macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-18
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. In 2003. I was approached by the chairman of the Resources Committee. RICHARD POMBO. and he was asked to put language in a bill that would authorize the National Park Service. San Gabriel Valley Watershed and Mountain Special Resource Study to survey the San Gabriel River and its tributaries and the San Gabriel Mountains north of. and including. the City of Santa Fe Springs to determine if any resources are available for National Park Service designation. And when he approached me. it was because I am from the region. and we looked at the maps. His staff determined that this had no impact on my district. I agreed. when I reviewed the language. that it had no impact on my district. However. since then the National Park Service has been conducting public hearings in my district. The cities that they have been conducted in have stated very clearly. the cities I mentioned in my amendment to be removed. that they do not want to be part of the study. My city is clearly not in San Gabriel Mountains nor is it north of Santa Fe Springs. It is clearly far to the east of Santa Fe Springs. My cities have no affiliation with the National Park Service nor do they believe they should be part of the National Park Service. My reason for not objecting to this when the language was presented to me was I Was assured by Chairman POMBO that this would not impact my district. In fact. the chairman wholeheartedly supports my language in this amendment that is asking that no funds made available by this act may be obligated or expended to conduct the survey in the cities listed within my amendment. We worked with the National Park Service. We have tried to get them to eliminate our cities. In fact. Chairman LEWIS today even called them and asked them once again to delete these cities from that study. They said they 112849 believed they had congressional authorization. although the committee chairman believes that is not the case. And what we are saying is I have no problem with what any other Member of Congress wants to do within their district. In fact. when this was proposed to me I supported what they wanted to do because it is their district.
Date: 2006-05-18
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Absolutely. Reclaiming my time. Mr. Chairman. I would do nothing to im-. pact anybody elses district. The cities delineated within the amendment are clearly under my purview. and they all have issued letters requesting to be removed. so I would be happy to work with the gentleman.
Date: 2006-05-18
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. I rise in very strong support of the amendment that we have before us that was crafted by many of my colleagues from Florida. as well as friends on the other side of the aisle from California. Obviously. because of the bipartisan stance that we have taken in Florida. it is very. very important to the State of Florida. The Peterson language which is included in the Interior appropriations bill basically will have drilling within 3 miles of our shores. I can tell you that back in Florida. when we even talked about having drilling 25 miles from the shore. it was not at all popular. I would be doing a disservice to my constituents if I didnt fight to keep the moratorium on drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf in place. Many of you on both sides of the aisle have come up to me and said. you know. my mother or my grandmother or my dad lives in Florida. Many of them live in my district. I would ask you. pick up that phone. call your mom and dad and listen to what they have to say about how much they love Florida. and how much they love the beaches. and how much they want to make sure that we have a State that will continue to be number one in tourism.
Date: 2006-05-19
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

And thats just the way it is. led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. .and to the Repub- IGNORING FISCAL CRISIS lic for which it stands. one nation under God. (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given indivisible. with liberty and justice for all. permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his reANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER marks.) PRO TEMPORE Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker. yesterday in the House we started the appro-
Date: 2006-05-19
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. occasionally we have an opportunity to come to the floor to celebrate something. Lesli. McCollum Gooch has been my legislative director for over 3 years. She began her service on Capitol Hill in the fall of 1999 as a Congressional Fellow for Marge Roukema of New Jersey. At the conclusion of the fellowship. Lesli served as Representative Roukemas legislative director until the congresswoman retired at the end of the 107th Congress. Lesli has been working on her Ph.D. for 10 years. She began working as 4 Graduate Fellow at Carl Albert Congressional Research and Study Center at the University of Oklahoma. In 1998. Lesli joined the University of Oklahomas Institute of Public Affairs. She received a Masters in political science from the University of Oklahoma in Leslie defended her dissertation on April 10. 2006. and graduated with her Doctorate of Philosophy degree on May 12. 2006. Mr. Speaker. I Will not call her "Doctor." but do as I do. call her "Fudd" when you see her.
Date: 2006-05-19
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. I certainly want to commend the committee chairman. as well as the ranking minority member. for working on this very important bill. Coming from Florida. I represent the highest number of veterans of any Member of Congress. We have worked very hard in the last few years that I have been here to make sure that veterans needs are adequately funded. Obviously. this bill before us today has a record level of funding for veterans needs. The committee. for the first time. used the veterans service organizations independent budget as kind of the baseline for the fiscal year 2007 funding. Obviously. the veterans groups want to make sure that every single need is met. This appropriation does do exactly that. The total funding is $2.6 billion above last years level and $100 million below the Presidents request. We are. improving health care substantially. as well as opening up additional communitybased outpatient clinics. The CBOCs are very. very well received in each one of our districts and do meet the veterans needs. Obviously. we were able to again ward off the additional fees that were proposed in the administrations budget. We want to make sure that we continue to be able to go home and tell our veterans that this Congress. the people on this side of the aisle. people on the other side of the aisle. recognize the need to make sure that our. veterans. whether they are from World War H or whether they are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. that they are adequately cared for. The bill also contains an additional $20 million over last years level for veterans nursing homes. and I again want to commend the chairman of the committee.
Date: 2006-05-19
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I certainly support this amendment. As the map showed. there are so many areas in this country where we have very. very dangerous sites. And let me tell you what the Army Corps of Engineers is doing about it. It not only is distributing coloring books. but it is also distributing. and it has U.S. Army Corps of -Engineers on here. they also are distributing Frisbees telling kids to recognize. retreat and report when they see these live ordnances. I dont think this is the way that we should treat our young people. our neighbors who may live near these sites. In my district there was the Brooksville Gunnery Range. and it was used during World War II for military practice. Since the Ranges closure in 1946. thousands of my constituents have moved into the area and/or on adjacent lands that have not yet been surveyed. Unfortunately. inspections have found rockets. mortars and grenades. putting my constituents at substantial risk. As a matter of fact. in one location. there was a live ordnance found underneath a childs trampoline. Let me repeat that. There was a live ordnance found underneath a childs trampoline. While the Army Corps of Engineers has been working to remove unexploded ordnances from Brooksville Gunnery Range. they must do more. We have to expand the area of exploration to make sure that we find and detonate all of the ordnances. Now Brooksville is just one of these sites within my district and one of the sites in the United States. Jurisdiction over cleanup at these sites falls under these two major accounts which were mentioned here today. one. the formerly -used defense sites account. and the BRAC 1990 account. So we are postponing and not adequately funding the cleanup. but we are working on 1990 sites. 1946 this range was closed. The committee certainly has been working with us. and they understand that this is a large nationwide issueand urges the Department of Defense to increase funding in future years. How much longer do we have to wait? It has been 60 years since this particular site was closed. Fifty million dollars will go toward Formerly Used Defense Sites account. and $27.5 million will go to the BRAC 1990 account. In far too many cases. yesterdays military base is todays housing development. The last thing anyone wants to hear is that someones child was seriously injured or killed while playing in his or her backyard. or as children often do. wandering through fields. I dont think a Frisbee is the answer. I think that being responsive and actually making sure that we have adequate funds to clean up those sites is the necessary way to go. Mr. Chairman. I yield to the gentleman from Oregon.
Date: 2006-05-23
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. Florida once again led the Nation in job growth during the past year with 261.000 new jobs. To continue this growth. Mr. Speaker. in Florida and the rest of the country. this Republican Congress passed a tax relief bill which ensures millions of American families. small businesses and seniors will continue to enjoy relief from budgetbusting. economykilling tax increases. Yet despite our sustained economic success and the shrinking deficits. Democrat leadership continues to endorse policies that would slam the brakes on our economic success and our remarkable job growth. Just last week. Mr. Speaker. House Democrats. like the minority leader and the ranking Democrat member of the Ways and Means Committee. voted for a massive tax hike on hardworking Americans. more than half a trillion dollars in increased taxes over the next 5 years. or enough to pay for all the expenditures of all the governments of the Western Hemisphere combined for an entire year. The American people. Mr. Speaker. want and deserve a fiscally responsive government. not the burdensome tax burden one that the Democrats continue to vote for.
Date: 2006-05-23
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. on rollcall No. 189 my card did not register for the second time. I voted "aye" but it did not register.
Date: 2006-05-24
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity -to talk about the good work being done by the Virginia Science Museum at Belmont Bay in Prince William County. The Belmont Bay Science Center accomplishes a large number of valuable services. including the longterm water quality monitoring program that promotes the environmental health of the Occoquan and Potomac Rivers. These. as we all know. flow into the Chesapeake Bay. Specifically. this program monitors chemical and biological conditions in these rivers. While my colleague is from Arizona. I am sure he is aware of the dire environmental concerns that affect the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay. especially in terms of high levels of nitrogen stemming from sewage treatment plants and agricultural runoff. Thus. monitoring is a critical importance. The center also serves to teach Northern Virginia residents about the Potomac and Occoquan Rivers. as well as the Chesapeake Bay. and the attending environmental issues. As a cochair of the Chesapeake Bay Task Force. I have joined with other concerned colleagues to work to restore health to the Bay and its tributaries. This request for the Virginia Science Museum is part and parcel of those efforts. The Bay watershed includes Pennsylvania. Virginia. Maryland. and the District of Columbia. It is therefore an interstate--or federalconcem. I again thank my colleague for the opportunity to advertise the virtues of the Virginia Science Museum--virtues that would have otherwise been obscured by the stark black and white print of the committee report.
Date: 2006-05-25
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mt. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. as you know. the Department of Homeland Security is currently in the process of consolidating its data center as part of its infrastructure transformation program. The bill includes $41 million to establish services for a mirror data center to provide sufficient backup and redundancy for the Department of Homeland Security data operations.
Date: 2006-05-25
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Chairman. I raise a point of order against section 536. page 62. lines 1 through 17. This provision violates House rule XXI. clause 2. which prohibits legislation in a general appropriations bill. Section 536 requires the Department of Homeland Security to issue security requirements for chemical facilities that the Department deems highest risk within 6 months of enactment of the bill. This constitutes legislation on an appropriations bill and is therefore in violation of clause 2. rule XXI. The Committee on Homeland Security is actively engaged in developing comprehensive legislation to address the issue of chemical site security. and section 536 would undermine the committees efforts to provide commonsense riskbased solutions to the problem.
Date: 2006-06-06
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. by direction of the Committee on Rules. I call up House Resolution 842 and ask for its immediate. consideration.
Date: 2006-06-06
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to my good friend. the gentlewoman from California . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
Date: 2006-06-06
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. it is my privilege to yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Texas .
Date: 2006-06-06
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield 6 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Hampshire . the author. of this important legislation.
Date: 2006-06-06
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank all of our distinguished colleagues that have spoken on this rule today. It brings to the floor an important piece of legislation. a bill that this House considered and voted with the solid majority under suspension of the rules just some weeks ago. but it did not obtain the twothirds vote necessary to pass under suspension of the rules. That is why we have brought it forth again under the regular order with a rule. It will help. It will contribute to helping our country with the energy crisis that we face. when we recognize the fact that the economy has grown. as it has so tremendously in the last 30 years and yet not one single refinery has been constructed. Evidently. there is a problem. This seeks to do something about it. So that is why we are bringing again this legislation for consideration of the House under this rule. Accordingly. Mr. Speaker. in order to consider that legislation. we have brought this rule forward. and I would ask all of my. colleagues to support it as well as the underlying legislation.
Date: 2006-06-06
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I rise to join my colleague from New York in expressing my extreme displeasure with the Department of Homeland Securitys recent announcement regarding Urban Area Security Initiative grants. The outcome of DHSs process defies common sense. I am hard pressed to understand how the National Capital Region. one of the regions deemed most at risk in the United States. should incur such a drastic reduction in funding. The nations capital bears a disproportionate burden in terms of homeland security costs and ensuring public safety needs. This region was one of two targets on September 11. it was the target of anthrax attacks and sniper shootings. To the best of my understanding. DHSs decision to reduce funding for the national capital area was based on the opinion that regions planning was inadequate. As of this date. I have not been briefed in detail on the process or criteria used to make this determination. This will be rectified when the Government Reform Committee holds a hearing on the subject on June 15th. For the time being. the entire evolution suggests unnecessary secrecy and an overemphasis on bureaucratic expertise. The risk doesnt go away if a region is planning poorly. rather. the risk to the citizen increases. I truly hope DHS would take the necessary steps to remediate an inadequate plan for UASI fundsto offer a region the help it apparently needs. Cutting funding should not be the method to address any alleged planning deficiencies. We have to protect the interests of the taxpayer. but we also have to protect the taxpayer. Much was made about the Department of Homeland Securitys renewed emphasis on sending funds where the need was greatest. Were not getting off to a good start.
Date: 2006-06-06
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 763. This resolution passed out of my committee with unanimous consent on May 4th and has support from Members on both sides of the aisle. This resolution supports the goals and ideals of a national children and families day to encourage adults to support and listen to their children to help them achieve their hopes and dreams. Being a parent is the toughest job an individual will ever have. but it is important to recognize that strong. healthy families improve the quality of life and the development of children. In todays fastpaced society. and with so many demands placed on adults and children alike. it is important to take the time out and recognize the basic necessity of encouraging our Nations youth as they are the future 6f this great Nation.
Date: 2006-06-07
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlelady for yielding. It has been my privilege during my lifetime to have three heroes living at the time that I was able to benefit from their example. They are my father. President Ronald Reagan and
Date: 2006-06-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. by direction of the Committee on Rules. I call up House Resolution 851 and ask for its immediate consideration.
Date: 2006-06-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California . the distinguished chairman of the Rules Committee.
Date: 2006-06-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my good friend. Mr. HASTINGS. and all who have participated in this debate. We are very proud to bring forth this appropriation bill with an open rule. Very proud of the underlying legislation. with over $21 billion in assistance for countries throughout the world to help with disease and with poverty. The American people are very generous. year after year after year. and I am very proud to be a Representative here in this House of that generous people. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.
Date: 2006-06-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. by direction of the Committee on Rules. I call up House Resolution 850 and ask for its immediate consideration.
Date: 2006-06-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the question before us is not whether we should eliminate any mandates. but whether we should consider this bill at all. The one thing that is clear is that we need national video competition. Prices will fall and consumers will benefit. The opponents of this legislation would have you believe that the current localitybylocality method of video franchise helps consumers. The track record is just the opposite. Consumers benefit when there are low barriers to entry for competition. The distinguished proponent of this point of order wants to keep those barriers in place. If you vote against this question. you are voting not to proceed with consideration of the rule and of the bill. That means you are voting to deprive the American consumer of video competition. lower prices. and new services. Americans who are demanding this competition for these services. We need to move forward with this bill and with this rule so that we can debate the best ways to deliver what our constituents are asking for. I encourage my colleagues to oppose this maneuver and vote "yes" on the question of consideration. Mr. Speaker. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas . the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Date: 2006-06-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I am glad we had this opportunity. I think it is appropriate for the minority to use the rights available to it. It is part of the democratic process. very proud of that. zealously need to defend that. At the same time. it is important for the facts to come out. and Chairman BARTON has explained how this bill provides the cities with an option to get another percent. to charge a fee of another percent that they cant charge under current law. That sounds to me like more funds than less. And yet it is called an unfunded mandate. Mr. Speaker. I yield the remainder of our time to Chairman BARTON.
Date: 2006-06-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
Date: 2006-06-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. we have fashioned a very fair rule. very fair. Mr. MARKEYS amendment. he has worked long and hard on it.fwas in order on net neutrality. a very important issue. We look forward to considering it. My distinguished friend. the Chairman -of the Judiciary Committee. his problem was that amendment was not germane. Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida