macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-09-18
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015. This bill is possibly the most dangerous bill for womens health to come to the House floor of this Congress. State and Federal investigations of Planned Parenthood have produced no evidence of violations of laws or medical standards. and independent auditors confirm the videos referenced were heavily altered. What really happens in Planned Parenthood clinics every year is this: 2.7 million Americans receive critical health services. 78 percent of which live below the poverty level. doctors deliver approximately 400.000 pap smear exams. and women receive nearly half a million breast exams. including screenings to 88.000 women whose cancer was detected early. This legislation threatens those services and the health of patients. including 7.000 women in my district annually who rely on Planned Parenthood for health care. As a woman. mother. and breast cancer survivor. I refuse to take that threat lying down. Republicans own investigations turned up nothing. yet some of their Members are willing to risk womens lives just to score political points. Enough is enough. I urge all Members who truly value womens health to vote against this outrageous witch hunt.
Date: 2015-09-18
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. this legislation is the latest attempt to take essential healthcare services away from women. Our Republican colleagues know that none of the Planned Parenthood Federal funds are used for abortion. per the Hyde amendment. They know there is no evidence that Planned Parenthood has violated any Federal laws. They know that 90 percent of Planned Parenthood services go to essential cancer screenings. family planning counseling. pregnancy tests. contraceptive care. and other things. This bill will deny women those services. When this bill fails in the Senate. our Republican colleagues are apparently prepared to shut down the government in order to shut down those womens health services. Madam Speaker. our Republican colleagues are entitled to their views. but they should not harm our economy. they should not harm Americas women. they should not shut down the government to try to impose their views on the country. Madam Speaker. I rise to raise my opposition to H.R. 3134. Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015. This bill would prohibit all federal funding for Planned Parenthood health centers for one year. Instead of using their majority to pass a clean budget and govern responsibly. the Republicans are willing to hold our country hostage to further their harmful agenda against women. The Defund Planned Parenthood Act is just another shameful attempt to take essential healthcare services away from women. Republicans are so focused on defunding Planned Parenthood that they are willing to shut down the government again. and cause billions of dollars of damage to our economy. Planned Parenthood has been investigated multiple times and each investigation has shown that Planned Parenthood has not violated any federal laws. Moreover none of Planned Parenthoods federal funds are used to perform abortions. in accordance with the Hyde Amendment. Republicans are ignoring facts and relying on doctored footage to continue their crusade against womens healthcare. This bill will have a devastating impact on women. Approximately one in five American women. in her lifetime. has relied on a Planned Parenthood center for care. It serves a total of 2.7 million patients per yearwomen and men. More than ninety percent of their muchneeded services go toward providing essential health services that includes contraceptive care. family planning counseling. pregnancy tests. prenatal care. and essential cancer screenings. There are not enough community health centers to care for all of those who would lose access to healthcare if this bill is passed. A direct threat would be posed to seventyeight percent of Planned Parenthood patients who earn incomes of 150 percent of the federal poverty level or less. It is time to focus on this countrys real concerns and stop trying to deprive women of essential health services. I strongly oppose this bill and any other efforts to defund Planned Parenthood.
Date: 2015-09-18
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 3134. the Defund Planned Parenthood Act. This bill is partisan politics at its worst. The attacks on Planned Parenthood are nothing more than political witchhunts led by antiabortion extremists. Their efforts to mislead the public and tarnish the reputation of Planned Parenthood are downright shameful. Here are the facts: millions of American families. particularly in underserved areas. rely on Planned Parenthood for family planning services and basic womens healthcare. Seventyeight percent of Planned Parenthood patients live with incomes at 150 percent of the federal poverty level or less. and almost half a million of their patients are Latinos. Were it not for Planned Parenthood. these families. including over 25 thousand in my district. would have nowhere to turn for basic health care needs. Defunding Planned Parenthood has implications for the 2.7 million Americans across the country who count on Planned Parenthood for STD and STI testing. cancer screenings. contraceptive care. and other health services. These basic and critical healthcare services which account for 97% of those provided at Planned Parenthood. are what is really being defunded here. Its been 42 years since the United States Supreme Court ruled that a woman has the constitutional right to choose what is best for her health and her body. Since then. antiabortion extremists have been working tirelessly to chip away at this constitutional protection. This time. Madam Speaker. the ramifications of their efforts extend far beyond abortion. They threaten the health and wellbeing of millions of hardworking American families in my district and across the country. The majority always argues for small government. I guess this time they want a government small enough to fit inside the exam room with a woman and her doctor. Madam Speaker. Id like to submit a letter signed by 13 Latino advocacy groups in opposition to defunding Planned Parenthood.
Date: 2015-09-18
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Madam Speaker. I stand in strong opposition to H.R. 3134. Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015. This debate and vote are another attempt to deny women basic health care. including reproductive health services. 2.7 million patientsboth men and womenall across America depend on Planned Parenthood for critical medical services every year. In my district. if you go to a Planned Parenthood clinic at the end of the day. women. many of modest means. will be lined up through the waiting room and. often. down the street. waiting to be seen. While supporters of this bill claim women will have other comparable options. the experts tell us that is simply not the case. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that if this bill is passed. as many as 630.000 Planned Parenthood patients could lose access to birth control. STD screening. and other reproductive health services. And researchers at the Guttmacher Institute estimate that in 103 of Americas 491 counties. Planned Parenthood is the only safetynet family planning clinic. I am outraged by this attempt to use a heavily edited and thoroughly discredited video to vilify an organization that plays a vital role in communities across the nation. Planned Parenthood should be celebrated. not demonized. and I hope my colleagues reject this dangerous and disingenuous piece of legislation.
Date: 2015-09-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. this Nation has a great history. and I would ask the question: What would Franklin Delano Roosevelt do. President Eisenhower. or Ronald Reagan. or John F. Kennedy. when a question from someone in the room attacked and presented a negative attitude about Muslims or Catholics or those in the Jewish faith or Protestant? Well. it happened in a townhall meeting of a Presidential candidate. This person thought that they were maligning and deriding the President of the United States when they called him Muslim and that he was not a citizen. yet no voice rang out in this townhall meeting to oppose that heinous and horrific attitude toward individuals of the Muslim faith. who actually have fought on behalf of the flag of the United States of America. We malign no people for a general issue that all of us know we are all against. the world family is against. Now. I ask this Congress to likewise fund this government because the last time. when the Republicans shut the government down in 2013. we lost $24 billion. Because you are denying women health care. you now want to defund the government and. at the same time. keep jobs away from the American people by not reauthorizing the ExportImport Bank. Not only were 300 jobs lost. but 400 jobs may be lost by a businessman in Kenya who was waiting for the ExportImport Bank. He is an American. and he had 400 jobs. I say. Mr. Speaker. stop the foolishness. Act like the history of this Nation. and stand up for what is right.
Date: 2015-09-24
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 719. the TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2015. In September 2013. the Department of Homeland Security inspector general released a report detailing the Transportation Security Administrations misclassification of certain employees in its Office of Inspection as criminal investigators. Specifically. the inspector general found that the workload of these criminal investigators did not fit the Federal workload requirement to justify their title. Because of this misclassification. these employees received enhanced benefits. such as premium pay. early retirement. and other benefits commensurate with the position. despite the fact that they perform little to no investigative duties. Whereas the workload for a properly classified criminal investigator predominantly involves investigating criminal cases. the inspector general found that the workload for these employees consisted largely of investigating noncriminal cases. carrying out inspections. covert testing. and internal reviews. all tasks that could be performed by employees who do not receive the enhanced benefits. As the ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency. I believe that it is important that agencies utilize their resources in a manner that is both effective and efficient. According to the inspector general. the Office of Inspection did not use its resources in a manner that would efficiently conduct internal reviews. inspections. and covert testing. If no changes are made to these positions. the inspector general estimated that it would result in the wasting of as much as $17.5 million over 5 years. H.R. 719 directs TSA to certify that all persons designated as criminal investigators are working on criminal investigations at least 50 percent of their time. This threshold is consistent with the Federal standard for the position and ensures that the TSA is providing enhanced pay and benefits to those who actually perform the duties of a criminal investigator. This measure will not affect those with the proper classification of criminal investigator and will not impede efforts to thwart terror plots and other criminal enterprises that threaten our national security. This legislation also incorporates changes meant to address instances in which Federal Air Marshal Service officials have used their official capacities to obtain benefits from private vendors and to also address recent allegations of misconduct involving the misuse of government resources and solicitation by reviewing existing personnel and code of conduct policies. This legislation is common sense and reflects a commitment to good government. Mr. Speaker. if enacted. H.R. 719 will bring greater accountability to TSAs Office of Inspection. This measure will also ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently and that past abuses are not repeated. I urge Members to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-09-24
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. earlier this year. I introduced the Quarterly Financial Report Reauthorization Act. a bill that would reauthorize a vital and commonsense program for 15 years. The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ordered the bill reported by voice vote in July of 2015. I want to thank Chairman CHAFFETZ and Ranking Member CUMMINGS for working to quickly move this bill forward prior to the programs expiration this year. Since the end of World War II. the QFR has been a closely watched principal economic indicator used to determine our Nations gross domestic product. the Federal Reserves Flow of Funds account. and other vital economic estimates. It is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau based on a sample size of 12.500 companies across a variety of industry sectors. from mining. to manufacturing. to information and professional services. The end result is timely. accurate data on business financial conditions for over onethird of our economy that is widely used by both government and private sector actors. The program plans to further expand coverage to over 60 percent of our economy. tracking additional sectors and industries. such as health care and real estate. The Department of Commerce has called the reauthorization of this program a top priority. and the U.S. Census Bureau has received letters of validation from both the public and private sectors. The Small Business Administration supports it as do companies such as ProQuest. a Michiganbased global information content and technology company. and companies such as Wells Fargo. whose chief economist wrote in support of this QFR and said: Good decisions require good information. At a time when our country is not that far removed from the wake of the global financial crisis. we need all the While this is a Senate bill. there is tools at our disposal to measure the nobody who has been more passionate state of our economy and to chart our and excited and dedicated to getting progress. this done than Mr. GARRETT of New I urge my colleagues to support this Jersey. bill. Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he I yield back the balance of my time. may consume to the gentleman from
Date: 2015-09-24
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of S. 994. a bill to designate the Staff Sergeant Joseph DAugustine Post Office. A native of New Jersey. Joseph DAugustine attended Waldwick High School. where he wrestled and played football. Following his graduation. Joseph joined the Marine Corps. serving two tours of duty as an infantryman in Operation Iraqi Freedom. On March 27. 2012. while serving his second tour in Afghanistan. Joseph was tragically killed while working to diffuse a bomb. Having served on Active Duty myselfand still in the ReservesI want to honor Joseph for his service and also his family for their sacrifice and their loss. Joseph received a number of awards for his dedicated service. including the Bronze Star. the Purple Heart. the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. and the Humanitarian Service Medal. In addition to Josephs courageous military service. he is remembered for giving back to his hometown through a youth wrestling program that he cofounded with his father. Mr. Speaker. we should pass this bill to honor the years that Staff Sergeant DAugustine dedicated to this country and the ultimate sacrifice he made on our behalf. I urge the passage of S. 994. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-09-24
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 1442. a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service as the "Staff Sergeant Robert H. Dietz Post Office Building." A Kingston native. Sergeant Dietz served in the Armys 38th Armored Infantry Battalion. 7th Armored Division. during World War II. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor. and this is some of what he did. He was leading a squad as they advanced. and a minefield and two welldefended bridges blocked their path. Despite heavy fire. Sergeant Dietz led his men through the minefield and forged on. In a show of unmatched courage. Sergeant Dietz dodged bullets to independently advance to the first bridge. where he killed the bazooka team that was defending the structure. He continued to advance. killing another bazooka team as well as other German soldiers who fired at him. In his final act of bravery. Sergeant Dietz dove into waistdeep water to disconnect the demolition charges on the second bridge. and he was struck and killed by German sniper fire when he stood to alert his men that their route was then clear. Mr. Speaker. we should pass this bill in order to honor Sergeant Dietz valiant actions and to remember a man who truly put his country before himself. I urge the passage of H.R. 1442. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-09-24
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 322. a bill to designate the Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher Post Office. Zachary Fisher was born in Missouri in 1986. A 2004 graduate of Marquette High School. Zachary was known for his passion for American history. patriotism. and academic excellence. To those who knew him. it was no surprise that Zachary decided to serve his country by enlisting in the Army Reserves in 2006. In 2007. he was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. and later. in December 2009. to Afghanistan. Tragically. on July 14. 2010. Sergeant Fisher and seven of his fellow soldiers were killed in Afghanistan after insurgents attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. For his honorable service. Sergeant Fisher received numerous military awards. including the NATO Medal. Bronze Star. and Purple Heart. Sergeant Fisher is survived by his wife. Jessica. his parents and five siblings. Having myself served in Active Duty and still in the Reserves. I honor Sergeant Fishers outstanding service and sacrifice to our Nation. and also the sacrifice of his family. Mr. Speaker. we should pass this bill and remember the brave leadership of Sergeant Zachary Fisher and honor the ultimate sacrifice he made for our Nation. I urge the passage of H.R. 322. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-09-24
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chair. I rise to oppose H.R. 348. also known as the RAPID Act. This bill will rapidly cause environmental degradation. Under this bill. if it became law. you could have projects that harm the environment that are deemed approved. even if the review process was not yet completed. That is crazy. Keep in mind. we have had over 60 straight months of job creation under the Obama administration. Those are the facts. This bill is written in such a way that it will cause confusion. It will cause increased delays and limit public involvement in this important process. It is also unscientific. There is a provision in this bill that says we cannot count the social cost of carbon. Now. I believe in a free market. and I believe that that has made America strong. but we cant have government artificially come in and say we are going to say things are costs and things are not costs when it is not scientifically based. We know that carbon has done a lot to increase climate change and caused global warming. That is why I. along with Representatives PETERS. POLIS. and LOWENTHAL. have introduced an amendment to put that language back in. We cant just say stop talking and ignore carbon. Keep in mind. just a few hours ago. Pope Francis came in to a joint session of Congress and told us to really revert and look at what we have done in terms of causing environmental degradation. Now. just a few hours later. we are back to attacking the environment. This is not right. I urge that we not support the RAPID Act.
Date: 2015-09-24
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
Date: 2015-09-25
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I am so glad my colleague mentioned the question of jobs. Mr. Chairman. how much time do I have remaining?
Date: 2015-09-25
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. I am very glad my colleague mentioned jobs because none of us here are fighting against jobs. In fact. I happen to be supporting the full employment legislation that my good friend. Congressman JOHN CONYERS. has offered and I have joined. We are not here speaking against jobs. We are speaking for the American people. We are trying to explain the complexity of the permitting process. Whether it is for drilling. whether it is to deal with construction. whether it is to deal with complex environmental issues that have to be addressed impacting the American people or. for example. whether it is dealing with the Volkswagen company that saw fit to do the technology to undermine viable rules that the American automobile industry was complying with. definitely impacting jobs. I would have hoped that we would have had a process of permitting or a process of determining whether the Volkswagen company was violating these rules that were here to help the issue of pollution and other issues here. but also undermining the jobs of our own American companies. Let me say that the Jackson Lee amendment. in essence. is to suggest that there is a lot of complexity that my friends on the other side of the aisle with the RAPID Actthe very name of it suggests that we are throwing judgment to the wind. All we want to do is to move forward. even if they are ill. And we dont want the taxpayer dollars that have asked these workers in these agencies who have the expertise from the DOE. to the FDA and beyondFood and Drug Administration. Department of Energyto protect us. I believe. Mr. Chairman. that my amendment. by eliminating the 90 to 120. deeming it approved in the midst of a crisis when it is not fit to be approved. is an amendment that this body should pass. I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment because I am here to protect the American people and to do justly. as has been given to us in a wonderful message yesterday by Pope Francis. I yield back the balance of my time.