macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-04-22
Speaker: PATRICK J. MURPHY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Mr. Speaker. I am honored to rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 322. celebrating the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel. Last summer. I was fortunate enough to visit Israel for the first time. For me as a practicing Catholic. it.was a humbling experience to walk the same streets that Jesus walked over 2.000 years ago. Israel is a Jewish state. but Jerusalem is at the center of three world religions and when I was there. I felt like I was among friends. I know first hand how badly America needs allies and friends in the Middle East. Having served in Iraq. I understand how important the IsraeliAmerican relationship is. They are our most important ally and one of our great friends. They are our partners in peace and in war. And while we do not shrink from the fight against terrorism. we also recognize that this global battle is one that cannot be won without diplomacy. The 60th anniversary of Israels founding is a landmark moment. In her brief history. great soldiers. noble statesmen and worien and inspiring leaders have made history by refusing to back down in the face of great adversity. As we celebrate this historic day. we must also take time to remember those that have fallen in her defense. Brave men like my fellow paratrooper and fellow Pennsylvanian Michael Levin. Michaels story serves as an inspiration to me as he embodied and personified the values that America and Israel hold in common: Loyalty. honor and sacrifice. He left the comforts of America to serve in the IsraeliDefense Forceand he died protecting the country and the people he loved. Americans and Israelis alike will always remember his courage and keep his memory in our hearts. Today isalso a day where we must pray for those Israeli soldiers being held captive by Israels enemies. As a former soldier myself. my thoughts and prayers are with Gilad Shalit. Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev and their families. We pray for their safety and hope for their swift return. Mr. Speaker. this significant moment is a time where we should also pray for peace and understanding around the worldbut especially in the Middle East. We pray that in the near future. Israel and her neighbors will live sidebyside in peace and that no more lives will be lost in this needless cycle of violence and hate. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in Congress and all of the families in my district as we pledge to always. support efforts to maintain Israels identity as a Jewish state with secure borders. We also commit ourselves to work diligently towards the creation of a viable and independent Palestinian state. living in peace alongside of Israel. Mr. Speaker. Israel is truly one of our greatest allies and most trusted friends. She stands as a beacon of democratic values in a region of the worid where those values are largely absent. Today. we celebrate the friendship that exists between our two Nations and look forward to strengthening and expanding our bond in the future.
Date: 2008-04-22
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res. 1117 to celebrate the 28" Anniversary of Earth Day. take stock of the progress that has already been made. and recommit ourselves with a sense of focus and urgency to the work that remains to be done. We have come a long way since Senator Gaylord Nelson and Dennis Hayes organized their nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment in the Spring of 1970. In the years that followed. Congress established the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. enacted the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. and strengthened the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts. among other critical initiatives. To a large extent. these stepsand other like themcontinue to form the foundation of our environmental laws in the United States. Unfortunately. recent years have witnessed an erosion to this foundation as regulatory agencies shirked their responsibility to enforce the law and existing statutes failed to keep pace with the magnitude of the environmental challenges we are confronting in the 25th century. The New Direction Congress has now begun the necessary process of reversing that erosion and establishing a new baseline of federal commitment to stewardship from which the next chapter in American environmental leadership will be written. For the first time in over 30 years. the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 increased the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard for automobiles to 35 mpg by 2020. In combination with the economywide energy efficiency standards in the legislation. this step will reduce oil consumption by 2.4 million barrels a dayfor a more than 25 percent reduction over todays usageand save 5.3 billion metric tons in energyrelated CO2 emissions by 2030. Its important. But its just a start. We must move decisively to enact an economywide cap.-andtrade program that achieves dramatic reductions in our greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the centuryarld work with other nations around the Aipril 22. 2008 H2530 CC world to do the same. We must transition our economy away from its reliance on fossil fuels and towards the clean. green energy sources of the future. while making far more efficient use of the energy we currently use. We must update. strengthen and enforce bedrock laws like the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts. And we -must act locally and individually in all of our communities to restore. protect and cherish ecosystems like the Chesapeake Bay on which all of life ultimately depends. Mr. Speaker. the key decisions we make over the next several years will have a profound impact on the kind of America we leave to our children. I believe the vast majority of our constituents understand this and stand ready to do their part as -we come together to build a more prosperous. healthier and greener nation.
Date: 2008-04-22
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res. 1117. as it supports the goals and ideals of Earth Day. Greenhouse gas emissions in Texas are the highest in the Nation. In fact. if Texas were its own separate country. it would rank seventh in the world in carbon dioxide emissions. Unless Texas significantly alters its fuel mix towards lower emitting fuels or renewable energy. greenhouse gas emissions are expected to continue to rise rapidly. I am unhappy that the overall energy use in Texas is projected to increase by 36 percent over the next 20 years. We must act now to stop this trend. This pattern is bad for our environment. It is bad for the health of our children and grandchildren. Mr. Speaker. let us not leave a legacy of waste and pollution for tomorrows citizens. Let us act now to pass policies to protect our Ackerman environment and be good stewards of the Aderholt Earth. Akin
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. and to the Republic for which it stands. one nation under God. indivisible. with liberty and justice for all.
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. every day and every night firefighters. police officers. and other first responders keep our communities safe and are ready. to respond to emergencies as they arise. Among all of the dedicated first responders in our cities and towns. several local agencies have taken their commitment a step further by sponsoring Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces. There are 28 Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces around the country. including one in my own district. sponsored by the Orange County Fire Authority. These task forces stand ready to respond to natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes. and to terrorist attacks. For example. FEMA deployed 25 of the 28 on 9/11. and 28 of the 28 task forces to Hurricane Katrina. Despite the fact that these task forces are deployed by FEMA. they have not been authorized by the Congress and as a result. the task force members are not eligible for Federal disability or death benefits if they are injured while federally deployed. I have introduced H.R. 4183. the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act of 2007. which could give them the protections that they deserve. I hope all Members will join me in moving this legislation forward.
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. this coming Monday. April 28. millions of people worldwide will recognize Workers Memorial Day. Each year. in this country. thousands of workers are killed due to workplace related injuries. and tens of thousands more die of occupational illness. It is staggering to think that each day an average of 16 workers are killed due to the injuries on the job. The bottom line is that everyone deserves a safe and healthy workplace. Many of us take this basic right for granted. but for millions of Americans. the threat of being permanently disabled or even killed on a job is very real. Workers Memorial Day not only recognizes and honors those who have been killed or injured on the job. it also reminds us of the overwhelming need to improve health and safety standards in our Nations workplace. Mr. Speaker. yesterday I introduced a resolution to recognize Workers Memorial Day. and I certainly encourage all my colleagues on Monday to pay respect for those who have lost their lives this past year.
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise this morning to honor the thousands of American workers who are injured. sickened. and killed each year in this Nation. Next Monday. April 28. is Workers Memorial Day. dedicated to remembering workers whose lives are lost on the job. Sixteen workers are killed on the job every day in America. Every. Day. And these are not just workers in highly dangerous professions. but workers from every profession you can imagine. from mechanics to teachers to newspaper carriers. Instead of addressing the crisis in worker safety. the Bush administration continues to underfund the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA. Like an old dog whos lost its teeth. OSHA doesnt scare anyone. It hasnt improved safety and it doesnt protect workers. Today. I stand. with families who have lost loved ones on the job. Tomorrow I continue working with my colleagues in the Labor and Working Families Caucus to strengthen OSHA. American workers deserve to be safe while earning a living and contributing to this great country. And we must do m6df to ensure that they are safe.
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Chairman. I thank both my chairmen for the time. I rise today insupport of H.R. 2830. the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act. As the chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border. Maritime. and Global Counterterrorism. I have the jurisdiction over the Coast Guards security missions. I am very pleased that the Homeland Security Committee had the opportunity to mark up this legislation and that we included several provisions that will strengthen the Coast Guards maritime security activities. This bill increases the Coast Guards end strength by 1.500 members to ensure that there are adequate personnel to carry out all of the Coast Guards missions. This addresses my longstanding concerns about inadequate staffing at the Coast Guard. The legislation also requires the use of security zones around all liquefied natural gas. or LNG. facilities. This is a critical step in stopping these facilities from becoming targets as the number of LNG imports increases. This bill will also improve the lot of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential. or the TWIC. by providing more facilities where workers can submit their fingerprints so they can enroll in TWIC more efficiently and meet the September 25. 2008. deadline. This affects 650.000 port workers. In addition. the legislation enhances oversight of TWIC by requiring reports to Congress and the GAO on ongoing program implementation. H.R. 2830 requires the establishment of an additional maritime security response team. Currently there is only one in the Nation. and it is based on the east coast. It makes sense to have a second one. because. of course. there are plenty of people on the west coast. and we need it. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation and its many provisions. It strengthens the security operations and the safety operations that our Coast Guard does. Thank you. Mr. Chairman. I want to thank all of those who worked so hard on this bill.
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of H.R. 2830. the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2008. I would like to thank both the Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Chairman OBERSTAR. and especially the Chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee. Chairman CUMMINGS. for their leadership in crafting this important piece of legislation. I have always been a strong supporter of the Coast Guard and providing it with the resources necessary to protect our Nations coasts. ports and waterways. particularly the Port of Houston which I represent. H.R. 2830 is also important to me because it contains provisions relating to the security of vessels and facilities that transport or process Liquefied Natural Gas--or LNG--in the United States. Demand for cleanburning natural gas is building up across our economy. and energy proposals Congress has passed and is currently considering will only accelerate this demand. I believe all of us here agree on the need to ensure the safety of LNG shipments to the U.S.. but Congress should do so in a responsible way that does not unnecessarily impede future shipments of this cleanburning fuel. Chairman CUMMINGS understood these concerns and included new language that would maximize the resources available to the Coast Guard for enforcing LNG security zones. maintain the multimission function of the Coast Guard. and mitigate bureaucratic hurdles in the LNG security process. While not perfect. these changes are an improvement from the original bill and reflect a more workable approach than first proposed. I want to again thank my good friends Chairman CUMMINGS and Chairman OBERSTAR for working with me and other Members to consider Americas need for both energy security and homeland security when crafting this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2830.
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I rise in support of the managers amendment and the underlying bill. I want to thank Chairman OBERSTAR for including the Sanchez amendment in his managers amendment. My amendment will require the United States Coast Guard Academy to establish comprehensive policies. training programs. surveys and reports on sexual harassment and sexual violence involving cadets or Academy personnel. Several years ago. I added a similar amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill to require the military academies under the Armed Services Committee jurisdiction to establish the same types of policies. and I am pleased that this amendment will ensure that all of our military service academies are treated the same. that they all have plans to prevent sexual assault. and that we know the incidents and allegations of sexual assault and that we know how .to handle them. IThis amendment also requires the academies to conduct surveys to get feedback on sexual harassment and sexual violence in the workplace. and this amendment will help to reduce the incidents of sexual assault and it will make our academies safer environments. I urge my colleagues to support the managers amendment.
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

I want to start out by thanking Chairmen OBERSTAR and CUMMINGS and Ranking Members MICA and LATOURETTE for all of their hard work on this bill. We have given the Coast Guard so much responsibility. and they have been up to the challenge. I have great respect for my colleague from California. but I rise to express my serious concern with her pending amendment. As a Member from the State of Florida. which has 14 ports and numerous cruise lines. I have a particular interest in the cruise industry. The cruise industry is one of the most important economic engines in the State of Florida. Over 5 million passengers. embarked from Florida in 2005 and the industry contributed more than $6 billion in direct spending. In addition. the cruise industry is the second largest employer for Florida. generating more than 125.000 jobs. Before coming to Congress I owned a travel agency. and I can tell you that a cruise is one of the most costeffective. safe and enjoyable vacations one can take. In fact. I recently sent my mother on a cruise. The cruise industry is highly regulated by State. Federal and international laws. They ensure that passengers are safe and have a sound safety and security record. It is apparent from the FBI statistics that crime against U.S. passengers on cruise ships are very rare. The proposed amendment would unfairly penalize the cruise industry and require the public posting of crime allegations. organized by the name of the cruise line. No other private industry is required to provide such information on an Internet site. The bill unfairly penalizes the cruise industry without any evidence or justification for this measure. Requiring the reporting of allegations of crimes onboard ships would be misleading to the public as there is no distinction between an allegation and an actual crime committed. That is why if a local government requires the reporting of allegations of crime. no specific business is identified since in many instances these allegations are unfounded. In closing. I will continue to work to make sure. that the cruise industry is one of the safest industries in this country.
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. My amendment is a simple one. It allows the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to use a secondary authentication system to verify the identity of individuals who are applying for transportation worker identification credentials when those individuals have failed in their biometric verification due to the quality of their fingerprints. Since this is the Department of Homeland Security. these credentials are called TWICs. And it is necessary currently. in the bill and under law. to have your fingerprints taken to enroll to get this TWIC. However. and this is very interesting. Stanford University has done the research. It turns out that about 5 percent of the population is unable to have their fingerprints taken. Now the reasons for this can be many. genetics. age. there is an ethnicity component. illness. hard labor. And when that happens. what that means is that .individuals who would otherwise need the card will not be able to get the card unless this amendment is adopted. Ill give you an example of an individual who has been impacted. George Thomas of Houston. Texas. Mr. Thomas is 85 years old and he is the president of Higman Marine Services. Higman Marine has been in the inland towing business since 1917. When Mr. Thomas applied for his TWIC card. he was told that his skin was too thin to have his fingerprints read and to come back in a couple of months to apply again. Well. what happens to Mr. Thomas. his company. and all his employees? What happens to his business without the president able to comply with TWIC requirements through no fault of his own?
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

At this point. I would also like to thank Chairman THOMPSON of the Homeland Security Committee for his hard work on this bill. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas.
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Chairman. I will just note there is not much of a closing. We are in agreement on this amendment. I appreciate the support. I look forward to working further on this. Certainly. we dont want to weaken our security. but we dont want hardworking people who just cant get their fingerprints taken to be put out of a job. So we are of one mind on this. I thank the committee. all the Members. Madam Chairman I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-04-24
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to recognize April as National STD Awareness Month. As you may know.. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a disturbing statistic. One in four young women between the ages of 14 to 19 has a sexually transmitted disease. and it is likely that she does not even know it. This amounts to an estimated 3.2 million teen girls in America with at least one of four common STDs. including chlamydia and HPV. The good news is that these diseases and infections are preventable. We have a. responsibility to make sure that parents and teenagers have the resources they need to make smart choices for their health and wellbeing. This includes access to education and access to affordable preventive health care and screening. As a CoChair of the Young Womens Task Force for the Womens Caucus. I call on my colleagues to take note of the CDCs startling statistic. and I congratulate Congresswoman STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES for introducing a resolution supporting National STD Awareness Month.