macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-11-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

For fear of offending the training that my mother gave me. I will again say that I stand here unaddicted and recognize that there are those who are addicted to throwing the vulnerable on the trash heap of life. Time and time again. in those budgets that my good friend from New York voted against. I assume that he refused to throw the vulnerable on the trash heap of life. We come again to a time when we want to abdicate our responsibility under the Constitution. But. my friends. I want to remind you that time and time again the Republicans came back to that tired old formula. balanced budget amendment. and time and time again they were rejected. This Constitution is sacred. It has nothing in it about the balanced budget. Twentysix amendments. and they have been rejected. Why? Because they dont want to do the job that the people of the United States have sent us to do. The job that says give and take on how we fund this government. Someone wants to talk about State governments. Yes. 49 States have a balanced budget amendment. but it is on the operations budget. not on the capital budget. The United States of America is responsible for disasters when they hit New York. Missouri. and Texas. The United States is responsible for lifting a military and providing for our sons and daughters on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan. World Wars I and II. Korea. and. of course. Vietnam. the Persian Gulf. and many other places. Our States are not responsible for that. Balanced budget amendment. maybe we want to be able to follow the good work of our dear friends on the supercommittee. I have great respect for them. The headline says: "Supercommittee Well Short of a Deal." because this is not the way we run a country. And I refuse to be called "addicted" without the explanation that my mother would want me to give. I am addicted to saving lives. Im addicted to making sure that Social Security is not violently cut by the balanced budget amendment. Medicare being cut by nearly $750 billion if this resolution were to pass. Social Security almost $1.2 trillion. veterans benefits $85 billion through 2021. So my argument is to be able to analyze what were doing here. my friends. The Constitution gives this House the power of the purse strings. yet it will take a twothirds vote in the middle of a crisis. a war. a disaster. the need to invest in our young peoplenumbers that Dr. Jeffrey Sachs said that we need for a legitimate apprentice program that leads young people from college or training into a job. Creating jobs invests in America. Would you understand that we have the lowest number of white males going to college. the lowest number of African Americans going to college. the lowest number of Latinos.
Date: 2011-11-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the distinguished gentleman. We need investment in human resources. And all were doing today is denouncing and ridding ourselves of the obligatory responsibility that we have when we take an oath to this Constitution every 2 years. I dont want to be a spoilsport today. I believe we should tighten our belt. There are many ways of doing so. looking at the financial transactions on Wall Street or the Chicago commodities. Many ways to do it. But this is a stranglehold on our neck. I refuse to cut seniors. children. Social Security because you wont do your job. This is a bad amendment. I will not vote for it. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 2. "Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution of the United States." While I support bipartisan efforts to increase the debt limit and to resolve our differences over budgetary revenue and spending issues. I cannot support a bill that unduly constrains the ability of Congress to deal effectively with Americas economic. fiscal. and job creation troubles. In my lifetime. I have never seen such a concerted effort to ransom the American economy in order to extort the American public. While I support bipartisan efforts to increase the debt limit and to resolve our differences over budgetary revenue and spending issues. I cannot support a bill that unduly robs average Americans of their economic security and ability to provide for their families while constraining the ability of Congress to deal effectively with Americas economic. fiscal. and job creation troubles. This bill would put our national security at risk. If our nation is under attack or needs to respond to an imminent threat. the last person I would consider contacting is an accountant. I would expect that this body would act swiftly and this mandate takes away that ability. We need to change the tone here in Congress. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said it best when he stated recently before the House Committee on Financial Services. "We really dont want to just cut. cut. cut." Chairman Bernanke further stated. "You need to be a little bit cautious about sharp cuts in the very near term because of the potential impact on the recovery. That doesnt at all precludein fact. I believe its entirely consistent witha longerterm program that will bring our budget into a sustainable position."
Date: 2011-11-18
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 2. the Republican plan to amend the Constitution to reduce government investments and codify economic stagnation. We can all agree that its important to get the Federal deficit under control. However. the amendment Republicans are proposing is absolutely the wrong way to do it. It should all be very familiar to anyone who has experienced Californias budget problems or who has even observed them from afar. It should be familiar because. just like in California. this legislation would require that a supermajority of both the House of Representatives and the Senate agree to any bill which raises Federal revenues. This not only means potential tax increases but also any bill that allows tax cuts to expire. In effect. the Republican majority is insisting that the only way the Federal Government can tackle its deficit is by reducing programs like Pell Grants. unemployment benefits. and infrastructure projects like Federal highways. These are the very programs that help people keep their heads above water during tough economic times or help them achieve the American Dream. and time and time again. the American people have said that cutting these programs is unacceptable. I agree that we should look at ways to cut waste. However. its foolish to insist on severe cuts to vital programs which help people during an economic downturn. Furthermore. the California experience has shown that it is practically impossible for 60 percent of a political body to agree on revenue increases. no matter how limited they are or how much sense they might make. California has tried this flawed plan. and guess what. it doesnt work. Californias fiscal situation becomes increasingly difficult each year because of this supermajority requirement. Do we really want the same at the Federal Government level? I cannot and will not support legislation which would impose Californias flawed fiscal system on the Federal Government. I urge my colleagues to learn from history. from a reallife example. my home State of California. and reject this crushing and foolish amendment.
Date: 2011-11-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. one of the reasons that I rose to the floor of the House to oppose the balanced budget amendmentand I hope the American people and our colleagues can see the value of the vigorous debate. and I applaud the Rules Committee for allowing us the time to deliberate on the issue of the balanced budget amendmentis for the very good reason that my good friend and colleague just spoke about: our young people and opportunities for jobs. I join him in finding pathways for young people to be transitioned into jobs and others into jobs. along with a college education. The North Forest Independent School District. a small school district in Texas designated to be closed by Governor Perrys Texas Education Agency. is trying to do just that. to have job training. to have partnerships with the Houston Community College. and I congratulate Mr. Ivory Mayhorn for getting some 7.000plus signatures to oppose the closing of this school district. a high school that is on the verge of training individuals in the trades and the skills of manufacturing and then bridging them on to community college and then on to college. Weve got to recognize that weve got to build the human resourceand a balanced budget amendment ignores the need to protect Medicare. Social Security. and Medicaidinvesting in our children. providing them with the opportunity and the bridge to move on. So I look forward to working. Mr. Speaker. with the North Forest Independent School District and working with this Congress to invest in human resources.
Date: 2011-11-29
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. this country has needed to eliminate the "per country" limits for employmentbased immigrants. and increase those for familybased immigrants. for a very long time. Although these are relatively small fixes. and a great deal more needs to be done. these fixes represent a balanced approach to addressing some of the longstanding problems in our broken immigration system. And they are the right thing to do. We all know that our immigration system is severely broken. and it has been broken for decades. At the heart of this broken system are the outdated employment- and familybased immigration systems. which suffer under decadeslong backlogs. In combination with the per country limits. these backlogs keep nuclear families apart for decades. while preventing U.S. employers from accessing and retaining the employees they need to stay competitive. H.R. 3012 begins to address these problems by eliminating the employmentbased percountry limits and adjusting the familybased percountry limits to make the system fairer for people caught in the backlogs. This is a good step that will lead to more equitable outcomes. But I must note that until we do something about the backlogs themselves. we will continue to have a dysfunctional system. This bill will help certain Indian nationals. who now face a wait of 70 years to get green cards.. But because the bill does not address the scope of the backlogs. it will increase the wait time for many others. Under this bill. everyone seeking an employmentbased third preference green card will have to wait 12 years. That may be more equitable. but it doesnt fix the underlying problem. In any event. the bill makes the system fairer. and that is why I support it. I just hope that we can come together. as we have done today. to fix other areas of our immigration law. Hopefully. this type of balanced legislation. in combination with true cooperation across the aisle. can serve as a model for addressing other areas of our broken immigration system. This country desperately needs that we try. I thank the author of the bill. JASON CHAFFETZ. as well as Judiciary Committee Chairman LAMAR SMITH and Ranking Member JOHN CONYERS. for working with me on this bill and addressing some of my concerns. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Date: 2011-11-29
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Securitys Subcommittee on Transportation Security. I am pleased that. for the first time this Congress. the House is considering important transportation security legislation. In this budgetary climate. we must ensure that the Transportation Security Administration is maximizing its resources and adequately integrating efficient screening processes across its checkpoint security programs. This legislation strives to do that by ensuring that an expedited screening program is established for members of the Armed Forces. These are the men and women who sacrifice their time and family life to defend our liberty. Affording them the opportunity to be respectfully screened in an expedited manner will ensure that we continue to honor their service and what their commitment means to the American public. H.R. 1801 represents commonsense legislation with bipartisan support. I am happy that I was able to work with Mr. ROGERS and others members of the Subcommittee and Full Committee on Homeland Security on this bill. I look forward to continuing our work on the Committee on Homeland Security and producing additional bipartisan measures that strive to enhance our nations transportation security efforts. I urge my colleagues to support this measu re.
Date: 2011-11-29
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. what I like about the University of Houston is. one. many of their campuses are in the 18th Congressional District. but they believe that a university. as they seek tier one status. is best when they support academic excellence and. of course. athletic excellence. So I am very pleased today to show this picture of UH students standing in line for the championship game. that the Cougars have managed to have a 120 season and now are the Conference USA West Division champions and will play their championship game at Robertson Stadium with one of their opponents. Were excited about Cougars. Were Cougar Red. And we thank Coach Kevin Sumlin for not being interested about where he goes next year but is focused on the kids and the championship. Coach Kevin. you are the best. To the leadership and academic leadership of the University of Houston. to all of the students. I want to say to you on the floor of the House. go Cougars. Were all red about this. Were excited in the city of Houston for a fine academic institution that cares about their students. that believes in the integrity of the athletic department. and is ready to have outreach to young people. They are going to play on Saturday. Go Cougars. Its going to be a great day.
Date: 2011-11-29
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

It is a delight to have been here with the gentlelady from Ohio. We have worked together closely. as I have with the gentleman from New York. I always want to ask him how his fair constituents are dealing. They have some serious mountains to climb. if you will. with their recent hurricane. a very unusual set of circumstances. We joined together to allow those communities to come back. Wouldnt that be a perfect investment of rebuilding infrastructure.
Date: 2011-11-29
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Youre saying something that is just so inspirational. and I just want to add these two points: one. we are still the greatest and largest economic engine in the world in spite of China. in spite of Russia and in spite of India. our good friends. Were the largest. still percolating along. Second. when weve had our difficulties in the past. there have been recessions in the fifties. postWorld War II. on into our good friends both former Presidents Ford and Carter. as you well know for those who read the history books we had some moments. but the reason why we are in troubling waters that people cant seem to comprehend. they just need to read. we never had a euro. We never had Europe in the state that it is presently in. And when the markets were troubled on Mondayit was Monday. even postI think Monday they percolated. but when they were troubled. they were looking at Europe. And so if we get obsessed with other than what youre saying about how we can get back in the game at the peak that we want to be. we dont take in the great picture. And that great picture is our markets are not necessarily troubled about how were percolating on. We need to do better. We need to create jobs. But theyre international markets. and theyre troubled by the euro. which I never agreed with. I would just say. lets understand that so we can do our business here in the United States and focus on the American people. tend to the markets. but go ahead and invest and realize that the markets are interrelated. We can overcome that by doing exactly what the gentleman from New York has said. make it in America.
Date: 2011-11-30
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. it is now my privilege to yield 2 minutes to a good friend of Congresswoman GIFFORDS and a wonderful representative of the great State of Arizona .
Date: 2011-11-30
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. it is now my privilege to yield 2 minutes to a close friend of Congresswoman GIFFORDS and someone who has stood by her. the gentleman from Washington .
Date: 2011-11-30
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. it is my privilege to yield 1 minute to a woman with whom I experienced one of the most emotional experiences in my life. along with our colleague from New York. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND. when we watched GABBY GIFFORDS open her eyes after her injury. the gentlelady from California. our leader. NANCY PELOSI.
Date: 2011-11-30
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. before I yield back. I want to share one more story to really demonstrate to the entire country the heart of the young man that we are honoring here today. because even those who only occasionally came into contact with Gabe Zimmerman were touched by his passing because of the way he treated them in life. The week following Gabes death. the night shift security guard came and knocked on the door of Congresswoman GIFFORDS Tucson office. They were working late. and her staff opened the door. The guard came hoping that the person he so often talked to at night hadnt really been killed. Tearing up. he said he hadnt known Gabes name. but said that he often found Gabe working late and that Gabe would always ask him about his family or his weekend or just talk about sports. Gabe always treated him with dignity. which meant so much to him. Thats the importance of the legislation that we have in front of us today. Knowing that we are going to forever designate HVC 215 as the Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room sends a message to all of our staff and to the hearts of all who serve that we will honor their service. honor their commitment. honor their willingness to make a personal sacrifice to devote their lives to helping others. That was the epitome of Gabe Zimmerman. I want to close just by thanking the entire Arizona delegation. particularly
Date: 2011-11-30
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. the role of Congressional staff is an important one in helping all Members carry out our responsibilities. but it is a role too often not acknowledged. It is fitting that we pause today to honor one such staffer. Gabriel "Gabe" Zimmerman. who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving this Congress and this nation. Gabe was the first. and hopefully the last Congressional staffer to be murdered in the performance of his official duties when he was shot staffing Representative GABRIELLE GIFFORDS at a constituent event in her district. Six other people were killed and 13 were wounded. including Representative GIFFORDs and two other Congressional staffe rs. By all accounts. Gabe was a kind and dedicated young man who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the people in the 8th District of Arizona. He was a former social worker who assisted troubled youth. an athlete who loved the outdoors. a beloved son and brother. and he was engaged to be married. His life was cut far too short. I am pleased that we are making this small tribute to him today. Our hearts go out to Gabes family and friends. to Ranking Member of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS. during her recovery. and to all those impacted by that horrible tragedy.
Date: 2011-11-30
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. on January 8. 2011 the nation was shocked and saddened by a senseless act of violence against a member of the House. Congresswoman GABBY GIFFORDS. That attack injured her and killed six innocent bystanders. including a Congressional staff. Gabe Zimmerman. Gabe. a 30yearold social worker. began work for Congresswoman GIFFORDS in 2007. supervising the constituent services operation and helping the people of Arizonas Eighth Congressional District resolve problems with Federal agencies and obtain government services. He was promoted to Director of Community Outreach. using his considerable talent and energy to engage citizens and make Congress accessible to them. In that capacity. he planned Congresswoman GIFFORDS "Congress on Your Corner" event on January 8 and was at her side that day. We continue to mourn his loss and pray for his family and friends. Gabe Zimmermans life is a testament to the selfless work performed by Congressional staff every day for the American people. Today. we designate a room in the Capitol as the "Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room" to honor his work and recognize the dedication that he and all staff show to their country.
Date: 2011-11-30
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

If anybody thinks that this is just a technical change. lets understand what has gone on since the Republicans have taken control of the House. The first effort was they cut $50 million out of the NLRB account. Then there was an amendment on this floor to try and zero out the money for the NLRB. Then they passed a rule that said that you could retaliate against workers and you could move work away from those workers. You could outsource it. and they enshrined the right to outsource work to retaliate against workers. And now we have the effort to try and prevent elections from taking place. This is a systematic effort joined in by a number of States and the Republicans in this Congress to take away the rights of workers at the workplace in America. the basic rights that have built the middle class. And while theyve continued this campaign against the NLRB. thank God the NLRB has continued to work because we see today that a settlement has been reached in the Boeing case. and you dont get to retaliate against workers. The new 737 work will go to Washington. the 787 will continue to go to South Carolina. The NLRB worked that agreement out between employer and employee. And lets remember. Boeing is on the record they didnt support the legislation that was put on in behalf of their name. So that worked out. And just a few minutes ago. the NLRB apparently voted on a compromise rule dealing with elections. And so that compromise rule hopefully will now become a permanent rule and that will go forward. Thats what the NLRB does: It works out these arrangements between employers and employees over these issues about how the American workplace will be managed. but it does not strip away the basic rights of workers to choose to join a union. It does not allow you to retaliate against the union. It does not allow you to delay elections to such a point that you finally beat the union into submission or people give up. they get dispirited and move away. It doesnt allow that. Thats the basic labor law of this country. So today the NLRB. working with employers and employees. has reaffirmed that principle. Today in this House. they continue the effort to try to strip workers of their rights. They continue the effort in light of the evidence that these things get worked out in the workplace. Yes. these are contentious. Theyre big issues. But we have a vehicle thats 75 years old that has worked well on behalf of this economy. Not only did it build the middle class in this country. it also built one of the largest economies. Why? Because we have the most productive workers in the history of the world industry after industry after industry. however you measure it. Why arent our steelworkers competitive with China? Because our plants are cost competitive on ton of steel. but when you manipulate the currency. our people cant win. But our workers continue to be there every day. And now. thank you to the work of the NLRB working out these arrangements. the NLRB will continue to be there every day for employers and employees to settle their differences.