macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2001-08-01
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this legislation. Mr. Chairman. this legislation is reallynot about increasing Americas energy independence. This legislation is about whether or not the automobile companies can continue to fail to meet their obligations to American society to improve the mileage standards in our automobiles. It is about whether or not the oil companies can find more money by drilling the American Treasury than they can find for drilling oil. This legislation in the heart of it has a terrible tradeoff. It suggests that we go to the Arctic and that we drill in ANWR. in the Arctic National Wildlife Retuge. and then we take that oil and we put it into automobiles in this country to continue to waste it. Seventy percent of our energy in this country. our oil in this country. is used for transportation. Yet the Republicans have continued to put riders on appropriations bills so -that we can continue to refuse to improve those automobile CAFE standards. the mileage per gallon standards that can save the American consumer. the American family billions of dollars over the coming years. Yet at the same time this bill is a raid on the Treasury. We are going to have a royalty holiday for those who drill in the deepwater on the theory that this will get them to drill. Ladies and gentlemen. read the oil and gas journals. read Forbes. read Fortune magazine. read the business journals. read the Wall Street Journal. The Gulf of Mexico is the hottest oil play in the world today. Yet you are going to give them an incentive to go there. You are going to give them an incentive to go there. And you are going to rave about the $5 billion in bonus royalties and bonus bids that you got as a result of this. Yet CBO tells us it is going to cost us $7 billion to get $5 billion. And the losses continue over time. Keep doing that and you end up with a deficit. Keep doing that and you end up socializing an industry from doing what it is already supposed to be doing and what it is already doing in the marketplace. This is a very bad bill.
Date: 2001-08-01
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of this amendment. I want to thank both Chairs for their support. I rise in favor of the bills provisions to provide research and development funding for biofuels. As Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. I strongly support the CBC amendment to earmark $5 million in each fiscal year FY 20022006 to minority and socially disadvantaged farmers for bioenergy research. Biofuels are a promising area not only in terms of supplying a cleaner burning source of energy but also could help to solve some of the environmental problems with confined animal feeding operations. Because of its great size and the strong presence of agriculture. my home state of Texas is number 1 in the country for animal waste production. Much of the waste contaminates our lakes and rivers. and threatens the drinking water supplies for various localities. An article in the August 6th issue of Time magazine reports that large quantities of cow manure have found their way into Lake Waco. the drinking water source for Waco. where I was born and raised. The same article also cited a Natural Resources Defense Council report detailing how cow manure in central Texas is fouling the Paluxy and Trinity aquifers and questioning the safety of well water supplies within those aquifers. The Trinity River runs through my district. Therefore. I am especially concerned about the effects of this pollution on the quality of life in my district. I am hopeful that the development of bioenergy will alleviate water pollution from farming operations. I trust that this funding will help provide the nation with greater energy security. I urge my colleagues to support energy security. I urge my colleagues tosupport the amendment to ensure equal opportunity for disadvantaged farmers in the development of bioenergy programs.
Date: 2001-08-01
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. a few hours ago we rejected the amendment to improve the CAFE standards. the mileage standards for automobiles. At that moment. this amendment ceased to be about Americas energy supplies. Americas energy independence. and Americas national security. because at that moment. this House made a decision that it was going to continue to waste the oil products of this Nation. the finds of this Nation. the treasures of this Nation. to waste it on automobiles. Even though we have not made an improvement in 13 years. we voted to cave in to the automobile industry and not make those improvements. This is not about our national security or our national energy. this is about a value. This is about a value. whether we are going to invade one of - the most pristine and magnificent areas on the face of the Earth so that we can put it in automobiles to waste it. The American public rejects that value and so should the Congress.
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I hope Emily does not have membership in an HMO. Because if Emily is covered by an HMO. it does not matter whether or not we find a donor because the HMO will not support it. Mr. Speaker. we came here to represent people like Emily. but instead we have a bill that has been transformed into representing the HMOs and insurance companies. That is a travesty on the people of this Nation. It is clear that what is being said about these new proposals for the HMO simply does not have a history of being true. I am a native Texan. We have a patients bill of rights. We do not want this bill to tear it up. Our premiums are below the national average. more people are insured. and only 17 lawsuits in the last 4 years for 20 some million people. Now. is that extreme. Let us represent the people.
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding time. Something very terrible happened last night. Up until last night. we had a competing contest over the question of protection of patients rights when they engage their HMOs. when they were denied service and in that effort they were harmed. they were injured or they died and whether or not somebody would have to accept responsibility for that. Theh last night at the White House. negotiations took place and we went from a patients protection bill to an insurance company protection bill. We changed the standard of care within an HMO from that of what a doctor. a medical professional. owes you to now a standard of care that an insurance claims processor owes you. A doctor can make a horrible mistake. an HMO can make a horrible mistake. an HMO can make a callous indecision about your care and their standard is that of an insurance claims processor. When people pay their insurance premiums. when people go to an HMO. when they engage their medical expertise. they do not believe they are engaging an insurance processor. But the insurance companies. the HMOs. have rigged this bill and rigged this language so that is now the standard of care. Next time you go to visit your HMO. tell them you only want to pay them what you would pay an insurance claims processor because that is the standard of care. This bill and the Norwood amendment shows such insensitivity to families that have to try and negotiate. negotiate to get care. to get satisfaction. to get treatment for their family members. Maybe too many Members of Congress have not. done this. I know what it looks like up close and personal when you are trying to negotiate with these people and you are denied care and you are delayed care. This amendment is like some medical Bull Connor that is going to keep families from having access to care. from access to justice. It is unbelievable. It is unbelievable that we would do this to Americas families at the end of this debate and we would so enhance the insurance companies to damage families and damage the people we love.
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I think also -if you read the language that they borrowed from the ERISA statute. they now have taken the determination that it is not a standard of medical care no matter how flawed the process is. no matter how egregious the medical malpractice is. The question will be not with the medical professionalism. but it will be whether it passes the review of an insurance industry muster of the acceptable standard of claims. It is very clever what you have done here. but you have moved from a medical standard to an insurance claims processor on whether or not I have had medical malpractice. You do not get to review the medical standard.
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I think it is a very important point the gentleman is making. and that is that what we are doing here is without consultation. but one session at the White House. decisions made in the dark of night. we are overturning. as they point out. 200 years. 200 years. of a standard of care that individuals and their families knew they had when they engaged the medical profession. a hospital. the health care organization. the standards of a medical professional. If your doctor. your health care provider. violated that standard. you could get redress. Now we are moving from that standard to the standard of a health insurance claims processor in the review. So no matter how flawed. no matter how flawed this review is. if it passes insurance company tests. it is fine. not the standard of care of the medical profession that we have had for 200 years protecting families in this country.
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. opponents of the Bipartisan Patients Bill of Rights contend that allowing the public to sue their HMOs will lead to a litigation exlilosion. a rise in health care costs. and insurance companies going bankrupt. Regardless of the fact that none of these theories have been proven. and that the facts actually show the opposite to be true. they are inundating the public with this misleading rhetoric. Well. those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. The managed care industry does not hesitate to sue when it protects its bottom line. regardless of the effect it has on patients. Mr. Chairman. we must pass a Patients Bill of Rights that no longer allows HMOs to maintain their privileged immunity from being held -legally responsible to their patients. Though this is what we should do. many of my colleagues are willing to keepmedical decisions in the hands of unqualified HMOs and support the Norwood amendment. The amendment provides for a onesided preemption of state damage caps. For states with no damage caps. the damage caps in this amendment would apply. States that currently do not cap damages would be forced to accept the damage limitations provided in this bill. Mr. Chairman. a $500.000 cap to cover damages for pain and suffering is not enough. Placing a cap on punitive damages erodes the deterrent effect of punitive awards. Mr. Chairman. I would like to conclude with an example that may provide my colleagues with a clearer picture of what the Norwood amendment does to patients who depend on their insurance companies to provide for them. Consider the woman with breast cancer. Her HMO denies her a mammogram. which could have detected it. The undetected cancer worsens. When it is finally diagnosed. it is beyond treatment. The woman dies. Her family brings a lawsuit against the HMO for failure to provide the mammogram that could have identified her condition and led to life saving treatment. Even if the jury finds fault with the HMO. $500.000 will not bring that woman back. $500.000 is not enough for pain and suffering. $500.000 is a slap on the wrist for an HMO that prevented a woman from receiving a mammogram that may have detected breast cancer. and possibly saved her life. Now. I ask my colleagues to imagine that this woman was their mother. their wife. their daughter. Would $500.000 be enough to raise your kids? Would $500.000 be enough to put your kids through college? Would $500.000 be enough to explain where their mother is? How then would they feel about the Norwood amendmentthe amendment that stacks the deck against patients. the amendment that could possibly stack the deck against one of their loved ones?
Date: 2001-09-11
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I rise to stand in solidarity with the people of America and to -speak out against the senseless. horrendous tragedies of September 11. 2001. It Is a day that will live in Infamy. There are no words. no pictures. no sentiments that can express the magnitude of the evil that showed Itself yesterday. My heart and my thoughts go out to the families of those who were murdered. and to all those affected. The love of the people of this great country embraces the spirit of those heroes who gave their lives trying to save others. Those glorious Americans. who worked at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. members of the Police and Fire Departments and EMS. represent the best of America. We should all the humbled by their sacrifices. I would like to pay a special tribute to the American Airlines family. They are unique contributors to DallasFort Worth. They are unique contributors to America. They are a part of all of our lives. They are a part of our souls. We honor the lives they lived as Americans. Let it be known. that the United States Congress will stop at nothing. and at no time. to protect our citizens. Let it be known. that the United States of America will never. ever. cower to terrorists and never give up our way of life. Let it be known that Americans may disagree as Americans. but we are all one American family. Most Importantly. let it be known that we will. we will. we will bring those responsible for the horrors of terrorism to complete justice. Our flags are at halfmast. but out heads are high as Americans. America is a great nation. and our freedom will ring ioudly forever. May God Bless America.
Date: 2001-09-14
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. the other night I had the honor of joining you at the prayer service in the rotunda of this great building. this great monument. this beacon of our democracy and our freedoms to the world. As I sat there. I thought about the fact that this building may very well have been a target on that sad day. As I looked around. I thought what A tragedy it would be if this- building had been leveled by that terrorist act. Then I thought more as I listened to those who spoke so eloquently from both. sides of the aisle and our religious leaders. I thought it is really not about buildings. It is really not about monuments. It is about the American people. The action that was taken by these terrorists against the American people must be responded to and it must be responded to with resolution in a most comprehensive fashion. It cannot be a symbolic act. It cannot be a onetime action. It must be comprehensive. We must be diligent and the American people must be patient. This is very difficult and it is very different than the forces of power we have authorized in the past where many times enemies were clear. Here there are subtleties and complexities and organizational complexes that defy much of our thinking. We will have some successes and we will have some failures. But we must do this because we must understand that the enemy here made a conscious and intentional decision to slaughter innocent people. They put people randomly. randomly in harms way and killed them in a most arbitrary of fashions. in a manner which overwhelmed our senses and stunned our Nation. We must understand we have an obligation to the American people to take that action. I would hope as we do that. the people in this country would have patience with one another. that theywould recognize that when the airplane slammed into those buildings. it killed Muslims and Christians and Jews and Asians and Italians and Irish and all the rest. It killed the landscape of the American society. When we do this. we must understand that we cannot lose that national character. which is truly our liberties and freedoms that are the beacon. the light that goes out from this building to those people in those nations that yearn for them and do not have them. I wish our President well. I wish our armed services well in this effort. and I ask the American people for their understanding in the complex nature of the force we are authorizing here today.
Date: 2001-09-20
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I thank the leadership for bringing this bill to the floor today. As the gentleman from Virginia earlier said. in the wake of the tragedies in New York. Pennsylvania and here at the Pentagon. our concentration on our children and those children who are so desperately in need of services and at risk is a nice tribute to Americas families. I also want to join those who have already expressed their thanks to the gentleman from Virginia and the gentleman from Pennsylvania
Date: 2001-09-21
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. last night we heard from our President about what this Nation needs to do to come together in the face of the challenge and the crises and the dangers that we face. Yet today the first thing we do is bring out legislation that is very narrow in its focus. It only takes care of the solvency of the airlines to the exclusion of everyone else. to the exclusion of the workers who have lost their jobs. who are directly related to this. to their families. the problems they are suffering now as a result of that. We take. care of airline executive compensation. They are guaranteed in this bill they can make somewhere between 5 and 35. and. if they bail out of this industry in the next few months. they can make up to $70 million. They are taken care of. But the people who have lost their health care coverage. the people who have lost their income. they are not taken care of. This is about a Nation going forward together. But in this legislation. we left the workers behind. This legislation is based upon the premise that somehow if we give the airlines a bailout. that people will fly again. But this legislation does not deal with the problems that the American public is concerned about. They are not concerned about whether or not their airline is solvent. they are concerned about whether or not it is safe. We failed to address. as we have for over a decade. the federalization of the law enforcement powers given to the people who are screening the bags and providing security. The fact of the matter is we have heard from so many people in the airline industry that people are only marginally better off. if any better off. since September 11 in the airline industry. That is why they are not flying. This legislation should direct this administration and this government to federalize those systems. No. we are going to debate it. We are going to debate. and the airlines are going to come back and tell us that airline traffic cannot stand this fee. they cannot stand this fee so we cannot federalize this system. We had better do this. but we do not do it in this legislation. Why? Because we had to rush home last weekend. Why? Because we have to rush home this weekend. Supposedly we are in a setting here where we have to take these extraordinary measures to deal with the Nations business. and all the Congress can think about is getting out of town. We ought to take care of the American people. We ought to take care of the American people who lost their jobs.
Date: 2001-09-21
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. no one is suggesting that we not help those airlines who as a result incurred costs and expenses of being ordered down by the Federal Government. but this legislation goes beyond that because it reimburses them for more than that cost. and that may turn out to be true in the future. but that is not true today in terms of what has been proven up. Mr. Speaker. it does not deal with executive compensation. It allows people to continue on while workers are being laid off. while workers are losing their health insurance and wages. The President talked to us about shared sacrifice. and that is not what this legislation is about. It is about the few and the powerful getting their hands on the $5 billion and on the loan agreements and not providing for the workers and for the families that are devastated by the loss and tragedies that have taken place. I think at a minimum we could have provided the coverage for these individuals. The language was ready. it was simply not agreed to. It is not about time. We could have also made very sure that we directed the Federal agency to take over and federalize the safety of these airplanes. People are not avoiding airplanes because of the financial conditions of the airlines. they are not flying because they do not feel safe on airplanes.
Date: 2001-09-21
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank the gentleman for yielding time. Mr. Speaker. this motion to recommit does two things: It deals with the health security of those workers who have been laid off. who are traumatized by the collateral damage through the horror we have witnessed. Secondly. it deals with what the American public wants us to deal. They are not flying those planes to Las Vegas. Florida. Minneapolis or anyplace else because they do not believe they are safe. They want this system federalized. They have had enough of the people sleeping at the security machines. They have had enough of people sneaking by them. They have had enough of the Federal agents going by the system all of the time. They want it federalized. they want law enforcement officials there. and we ought to direct the FAA tonight to do it. Then we will start to see people get back on the airplanes. We can talk about it. We can have commissions. We can- have studies. This Congress ought to direct the FAA to do this. to federalize this air safety system in this country. Then people will fly again.
Date: 2001-10-04
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise to offer this amendment for myself. the gentleman from New Jersey . and the gentlewoman from California
Date: 2001-10-04
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I thank the gentleman very much. and thanks also to the ranking member for his hard work on this bill. I ask for support for this measure.