macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. I rise today to oppose H.R. 1731. the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015. I commend Chairman MCCAUL and Ranking Member THOMPSON for crafting a cybersecurity bill that improves upon legislation this body has previously voted on. but ultimately I cannot support it in its current form. As was the case with yesterdays bill. the Protecting Cyber Networks Act . I continue to have concerns about the ambiguous liability provisions in this legislation. Specifically. H.R. 1731 would grant immunity to companies for simply putting forth a "good faith" effort when reporting security threats to the Department of Homeland Security. Like H.R. 1560. companies would receive liability protection even if they fail to act on threat information in a timely manner. I was disappointed that Republicans did not allow a vote on any of the seven amendments offered to improve the liability provisions in this bill. I strongly believe that we must take steps to protect against these cyber threats while not sacrificing our privacy and civil liberties. It is my hope that many of these murky liability provisions can be resolved in the Senate. but I cannot support this bill as it stands today. THE CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired. In lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Homeland Security. printed in the bill. it shall be in order to consider as an original bill. for the purpose of amendment under the 5minute rule. an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 11412. That amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. The text of the amendment in the nature of a substitute is as follows: H.R. 1731 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. let me thank Mr. THOMPSON and Mr. MCCAUL for their leadership and Mr. RATCLIFFE and Mr. RICHMOND for their leadership and for the importance of this legislation on the floor today andthis is something that I have often saidfor the importance of the Department of Homeland Securitys being the front armor. if you will. for domestic security. and this is a very important component of domestic security. The Jackson LeePolis amendment states that not later than 60 months after the date of this act the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate an assessment on the impact of privacy and civil liberties. limited to the work of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center. The public benefit of this amendment is that it will provide public assurance from a reliable and trustworthy source that their privacy and civil liberties are not being compromised. Whether it is the PATRIOT Act or the USA FREEDOM Act that is now proposed. the American people understand their security. but they understand their privacy and their civil liberties. The intent of this report is to provide Congress with information regarding the effectiveness of protecting the privacy of Americans. We have gone through too muchwe have been through too much hacking. and we have lost too much personal data from a number of retail entities and elsewherefor the American people not to be protected. This amendment will result in the sole external report on the privacy and civil liberties impact of the programs created under this bill. I ask that my colleagues support the Jackson LeePolis amendment. and I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the chair for his comments. Mr. Chairman. privacy is of great concern to the American public in a digital economy where personal information is one of the most valuable assets of successful online business. Again. I ask for support of the Jackson LeePolis amendment. Mr. Chair. I offer my thanks to Chairman MCCAUL. and Ranking Member THOMPSON for their leadership and work on H.R. 1731. the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015 to the floor for consideration. The bipartisan work done by the House Committee on Homeland Security brought before the House this opportunity to defend our Nation against cyber threats. I thank Congressman POLlS for joining me in sponsoring this amendment. The Jackson LeePolis amendment to H.R. 1731 is simple and would improve the bill. The Jackson LeePolis amendment states that. not later than 60 months after the date of this act. the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the Senate an assessment on the impact of privacy and civil liberties limited to the work of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center. The intent of the report is to provide Congress with information regarding the effectiveness of protecting the privacy of Americans. This amendment would result in the sole external report on the privacy and civil liberties impact of the programs created under this bill. Privacy is of great concern to the American public in a digital economy where personal information is one of the most valuable assets of successful online businesses. Having detailed information on consumers allows companies to better tailor services and products to meet the needs of consumers. Instead of relying on surveys to try to determine what consumers want. companies know what they want through their online and increasingly offline activities that are recorded and analyzed. In 2014. a report on consumers views of their privacy published by the Pew Center found that a majority of adults surveyed felt that their privacy is being challenged along such core dimensions as the security of their personal information and their ability to retain confidentiality. 91% of adults in the survey believe that consumers have lost control over how personal information is collected and used by companies. 88% of adults believe that it would be very difficult to remove inaccurate information about them online. 80% of those who use social networking sites believe they are concerned about third parties accessing their data. 70% of social networking site users have some concerns about the government accessing some of the information they share on social networking sites without their knowledge. For this reason. the Jackson Lee amendment providing an independent report to the public on how their privacy and civil liberties are treated under the implementation of this bill is important. I ask that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle support this amendment. Mr. Chair. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

This is a comprehensive approach. Mr. Chairman. to the issue of cybersecurity and national cybersecurity protection. The amendment that I am offering now states that the Secretary of Homeland Security may consult with sectorspecific agencies. businesses. and stakeholders to produce and submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on how best to align federally funded cybersecurity research and development activities with private sector efforts to protect privacy and civil liberties while assuring the security and resilience of the Nations critical infrastructure. Again. I can recount the incidences that have brought this issue to the attention of the American people. Certainly. one of the most striking were the actions of Mr. Snowdens. so it is important that we develop research that really blocks those who would intend to do wrong. or ill. to the American people. The amendment includes a cybersecurity research and development objective to enable the secure and resilient design and construction of critical infrastructure and more secure accompanying cyber technology. We want it to be impenetrable. We want to have a firewall that stands as a firewall. I believe that we have the capacity to have the R&D to do so. The public benefit of this amendment is that it will make sure. as innovations occur in the private sector that can improve privacy and civil liberties protections. that they will be adopted by DHS for its programs established by this bill. Mr. Chairman. I ask for support of the Jackson Lee amendment. and I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman from Texas. Mr. Chairman. again. the American people deserve the kind of investigatory work that results in R&D that provides the kind of armor against the attacks that we have noted are possible and have occurred. With that. I ask for the support of the Jackson Lee amendment. Mr. Chair. I offer my thanks to Chairman MCCAUL. and Ranking Member THOMPSON for their leadership and work on H.R. 1731. the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015. This is the final of three Jackson Lee amendments offered to this legislation. The Jackson LeePolis amendment to H.R. 1731 is simple and would improve the bill. The amendment states that the Secretary of Homeland Security may consult with sectorspecific agencies. businesses. and stakeholders to produce and submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on how best to align federally funded cybersecurity research and development activities with private sector efforts to protect privacy and civil liberties. while assuring the security and resilience of the Nations critical infrastructure. The amendment includes a cybersecurity research and development objective to enable the secure and resilient design and construction of critical infrastructure and more secure accompanying cyber technology. Finally. this Jackson Lee amendment would support investigation into enhanced computeraided modeling capabilities to determine potential impacts on critical infrastructure of incidents or threat scenarios and cascading effects on other sectors and facilitating initiatives to incentivize cybersecurity investments and the adoption of critical infrastructure design features that strengthen cybersecurity and resilience. The ability to stay current and at the leading edge of innovation in the fastmoving world of computing technology will be a challenge. but one that the Department of Homeland Security can meet. The Jackson Lee amendment lays the foundation for an array of collaborative efforts centered on learning as much as possible about critical infrastructure operations and technologies. then using that knowledge to discover how best to defend against cyberbased threats. I ask that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle support this amendment. Mr. Chair. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise to recognize Israel. our partner in peace and prosperity. for its 67 years of independence. On April 14. 1948. just hours before the British mandate was due to end. Israels founding fathers and mothers. led by David BenGurion. declared the birth of the State of Israel in Tel Aviv. On that day. 67 years ago. the population of Israel was 806.000. Today. 67 years later. after many difficulties and hardships. a strong. resolute Israel has a population of over 8 million. Many of the Jews who lived in Israel in 1948 were survivors of the Second World War and the Holocaust. which pushed international opinion for the need for a homeland for the Jewish people where they could be free from persecution and free to build a better life. Since that fateful day in Tel Aviv. Israel and its people have worked tirelessly to build a thriving democracy that is economically prosperous and at peace with neighboring nations. The first nation to recognize Israels independence. I am proud to say. was the United States. when Democratic President Harry Truman welcomed Israel into the community of nations just hours after its declaration. The bonds between our two great nations. bound together by common interests and shared values. have only grown with time. Mr. Speaker. I hope. on this joyous day. that we reflect on the need to redouble our efforts to bring peace to the region and continue to support our friend and ally in its quest for peace.
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his remarks. Mr. Speaker. as I said earlier. our constituents are really relying upon us here to stand up for their interests on TPP because every future trade agreement that comes down the line has an impact on our quality of life and on our opportunities. I know that the speaker that we are getting ready to hear from knows very well how this trade agreement and how these negotiations are going to impact the communities and the economy of our United States of America. It is my honor to yield to someone who has been fighting furiously for her constituents. who has been adamant about giving a voice to the voiceless. and who has been educating our Caucus on a routine basis. I yield now to the gentlewoman from Connecticut .
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentlelady for having taken this issue and just gone forward with it and having been such an educator of us. of the ones that are new and the ones that have been here and that have taken the time to really speak to the constituents about the impact of this trade agreement and the potential that it has a negative impact on our economy. our safety. our security. our worker protections. I thank you very much. I think it is quite illuminating for people to understand that no one is opposed to trade. We are just opposed to unequal trade. No one is opposed to exporting or importing. We are opposed to not knowing what is in this trade agreement. We are opposed to not having a say in this trade agreement. and we are opposed to anything that creates greater unequal opportunities for the workers of this country to have decent jobs and good wages that are being paid. So I thank you very much. The notion of giving this President. whom we love. and any President that we are going to love in the future the authority to do that without our involvement is not what was expected by creating these three coequal branches of government. As I said to you in the beginning. there are two very important issues that our constituents are concerned about. Mr. Speaker. that we are going to speak out today because they are occupying the minds of many of our colleagues over the next few weeks. It is not only this major issue that will be on the minds of American people. but next week. just next week. the U.S. Supreme Court will take up a case that has the potential to fulfill the principles of equality and justice that this country stands for. When the court hears arguments in this case. they will have the opportunity to ensure that every American. regardless of whom they love. has access to the legal rights and benefits we give on the Federal and State level to married couples. More than 60 percent of Americans already agree that samesex couples deserve the same recognition that we give heterosexual couples. and just as public opposition has crumbled. so have many of the arguments we have made against giving these couples the same protections we give their heterosexual peers. I am proud to be a member of the LGBT Caucus and to join my colleagues today on the floor this evening as we urge the court to rule in support of equal rights and in favor of marriage equality. It is my pleasure now to yield to the gentleman from California . a leader in the fight for marriage equality and equality in general for all people. I now ask Mr. TAKANO from the great State of California to share his remarks with us.
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you very much to the gentleman from California. I have to tell you that I am very happy to be able to work with you on this issue. As a State legislator. this was important to us in the State of New Jersey. And as we grappled with all kinds of configurations of equality in relationships. we recognized that everything but absolute marriage equality was giving individuals stumbling blocks over very important things like simply being able to visit your loved one in the hospital and making medical decisions for them. or being able to enjoy the financial rights that a heterosexual couple can enjoy. Any area in which there is inequality is a threatened area to every one of us who at one point has been discriminated against or has been identified as part of a protected class. So I thank you for the work that you are doing here. and I am your partner in this effort. With that. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland . our leader in our Caucus on this and so many other issues. a person who stands up each and every day for the rights of the citizens of this great country.
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman from Maryland. and I appreciate the passions with which you have taken on this issue of right and wrong and equality. as you have taken on other issues. Thank you for you leadership. Mr. Speaker. I know that these may seem to have been very diverse issues to bring before the floor at the same time. but they are connected in so many different ways. particularly because our constituents care deeply about both of these issues. If we allow the fasttrack authority to move forward. we risk signing up for a trade deal that risks our environment. the health of American families. while excusing the reprehensible conduct of many of the governments who would become our new partners. all while putting in the same compromise for future agreements. Meanwhile. if the Supreme Court upholds the tenets of justice and equality that our Nation has always valued. LGBT couples across the country will gain the access to the same rights and protections that heterosexual couples expect and enjoy. and the children of those couples will have the confidence and the security of their familys relationship. I look forward to continuing my work with that. Mr. Speaker. how much time do we have left?
Date: 2015-04-28
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. this is an important and significant week here in the Hall of the peoples House because. this week. we are going to be introducing the Raise the Wage Act. This argument has been going on for quite some time now. yet. frustratingly. despite all the time and energy that has been focused on this issue. the Federal minimum wage still has not been raised in almost a decade. Depending on what measure of inflation you use. the minimum wage in real dollars is either at its lowest level in 50 years or its lowest level in 70 years. Either way is bad for American workers. I want to particularly combat the perception some have that all minimum wage workers are teenagers. Actually. the average age of a minimum wage worker is 33 years old. Any time you go into the local McDonalds or Burger King in my neighborhood. you can see in person that we are dealing with not just teen workers. but many who are in their thirties. forties. fifties. and many seniors who need to work in order to supplement their income. I also want to highlight this important fact: 18.7 million childrenalmost 19 million childrenare supported by parents who work full time at minimum wage jobs. We are not talking about a government handout. We are not talking about helping those who arent attempting to help themselves. We are talking about making sure a fair days work actually pays. We are talking about rewarding hardworking Americans. By the way. if you dont work a minimum wage jobyou are just an ordinary taxpayeryou. too. would benefit from increasing the minimum wage. Here is why. We have. right now in America. the highest percentage of minimum wage workers who are currently getting government assistancefood stamps. Medicaid. and other sorts of programsbecause. despite working full time. they make so little. they qualify for government assistance. By raising their wage. we would decrease the poverty rate and decrease the amount of money needed to be spent on public assistance programs. Mr. Speaker. this is an issue about fairness. it is an issue about justice. but it is also an issue about what kind of an America we believe in. one that rewards hard work. one that rewards those who are going to work every day and working for a living. or one that just says the wealthiest onetenth of 1 percent can continue to grow at the greatest rate of income in American history. while the other 70 percent of Americans are losing their share of income. That is wrong. We believe in an America in which those who work hard and play by the rules should benefit. One way of ensuring this will happen is raising the minimum wage now.