macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1994-06-28
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to express my concern that the funds designated under H.R. 4606 fall far short of the funds needed to achieve our national education strategy. Over the past 18 months. we have undergone the process of reauthorizing the Elementary and -Secondary Education Act. During this debate. we have discovered that the Federal Government plays an inadequate role in our Nations education system. and accordingly. this administration had pledged a substantial increase in funding for education programs. Sadly. the appropriations process has not yielded the results we had been promised. Our current budget constraints could not allow the full increase of $700 million in the Chapter 1 Program which will mean that hundreds of thousands of children will continue to be unserved or underserved through this program. Comparing the administrations request for funding in fiscal year 1995 to what was actually appropriated. one will notice a net decrease in funding of 0.6 percent compared to 1994. And. compared with the other agencies in this appropriations bill. education only received 32 percent of the recommended increase requested by the administration while Health and Human Services received 85 percent and Labor received 49 percent of their recommended increases. On the positive side however. there are increases in a number of important programs. Bilingual education received an additional $23 million and Goals 2000. our Nations new education reform plan. received an additional $283 million. These numbers represent our Nations commitment to the education and training of our future work force. Unless we reevaluate our efforts in this area. we will not be able to produce the kind of workers that are able to compete in an increasingly competitive global market. I urge my colleagues to place more emphasis on these vital programs in the future and to consider the Federal Governments role in education as the ultimate investment we can make for the future of our children.
Date: 1994-06-29
Speaker: PETE GEREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I certainly appreciate the contribution of the gentleman from Ohio and. his hard work in bringing this bill to the floor.
Date: 1994-06-29
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Charman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman. this next month is the 25th anniversary of NASAs Apollo Moon Mission. It seems appropriate that tonight we are celebrating that landing on the Moon. and we are recognizing that we are having to make that decision again. I serve. like the sponsor of this amendment. on the Committeeon Education and Labor. and I spend a lot of time in our public schools. Each time I go to our public schools in an innercity district like I represent. when I talk about the space program or the space station. those childrens eyes light up. Their eyes gleam. because they know it is their future even though they have to worry about the daytoday existence. I would urge you to vote no on the Roemer amendment. Do not take that sparkle out of our childrens eyes. because it is their future that we are voting on tonight. their future. their research that they will be doing. just like the Moon program 25 years ago sparked a great deal of more physics students. By making the right decision tonight and voting down the Roemer amendment. we will do that for our children in our elementary schools.
Date: 1994-07-13
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. watching our 1minutes yesterday. I was amazed at the distorted perception and the shortterm memories of my -Republican colleagues. I would like to remind all of my colleagues today and the American people of the progress that has been made in our economy over the past year and the improvements that have been made under. the Clinton administration. For the first time in 12 years. our Tax Code actually reflects some fairness. Fifteen million taxpayers received a tax cut this last April 15. Over 3 million jobs have been created since January 1993. and the economic forecasts predict future growth. Those who claim that the economy was improving before the Democrats took control are the same ones who said last year that the Presidents economic plan would cripple our economy. Here we are over 1 year later and the only thing that is crippled is that same old tired rhetoric that we heard yesterday. The projected deficit as a share of gross national product is down almost half. We need to brag about America. We need to brag about what is good happening in Congress and this administration instead of just listening to the naysayers.
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. yesterday. Tuesday. July 19. during roll call vote 333. I was unavoidably detained and not able to register my vote. Had I been present. I would have voted "nay."
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chairman. I rise today in support of H.R. 1188. the Anti Redlining in Insurance Disclosure Act. This bill will help to solve some of the problems experienced by residents of our Nations inner cities who have for too long paid higher premiums for insurance or have not been able to obtain coverage. This legislation will require the annual disclosure of insurance practices of the largest insurance companies in our Nations 25 largest metropolitan areas. Smaller insurance companies would not be required to file comprehensive reports. rather they would simply have to furnish a summary of their services. As a Representative from Houston. I have many constituents who have experienced difficulty in obtaining insurance and many suspect that certain neighborhoods are denied coverage based on the demographics of the residents who live there. While some disagree
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Ms. PELOSI. in March 1993 the U.N. Human Rights Commission passed a resolution endorsing a report which made strong and detailed criticism of Cubas systematic violation of human rights. The report concluded with seven steps Cuba must take to bring human rights up to minimum international standards. None of these have been taken. Does the gentlewoman agree thatCuba and Fidel Castro are just as repressive as or has records of human rights violations equal to or worse than that of China?
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JQHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Do you think that the United States should trade with Cuba? If you feel that trade sanctions are a good idea against China. do you think weshould continue the current trade embargo on Cuba?
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Thank you. Mr. Chairman. Trade policy and human rights policy are and should be two different things. While human rights must remain a focus of American interests. the process of utilizing trade policy to enforce human rights policy has been erratically used and unsuccessful. Freedom House. a noted human rights watchdog groups group. reports that the nations of the world that are classified as having a low regard for human rights. are almost allin Africa. Asia. and Latin America. A logical policy then would be the enforcement of trade sanctions against all of these nations. Consider for a moment the debilitating effects such a policy would have upon these countries. When sanctions are used. who suffers? The nations of Africa. Asia. and Latin America need trade to improve and grow economically. The common citizens of these nations suffer when trade with the rest of the world. and particularly the United States. is restricted. Sanctioning these nations simply drives them further. and further away from human rights improvements. In order to achieve improvement in human rights policy. a constructive working relationship should be established. Remember. encouragement from a friend is much more persuasive than a slap from an enemy. As you recall what we havealready heard tonight and review what will be said by both sides in the time remaining. ask yourself.. who is being sanctioned and what proof is there that sanctions improve human conditions?
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me say. Mr. HOYER. that happened before I came. But I was in Texas carrying legislation also to bring about sanctions in trade policy. But the entire population in South Africa. the clear overwhelming majority of that population. cried out to the world asking for those sanctions. It was not this country deciding that they should have them. it was also more than that that caused that law. the laws on which they were operating to crumble. It was the fact that the banks started losing confidence and the money started crumbling. It had a lot more to do with that. But the overriding issue. more than 75 percent of the population. the majority population. pleaded to the world. not just the United States. the entire world responded. And. yes. it had some effect. but clearly. it was not just that. As a matter of fact. we now are seeing what the real effect is on human rights. And they are pleading now for trade. It is giving people their rights to be independent. to have ownership. to look out for themselves. giving them an opportunity to trade their goods so they become independent.
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

What do they work for? It is not just trade sanctions. It was a loss of confidence and it brought abouthuman rights have really not improved yet in South Africa. But they have had an election. It was clearly a constitutional issue. It had nothing at the time to do with trade. They did not have anything to trade. The population we are talking about had no power whatsoever. They had no sayso. To keep trade from going to- South Africa did not affect them because they cannot affect anybody that is already on the ground with nothing to do but crawl. Clearly. that government had to change for it to affect the majority population there.
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. WOLF. the same thing is going on inHaiti. But tonight we are debating whether or not we should extend mostfavorednation to China. I am saying that we need to separate trade from human rights as it relates to China.
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Independence is what is helpful. and improving human rights. the opportunity to have something of ownership. to gain that independence. perhaps to leave the country. but It is that independence. It is not going to be a policy of us policing the world and implementing policies of ours that we are not altogether necessarily going to implement for ourselves. So. you see. I am committed to human rights. But I am also committed to independence. I am committed to individual ownership. I know by my experience. living here. that the more one controls their own destiny through their own ownership and having some ownership of their own finances they will determine that no government is going to keep them repressed. People overthrow their own governments when they disagree. when they are in a position .to be independent.
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I believe we ought to have policies that are consistent. I believe we have chosen certain countries to implement sanctions and others we have chosen to ignore. If we decide to use sanctions at all times for human rights violations. why then are we not looking at Saudi Arabia? Is it because we need their oil?
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. WOLF. I would like to ask that last question. Why are we inconsistent in looking at policies in other areas other than China? Why have we not looked at trade policy to effect the change of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia?
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. WOLF. do you think that the policy of South Africa was effective? Did you think that was the thing to do?
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

So from your experience. is it fair to say that poorer developing countries have a far greater tendency to have repressive antidemocratic governments than more wealthy. more economically developed countries?
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Do you think the human rights policies of the United States should be consistent. or should we pick and choose a few countries we want to see do good things and we want to make ourselves feel good and make sure the human rights conditions are better?
Date: 1994-07-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me tell you right now. Mr. WOLF. women cannot vote in Saudi Arabia. and lots of other violations are going on. If we are going to be consistent. and you have committed yourself to be consistent. what is our next step?
Date: 1994-07-22
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. as we continue to debate the various health care plans floating around the Congress. we should be reminded that our goal in achieving health care reform is to provide coverage for Americans who have no insurance today. We are not here to continue business as usual. We are here to enact meaningful health care reform and its time we stopped listening to the special interests and started listening to our constituents. Yesterday. the Houston Post reported that the district I am honored to represent has the largest number of uninsured persons of any district in the State of Texs. 178.000 people in the 29th Congressional District are without health coverage. The size of the uninsured is surprising. especially since over 83 percent of these people are from working families. These people are not on the welfare rolls. they are hard working men and women who cannot get health benefits. Many of the businesses these people work for would like to offer coverage but the prices are far too high for small businesses to offer insurance. We have to enact a health care reform plan that will lower the costs for small businesses so that they can afford to offer coverage. And most importantly. we must pass a plan that ensures that everyone has health coverage. Universal coverage is the key to cost reductions through the elimination of cost shifting. People all over the country are waiting for this Congress to act on health care reform. I ask my colleagues to remember those waiting in the clinics for health care rather than the special interest groups waiting outside the doors of our offices.
Date: 1994-07-26
Speaker: B YRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

I Appreciate by colleagues strong support for these prograns. and hiie I cannot ake a .specific commitment To fund fully the Hnusepassed -levels for :these programs which will be determaned in a JinuseSenate conference on this bill. .1 am sympathetic -to this apprnach and -wil take the Senators concerns into consideration.
Date: 1994-07-27
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. as we get closer to a vote on health care reform we are hearing that the issue of cost sharing between employers and employees is dead. There are those who would require anindividual to buy insurance and pay the full cost rather than to risk upsetting special interests who do not want to cover their employees. What we are really talking about is fairness in who pays the cost of health care insurance. Both employers and employees have a stake in a healthy work force. therefore. the costs and benefits should be shared. The fact is that most people who have insurance get that insurance through their employer. This is not a new situation and this resulted from the free market determining how benefits would be distributed. Many of you know that large businesses generally support the idea of providing coverage to all employees since most large companies already provide these benefits. However. you may have also heard that this proposal would kill small business. In the district I represent. a small businessowner named Bobby Schlitzberger provides insurance to his 10 employees today without a Government mandate. However. he realizes that unless his competition does the same. he is put at a competitive disadvantage. This small businessman. who also happens to be a member of the National Federation of Independent Business. seems to already have gotten the message that many Members of this body have not. We need to provide health coverage to all employees so. that all of our businesses can stay competitive. � As. Bobby Schlitzberger stated. "There aint no free lunch." Its time for this Congress to pass health care reform. This is the last great social policy debate of this century. When our kids and grandkids look back. will we have set the stage for a stable economic future or will we have taken the course of least resistance and continued business as usual.
Date: 1994-07-27
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

If the gentleman will continue to yield. if I could respond just in brief. when I first was elected in 1992 and came to Congress and health care was an issue. I did not agree to vote for the Presidents plan or any of the plans. or cosign any of them. However. I voted for one after working in the Committee on Education and Labor for many months on that. to address some of the things you talked about. The freedom of choice of physicians. we have that freedom of choice. I dont want to go home and tell my constituents that we do not have that freedom of choice. Whatever plan Congress passes. we will have that freedom of choice. probably more so than they have currently. under the current system. if they are out in the marketplace. because we will expand some of those HMOs and those pools where they will have more physicians and more health care providers. The prescription medication. I receive. like the gentleman does. a lot of letters in my office from senior citizens who are worried about Medicare. worried that they will lose their flexibility on their plan. If Congress does nothing. if Congress does nothing this time. we will lose the benefit that we need for some type of copayment on prescription medication from Medicare. for some type of longterm care for Medicare patients. That is what is in the bill that came out of the Committee on Education and Labor. came out of the Committee on Ways and Means. Im sure it will come out of the House when we start working on it in the next week. We need to take care of senior citizens and their concerns because again. like you. I have senior citizens who are on minimum benefits. Social Security. Often their prescription medication right now is the same amount of money they receive per month from their minimum benefit on Social Security. We have to change that We have to make some changes. That is part of this bill. It is a major reform. It is a lot to take up but it is not something that we just dreamed up the last year. As the gentleman said. President Nixon in the early seventies actually in his 1969 inaugural speech. Harry Truman in the forties. so it is not something we can say. "Let us put it off until next year. Let us look at it some more." We can study health care forever. but we need to address it now. because the next session of Congress. sure. we will have to fine tune it. We will have to make some changes. because the health care system is not a block of granite that we can leave in place. It is something we will have to continually mold and work and adjust. and we will have to do that. But we need to get off of dead center where we have been for the last 30 years since we passed Medicare for senior citizens.
Date: 1994-07-27
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Some of the -other options I have had seniors do. in their -prescriptions is that. .one. they will get a prescription. and maybe they should take one pill a day. and because they know they only have so much money. then they will say. "I cant afford one pill aday. but I know I need to take it because my doctor said to. so I will only take one every 2 days." They are doing selfdiagnosis to- spread out that cost. .In Houston we .have seniors who drive 6 hours to Mexico to take advantage of some of the cost differences the gentlewoman talked about from foreign countries. I know in the Northeast. in the Northern States. they also can go to Canada. but people will drive 6 tours to go .to a pharmacy in the Republic of Mexico to take advantage of. in -some cases. 20 to 40 percent of the costs that they are paying forit in Houston. TX. and yet it is the same prescription. In fact. I joked with our colleague from Puerto Rico. we have some .of .the prescription medication. that is made in Puerto Rico with our 936 tax benefit. which -you can buy cheaper in the Republic of Mexico than you can here because at is exported from Puerto Rico to Mexico. .So we have a lot of seniors who are trying to make the system work. with their limited resources. We have to be sensitive and remember that those are people who fought- in World War II. those are people who have -built America to what -it is today and we need to respond to that and not make them make that decision on selfdiagnosis. or in Houston today. there are -people who are cutting off their air conditioner because they want to. save on their electric bill so they .can buy their prescriptions. We do not need them to make that choice.
Date: 1994-07-27
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me add to that. because we could go over that list. A great many of those companies in my area. from Texas. a great manS. chemical and oil companies. Arco is a good example that is on that list that came and lobbied. said. "We want some type of universal coverage because we see what the cost shifting is doing to us." Sometimes we get to talking about small businesses. and I know you mentioned the National Federation of Independent Business people. I have a constituent who is a member of that who called my office 2 months ago and talked about how he is a member but he covers his 10 employees because it is fair. but he cannot continue to compete with his competitors unless they are all in the same boat. Same way with wages. If he did not have to pay minimum wage or some type of competitive wages. his competitors did not. we wouldsee that burden shifting. that cost shifting that we see today in health care. That person whether they be a memorial monument company or whether they be a restaurant or anyone else cannot continue to provide health care with the everincreasing costs we have unless we broaden that coverage to everyone so we do not see that cost shifting. That is why I think we see a lot of those Fortune 500s saying we need to change that. Let me talk a little and say something about something which was said. often people get so many different versions about what is happening here in Congress. They listen to Harry and Louise and everyone else. Free enterprise and freedom of speech is the greatest thing this country has been* founded upon. We also need to recognize that the people who listen to that need to say. kind of wonder. that they are expounding on their issue and sometimes they may not.be telling you the whole truth. They may not be wanting to say that sure they have coverage now and they are happy with it but their employer may drop them tomorrow. or they may have a deductible thats $1.000. So sometimes in the commercial free speech we see or in the noncommercial free speech or even in the letters a lot of people get from the computers here in Washington saying Congress is going to do damage to you. well. sure Congress every day we are in session can do damage. But we can also do good if those people are constructive and are working with us to identify prescription medications. identify the way we can help with people. and health care is one of those. and not necessarily believe just what you happen to hear on radio talk shows.