macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4438. the "San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Leasing and Boundary Expansion Act of 2010." as introduced by my fellow member of the Texas delegation. the distinguished CIRO RODRIGUEZ. This bill will expand the boundaries of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. adding an additional 150 acres of land to the site that preserves important pieces of Texas history. In the early 18th Century. the five missions in San Antonio were the largest concentration of Catholic missions in North America. Built primarily to expand Spanish New World influence northward from Mexico. the missions also served to introduce native inhabitants into Spanish society. All five thrived through the middle of the 18th Century. and then slowly declined towards the end of the 1700s. through disease. inadequate military support. and increased hostility from Comanches and Apaches. The Alamo. the most famous of the missions. is well known to all. as a shrine of Texas history. The other four missionsSan Jose. San Juan. Concepcion. and Espadahave been in active operation as houses of worship since the 1800s. and are still important to the history of Texas. In 1978. the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park was authorized by the National Park Service. At that time. the San Antonio River. which runs through much of the Parks area. was somewhat polluted. It was always planned and expected that. as the river was cleaned up. the Park would expand to take advantage of the unpolluted riverside areas. Now. that time has come. H.R. 4438 will direct the Secretary of the Interior to study lands within Bexar and Wilson Counties in Texas. to identify lands that would be suitable for inclusion. It will also authorize the leasing of office space for a headquarters and support building. and allow the construction of an education and research center. It is only fitting that. as Mission Concepcion has recently been restored. and Mission San Jose is about to be restored. that the Park they are a part of is expanded to what it was originally imagined to be. Therefore. I strongly support this legislation. and urge my colleagues to join me.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I want to congratulate the NAACP. which is holding their 101st convention. or celebrating 101 years. a century of service. I also want to affirm their First Amendment right to make statements on the policies of groups who advocate for causes that sometimes are colored in race. The NAACP is a fighter for justice for all people. and I was glad to be there this weekend speaking about issues dealing with the environment. civil justice and the economy. It is also important to note. Mr. Speaker. that corporations are now showing one of the best quarterly returns that they have ever had. Businesses create jobs. and we have created an economic opportunity for them to do so. But all of the economists are saying they are sitting on their money. They are hoarding their money. It is time now for us to stand up as Americans and work together to create jobs. just as this government has stimulated the economy by providing stimulus dollars to create thousands and thousands of jobs. Work together. not divide. That is how we will move this economy forward. Congratulations. NAACP.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you so much. Thank you. Ms. JACKSON LEE. Thank you for joining us and for your leadership. You have really been a stalwart fighter for the middle class and working families that Democrats have always stood for and stood by. and its just absolutely critical that youve come down here tonight to help us get that message out. So thank you so much. And its a really wonderful transition. the item that Ms. JACKSON LEE closed on. making sure that we can make things again. And focusing on manufacturing and the resurgence of manufacturing in this country is a perfect segue to the priorities and the message that I know my good friend from Michigan. whose district I was just in this morning and had the privilege of joining him in his district in Ann Arbor and had an opportunity to meet with his constituents who are very supportive of his efforts to create jobs here and to focus the needs on Michigans economy right here in Washington. So my good friend. MARK SCHAUER from the great State of Michigan.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Have you had an opportunity to talk with the Census Bureau about why it is that they are getting promotional material that theyre using to get Americans to complete the census form from China?
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

If the gentleman would yield for another question. So essentially the screen printing that was done onto the item. they define that as substantially altering the actual piece.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Because its not like we dont know that we do the census every 10 years and that we are going to need promotional materials to promote the census.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

So what would be the urgent nature or lastminute ordering that would be done for key chains or hats? We know in 2020 we are going to need that. We know in 2030 we are going to need that.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Would the gentleman yield just for a quick comment? That very product. Tshirts. hats. and there may be many others. just fits right in with small- and mediumsized businesses. the very businesses that make jobs. I would yield to the gentleman for a response on that. Isnt this the kind of products that fit right into that?
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Absolutely. And thank you so much for your leadership on this. Congressman SCHAUER. Really. this is something that you have been spearheading for a long time. And its finally cracking through. I know that its a priority that were going to be taking up in the very near future. And I have a hunch that legislation is going to definitely be sent over to the Senate. And they would be hard pressed not to take it up. With that. I want to turn it over to the very eloquent and hardworking stalwart for creating jobs and helping us turn the economy around in his home State of New York. Mr. PAUL TONKO.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you. Because I wanted to ask you. the way youre characterizing our colleagues viewand I want to bring our good friend. Mr. MURPHY. into this discussion because he and I. in the 2006 to 2008. in the 110th Congress. we spent quite a bit of time on the House floor talking about the Republicans efforts to privatize Social Security. And Im wondering if your characterization of their agenda is one that youis this something that you think isis it your opinion? From what I understand. we have a number of different third party validators that can document that they have consistently supported privatization of Social Security and vouchering of the Medicare system as we know it.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you. Mr. TONKO. Really. you have hammered home. youre here night after night. week after week. to make sure that we can talk to the American people. illuminate not just our efforts on turning the economy around and creating jobs but our successes. And someone who has been really focused on creating jobs. making sure. as a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. making sure that we do that through our innovation agenda. through our passage of the global warming and climate change legislation and also through health care reform. is the leader from the great State of Connecticut. Congressman CHRIS MURPHY.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you very much for helping us share that story with the American people and with our constituents. because its absolutely critical. as we turn the corner and go through the summer. that we make sure that we talk about our efforts to continue to focus on job creation. and particularly on tax cuts for working families and the middle class because its such a dramatic shift from where we were. And as we get closer and closer to the choice that Americans will be making in November. its going to be critical that people understand the choice that theyre going to be making. They can backslide toward the Bush era. where the focus was exclusively on the wealthiest few in America. exclusively on the largest corporations and the trickledown theory of economics that was disproven time and again. or we can continue to go in the direction. the new direction that we have been pursuing. which is focusing on job creation. focusing on making sure that the middle class can thrive. And there is no one that knows that effort better than my good friend TOM PERRIELLO from the great State of Virginia.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you so much. Mr. PERRIELLO. and thank you for your leadership in your district and the optimism and hope that you fight for every single day. You know. it really always boggles my mind how the Republicans wake up every morning. come to work and decide. I am going to be an obstructionist today. I think today I am going to figure out yet another way to say no. And rather than come to the table and work with us. because they need jobs in their districts too. instead. they vote no here. and then they do like the minority whip did just in the last week when he was home in his district. After voting no on the Recovery Act and being critical of the Recovery Act. he didnt have any problem showing up and taking credit for one of the projects funded by the Recovery Act in his district. I think Americans really see through that transparent attempt at hypocrisy. We are a party of genuine articles. We are Members who work hard every day to make sure that we can get it done for the American people and get this economy turned around. There is no one that works harder at that in rural America than my good friend LINCOLN DAVIS from the great State of Tennessee.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you so much. Mr. DAVIS. Really. I think its so incredible. We had nine Members join us tonight for this hour. And we had the full philosophical spectrumfrom the most conservative member of our caucus to the moderates to progressive members of our caucus. And that shows not only the big tent that we are in the Democratic Caucus but that we really are a reflection of America and American values. whether its making sure that we can create jobs in rural America or the most urban core. Its absolutely critical.
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Youre absolutely right. Thank you so much for your leadership and for joining us this evening. To close us out in the hour. we have a duo from the great State of Pennsylvania. Both of them are freshmen. The gentlelady from Pennsylvania was particularly pleased. I know. when her colleague from Pennsylvania was elected recently in a special election because that made her not one of the most junior Members in the Chamber. Now he holds that title. But the gentlelady from Pennsylvania. Mrs. KATHY
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Given that youre from a State that is in the heart of the Manufacturing Belt. can you talk a little bit about what is going on in your district and the efforts that were making here to create jobs and what kind of progress the recent surge in manufacturing has brought to communities in Pennsylvania?
Date: 2010-07-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. its okay. Youre right. In Florida. we dont have a strong manufacturing base. but we want to make sure that folks in Pennsylvania are able to thrive economically so they can come down and vacation and they can afford to take a vacation and come down to south Florida and across my beautiful home State and spend their hardearned dollars that they have been able to use and invest in their small business and come down and make sure that they can help our economy thrive. Thank you. Madam Speaker. We yield back the balance of our time and thank the Speaker for the opportunity and look forward to hearing from our colleagues.
Date: 2010-07-14
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in protest of the Castro regimes intention to forcibly deport 52 political prisoners under the guise of release. Historically. the Castro regime has used political prisoners as pawns to extract international concessions and ease criticism. But as The Washington Post pointed out in their reporting on this story. this gesture does not represent fundamental political change. As more political dissidents die of hunger strikes in Cuba. we cannot allow this hollow gesture to blind us from the reality on the ground. In Cubas authoritarian dictatorship. every dollar that flows into the country props up the Castro regime. In the meantime. Alan Gross of Potomac. Maryland. arrested for distributing cell phones and laptops to Cubas tiny Jewish community. continues to sit in prison with no hope of release. A relationship with the United States must be earned. Banishing political dissidents from their homeland hardly meets that test. This cheap political trick is surely of no solace for Gross and others still in jail.
Date: 2010-07-14
Speaker: PATRICK J. MURPHY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Penn

sylvania. I thank the gentleman from Illinois for the time. Mr. Speaker. I do want to thank my colleague from the other side of the aisle. Republican Representative BRIAN BILBRAY from California. for partnering with me on this bipartisan bill for commitment to fiscal responsibility. I also want to thank the other Chamber over in the Senate. specifically Senator TOM CARPER. for his tireless efforts in advancing this legislation over in the other body. and his Republican colleague on this bill. Senator
Date: 2010-07-14
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. as a representative of a district with a large number of federal employees. I rise in strong support of H.R. 1722. the Telework Improvements Act. I want to thank Chairmen TOWNS and LYNCH and Representative SARBANES for their leadership in crafting this important bipartisan bill. If passed. this measure will put the federal government on equal footing with many private sector employers and state governments which allow their employees to perform many of their duties and responsibilities from home or at another work site. The Telework Improvements Act requires each executive agency to establish a policy that enables federal employees to telework in a way that does not diminish employee performance or agency operations. and that ensures that no distinction is made between teleworkers and nonteleworkers for performance appraisal and training purposes. Having the option to telework will enhance the quality of life for many federal employees and save money for the taxpayers. For example. there is an effort underway to attract more young people to federal government service to offset the growing number of older employees who are retiring. Offering prospective employees the option to telework increases the possibility that those employees with families will join the federal workforce. Telework also is smart fiscally. According to the Office of Personnel Management. during the blizzard that hit Washington. DC last winter. the government lost $71 million worth of productivity for each day it remained closed. This number might have been far larger had some federal workers not had the opportunity to work from home. The Telework Improvements Act makes environmental. administrative and fiscal common sense. Increasing telework opportunities for employees of the countrys largest employer means fewer cars on the roads as workers commute less. it means lower carbon emissions. it means better quality of life for workers and their families. and. it means reduced costs for taxpayers and higher government efficiency because of lower absenteeism. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill and I urge its immediate passage.
Date: 2010-07-14
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Absolutely. As you know. I live in an incredibly wonderful area called Orange County. the OC that many of you have seen on television before. Its not clearly the way its depicted there. but it is a beautiful place. Were the home of Disneyland. of the Anaheim Angels. We have one of the largest concert arenas in the Nation. We also have a beautiful coastline that so many people want to come to in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. and its just a very. very special place. But the housing issue affected Orange County in a dramatic way. We had. in Orange County. four of the six largest subprime lenders across the Nation were in Orange County. So almost overnight we lost 40.000 jobs just to the housing issue. Well. I would like to let people know that it was reported in todays Los Angeles Times that housing is coming back in California. And specifically it noted. of course. this whole tax issue. because my colleague. my wonderful colleague from the northern portion of our State noted the tax cuts that we had in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. in particular. For people who say that Democratsand I am a Democratnever liked tax cuts. thats just not true. The fact of the matter in the stimulus package. in the American Recovery Act. we actually have a third of the moneys go to tax cuts. But we put them to specific areas to help people get an education. to help them keep their homes. to help them. encourage them to buy homes. to keep the economy going. And so today we have found in the newspaper that there is a 7.2 percent jump in southern California home sales. And Orange County. out of any place in the Nation. leads the way in selling homes. putting homes on the market. getting new families excited to get into these new homes. Yes. a lot of the people that I represent have lost their homes. Right next door to my home theres a foreclosure. And so it is difficult. But in order to keep people in their homes. weve also passed legislation that would help modify some of those home loans so that people would actually get a chance to stay in their homes. And if they did have to leave their home before we could get somebody else in to buy that home. we also passed funds to help cities. for example. $10 million and $6 million to the cities of Santa Ana and Anaheim that I represent. to make sure that homes were taken care of as we transitioned them from one family or person to the next. So we have actually passed quite a few pieces of legislation that have helped the housing market. And in helping the housing market. this is beginning to create some of the jobs that we see. especially in Orange County. So Im so glad that my colleague has taken this hour to talk a little bit about how. slowly. we are beginning to come back and the effects of that very important piece of legislation we passed a year ago. the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. and the additional pieces that we have passed to help.
Date: 2010-07-14
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Absolutely. And if my colleague will just give me a little bit more time. I will say to him. we have felt that in Orange County. $2.2 billion for the first piece of the high speed rail that will connect Anaheim all the way up to San Francisco. to your area. that $2.2 billion given to the Anaheim/Los Angeles portion of that highspeed rail. So looking to the future. other pieces of that legislationresearch in the greening of America. research in new technologies for energy independence. and also research and to change over our hospitals to electronic filing rather than to have paperwork being shuffled between doctors. So it carried a lot of futurelooking pieces. And. of course. when you look at innovation. that is what California is about. That is what is going to lead us out of a bad economy. and that is what we will. in fact. sell to the rest of the world after we establish those new areas of innovation.
Date: 2010-07-14
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. If the gentleman will yield just for a minute. when we as Democrats look at what is it that we can do. if we are going to spend money. we should spend money to invest in America. There are four major things in Economics 101. or any other book you read on economics. that will tell you how to increase the productivity and the innovation of a nation. because that is how we compete. by increasing the productivity of Americans. The first is. you have to have an educated workforce. Some of the bills that my colleagues mentioned are about education. education. education.
Date: 2010-07-14
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. As I was saying. there are four basic things that you can do to increase the productivity of your people. to increase innovation. if you will. of our Nation. The first is to educate your people. We have been putting money into that. including the GI Bill that we passed over a year ago. Health. If your workers arent healthy. they cant go to work. So the health care reform. Incredibly important. Transportation. How do you move people and goods? That was part of the Recovery Act. when we said. lets build high speed rail. when we said. lets put in systems of water and sanitation that work for our people. And. number four. communication. investing in innovation and communication for people. in broadband that weve been putting across our Nation. So that is the way we increase the productivity of our people. I have to say that on this side. on the Democratic side. even though people have been saying that we have been deficit spending. I say to them. anytime that you can invest in the American people. the American people will pay you back four or five or tenfold on that investment. So I am again proud to stand here with you and talk about the accomplishments of this Congress.
Date: 2010-07-15
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. I rise today on behalf of residents of southern California who are struggling to make ends meet. In recent months. Ive heard from a number of constituents who will soon be required to pay more than a thousand dollars a year in flood insurance premiums even though they live in a virtual desert. Thats right. Southern California is officially a semiarid. neardesert region. but many of my constituents are being told to pay a thousand dollars a year or more to guard against floods. These families want to know why their homes were considered safe just months ago but are now considered to be in a flood zone under new FEMA maps. They want to know what has changed in such a short time to threaten their safety. particularly given the recent infrastructure investments in the L.A. River Basin. Let me be clear. I support the National Flood Insurance Program because floods can devastate a community. but where flood maps are outdated. they should be corrected to better protect communities. However. local residents should be involved in the process and given a chance to be heard before their homes are rezoned. This bill will also allow families the choice to pay their premiums in installments and allow families to lessen the burden on their budget. I thank Congresswoman WATERS. and I urge passage of the bill.