuse epidemic that results in overdoses. addiction. and. for too many. death. From opioids to heroin. no communitynot even Orange County. the place I have called home for 50 yearsis immune. Statistics show that nearly 130 people die every single day from drug abuse. Though this is a nationwide epidemic. there is not a one -size -fitsall cure to addiction. That is why the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act is so important. This bill will create a grant program to help State and local governments combat opioid addiction in their communities and give them flexibility to dedicate resources to the needs of their specific community. whether that means prescription drug monitoring programs. overdose treatment training for first responders. or rehabilitation programs. This legislation passed the Judiciary Committee with unanimous support. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill because its passage will save lives and help Americans suffering from addiction reclaim their lives.
Date: 2016-05-17
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor Sally Clark. who was part of the class of 1963 at East High School in Des Moines. Iowa. I never knew her as Sally Clark because I knew her as Sally Davis. my mother. I am very appreciative that the class of 1963 allowed my mom to be part of a reunion in July of 1993 because my mom never graduated with that class. Sally Clark dropped out of high school in 1962 and eventually finished her degree much later by getting her general equivalency diploma with the help of my sister. who was the reason she dropped out of high school in 1962. In looking at the program from that reunion in 1993. the fondest memories my mom had of East High School were the friends she left behind. In 1977. she left not only friends behind. but she left family behind and moved our family to Taylorville. Illinois. where I grew up and where she inspired so many. My mom passed away 17 years ago today. The reason I am here is because of the inspiration she was to me and to so many. I want to tell her what I couldnt tell her on Mothers Day: Your family is doing great. Your granddaughter. who you knew as a 2yearold. just finished her freshman year of college. The grandsons you never met are doing fine as freshmen in high school. Mom. your whole family is doing well. As a matter of fact. you have a greatgranddaughter now that shares your middle name. I am here on the House floor to fight to make sure that we work in a bipartisan way to end the scourge of the cancer that killed you and that has killed so many. young and old. We will never forget this fight and I will never forget that fight because of what you meant to me and to so many. Mom. I love you and I miss you every day. You are the reason that I get this privilege to be a Member of this great institution.