macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-12-06
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I thank him for hisleadership on this legislation. I want to thank the leadership of Speaker PELOSI and Majority Leader STENY HOYER. and the skill and experience and the knowledge of Congressman JOHN DINGELL for all of this help on this legislation. This is a remarkable day for the United States House of Representatives and. hopefully. for the people of this country as we break the chokehold of those Middle Eastern countries that have us tied to them because of oil. The energy independence that we talk about in this legislation is the ability. through the savings. through fuelefficient automobiles. through fuelefficient appliances. through fuelefficient houses and businesses and buildings that the savings that we will be able to have with respect to the use of energy and oil in this country will allow America to make decisions based upon the American interests and not the interests of other countries because we are tied to them because we do not have energy efficiency in this country. This is a remarkable piece of legislation for the benefits that it will provide for American consumers at the gas pump. at the department store when they buy new appliances. when they buy new homes. when they go to work in new buildings. when they start businesses in more energyefficient buildings. These are the kinds of benefits that we can have because we have renewable energy. we have fuel standards. and we have a new CAFE standard that is a 40 percent increase in" the efficiency of automobiles that Americans will buy into the future that will break that tether to that high price. $3.50 gasoline as it is in California. They will be able to go further on each one of those gallons of gasoline. That is what we need. This bill also creates over 3 million jobs in the green industry that are supported by this legislation that encourages that investment in wind and biofuels and solar energy. Those 3 million jobs. we are 8 years late coming to those jobs. but they are in this legislation. and those jobs will be created in almost every sector of the economy no matter what geographical area people live in. But we need to develop those skills. And I want to thank JOHN TIERNEY and HILDA SOLIS for their efforts on that. This is what the people who are betting their money on the future of the hightech companies. people who are betting- their money in terms of venture capitalists. that this is where they told us to go to generate the next generation of innovation. of technology. was in energy. And that is what we are going to do. and AmeriCa is going to have a much better energy future as a result of this legislation.
Date: 2007-12-06
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. this bill charts an ambitious. necessary and longoverdue new direction for energy policy in the United States. After more than three decades. we increase fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. a commonsense step that will save $1.000 for American families at the pump. that -will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of taking 28 million cars off the road. and by reducing our oil consumption by half. half. of what we import from the Persian Gulf. We have made in this bill an historical commitment to homegrown biofuels by boosting the renewable energy standards. We are enlisting Americas families and farmers to build a sustainable clean energy future and have done so in a way that also protects our environment. like the Chesapeake Bay watershed. To unleash the economic environmental benefits of our rapidly growing renewable energy industries. we include a strong renewable electricity portfolio standard that will reduce greenhouse gases and save consumers money. We also include a fully paidfor $21 billion incentive package that redirects $13 billion in antiquated subsidies to our already profitable oil industry toward clean. green technologies. To those who are thinking about voting against this bill. I would ask what kind of signal does that send to America? That the Congress thinks its more important to continue yesterdays billion dollars of subsidies and giveaways to the oil and gas industry rather than invest in clean technologies? That we should wait another 30 years before. making commonsense improvements in our fuel economy standards? That we should sit idly by while our national security is increasingly undermined by our addiction to foreign oil? Is that the message ou want to send to America? Refusing to act now would be irresponsible. Moreover. failing to see the opportunities that this bill brings and the challenges we face is contrary to the cando American spirit that has propelled our Nation from the beginning. Lets build a better tomorrow. Lets start with this bill and a new energy policy.
Date: 2007-12-11
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. H.R. 3079 would apply the Nations immigration laws to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). For too long. the CNMI has managed its own immigration system outside of the constraints and protections of Federal law. The result has been a massive influx of exploited workers and victims of human trafficking. with concomitant increases in sex slavery and other abusive labor practices. Recent investigations and prosecutions have uncovered terrible stories of enslavement and forced labor. Thousands of young women and girls lured to the CNMI with promises of good jobs with good pay only to be enslaved and forced into prostitution. Others forced to toil in harsh conditions and for little money in garment sweatshops. made profitable by their ability to exploit cheap labor yet still use the "Made in the USA" label. And to understand the depth of the problem. one only has to look at the statistics. For years. foreign workers have actually outnumbered the indigenous population. It is like the United States bringing in over 300 million foreign workers to the mainland. without giving them any rights or protections. We have known about these problems since the 1990s. but we have done nothing about them. It is time to change that H.R. 3079 would. extend. the protections of the countrys immigration laws to the CNMI. using a balanced approach that takes into account the CNMIs vulnerable economy as well as past abuses. It would reign in the islands lax immigration policies while appropriately considering the labor needs of legitimate businesses. It would also provide for a regional visa waiver program along with Guam. which would provide both increased security and the tourists needed to help sustain the economies of both territories. This bill is strongly needed to break from the abuses of the past. It is backed by the Administration. and it has bipartisan support in the House and Senate. I want to thank Chairman RAHALL of the Natural Resources Committee and Chairwoman CHRISTENSEN of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs for caring deeply about this issue and shepherding this bill through Congress. I also want to thank Chairman CONYERS for his leadership. as well as Mr. LAMAR SMITH. the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. for working with us in a bipartisan fashion to improve the bill. I urge its passage.
Date: 2007-12-11
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of S. 597. which would reauthorize the highly successful special postage stamp that supports breast cancer research. Breast cancer affects virtually every American family. Most of us have lost a family member--grandmothers. mothers. aunts. sisters. and daughtersto breast cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates 178.000 women in the United States will be diagnosed this year with breast cancer. They estimate 40.000 women will die from the disease. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. accounting for more than one in four cancers diagnosed in women. We must do everything we can to understand the causes of breast cancer so we can effectively prevent and treat it. Since its inception. the breast cancer research stamp has raised $53 million for lifesaving research. Proceeds from the sale of the stamps fund research at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. By reauthorizing the breast cancer research stamp. we would ensure that this funding source for breast cancer research continues. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.
Date: 2007-12-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I want to thank him and the Chair of the committee and Mr. ISSA for all of their work on this legislation. This legislation was drafted with the help and the cooperation of the Veterans Administration and the Office of Personnel Management and the Selective Service. Current laws governing Federal employment do not draw a very clear distinction between those who do not register for selective service through an oversight and those who knowingly and willfully avoid registering. Under current law. we are lumping sort of the innocent along with the guilty. and this legislation is an effort by these agencies to correct whats wrong with this legislation and to make sure that we can protect those who do this in an unknowing fashion. The bill sets out to correct this by exempting individuals from employment ineligibility who failed to register for selective service but were honorably discharged from active duty in the armed services. And second. it would allow current Federal employees who are at least age 31 to remain eligible for Federal employment despite their failure to register. And this would effectively change the lifetime ban from employment to a 5year ban. which would coincide with the statute of limitations. So there would be the full ability to prosecute those individuals that we felt wrongfully failed to register for the draft. This would have a big impact on the caseload. and it would also make sure that we do not deny many of our agencies the talents and the abilities of individtials who have been caught in this c6nundrum that has taken place. And this has been. after many months of negotiation. and Mr. ISSA has been a vital part of these negotiations with Selective Service. with the Veterans Administration. and with the Office of Personnel Management. and I would encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation. I think it restores to law the intent for which it was passed and keeps us from punishing those individuals who are not guilty of knowingly refusing to register for the draft. IJ 1430
Date: 2007-12-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I want to thank my colleague from California for mentioning Mr. Frecking. because this was a case that really was just so absurd in how it was being played out because of the circumstances that he found himself caught in. but more importantly it also had the potential to deny the veterans service of the VA Hospital in San Francisco the very skilled talents of this individual. They went to bat. They recognized that they too had made a mistake. inadvertently they made a mistake. But they did not want to lose his skill and talents to our veterans coming through that hospital. And it was really at their insistence. their concern. that brought this case to the forefront and allowed us to be able to work it out with the Office of Personnel Service and Selective Service. I know as we explained it. we talked about it back and forth. and Mr. ISSA. at first I dont think he thought this could possibly be going on. but we convinced him that it was. and this is exactly the kind of case that this legislation is designed to address so we dont harm these individuals in the manner which was possible for Mr. Frecking. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Date: 2007-12-12
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. I rise today tc express concern about the ongoing subprime mortgage foreclosure crisiE and the administrations "plan" to address the crisis. The administration proposed a 5yeai interest rate freeze. something that should have angered the investor community. I should know. before I came to Congress. I was an investment advisor. But the investor community wac not upset.-We ask. why? Well. the reason why is that the voluntary rate freeze will only apply to a small number of the subprime loans that are in danger of default and foreclosure. The Center for Responsible Lending estimates that the administrations plan will affect 7 percent of subprime borrowers. This plan is based on the unrealistic belief that the subprime market failure will cure itself. Real leadership is needed to help homeowners and the United States economy. The President needs to show support for the Housepassed legislation that provides additional options for borrowers in distress and strengthens the regulation of the mortgage lending practices.
Date: 2007-12-12
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank Chairman FRANK for your hard work on the legislation. and with all due respect to the gentleman from Alabama. I can appreciate what you are saying about the Senate and our negotiations with them. but the Congress of the United States is not a unicameral institution. [] 1600 The Founding Fathers created two Chambers. two bodies. and the opinions of this body are just as important as the opinions of the other body. And sending a strong message about the reset provisions and about the group life provisions for the policyholders that you say dont care about those provisions is why we have a bicameral Congress. The other issue that I want to raise is that the life insurance fairness provision in this legislation. which you have strongly supported consistently. can stand on its own. It is not dependent upon group life being included in this legislation overall and it has no ties to that provision. In the 109th Congress. we passed a bipartisan version of TRIA that included a provision that says that individuals will not be denied life insurance coverage based solely on where they might lawfully travel. and that is included in this provision again. Too often life insurance companies deny the applications of people who 6xpress the intent to travel internationally. Thats particularly true when people say that they plan to travel to Israel because Israel and 26 other countries appear on the State Departments travel warning list. The life insurance industry is using the State Departments travel warning list as an underwriting tool. It was never intended to be an underwriting tool. Countries dont make that list based on an actuarial analysis. There are political and diplomatic considerations for those appearing on that list. Travel fairness language will protect consumers from unfair life insurance -discrimination on the basis of past or future lawful travel. and this provision allows the insurers to price for risk according to an actuarial analysis. Its also fair to the insurance companies because it allows for denial based on war. serious health conditions in the country the person is traveling to. or fraud. The freedom to travel is a right that we cherish. and no American *should have to choose between their childrens financial security and having the right to travel freely. And that is what we are forcing Americans to do if we dont pass this travel fairness language as a part of the reauthorization of TRIA. If we allow insurance companies to deny coverage based on the notion of where a person might travel. we are giving in to the terrorists who wish to change our way of life. Life insurance companies have been using the State Department warning list as an underwriting tool. It was never meant to be utilized that way. I urge the Members to support the Housepassed version of TRIA.
Date: 2007-12-17
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. tomorrow. I have an appointment for eye surgery. which cannot be rescheduled. Were I able to attend todays session in the House of Representatives. I would have voted "yea" on rollcall votes Nos. 1163. 1164. 1165. 1166. 1167. 1168. 1169. 1170. 1171. 1172 and 1173.
Date: 2007-12-17
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to honor the life and memory of Congressman Henry J. Hyde. the Representative of the Sixth District of Illinois from 1975 to - 2007. Congressman Hyde was a distinguished and wellrespected member of this body. serving for 32 years in the House of Representatives. During his tenure. Congressman Hyde served honorably as the Chairman of the Judiciary and International Relations Committees and contributed much to this Nation. My thoughts and prayers go out to Congressman Hydes family and friends during this difficult time. While Congressman Hydes accomplishments are many. I want to take a moment to share one that is both emblematic of the mark he left and of which I am particulariy grateful. During the 109th Congress. I had the pleasure of working with Congressman Hyde to help spur the creation of the first Jewish American Heritage Month. As the lead Republican cosponsor of the House Resolution. Congressman Hyde was instrumental in garnering the support of the President of the United Sates and Republican leadership in the House. especially that of Speaker Hastert. With support from around the country. the House and Senate passed resolutions in early 2006 urging the President to establish American Jewish History Month. President Bush then proclaimed the first Jewish American Heritage Month in May 2006 so that Americans could come together to celebrate the many cQntributions that Jews have made to the fabric of our society. Thanks to Congressman Hydes commitment and dedication. American Jewish culture and heritage is now celebrated each May by our Nation. In appreciation of this leadership. and in honor of Congressman Hydes lifetime commitment to serving his country. I have requested that a tree be planted in Israel dedicated to his memory. I again express my deepest sympathy to Congressman Hydes family. friends. and the people of Illinois.
Date: 2007-12-18
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of what I hope and expect will be the final version of this years energy bill. While less comprehensive than the legislation passed by the House. it is nevertheless an historic accomplishment and worthy of this chambers support. For the first time in thirtytwo years. we are increasing the corporate average fuel economy. CAFE. standard for cars and trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. This single step will create 150.000 jobs. save consumers $22 billion at the pump and slash our nations oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels a dayabout half what we currently import from the Persian Gulf. Additionally. and importantly. this improved standard is the greenhouse gas equivatent of taking 28 million cars and trucks off the road. To further reduce our dependence on foreign oil. this package includes a Renewable Fuels Standard. RFS. that expands our nations domestic biofuel production to 36 billion gallons by 2022. I am especially pleased that this RFS includes a substantial requirement for advanced biofuels from a variety of different feedstocks. as well as robust environmental protections necessary to safeguard vital ecosystems like the Chesapeake Bay. Finally. this legislation achieves meaningful efficiency improvements across the economy. makes government a part of the energy solution. and accelerates our research and development efforts into the clean. renewable energy technologies of the future. As a sponsor of the Renewable Electricity Standard. RES. and a member of the Ways and Means Committee. I am disappointed that the Housepassed RES and tax provisions have been stripped from this bill. Nevertheless. we can be justifiably proud of what we are accomplishing todayand I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle until the rest of the job is done.
Date: 2007-12-18
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this legislation. and I thank Congresswoman BARBARA LEE for all of her work. as well as everyone on the committee. for bringing this bill to the floor of the Congress today. I rise in support of this bill to authorize State and local governments to divest assets in companies that conduct business operations in Sudan. as well as to prohibit United States Government contracts with any. such companies. Several years ago I traveled with -a bipartisan Congressional delegation to see firsthand the site of the ongoing genocide in Darfur. and to meet in person with the refugees---people displaced from their homes because of targeted political violence. At that time. 250.000 people had already been murdered or had died from subsequent malnutrition and disease. Another 2 million people had already been displaced. I returned from that trip outraged with the conduct of the Govemment of Sudan. Not only did the Sudanese Government refuse to protect the innocent people caught between the rebels and the government. but it was also actively involved in the raping. maiming and killing of these refugees. I returned with the hope that our Nation would do everything possible to bring this nightmare to an end. But not enough has been done. The murders and the rapes continue in Darfur. and in response. the American people want us to do more to help bring this genocide to an end. Therefore. we in Congress must pass this bill today so that State and local governments will be able to divest from companies that continue their financial ties with Sudan. We must also ensure that the Federal Government is not complicit in the horrendous conduct of the Sudanese Government through our use of government contracts. By passing this resolution. we will stand with the thousands of religious groups. churches. humanitarian and community organization. and State and local governmentsall of whom are coming together to send a message about the ongoing genocide in Darfurnot on our watch.
Date: 2007-12-18
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. on December 18. 2007. I missed nine votes because of scheduled eye surgery in Dallas. Were I able to attend todays session in the House of Representatives. I would have voted "yea" on rollcall votes Nos. 1174. 1175. 1176. 1177. 1178. 1179. 1180. 1181 and 1182.
Date: 2007-12-18
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Madam Speaker. I rise today to remember a spiritual warrior for her constituents and those who could not fight for themselves. JULIA CARSON. She served 6 years in Congress. but her experience here far outweighed her time here. She always remembered where she was from and how she got there. This was a tough lady. She spent her initial swearing in in the hospital recovering from double bypass surgery. She was a wonderful personal friend who I enjoyed spending time with. I have my JULIA CARSON story. I remember a few years ago. we were going to an event at the ArmyNavy Golf Club. We were going to a program. a celebration. and our driver got lost and made a wrong turn. We ended up on the seventh fairway. We were going up the hill. and the car couldnt go up and it couldnt go back. -I panicked. but she was calm during this entire process. We eventually were rescued by the Capitol Hill Police. I will never forget that experience. JULIA CARSON was a classy lady. very classy. And I loved the way she dressed and the way she held herself. Like Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7. she fought the good fight and she finished the course. But most important. she kept the faith. JULIA. I will miss you.