macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield 52 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York . the Chair of the Rules Committee of the House. who has worked on this .legislation for a very long time. without whose persistence with this bill we would not be here on the floor.
Date: 2007-04-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan . the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Date: 2007-04-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I yield 21/2 minutes to th e gentlewoman from California who. again. has worked so hard to bring this legislation to the floor and helped to resolve some of the differences that have existed between the committees. and I thank her for her work.
Date: 2007-04-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan . a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Date: 2007-04-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker. I would just want to join in thanking all of the Chairs and the ranking members of the three committees and the subcommittees. and clearly LOUISE SLAUGHTER. our colleague from New York. who has worked so hard on this legislation so very long. and JUDY BIGGERT also. and ANNA ESHOO. Given the importance of this legislation. it is hard to believe it has been stuck in the Congress of the United States for 10 years. but it has been. Maybe our reporting it today off of the floor is a tribute to a fresh start. This is a very. very important piece of legislation to the health of the Nation and to the world. The advocacy of LOUISE SLAUGHTER has reminded us al-. most every day in those 10 years what we were missing by not passing this legislation and making it available so that we could get on with the wonderful discovery and the wonderful help that could be provided to individuals. to their families and to our communities. And the National Institutes of Health is to be commended. With all of the assistance they provided and all of the information provided to this Congress. With that. I also want to thank the staffs of the three committees on both sides of the aisle for all of their work. They put in a lot of hours to get this resolved so that we could come to the floor and work over the differences that were there sometimes between the committees.
Date: 2007-04-25
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 493. the Genetic Information NonDiscrimination Act. The sequencing of the human denome was an amazing scientific advancement. and has contributed to the rise of genetic testing to inform patients of their proclivity for disease. Thanks to genetic testing. individuals with a risk of an illness can take precautionary steps ahead of time to ward off disease. which will contribute to lower health care costs over time. As we take advantage of this scientific progress. however. it is critical that we protect individuals from any discrimination that could result from the information these tests reveal. The results should not be used by health insurers to deny anyone coverage or increase their premiums because of a predisposition to a certain disease. Likewise. the results should not be used by employers to discriminate against employees based on their predisposition to disease. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation. which our colleagues Ms. SLAUGHTER and Mrs. BIGGERT have been working on for over a decade now. The health care marketplace has changed significantly since the bills original introduction. and important changes were made to the bill during the 108th Congress to refine the bills definitions and scope. During the Energy and Commerce Committees consideration of the bill. we learned about one segment of the health care marketplace that was excluded from the bills protectionsthe longterm care insurance market. The bill sponsors and supporters all agreed that this bill was never intended to regulate the longterm care insurance market. and I understand that current statute treats longterm care insurance differently. Regardless of the bills original intent. the fact remains that the longterm care exclusion in this bill would allow a longterm care insurer to discriminate against an individual on the basis of genetic information. If an individual determines that she is at highrisk for developing Alzheimers disease. the next obvious step is to plan her future care for Alzheimers. including the purchase of longterm care insurance. Despite all of the good intentions in this legislation. the bill would allow longterm care insurance underwriters to refuse to cover her or charge her higher premiums for a disease she has yet to develop and may never de- velop. As a Congress that continues to encourage Americans to plan for their future. we should ensure that future legislation extends the- patient protections inherent in this bill to consumers who want to plan for their future and purchase longterm care. With that. Madam Speaker. I am pleased to support this important legislation and encourage my colleagues to vote for its passage.
Date: 2007-04-25
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank my friend from New York for yielding. Mr. Speaker. the President says send him the money. Lets be clear. This bill provides every penny the President asked for to fund the troops in Iraq. It also provides for something the President did not ask for: funds to help improve the treatment of our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed and other places around this country. It also provides something that the American people have now insisted on but the White House doesnt ask for. and that is accountability with respect to the war in Iraq. That is why the President doesnt like the bill before us. We know the White House has become an accountabilityfree zone. The White House got used to a Congress. the old Republican Congress. that gave the President a blank check. money without accountability. And this provides funding with accountability. That is why they dont like it. Let us be very clear. If the President vetoes this bill. he will be saying "no" to ensuring that our troops have the training and equipment that they need. If he vetoes this bill. he will saying "no" to ensuring that we hold the Iraqi Government accountable to the benchmarks which the Bush administration and the Iraqi Government have said are absolutely necessary to achieve political stability in Iraq. If he vetoes this bill. he will be saying "no" to those additional funds for our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed and for our veterans health care system. He will also be saying "no" to the additional funds that we put in this bill to the fight against al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Here we are so many years after the attacks of September 11. 2001. Al Qaeda remains a vibrant organization and Osama bin Laden remains at large. we provide funds to go after Osama bin Laden. additional funds. the President will be saying "no" to that. And the President. if he vetoes this bill. will be saying "no" to the overwhelming sentiment of the American people who understand the failed policy and say we need to change direction. Lets change direction. Lets say "yes" to this conference committee report. 0 [11900
Date: 2007-05-01
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. let me say thanks to Mr. PAYNE and Ms. LEE for bringing this forth. I rise today in support of this resolution to commemorate the 200th -anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. This anniversary marks a significant moment in not only American history but the history of the world. For 300 years the transatlantic slave trade represented oneof the most horrific periods in the history of human events. During this time. 12 million Africans were captured and brought to America as slaves. Millions more did not survive this horrific trip overseas. which could have lasted as long as 3 months. These individuals forcibly gave their lives and freedom to build the economic future of America. which includes this Capitol. While nothing can replace lives or freedom. it is important to acknowledge that the consequences of slavery still exist. While 200 years may have passed since the end of the transatlantic slave trade. the legacy of racism still persists. Today we take a step forward in healing those wounds by recognizing the past and acknowledging the impact it still has on our Nation. I would like to thank Representative LEE for writing this and bringing it forth. Because all.too often. we think nobody remembers but us. those who still suffer from this horrific period in our history.
Date: 2007-05-01
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res. 100. to express sympathy to the families of women and girls murdered in Guatemala. The senseless atrocities being committed. in Guatemala are a grim reminder of the injustices that plague women and girls throughout the world. It is imperative that we speak out as a nation against these malicious acts. which demonstrate an utter lack of respect for human life. These irrational acts of violence targeted against women are not just a looming problem in Guatemala. Femicide has afflicted other countries in the world. but our attention tuns to Guatemala as the most recent and serious case of negligence by government officials. According to reports. 40 percent of killings were never investigated or the investigations were simply shelved. This pattern of Impunity by the Guatemalan Government cultivates and perpetuates the cycle of Violence. It has taken pressure from the international community to highlight this gross violation of human rights and force the Guatemalan Government to take steps towards alleviating these problems. Guatemalan officials have recently created a special police corfimission and prosecutorial unit to solely focus on femicide crimes. Although these are important and necessary steps. more must be done to address these issues. It is necessary for this House to focus our attention to Guatemalas passive attitude. This is why I urge my colleagues to join me in voting "yes" on H. Res. 100.
Date: 2007-05-01
Speaker: CORINNE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I rige firstof all to thank the 415 "yes" votes for the Florida Gators. and we will continue to work on the four present. teaching them good sportsmanship. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate my University of Florida basketball team for winning backtoback NCAA basketball championships. The Gators basketball team is the first to successfully defend their basketball championship since 1992. Go Gators. The Florida Gators teams that won those championships exhibit teamwork and sportsmanship rarely seen in college sports. This is the first time in the history that the exact same starting five was able to repeat the championship. No one left to be stars in the NBA. They came back to prove to the world that the University of Floridas win was no fluke. and the Florida Gators are a championship team that have made history. Lets talk history. The Gators win was the first time in college sports history that identical match ups and the results were the same. Floridas Lee Humphrey also set the alltime NCAA tournament record for threepoint field goals made with 47. and Floridas Corey Brewer was the tournaments Most Outstanding Player. Coach Billy Donovan became the thirdyoungest coach at the age of 41 to win two titles. The Gators finished with a 10game winning streak and havent lost a postseason game in 18 tries. including sweeping the Southeastern Conference tournaments the last 2 years. Coach Billy Donovan should deserves credit for building the team from scratch and teaching the players how to win and how to act like champions. This success at Florida opens other opportunities. but he has chosen to remain a Florida Gator. Coach Donovan is truly a great coach and a great leader. To close. I would just like to say. its great to be a Florida gator.
Date: 2007-05-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H

o Mr. Speaker. I ask unanin that all Members may ha tive days to submit their H.R. 1429. to be taken up ne
Date: 2007-05-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I yield 4 minutes now to the gentleman from Michigan . subcommittee chair and responsible for bringing this bill to thefloor.
Date: 2007-05-02
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman. I rise today to express. my support for the Head Start Reauthorization Bill that was sent to this Chamber. Head Start is one of the best programs we offer our youngest students. Since its creation in 1965. it has proven to be our most valuable school readiness program in the history of this country. Especially. now that we know more about the importance of earlychildhood education. Time after time. we have seen reports that prove students who attend Head Start perform better than those who dont. It has also proven to help close the achievement gap between students of differing socioeconomic status. The Republican amendment to this bill would repeal existing civil rights protections that ensure programs cannot use federal funds to discriminate in their hiring practices. Head Start teachers should be chosen because they are qualified and effective teachers who will help children succeed and thrive. Discrimination should not be supported with public funds. National religious organizations. civil rights groups. national labor organizations. and the education groups all oppose any roll back of civil rights protections. This is such a critical program. and its important that this body reauthorize this program in a manner that shows bipartisan support for educating our children. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Thousands of children in my district benefit from Head Start and its essential that we reauthorize this program with a bipartisan plan that will help this program serve more children effectively.
Date: 2007-05-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume and just to thank my colleagues who joined in the general debate and for their support for this legislation and. again. to thank the staffs on both sides of the aisle of both the subcommittee and the full committee without whose work and effort and knowledge this legislation would not be in the kind of shape it is today. with the support that it has from both Republicans and Democrats for the Head Start bill.
Date: 2007-05-02
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of the Head Start Program and I am encouraged by H.R. 1429. the Head Start Improvement Act of I am a Head Start kid. I have firsthand experience of the comprehensive education programs and opportunities that Head Start provides to lowincome families. Head Start programs promote school readiness by assisting with the social and cognitive development of young children. Research consistently identifies the early years of a childs development as ever -more crucial to the childs lifetime success. Many Head Start programs already try to incorporate new research into their strategies through education. health. nutrition. and social services. This bill ensures that local Head Start programs have the resources to undertake the best practices for furthering a childs development. Head Start is about the family. As I received education and health services. my mother learned valuable lessons on how to become a more active and involved parent in Americas public school system. I am glad to see that this bill maintains the existing Shared govemance structure to help empower parents and allow programs to be responsive to local needs. Whats more. this bill is good for Head Start teachers. This bill takes the necessary steps to ensure that Head Start teachers salaries and professional development are in line with the responsibility that we assign to them. The Head Start Improvement Act of 2007 is a good bill that will keep Head Start strong so it can remain the great program that it was for me. and continues to be for so many Americans.
Date: 2007-05-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to support the Improving Head Start Act. a bill that will strengthen our nations premiere early childhood education program and expand its services to thousands more children across the country. Head Start has been improving lives and increasing opportunities for children and families for more than 40 years. With this important program. we teach our children that they can succeed. regardless of background or family income. We open doors to millions .and prepare them for future success in school and careers. This bill provides muchneeded amendments to Head Start that will improve workforce quality by increasing funding for staff salaries and professional development. and enhance coordination between early education and primary schools. It also strengthens standards and accountability to ensure that our children are getting the best quality care and education. I am also pleased that this House defeated a divisive and misguided motion that would. for the first time. legitimize publicly funded religious discrimination in the Head Start program. It would have given taxpayer -money to Head Start centers. and allow those centers to exclude taxpayers from jobs solely on the basis of their religious beliefs. It would be a green light for religious bigotry. Its passage. would have been bad for education and bad for religion- and I joined the National Head Start. Association. .the Interfaith Alliance. and countless other secular and religious advocates of the Head Start Program in opposing it. I am glad that we have a clean bill to pass today. I also urge my colleagues to not only vote for this bill. but to continue to advocate for Head Start by supporting full fundingfor the program. It is not enough to pass the legislationwe need to give our communities the resources they need to carry out our mandates. I thank Chairman MILLER. Chairman KILDEE and the Committee on Education and Labor for their work on this important legislation. and urge its final passage today.
Date: 2007-05-02
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mg Chairman. I rise to offer an amendment that will increase the number of highly qualified African American Head Start teachers. Let me hasten to thank the chairman of the committee and the ranking member. This program has been successful. I am fortunate enough to have what has been labeled as the number one Head Start program in the country in my district. and what I am attempting to do in this amendment is to create partnerships between our Nations historically black colleges and universities and Head Start. It does not eliminate anyone elses participation. but we know that by 2013 every Head Start teacher has to have a degree. and it could be parents because one of the secrets to success in these programs is to have lots of involvement of the parents and volunteers in the community. The partnerships will provide an opportunity for Head Start staff and parents of Head Start students to obtain degrees in early childhood education. Now. why must it be in a historically black college? Mr. Chairman. that is important because 30 percent of the total number of children in Head Start are African American. Only 6 percent of our Nations 3 million teachers are African American and this is far too few. but also the historically black colleges and universities educate more African American teachers than all the other universities put together. So we would like to make this collaboration so that it can reflect the diversity and the need and encouragement of both the parents and the teachers to work together. They can serve as role models. the teachers who know and understand the students that come from their own communities. and this will not only increase the number of qualified African American Head Start teachers. but it will increase the number of role models for millions of children who are at risk of educational failure. So. today. only 6 percent of our Nations 3 million teachers are African American. It is far too small. but this would offer a unique resource and support for those that are seeking a degree which is going to be necessary to maintain these jobs. and it also will offer I think a very positive role model situation in our Head Start program where appropriate. I would like to move adoption of my amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2007-05-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairmah. I would just say that is exactly the point. Yes. it offers all services. but it doesnt require the same highquality service we have now. You can do all of these things. but you end up doing these things on the cheap because the demand is for slots. We have seen that tension here all the time. There are no requirements here that you have anything comparable to the quality and the requirements in the Head Start program. and yet you are you are taking money out of the program to give it for these other purposes. I urge a "no" vote on this amendment.
Date: 2007-05-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank her very much for introducing this amendment. and we rise in support of this amendment. We think it improves the legislation. and thank her for her consideration.
Date: 2007-05-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Chairman and Members of the House. I rise in opposition to this amendment. simply for the simple fact that we are trying to balance. in this legislation. the best we can do to increase the number of teachers with a B.A. degree in child education. child development and at the same time meet the other needs of the program. And to accelerate that effort on behalf of more teachers with an M.A. upsets that balance. Its not like. with all due respect to my friend on the other side. and he shares my concern for teacher quality. its what Ive spent my public life trying to do. The fact of the matter is this is a program that essentially has received less than the COLA. last year got a 1 percent cut. And the fact of the matter is were trying to patch it back up. trying to bring it back to the level where it was around 2002. and recognizing that we want to increase the access to a number of children. so money has to go for slots. money has to go for professional development. money has to go for quality. and money has to go for the salaries. and thats the balance that we have put in this program. The date that you have was the date that you had at the beginning of 2005 when we started considering this legislation. That legislation didnt get through. Were now 2 years later. so we moved it back 2 years so that the programs can balance. can rebuild the quality. can add additional slots for the million children who are now waiting. and thats the balance that we arrived at on both sides of the aisle. You could offer an amendment and say. well. theres a million children waiting. Lets put all the money into slots. Then you just reduce the quality and the availability to pay teachers to have them to stay. So this -isnt a game where you can just pick out one part of the program and say. lets put the money there. and thats the reason why wedid what we did. And I dont think that this amendment is helpful in terms of our ability to hold on to current staff that have B.A.s. and thats the staff were trying to build. and then to attract additional ones to be able to put some money into that pay quality. and the additional slots. And I would hope that we would oppose this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan .