macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-07-22
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Speaker. it is important that we always remember why were here and who we serve. And the best way to do that is by spending time with the people that we were elected to represent. For the past few days. Ive had the honor of showing some wonderful residents of New Mexicos First District around our Nations capital. and this group includes my daughter Taylor Grisham and her new family: Ian. Kamen. Kwane and Kaden. the Stewarts. These people are leaders in the community. theyre model citizens. theyre family members. and theyre longtime friends. And today I would like to recognize two of these individuals for their service to New Mexico and to our Nation. Lori Drury and Maureen Salmon. both of whom are here today. are exceptionally talented teachers and dedicated public servants. Teachers play an invaluable role in our society. Creating jobs. defending and expanding the middle class. growing the economy. and making sure everyone has a fair shot at the American Dream. teachers directly contribute to all of these noble missions. And they dont do it for the money and they dont do it for the glory. They do it because they care deeply about the students they teach. So I rise today to thank Lori and Maureen. to thank my family. and to thank all the teachers and public servants in New Mexico and in America for the work they do each and every day to make this a finer and stronger America.
Date: 2013-07-22
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington. a new fight for the preservation of equal protection and justice under the law has emerged. Just last month. the United States Supreme Court overturned a critical component of the decadesold Voting Rights Act. effectively exposing millions of Americans to discriminatory voting practices. Our inability to protect American citizens from discrimination while exercising the right to vote brings into question our ability to implement other aspects of the law without regard to race. In fact. there is significant evidence that we have much more work to do to create a nondiscriminatory justice system. The recent court decision involving Trayvon Martins death is the latest injustice suggestive of discrimination throughout this system. which is further exemplified by the harrowing statistics as they pertain to minorities. For example. African Americans account for only thirteen percent of the U.S. population. yet they represent more than 28 percent of all arrests. Further. while more than half of all the individuals on death row are people of color. 42% are African American. Mr. Speaker. we must reflect on our values and determine what kind of future we would like to see for our children. Do we want to leave behind a divided nation where the rule of law applies only to select groups of individuals? Or do we want to live in a nation united under equal opportunity and justice for each and every American? I choose to support an equal and just America. one that is built upon uncompromising pillars of democracy. and I would urge my colleagues to do the same by speaking out against this blatant discrimination.
Date: 2013-07-23
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank my friend from Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker. at the outset. I want to associate myself with the remarks of
Date: 2013-07-23
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Look. Mr. Speaker. as the gentleman notes. were in a new Congress right now. In the new Congress. the law requires that we pass a Federal budget by April 15. We are obviously way overdue. It is indisputable that the Senate has passed a budget. Why not go to conference?
Date: 2013-07-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. Im hoping to convince my colleagues that. albeit what numbers you may have in this increasing and emerging epidemic of posttraumatic stress disorder. let me give a personal story that comes by way of my interaction often with veterans and. particularly. a posttraumatic stress disorder center that we were able to fund in a hospital that previously had not had the ability to serve Active Duty soldiers and veterans. Its a small hospital off the campus of our main Veterans Hospital in Houston. Texas. but we established a posttraumatic stress disorder center there that allowed veterans who may not have traditionally been at the Veterans Hospital. not because they did not have benefits. but for a variety of reasons. to find a comfort place to be treated for their posttraumatic stress disorder. And they were not just veterans of the Afghan and Iraq wars. but these were ones from the Persian Gulf. from Vietnam. And they could not thank the staff and could not thank the work that we had done to secure just a small amount of dollars. which this amendment does. This takes a small amount of dollars from a very large funding for. certainly. a commendable challenge. but it is one that I believe would benefit. as we seek to create a better quality of life for our soldiers. wherever they might be. and our veterans. This is a $500.000 deposit. if you will. on the high numbers of posttraumatic stress disorder. I have seen it in our returning soldiers. I have seen it in our veterans. and it is clearly something that is not going away. I think the poignant story that I want to share is how grateful this particular veteran was. who said he had never been to treatment and his whole life had been turned around. His wife was there with him. She said their lives have been turned around. So I ask my colleagues to consider the responsible approach that we have taken for just this amount of money to reinvest in our needy. but deserving. men and women who are both Active Duty. In the instance of the story that I gave. because this facility was able to utilize TRICARE. they could serve Active Duty. and they could serve those who were veterans as well. So I thank the chairman and ranking member and urge support of the amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-07-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. Im overwhelmed and very grateful to Chairman YOUNG. my dear friend who has done so much. as well as the ranking member. likewise. for his great service. Hes done so much. Let me just conclude by saying that PTSD. as both the chairman and the ranking member have agreed. is an invisible wound that you dont often see. One of the best ways to increase access to treatment is to increase the medical facilities and also the medical professionals. These additional dollars. as I understand the intent of both the ranking member and chairman. will be used effectively. Posttraumatic stress disorder is one of the most prevalent. devastating psychological wounds suffered by the brave men and women. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. and I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-07-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 29. line 22. after the dollar amount. insert "(reduced by $10.000.000)". Page 34. line 15. after the dollar amount. insert "(increased by $10.000.000)". Page 34. line 23. after the dollar amount. insert "(increased by $10.000.000)". The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 312. the gentlewoman from Texas and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
Date: 2013-07-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Again. Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Mr. YOUNG and Mr. VISCLOSKY for their leadership for an important responsibility in this Nation. My amendment increases funding for the Defense Health Programs research and development by $10 million. These funds will address the question of breast cancer in the United States military. The American Cancer Society calls several strains of breast cancer as a particularly aggressive subtype associated with lower survival rates. in this instance. its a triple negative. But I raise an article that says: "Fighting a Different Battle. Breast Cancer and the Military." We all know. by the way. that breast cancer can affect both men and women. The bad news is breast cancer has been just about as brutal on women in the military as combat. Let me say that sentence again. Breast cancer has been just about as brutal on women in the military as combat. More than 800 women have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. according to the Army Times. 874 military women were diagnosed with breast cancer just between 2000 and 2011. And according to that same study. more are suspected. It grows. The good news is that we have been working on it. and I want to add my appreciation to the military. This. however. will allow for the additional research. As new young women come into the United States military. as women stay longer in the United States military. as women get older in the United States military. as women ascend to leadership roles in the United States military. these dollars provide research. Not only is breast cancer striking relatively young military women at an alarming rate. but male servicemembers. veterans and their dependents are at risk as well. With a younger and generally healthier population. those in the military tend to have a lower risk for most cancers than civiliansincluding significantly lower colorectal. lung and cervicalbut breast cancer is a different story. Military people in general. and in some cases very specifically. are at a significantly greater risk for contracting breast cancer. says Dr. Richard Clapp. a top cancer expert at Boston University who works at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on military breast cancer issues. He says life in the military can mean exposure to a witchs brew of risk factors directly linked to greater chances of getting breast cancer. So. my friends. I am asking that we do the right thing. Were on the right track. were on the right rail. were on the right road. But with the expansion of women in the military. I can assure you. for long life. a vital service that these men and women give. it is extremely important to move forward with this amendment. Researchers point to a high use of oral contraception thats linked to breast cancer among women that would ensure that this particular amendment would be a positive step forward. So I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment. With that. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-07-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Let me thank the gentlemen. and thank them for their commitment to the men and women of the United States military. And let me thank my colleagues for accepting this amendment. With that. I know that we will be safer. secure and healthier with this fight against breast cancer that continues to grow in the United States military. I ask my colleagues to support it. and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas .
Date: 2013-07-23
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 31. line 20. after the dollar amount. insert "(reduced by $10.000.000) (increased by $10.000.000)". The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 312. the gentlewoman from New Mexico and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New Mexico.
Date: 2013-07-23
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Chairman. In 1990. the existing U.S. satellitecommunications capacity would not support the warfighters during the first gulf war. The United States made an urgent attempt to launch an additional Defense Satellite Communication System III spacecraft to support the war effort. but it was not until February 11. 1992. more than a year after the war ended. that the mission was finally launched. In nearly every national space policy guidance document. resiliency and responsiveness are key objectives in global communications. navigation. and guided munitions. all of which rely on satellites that provide gamechanging advantages on the battlefield. Before Operationally Responsive Space. ORS. was established. the capacity to rapidly develop and deploy satellites was inadequate. ORSs mission is to respond to emerging. persistent. or unanticipated needs and quickly deploy costeffective satellites to provide transformational advantages on the battlefield. ORS has the ability to launch fieldready satellites within just a few days or weeks. It also rapidly develops. delivers. and employs new capabilities in a few months to less than a year. Increased speed for the delivery of space assets not only helps to close gaps in the United States space systems capacity. it can also improve resiliency and reconstitute satellites lost to countermeasures. In 2007. China used a groundbased missile to destroy one of its own satellites. demonstrating their capacity to target our satellites and spacedefense systems. Russia is currently developing a seabased missile and spacedefense system. As other countries modernize their military. the threat level to our communications. navigation. and guided munitions satellites intensifies. ORS has also demonstrated the ability to cost effectively deploy space assets. General Schwartz said: ORS is exactly what we need. innovation and greater efficiency as we contend with ongoing fiscal constraints and changing space posture. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley called ORS "critical to our Nations national security posture. and we need to proceed at the speed of need." Eliminating ORS would cut the very programs that give our Nations warfighters their military asymmetric advantage in space. The growing need for information dominance is driving a remarkable transition in space systems. ORS is integral to maintaining our advantage in space. Our amendment reserves $10 million from RDT&E for this program. Mr. Chairman. I thank the chair and the ranking member. and I look forward to continue to work on this important issue.
Date: 2013-07-23
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank my colleague. Mr. MULVANEY from South Carolina. and our colleagues for offering this bipartisan amendment. Mr. Chairman. just last month. Secretary of Defense Hagel and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified before this House as to the amount of money that would be necessary to support the war in Afghanistan and our overseas operation. the socalled OCO account. What they told this Congress was that the Presidents request of $80 billion was the amount necessary to accomplish our objectives and to support our troops. Yet this defense spending bill that is before us adds another $5 billion that was unasked for and unnecessary. So if there are extra moneys stuffed into this account. why are they put in this account as opposed to somewhere else? The answer is that its a very clever accounting scheme because the other account. the base budget for defense spending. is subject to a cap. but moneys for the war account are not. So every dollar you somehow put into the war account is a dollar that escapes the cap. You can put lots of dollars into that war funding account. even though they have nothing to do with supporting overseas operations. I give the committee an A for creative accounting and an F for truth in budgeting. What this amendment does is it says to the military were going to provide you the funds you asked for. but. as the gentleman from South Carolina said. were actually going to add $1.5 billion additional for the Guard and the Reserve. Theres no reason we should be throwing money into the war accounts that dont belong there simply as an accounting scheme to avoid the cap.
Date: 2013-07-24
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. today I rise to honor the life of Lillian Kawasaki. who proudly served the Los Angeles community for more than three decades. working tirelessly to protect our environment. Lillian was an inspiration and a trailblazer. In 1990. she was named general manager of the Department of Environmental Affairs for the City of Los Angeles. becoming the first Asian American in city history to be appointed a department chief. It is because of Lillians leadership and her vision that Los Angeles launched major initiatives in air and water quality protection and environmental cleanup. Local businesses began investing in renewable energy thanks to Lillian Kawasaki. I had the privilege of working with Lillian when she served as board director for the Water Replenishment District. It would be hard to find a public official more involved in her community than Lillian was. On a personal note. it was an honor for me to call her a close friend. Lillian was an extraordinarily giving person. She always remembered birthdays and anniversaries. She asked me often how my family and my son were doing because she truly cared. I offer my condolences to Lillians husband. to her family. and to her loved ones. She was a tremendous public servant. a shining example for others. and a generous and truly kind human being. and I will miss her greatly.
Date: 2013-07-24
Speaker: BEN RAY LUJAN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Speaker. recently. one of our Republican colleagues made remarks about the Hispanic community and children that have no place in our public discourse. These words offend DREAMers. who have been brought to this country through no fault of their own. and they offend our entire Nation. In talking about DREAMers. Representative STEVE KING said: For every one whos a valedictorian. theres another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds. and theyve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they are hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert. Mr. Speaker. I dont know whats more disappointing. that the most extreme voices in the Republican Conference continue to make appalling comments about the Hispanic community or that the rest of my Republican colleagues are silent on this kind of offensive and outrageous rhetoric. At a time when we should be working together to address our broken immigration system. these hateful words only seek to divide rather than bring people together to find common ground. Its no wonder that the American people continue to see House Republicans as out of touch when comments like these are made.
Date: 2013-07-24
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. did you know that last Sunday marked the anniversary of the day in 1917 when 16 women demanded the right to vote in front of the White House? They were sentenced to 60 days in the workhouse for demanding universal suffrage for women. Did you know that tomorrow is the day when in 1892 Doris Fleischman Bernays was born? She was to become the first married woman to get a passport in her own name and to get her name on her daughters birth certificate. Or did you know that the famous Ginger RogersFred Astaire partnership ended in part because she was angry over gender pay standards? She grew tired of being paid half of what her male colleagues were paid in films in which she was starring. These are the sorts of things that one day visitors will learn about at the National Womens History Museum when it opens its doorswith a goal of educating. inspiring. and empowering women. After all. American history is her story too. That is why I have introduced with MARSHA BLACKBURN H.R. 863. a bill to create such a museum. Join it and make your mother proud.
Date: 2013-07-24
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia changed her vote from "aye" to no."1 So the amendment was rejected. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Date: 2013-07-24
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Chair. on rollcall No. 408. Nadler (NY) amendment No. 69. had I been present. I would have voted "yes."
Date: 2013-07-24
Speaker: NEGRETE MCLEOD (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. on rollcall Nos. 411. "yes" and 412. "yes." The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider a final period of general debate. The gentleman from Florida and the gentleman from Indiana each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana.
Date: 2013-07-25
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I would like to thank the ranking member for allowing me time. Mr. Chairman. I rise to express my strong support for H.R. 2218. the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act. Last Congress. this Chamber twice passed legislation on a bipartisan basis that was weaker than the bill before us today. Last Congress. the effort resulted in legislation that would create a Staterun waste disposal program with minimal Federal requirements while assuring that coal ash can continue to be reused and recycled in everyday products. The legislation before the House today continues that model but with even greater environmental protections. including: accelerated requirements for groundwater monitoring. fixed deadlines for when problems at an impoundment must be cured. and periodic inspections for the structural integrity of impoundments. Currently. there is a patchwork of State programs to regulate the disposal of coal combustion waste with no Federal oversight. H.R. 2218 would for the first time establish comprehensive. minimum Federal standards for coal ash management and disposal and give EPA the authority to enforce compliance if a State does not establish a coal residuals permit program or if a States program does not conform to Federal requirements. This legislation would assure that coal ash can continue to be reused beneficially. which puts billions of dollars in our economy annually and protects tens of thousands of jobs in the beneficial reuse industry. Encouraging the beneficial reuse of coal ash ensures that less of it ends up in landfills. which is good for the environment and good for our economy. I know some Members have concerns about the legislation. but we have worked diligently with the majority and stakeholders to make improvements in the bill. The assertions by some of my colleagues that this legislation does nothing to protect the environment are making the perfect the enemy of the good. Part of legislating is moving the ball forward. and we cannot continue to work on legislation that simply will die in the Senate. This bill is a reasonable compromise and a winwin for the American people. as it will help protect the environment and create jobs. I urge my colleagues to support it.
Date: 2013-07-25
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. our country has 676 existing coal ash impoundments in 46 States. and an unknown number of "legacy sites" that continue to pose risk to our communitiesrisk of contaminating the groundwater with arsenic. lead. and mercury or of experiencing catastrophic failure like we saw in the 2008 Kingston disaster. That is why action must be taken to ensure that coal ash is either recycled responsibly or disposed of properly. However. instead of taking steps to protect the public health and prevent groundwater contamination around storage sites. todays legislation authorizes each State to create its own coal waste management permitting program. with no legal standard to ensure a minimum level of public safety. Moreover. the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has found that the bill would give EPA "no federal backstop authority" to ensure that States enforce their standards. Mr. Chair. rather than addressing the real danger of improperly managed coal ash. this bill risks a regulatory race to the bottom. threatening the safety of all of our citizens. I urge a no vote.