macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan. Mr. Speaker. with more women as the primary breadwinners than ever. it is important to point out that twothirds of the minimum wage workers are women. Women are notoriously underrepresented with equal pay for equal work. The Federal minimum wage right now is only $7.25 per hour. A woman working full time would make just $14.500. That is below the poverty line for a family of three. If we want to make sure American families can work hard to get ahead. it seems that we would want to make sure they are getting paid enough to do so. yet this issue is completely absent from the Republican budget. and still. women will be notoriously underpaid for the work that they do. Mr. Speaker. women are also notoriously underrepresented in science. technology. engineering. and mathematics fields. These are the jobs of tomorrow. These are the jobs that will grow our economy. that will make us globally competitive. Unfortunately. we cannot address these issues of underrepresentation of women in those areasscience. technology. engineering. and mathematicsbecause the Republican budget that we passed today does not think it is important. The peoples budget. on the other hand. would lift the minimum wage. would increase the opportunities for women in educational fields where they have been underrepresented and would result in a raise for more than 27.8 million workers. including the 15.3 million women. There are broader societal impacts to raising the minimum wage as well. For starters. since women are the majority of minimum wage workers. lifting that Federal minimum wage would close the pay gap by nearly 5 percent. I know it has been said time and again. Mr. Speaker. but raising the minimum wage will also boost our economy. For these workers. additional wages arent dropping into savings accounts. they are paying for things they need right now. Research indicates that for every $1 added to minimum wage. low wage worker households spent an additional $2.800 the following year. That is a winwin situation. Unfortunately. we didnt adopt the budget that included the minimum wage increase. We adopted the budget that included new tax cuts for the top 1 percent at the expense of the middle class. Mr. Speaker. the point that we have tried to make here is that we have passed the wrong budget. The Republican budget is wrong for women. It is wrong for the middle class. It is wrong for the Nations economy. The foundations of the American Dream are crumbling beneath our feet just right as we speak. with stagnant wages. struggling schools. and a wealth gap that is only getting bigger. We cant move forward with policies that are only going to make matters worse. We need to open our eyes and fight together for policies that will build an economy that works for everyone. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. I very much appreciate the leadership that the gentleman from California has shown in forming our caucus. and also especially when it comes to this issue which is near and dear to my heart. I have talked many times during my campaign about the fact that I thought it would change the dynamic to now have a Member of Congress who himself has tens of thousands of dollars of student loan debt because I wanted to do exactly what we are doing tonight. be able to speak on the House floor and say. yes. this is an incredibly serious issue that needs to be dealt with as the national problem that it is. Depending on how you judge mortgages. student loans are considered either the largest source of debt or the second largest source of debt in America today. a tenfold increase in the last 20 yearstenfold increase. That is unsustainable. I believe that it is unfair and a tremendous burden to those who are young and. frankly. not so young and raising families of their own. But not only is there the fairness argument. there is also the argument that it just makes no sense for the United States of America in the 21st century to be going in this direction. to be penalizing those who are attempting to better themselves and become better workers. become better trained and ensure that they can participate in the workforce of the 21st century. So I believe that this is an issue. frankly. that has been undercovered and underfocused on over the last several years. I believe that there is a danger of this actually being a student loan debt bubble. And I believe that it is about time that this Congress. the House and the Senate. finally dealt with this as the national crisis that it is.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Well. first. I couldnt help identify with the tweet from Dolores. Like she. I am a firstgeneration American. My father is an immigrant. And like Dolores. I am the first in my family to go to college. Student loans played an important part in enabling me to go to college. So I dont in any way use my own personal experience as a woe is me. I consider myself one of the very fortunate ones. But the fact that I had the benefit of winning scholarships and piecing together student loans and tens of thousands of them along with every workstudy job you can imagine. the fact that I am actually one of the lucky ones and it was that difficult. I know so many people in the neighborhood where I grew up in Philadelphia who werent as fortunate. I know so many people today in my neighborhood and all throughout the country who have exactly the same story that Dolores had in that she says: Well. with this extra $350 a month. I would be buying a car. I would be saving for a down payment on a home. It is interesting. I hear these kinds of stories not just from those who are in repayment. I hear them from Realtors who have been in the business two. three. or four decades. They will say to me: BRENDAN. I cant tell you what a difference it is today. Back when I was starting out. I would sell so many homes to younger people. 24. 25. 26. Now I dont have one customer in their twenties. Why? Because the student loan payments are taking that up. So that means that it doesnt only hurt the graduate who is in repayment. it also has a spillover effect in our overall economy. It hurts the Realtors. It hurts the contractors who would have done work once that young couple or the young person bought a house. It hurts the Home Depot down the street. There is this spillover effect in our economy. And it is getting to the larger point I was talking about that this is not just a problem for young people. This is a problem for families who want to send their kids to college. This is a problem for Realtors. This is a problem for anyone who wants economic development to be spurred in our country. Essentially. this is a national issue.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Well. unfortunately. yes. While I am a born and raised and proud Pennsylvanian. I am sad to say on this score we are the second worst in the country. We have the second most expensive public colleges and universities in the Nation. Sure enough. our Pennsylvania residents have the second highest amount of student loan debt in the country. So this is a problem affecting my State. It affects all 50 States. but. unfortunately. it is worse in my home State than almost every other State in the country.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. I am proud to be a cosponsor of Representative COURTNEYS bill. ELIZABETH WARREN is the sponsor in the Senate of the companion legislation. This would have a transformative effect on helping those who right now are struggling with the student loan payment. So many of the ideas that we have are more geared toward those who will be going to college and arent yet college age. This is the one idea that can actually help those who are living today under the burden of higher student loan debt. It is important to note that neither of us are talking about forgiving debt or eliminating debt or giving people a free ride or allowing them to get away from the debts they incur. We are simply saying allow them to have the market mechanism that so many others have. allow them to refinance at the current low rates. This would be a tremendous savings. literally tens of billions of dollars saved. And then that is money that in turn will be repumped into our economy. So I believe it would have an incredibly positive effect. and I am a strong supporter of it.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. I am thinking of you being in California in a much more expensive area than. while Pennsylvania is not cheap. by California standards. it is much more affordable. How much of an effect would it have for the young. bright. welleducated folks in northern California if they could suddenly have an extra. 3. 400 a month to help them afford the cost of living there and save for a down payment?
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. You actually just referenced another point of this that I think is such a good point. and that is that this student loan debt is actually preventing young people from going out and starting their own businesses. which is a personal tragedy for them. but also has. again. tremendously negative effects on our overall economy. I am wondering. particularly in an entrepreneurial area like the bay area. you must hear similar stories.
Date: 2015-03-25
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. I was just going to say how happy I am to welcome Mr. LARSON as the newest member to the Future Caucus. There arent many of us that have such wonderful white hair in the future caucus. But what is interesting is this is an exact linkage to the subject that we are going to talk about next with respect to Social Security. And that is. it is all part of the same system. The idea that you give opportunity to people. you demand responsibility. they pay into a system. they benefit at some point. and then the next generation benefits. People on Social Security today are able to benefit because of the workers of today. Thirty. 40 years from now. those students who are worrying about student loans will probably still be in the workforce and making. hopefully. more money that will pay into Social Security that will help the workers of today. who will be the retirees of tomorrow. So this is all actually linked and part of making America work. So I am proud to be with the two gentlemen.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it is with great pride that I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the city of Miami Beach in Floridas 23rd Congressional District. Incorporated on March 26. 1915. Miami Beach took its place on the map with only a handful of residents. Now home to nearly 100.000 people. the city of Miami Beach has not only grown in population. but in reputation. This vacation paradise is an internationally recognized tourist destination visited by millions each year. a hub for business. and a trendsetter in the areas of arts. culture. fine dining. and entertainment. This week. Miami Beach celebrated its centennial with 100 hours of showcasing its history and all that the city has to offer. culminating in an oceanfront concert by Miami Beach residents and cultural icons Gloria Estefan. Barry Gibb. and Andrea Bocelli. It is a great honor for me to represent the city of Miami Beach in our Nations Capitol. I thank Mayor Philip Levine. the members of the city commission. and the citys staff for their many accomplishments that have made the city of Miami Beach a wonderful place to work. live. visit. and raise a family.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise because the majority is making worse the one issue that can kill humanity as a speciesclimate change. The majoritys budget exacerbates Americas overdependence on foreign oil and reliance on the dirty and unsafe fuels of the 19th century. But there is a better way. We need to produce more energysaving appliances and machines that are designed. manufactured. and installed by American workers. It is time to invest in new and renewable energies that never go away. such as wind. solar. and biofuels. It is time to do what is best for America. not what is best for coal companies. Mr. Speaker. let me end by saying: Go. UCLA.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague for yielding to me. and I appreciate his leadership on this issue and many others in our committee. I rise in support of H.R. 2. the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act. As an original cosponsor of this landmark legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. H.R. 2 will reform the flawed Medicare physician payment system that will reward quality and value over volume. make reforms to slow the growth of healthcare costs. and extend other critical programs. including the Childrens Health Insurance Program and the funding for community health centers. Since 2003. Congress has intervened 17 times to prevent steep payment cuts caused by the flawed SGR formula in order to preserve seniors access to care. Repealing the SGR is the responsible choice. both fiscally and logically. More money has now been spent on shortterm patches than the full cost of the permanent repealing of the SGR. We are closer than we have ever come to repealing the flawed SGR formula and enacting meaningful reform that will strengthen the Medicare system for generations to come. I want to highlight the additional 2 years of funding for the community health centers program included in the package. These dedicated mandatory funds will avert an impending fiscal cliff set to take place in September. Without this extension. funding for health centers would be slashed by 70 percent. and 7.4 million patients would lose access to care. Also included in the agreement are funding for the National Health Service Corps and the teaching health center program. Both programs further the goals of improving and strengthening access to primary and preventative care in our communities. Like any good bipartisan compromise. the legislation strikes a balance and offers a set of viable solutions that should have broad bipartisan support. I want to thank Speaker BOEHNER. Leader PELOSI. and my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee and Ways and Means Committee for their leadership in working across the aisle to craft this commonsense. landmark legislation.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. we just witnessed an opportunity that should not be singular. and that is the coming together of Members of the United States Congress to address some very important issues. I have already spoken on the importance of providing for the Childrens Health Insurance Program that this legislation. H.R. 2. has provided for and securing Medicare for our seniors and ensuring funding for our federally qualified health clinics. the very clinics that I advocated for so many years ago. And we have seen a growth in them. The ones that are in my congressional district. they opened their doors to lowincome and those without insurance in years past. We are trying to get in front of the issue and the crisis of health care in America. But I want to make sure that as we pass this legislation. we do not forget physicianowned hospitals. which are prevalent in the State of Texas. and there are many in my neighborhood. These are doctors who have sacrificed to open the doors of hospitals in lowincome areas. It is important for CMS to make sure that their applications are expeditiously and efficiently reviewed and that they have the opportunity to expand. This is language that we have put into the Affordable Care Act so the doors of these hospitals can remain open to the sick and those who are in neighborhoods where access to health care is not strong. I ask my colleagues to continue to push forward on good health care in America and to help physicianowned hospitals in the way that they should be under the Affordable Care Act.
Date: 2015-03-26
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I havent been in this office very long. but it doesnt take long to pick up certain patterns of my Republican colleagues. They find a way to hamstring immigration reform or prevent women from getting the right to choose at every possible opportunity. In the case of the SGR fix. a very important bill that I am proud to have also voted for. Republicans have chosen the latter. At the risk of pointing out the obvious. Mr. Speaker. this is 2015. We can talk to our TV remotes. We have phones that show us in 3D the nearest restaurants. and printers that print prosthetic limbs. In 1973. Motorola gave us the worlds first mobile phone. But 1973 was also the last time there was any question of whether or not a woman had the right to make her own decisions about her health. according to the U.S. Supreme Court. I am not the youngest Member of Congress. but I am one of the newest. So I would like to take this opportunity to invite my Republican colleagues to join me in the 21st century. Moving forward. I urge my colleagues to stop waging war on womens right to make their own choices.
Date: 2015-04-13
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. since its inception. the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was and remains a civil rights law. ESEA plays a fundamental role in protecting the rights and educational opportunity of students living in poverty. students of color. students learning English. and students with disabilities. In the last 50 years. we have made great progress. but tremendous work remains. Any reauthorization of ESEA must maintain the strong civil rights protections of this historic law. We must advance progress. not undermine it.
Date: 2015-04-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. just as the President does. the United States Congress has the bully pulpit. In doing so. I believe that America cries out for a response. Over the past 6 months to a year. we have seen a number of tragic incidences occurring between civilians and police. In particular. we cite the tragedy of the shooting of Walter Scott in South Carolina. All lives matter. To those who have been petitioning and protestingyoung people indicating that black lives matterit is a reflection of the high number of African Americans who find themselves at the wrong end of the gun of someone engaged in law enforcement. We know that there are good people who serve this Nation. and we are a lawabiding nation. So. Mr. Speaker. I think it is extremely important that we begin an open discussion in the Congress that deals with the issues of lethal force. excessive force. police training. statistics. I intend to introduce and to ask my colleagues to join me on the Cadet bill. which reaches a wideranging perspective of the statistics of shootings in Americacivilian shootings on police and law enforcement shootings on civiliansbecause that is the science of criminal justice reform. I draw upon this to say that we cannot be silent anymore. People are hurting. My sympathy to those who have lost lives. including law enforcement and our civilians.
Date: 2015-04-13
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise in support of the CBC Special Order Hour. "The State of Black Health: A CBC Assessment During National Minority Health Month." Unfortunately. during a time when the best and most promising health innovation and treatments exist. many individuals in our population face disparities and inequalities in health access. delivery. and outcomes. Since April is National Minority Health Month. we must highlight these existing disparities and enact policies that focus on eliminating inequalities and improving the nations health at large. The future of our nations health mostly depends on the effectiveness of federal. state. and local policies. Traditionally. African Americans and Latinos face the worst health disparities in this country and in my home state of Texas. Generally. the death rate for blacks is higher than whites for heart disease. stroke. cancer. influenza and pneumonia. diabetes. HIV/AIDS. and homicide. In 2010. about two of five Latino adults and one in four black adults were uninsured. While behavioral risk and environmental factors are certainly at play for much of our population. the lack of health care access and especially access to preventive health services in the black and Latino communities increases the inequalities in each category. Currently. the adult obesity rate for blacks is 47.8 percent. 42.5 percent for Latinos. and 32.6 percent for whites. Broken down further. 56.6 percent of black females are obese while 37.1 percent of black males are obese. The black population is the most obese among whites and Latinos in all categories except for black males which is led by Latinos. Obesity takes much of the blame for negative longterm health impacts such as high blood pressure. heart disease. stroke. and diabetes. While the Affordable Care Act has certainly helped to improve access to preventive services within minority communities. much can be done to improve the aforementioned inequalities. The Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health have laid out several initiatives to promote health equity and close the disparity gap between minorities and white Americans. We must support the social. economic. and environmental policies that the CDC and OMH have recommended in order to achieve health equity and eliminate disparities.
Date: 2015-04-14
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. My friend and colleague from Georgia mentioned tough choices. It is interesting that the Republican budget chooses not to cut one corporate tax break for the purpose of reducing the deficit. Apparently. that is too touch of a choice for our Republican colleaguesnot to close the corporate tax break. not to cut the tax break that benefits hedge fund managers. They dont cut a single one of those tax breaks to help reduce our deficit. but they do want to increase the premiums on seniors who choose to stay in the traditional Medicare Program. They may call it a choice. but for most Americans. if I say your premium is going to go up 50 percent. yeah. you can choose to have your premium go up. or you can go somewhere else. That is not a heck of a real choice for most seniors who are struggling financially. Sure. it is a paytostay plan. but you have got to pay a lot more in premiums. according to the Congressional Budget Office. It is not according to me. this is according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The Democratic budget does make the decision to close some of those special interest tax breaks to help reduce the longterm deficit. so we dont have to increase the costs and risks to seniors on Medicare. so we dont have to increase the cost on student loans and start charging students interest while they are still in college. No. we dont do that. They are right. We think those are the right decisions that we made not to increase the costs of student loans and not to increase the costs and risks to seniors on Medicare. Yes. we choose to cut some of those special interest tax breaks instead. And we certainly dont think that we should be providing another big tax break to those estates in the country worth more than $10 million. Mr. Speaker. I am really pleased now to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky . another person who is going to be designated a conferee. a member of the Budget Committee.