macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-12
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to support H.R. 342. the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act introduced by Congressman CHRISTOPHER JOHN. As an issue that deeply effects my constituents in South Florida. I fully support this worthy legislation. H.R. 342 establishes an important County eligible grant through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in order to assist elimination of harmful mosquito populations. The grant would allow for $2 of federal grant money for each $1 contributed by the participating county. MiamiDade County is currently experencing severe problems with growing mosquito populations due to the warm environment and many instances of standing water. In the Fiscal Year 2003 Consolidated Appropriations Resolution. I led the charge to acquire $1.000.000 for the County to purchase a helicopter for mosquito control spraying. I believe that the funding. which would be provided under H.R. 342. will compliment the efforts of counties around the country to stop the spread of such deadly diseases as the West Nile virus. Mr. Speaker. we can and must do more to protect our constituents from this environmental threat. H.R. 342 addresses this problem and establishes effective programs to help local governments best respond.
Date: 2003-03-13
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5. the Help Efficient. Accessible. LowCost. Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act. I would also like to thank Chairman TAUZIN for his excellent work on this vital subject. Mr. Speaker. it is unfortunate that we have to take this action today. I am a firm believer that everyone should have their day in court if they feel they have been wronged. However. inherent in this right is the assumption. if not the obligation. that this course of action will be used judiciously. However. that is not what has occurred. Medical malpractice litigation has become an industry in and of itself. with trial lawyers seeking out sympathetic courtrooms and juries where frivolous claims will be given undue credence. The courts should be forums to redress wrongs. not lotteries. We are now reaping the results of this litigious behavior. and the main result is that patients no longer have access to the healthcare they always assumed would be there. Doctors are leaving the communities they have served for decades. Try to get prenatal care in Las Vegas. Try to see a neurosurgeon in Mississippi. They arent there anymore. We have seen the doctors in West Virginia and New Jersey actually go on strike to protest the absurd rise in malpractice premiums due to frivolous lawsuits. I have spoken to doctors in my district that simply cannot afford their malpractice premiums anymore. and they are looking to us for help. We can have it one way or the otherwe can continue on the current path. where every visit to the doctor is seen as a potential windfall. or we can take these necessary actions to return an element of sanity to the malpractice equation. I support H.R. 5 because I believe it will ultimately allow many doctors to continue practicing medicine. and thus ensure our constituents continue to have access to the care they need. This legislation does not let anybody off the hookbad doctors will still be held accountable for their actions and patients injured through negligence will still have fair recourse. It simply prevents the trial bar from completely ruining our health care system. I urge my colleagues to give H.R. 5 their support.
Date: 2003-03-18
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to support H. Res. 109 urging passage of a UN Resolution addressing human rights in North Korea. and to commend my colleague. the Honorable CHRIS SMITH. a true leader on the Issue. -for introducing this resolution. The human rights abuses in North Korea are a human tragedy of the worst proportions. Kim Jong Its prison camp system is a chilling reminder of the methods used by totalitarian dictators to suppress their people. Behind the veil of North Koreas closed society. countless citizens starve to death while the regime continues to spend its limited resources on building nuclear weapons. Public executions are common. newborn babies of prisoners are routinely killed by being smothered or by having their necks broken. and prisoners are used as guinea pigs for chemical weapon experiments. A truly disturbing tactic of the North Korean regime seeks submission from dissidents by exacting retribution on family members. Persons who resist the regime are punished. but their parents. siblings. and other relatives may also be purnished. Many fear for their families particularly if they flee as refugees. According to Human Rights Watch. one man who had suffered years In a political prison camp because of his fathers supposed disloyalty and eventual defection feared trying to flee himself. He stated. "I thought It would be all right to lose my own life. but I hated to think that my act might harm my mother and brother." According to the State Department there continue to be reports of extrajudicial killings and disappearances. The penal codeis draconian. and stipulates capital punishment and confiscation of assets for a wide variety of "crimes against the revolution." including defection. attempted defection. slander of the policies of the party or State. listening to foreign broadcasts. writing "reactionary" letters. and possessing reactionary printed matter. I urge my Colleagues to vote for this resolution which would urge the State Department to draft. introduce. and work toward the passage of a resolution addressing human rights abuses in North Korea at the 59th session of the United Nalions Commission on Human Rights. The United Nations must highlight the atrocities of the North Korean regime.
Date: 2003-03-19
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. all eyes are on Iraq. Saddam has failed to provide credible evidence to back his bogus claims that he completely disarmed. Saddam will not tell us about his 26.000 liters of anthrax. 38.000 liters of dangerous toxins. or.500 tons of sarin gas. mustard gas and VX nerve agents. Enough to kill millions of people. Saddam repeatedly declares he does not have any chemical or biological weapons. Yet he just released them to his men for use against our troops. And he has not disclosed his mobile biological weapons labs or more than 30.000 munitions. including missiles capable of delivering chemical agents. President Bush said. *Responding to enemies only after they have struck first is not selfdefense. It is suicide." I urge America and this Congress to support our President and our troops. This war is for our freedom and the freedom of the world.
Date: 2003-03-19
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. this is for our military. and thank goodness we have got it for them all the way through. Last spring a constituent of mine. Paul Miesse. was researching college savings plans. including the State education plans. His son Kyle. in Junior ROTC. would like to someday apply to the Naval Academy. as well as other schools. Currently 529 State plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts allow people to save for college. and those savings remain untaxed if spent on education costs. It is a responsible thing for parents to save for their childrens education. but if the student is smart enough or athletic enough to get a scholarship. then the parents can get their moneyback from the 529 plan or Coverdell plan penalty free. However. because of an oversight. which is rectified in this bill. military academies do not qualify for that penaltyfree rebate of their savings. I think that when hardworking. patriotic young Americans are rewarded with an appointment to a service academy. we ought not turn around and impose a 10 percent penalty on their parents who diligently saved for their childrens education. We should provide the same penaltyfree withdrawals for the Zoomie. the Plebe. the Middy or the Cadet as we provide to those who play sports. earn an academic scholarship or pay for school through ROTC. This change we are making today will ensure that students who attend our U.S. military academies get the same treatment under college savings plans as their peers. Given that each of us is eligible to make appointments to the United States service academies. I think all of us in Congress have a direct interest in making sure we solve this problem. In fact. there are 50 students in the Third District. my district. at all of the academies at any given time. I want to thank constituents Paul. Jeanette and Kyle Miesse of Plano. Texas. who brought this issue to my attention. I think our forefathers envisioned that it Is people like the Miesses of Texas who really make a difference. and it is our servicemen overseas and in this country who defend this freedom. and that is who we are trying to protect. I urge support of this bill.
Date: 2003-03-19
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 975. the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2003. I would also like to thank Chairman SENSENBRENNER and the Judiciary Committee for their persistent efforts to make the reforms in H.R. 975 the law of the land. In the late 1990s. personal bankruptcy filings were rising at a precipitous rate. With a record 1.4 million filings in 1998. up 500 percent from 1980. it had become evident that bankruptcy had lost the social stigma it once held. Rather than an action of last resort. it had evolved into a convenient vehicle to discharge debts through irresponsible financial practices." Abuse of the bankruptcy system has a negative impact. not only on banks and financial institutions. but on our economy as a whole. In 1998 alone. bankruptcies were estimated to cost the United States approximately $40 billion. I understand and appreciate that there are valid reasons for individuals to file for bankruptcy protections. However. those who take advantage of the system lower the amount of available credit every citizen and raise the cost of credit. goods. and services to all consumers. Bankruptcy should not be a mere convenience or financial planning tool. but shou!d be a safety net for those who genuinely need it. The rationale behind this legislation is that those with the ability to pay their debts should do so. I believe Chairman SENSENBRENNER has done a good job of ensuring adequate protections remain for those in financial straights due to illness. divorce. or other legitimate reasons. At the same time. H.R. 975 will provide financial education to those who need it. help prevent corporate criminals from hiding their assets. protect those who rely on alimony and child support for survival. and take a significant step toward preventing the abuse of our Nations bankruptcy laws. It is time to finally reform our bankruptcy laws. I urge my colleagues to support H.R.
Date: 2003-03-20
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank first the gentleman from California for leading the effort. as he has in so many times before. to ensure that the minority party is well represented in this rules process. Of the four amendments made in order under this rule. three of them are Democrat amendments. In fact. each of the Democrat amendments is an amendment in the nature of a substitute. giving the minority the opportunity to make wholesale changes to the budget. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Iowa and the entire Committee on the Budget for thsir tireless efforts to make tough decisions and put our budget back on the road to surplus. Under their leadership. the United States will again see surpluses in the Federal budget. As we begin the disarmament and liberation of Iraq. this budget provides a substantial funding increase for the Armed Forces. funding which will continue to ensure that our brave men and women in uniform remain the best trained and best equipped in the world. The President and the Committee on the Budget have also correctly identified the need to increase funding for homeland security. including funding for the Nations first responders. The budget will work to ensure the safety of Americans at home and abroad. If the budget is accepted today by the House. and I hope it will. we will also send a message to the American people that we are tired of government waste and abuse by requiring Federal dollars be used in the most efficient way to bring safety to the Nation and to perform the governments responsibilities. Mr. Speaker. this is a good budget. and it is a fair rule. a very fair rule in fact. I ask my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying legislation.
Date: 2003-03-20
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. first I would like to commend the gentleman from Iowa on this great budget resolution that adheres to the principles that this Chamber has been speaking about forever. fiscal discipline. tax relief. and job creation. This budget resolution includes President Bushs job growth plan. which provides immediate help for Americans who are facing very difficult economic times right now. and also lays the groundwork for strong and sustained economic growth in the future. This plan will boost job growth by 2.1 million jobs over the next 3 years. In my home State alone. Florida. it will create 54.000 jobs in 2004. and almost 250.000 Jobs will be created over the next 4 years. Small businesses. sometimes an entity that is forgotten so much in these conversations. will receive Sax cuts averaging over $2.000 under this budget. this plan. The longterm tax incentives will not only help job growth. but it will also create. as I said before. longterm financial security for all Americans in our wonderful country. I keep hearing about this Blue Dog budget. but this Blue Dog Democratic alternative increases taxes. increases taxes on Americans that are struggling right now to pay their rent. to pay their mortgage. to keep their jobs. It increases taxes to hire more bureaucrats. They may call it a Blue Dog plan. but when you take off the dressing. it is just a dog. Increasing taxes in America in this day and age will do nothing to help the economy. It will slow down economic growth. That is why this plan. the Republican plan. makes so much sense. It is the right plan for the right time. It is one that will increase jobs. not decrease. that will lower taxes on working Americans. lower taxes on small businesses. not increase taxes to hire more bureaucrats here in Washington. It is time to bring common sense. This budget does so.
Date: 2003-03-20
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. let me start by commending the gentleman from Iowa. It is always a tough duty to try to carry a budget through the House. I have a couple of questions. Can the chairman of the Committee on the Budget confirm that the reconciliation instructions clarify how the Committee on Government Reform will be credited with savings resulting from legislation that it submits to the Committee on the Budget?
Date: 2003-03-20
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Does this language ensure that the Committee on Government Reform will receive full credit for any savings it reports that are consistent with its reconciliation instructions?
Date: 2003-03-20
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Can the gentleman confirm that the Committee on Government Reform may write legislation that also achieves significant savings in discretionary programs?
Date: 2003-03-20
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

And can the chairman also confirm that it is possible to meet the savings targets within the budget resolution without makingany changes to Federal retirement annuities paid to participants in the Civil Service Retirement System. FERS. the Federal Employees Retirement System. and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program?
Date: 2003-03-20
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. -Chairman. I am glad the gentleman challenged that statement. because we are hearing a lot of rhetoric here that does not track. I continually hear from my constituents that we need to rein in runaway Federal spending. Do you know what? They are right. More government spending does not necessarily make our economy better. When we are at war. and we are. this is the exact time when we should be reducing spending. cutting taxes and getting the economy back on track. When a family sits down to manage their monthly budget. they have to prioritize what isbest for them at that time in their lives. and they usually make a list of needs and wants. A need is not the same thing as a want. For a family. a need is a roof over their head or food on the table. A want could be dinner out at a restaurant or a movie. So you fund first things first. Then whatever is left over at the end lets you fund the wants. You cannot just spend. spend. spend and hope you have enough to cover the tab. The same needs to be done with the Federal budget. During these difficult times. when we are at war. when we need to spur the economy. we must differentiate between the needs and wants. We cannot just spend. spend. spend. Our first need is to protect our country. so that means we fully fund defense. While this budget does not devote a full 4 percent of gross domestic product to the national security as I would prefer. it does meet the Presidents request for homeland security funding. I will tell you something: This Toomey budget funds defense higher than domestic spending for the first time in many years. I think. because of our situation. we need it. Our Constitution requires us to provide for a common defense. Let us not shirk that responsibility. Another priority is to help the economy rebound. It is a proven fact that when people can keep more of their own money. the economy grows. That is why we lower taxes. When entrepreneurs have more money. they can use that capital to hire more employees. buy more equipment or expand their business. This economy could use a turnaround. and letting people keep more of their own money will help our economy grow. Frankly. I am a bit disappointed in the Republican Study Committee budget because it does not do more to rein in Federal spending. However. I think most would agree. this is a good compromise for this time. Look. this budget makes tough choices. but that is why we are elected. to make tough choices. The good people of my district sent me here because they wanted a smarter. more efficient government. and the Republican Study Committee budget is a step in the right direction. increasing defense. lowering taxes and reining in runaway government spending. It is the right thing to do.
Date: 2003-03-20
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise to voice my unequivocal support of our men and women in uniform currently participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I would also like to thank my colleague Chairman HUNTER for bringing this important and timely resolution to the floor. As we speak. our armed forces are beginning the second day of their quest to end the reign of one of the most diabolical tyrants the world has ever known. As they advance on their objective. the professionalism and abilities of our troops are obvious. These brave men and womenso far from homebear upon their shoulders the task of keeping the world safe so that the rest of us can enjoy the comforts of freedum. While no one doubts that ultimate success will be theirs. the dangers our troops face are all too real. Not long ago we received the sad news that a helicopter crash has claimed the lives of 12 U.S. Marines and 4 British snluiers. It is unlikely these casualties will be the last. but we are comforted in the knowledge that the sacrifices they have made will help make the world a safer place. Saddam Hussien had ample opportunity to join the peaceloving nations of the world. but he refused at every turn. Thus. if falls to our troops to finally put an end to his murderous regime. Earlier today they crossed the line of departure. and are now closing with those enemy forces that chose to put up resistance. But more important than the fear they bring to the allies of Saddam is the hope they bring to the Iraqi people. who soon will see their great and ancient civilization flourish once again. As for Saddam. he will experience for a second time that there is no great friend. no worse enemy than a member of the U.S. military.
Date: 2003-03-20
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I rise reluctantly to support the budget resolution before us today. While the budget before us makes great strides to control spending and reduce the deficit. I am afraid the Veterans Administration will not have the necessary resources to take care of our nations veterans. I know that many of my Virginia congressional colleagues share these same concerns as well. While I fully recognize that no budget is perfect. I hope we can all agree that providing health care to our nations veteransshould be the last place we look to reduce spending. Perhaps it would be more appropriate for us to review our spending on foreign aid before we ask. gur veterans to sacrifice yet again for their country. At a time when our country has soldiers deployed in Iraq in defense of freedom. it is important that we do not leave behind the men and women who have served our country in the past. I will vote for this budget. however. because I believe it is vital that we keep the budget process moving. Further delaying the budget could negatively impact defense. homeland security. and other important government functions. As we all know. by failing to pass a budget resolution last year. the Senate caused a train wreck in the appropriations process. The House and the Senate never agreed on a common budget. which left the respective appropriations committees working from two different. irreconcilable sets of numbers. That resulted in Congress working on appropriations bills in Januarybills that should have been completed last September. With America now at war. we cannot allow that to happen again. It is my hope that the final product will be improved. so that I will be able to support the final budget conference report.
Date: 2003-03-26
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. we live In difficult times. as we all know. Yet. in the other body. the nomination of a brilliant young lawyer. Miguel Estrada. is being held hostage. Today is the fiftieth day of that tragic event. the fiftieth day of holding a man hostage using innuendoes and double standards and fake accusations and. again. double standards. A person who got here at 17. who worked. studied. became a brilliant jurist. worked under 2 presidents. one Democrat and one Republican. who deserves to be on the court. on the bench of this country. Again. I repeat. he is being held hostage. Is being held to a higher standard. a different standard than every other judge that has gone through that illustrious body. Mr. Speaker. it is a sad day to know that. again. with all of the difficult times and all of the difficult things going on. this one man is not being allowed to have a vote on the other floor.