macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1996-07-10
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. for months President Clinton promised to protect our children from the addiction of cigarettes. but what about drugs? When Clinton got in office. he slashed the drug czars staff by 83 percent. he eliminated 200 to 400 DEA agents. and he took the priority of drugs from top on the national security list to bottom. At the same time. marijuana use went up for 12- to 13yearolds by 13 percent. Sunday. the Dallas Morning News reported Mexican drug smugglers seized ranches on the Texas border for smuggling marijuana. cocaine. and heroin. Our border is at risk. Our ranchers are helpless. County and city officials are corrupted. President Clintons alltalkandnoaction drug policy has led to an invasion of our borders. It is time we responded. Mr. Speaker. we need our Armed Forces to stop the invasion of the United States of America.
Date: 1996-07-10
Speaker: ENID GREENE (republican)
Chamber: H

It will be a short statement. Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Utah .
Date: 1996-07-11
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. while continuing to fund his pet projects around the world. President Clinton has turned his back on the Nations fight against drugs. For 3 years this President has made severe staff cuts to drug enforcement agencies. and. of course. drug use among children has skyrocketed. Among 12- and 13yearolds alone marijuana use has increased 137 percent. One reason is because Mexican drug smugglers have invaded and taken over the Texas border. allowing them to bring marijuana. cocaine. and heroin into our country and to our children at will. Even the Presidents drug czar admits we have lost control of the border. President Clinton gave $20 billion to bail out Mexico. but now when we need to protect our own citizens against Mexican drug lords he says wait. Mr. Speaker. Americas children deserve better.
Date: 1996-07-11
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I am glad the gentleman approves of the budget amendment. because that is what is good. When the GAO discovered this breach of faith. I was outraged. It was my understanding all trust fund monies were dedicated for seniors and future recipients who worked- their entire lives paying for the system. It was President Clinton who. as a payoff to the unions for political support. made union employees equal partners with association managers. and stated that Social Security Administration managers could not correct or question the actions of union employees. What is worse is that while unions take money from the trust fund. they also continue to collect $4.3 million for themselves in union dues. and we have no idea wherethat money is spent. One more time. The unions collect millions in dues. and still continue to take money away from the trust fund to do work that has nothing to do with providing benefits to our seniors.
Date: 1996-07-18
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chairman. I have to disagree with the gentleman that just spoke. It is a shame. but I tell my colleagues that. The Government has been spending billions of dollars. and I would just like to know. has the Government solved our problems of poverty and dependency? I think not. How many more families are going to be trapped in the current system while we spin our wheels here in Washington. DC. talking about it? Do my colleagues not think that State and local governments. churches and communities can do a better job of caring and providing for our Nations welfare recipients? Of course they can. As my colleagues know. how many more of our Nations cities are we going to surrender to poverty and violence before we here in Washington decide to act? Why does Washington continue to promote a welfare system that encourages illegitimacy and discourages parents? Should not Washington encourage work? I think so. I tell my colleagues what this bill is about: compassion. hope and opportunity. It is about people coming together and taking charge of a system that has failed them and every mother and child on welfare. Do we trust Washington. or do we trust the local charities. the churches. community centers. and local government officials? I trust and believe the American people at home will have the answer. Can we not do better than the welfare system that we have in place right now? This strong welfare reform bill ends welfare as we know it. It gives power back to the States. power back to the communities. power back to the people at local communities to solve their own problem. It is a must that we act today to pass this legislation.
Date: 1996-08-01
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. the gentleman from California is in error. We are trying to get language as the official language of our Government. This English Empowerment Act states English is the official language of the U.S. Government and requires English be used in Government actions. documents. and policies. Despite some of the rhetoric we are hearing today. it is not a radical idea. In fact. more than 80 percent of all Americans support English as the official language. It is about time we acknowledged that one of the most important things we can do to help individuals succeed in America is to encourage them to learn our common language. A recent study of Asian refugees by the State of Texas shows that those individuals who attained proficiency in English earn over 20 times the annual income of those who do not speak English. Learning English will enable immigrants to do what they came here to do: achieve the American dream. We must reverse the failed policies of the 1960s and 1970s. America is a diverse Nation. however. we must bind the strength that comes from Americas diversity with our common language. Let us stop dividing Americans and do something to bring them together. Vote for the English Empowerment Act to do this now. -
Date: 1996-09-12
Speaker: CRAIG SANDEFUR (republican)
Chamber: H

Regeoesis Bioremediation Products. San Juan Capistrano. CA. DEAR MR. SANDEFUR: Environmental Science & Engineering. Inc. (ESE) is pleased to submit this report of current activities at the subject site. A figure. tables and appendices of current and historical data are attached. On August 6. 1996. ESE installed oxygen release compound (ORC) in Well MW9. ESE is evaluating the effects of the ORC at 2week intervals by collecting a grab sample (nonpurge) and monitoring the concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons In the well. As the rate of biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons is controlled partly by the availability of dissolved oxygen (DO). ESE believes that by monitoring the amount of DO. you can better evaluate the effectiveness of the ORC. The historical monitoring data is presented on the next page. The results of this groundwater monitoring event shows that petroleum hydrocarbons decreased several orders of magnitude in 2 weeks time. The concentrations in this well had remained high for approximately 5.5 years prior to the application of ORC. The levels of petroleum hydrocarbons increased at the 4 week sampling. ESE will conduct groundwater monitoring in the future to track the fluctuations in these levels.
Date: 1996-09-19
Speaker: DON OVEARY (republican)
Chamber: S

President. Calloway County Farm Bureau. Almo. KY. DEAR DONNIE: This is to acknowledge and thank you and Calloway County for your attendance and participation in the Measure the Candidate training session held April 8. Also. I wanted to reply to your question on the proposed Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge. As I had mentioned. Laura Knoth has been working diligently with Senator McConnells staff to ensure Farm Bureaus policy is contained in the language of the proposed legislation. Specifically. language which protects farmers property rights. The following provisions. your Farm bureau policy. have been successfully integrated into S. 1611. "The Kentucky National Wildlife Refuge Authorization Act:" Section 2:6 . . . the refuge should not restrict agricultural and silvicultural activities on private lands. Section 6C(I) no activity carried out in the refuge will result in the obstruction of the flow of water so as to affect any private land adjacent to the refuge. and (ii) no buffer zone regulating any land use (other than hunting and fishing) is established. On March 28. the Environment and Public Works Committee passed S. 1611 by unanimous consent. As of this date. it has not been placed on the Senate.calendar to receive floor action. .Donnie. I have also enclosed for your review a copy of a letter from Tom Bennett. Commissioner. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. which outlines significant and unique criteria the Clarks River possesses for the proposed wildlife refuge. I am hopeful that his information is helpful. If you have any further questions. please do not hesitate to contact Laura. or myself. Sincerely.
Date: 1996-09-24
Speaker: JOHN M. QUINN (republican)
Chamber: H

Counsel to the President. The White House. Washington. DC. DEAR MR. QUINN: This is in response to your letter to Director Freeh. dated September 13. 1996. in which you enclosed a copy of the manuscript of Gary Aldrichs book. Although your letter is marked "By Hand." it and the enclosure were sent by United States Priority Mail and received by the FBI only today. We are returning the manuscript to you with this letter. Because this is a document in the possession of the White House which you have described as "responsive" to a congresslonal subpoena. we believe it would be inappropriate for the FBI to become involved in this matter. You correctly note that Mr. Aldrich made certain deletions at the request of the FBI. However. the FBI prepublication review process should not affect your consideration of the subpoena. Nothing in the manuscript .contains classified information. Sincerely.
Date: 1996-09-25
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. why since 1993 have we experienced such a dramatic increase in the use of drugs among our Nations children. when just a decade ago we were winning that fight? The answer is simple. We now have an administration that has replaced "Just say no" with "Just say nothing." The facts speak for themselves. Since 1993. marijuana use among 12- to 13yearolds has increased 137 percent. This should not be surprising when we look at this administrations priorities. Do Members know that they have over 110.000 IRS agents collecting taxes? That is enough to audit almost every person in the State of Texas. Compare that to 12.000 total drug enfo~rcement and border patrol agents that protect our borders. That is taxes over drugs. 10 to 1. This administration must take responsibility for its failed drug policies and stop this epidemic before it destroys our childrens future.
Date: 1996-09-26
Speaker: TOM COBURN (republican)
Chamber: S

my colleague from the House. who has delivered over 3.000 babies. said it is never. never medically necessary. There are other alternatives. There are better. safer alternatives. What is this? What is partialbirth abortion? This child is seconds away. is inches away from total birthtotal birth. In some cases. the arms and the legs are kicking and moving. the fingers are squeezing. It is a live human being. This procedure is infanticide. Dr. Pamela Smith. an obstetrician at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago. points out. and this is a quote: Partialbirth abortion Is a surgical technique devised by abortionists in the unregulated abortion industry to save them the trouble of counting body parts that are produced in dismemberment procedures. This quote is in a letter written to Senators on November 4. 1995. She says in the same letter: Opponents have said that aborting a living human fetus is sometimes necessary to preserve the reproductive potential and/or the ife of the mother. Such an assertion is deceptively and patently untrue. Mr. President. lots of people. real experts who have studied this issue have said it is not necessary to protect the uealth of the mother and it is certainly not necessary to protect the health of the baby. This is destroying a baby. Yes. this moves the abortion debate away from theoretical rights into talking about lives. We are talking about the life of an innocent. unborn human being. I know I heard my colleague. the minority leader of the Senate. say it is rare. How can it be rare when originally the proponents of maintaining the legality of this procedure said a few hundred are performed a year and then we find out in one city in New Jersey there were 1.500 done in 1 year. This was not discovered by the National Right to Life Committee. this was discovered by investigative writers at the Washington Post1.500 in one clinic in New Jersey. There are thousands of these procedures performed annually nowthousands. Mr. President. some of our colleagues made all kinds of remarks that people who are opposed to this procedure. they are just opposed to abortion. Yes. I am opposed to abortion. but I cannot remember ever having to vote on banning all abortions. Somebody said Republicans would like to ban all abortions: that is in your platform. It is not in our platform. It says. yes. we want o protect the sanctity of human life. have only voted on one constitutional amendment that dealt with abortion in my 16 years in the Senate. That was not to ban abortion. So some people nave tried to move this all over the field. What we are trying to do is protect the lives of thousands of babies when they are threefourths born. when they are threefourths delivered. when they are a few inches away from being totally delivered. a few seconds away -from their first breath. And it is particularly gruesome when you realize that some of these babies heads are _ield in the mother. held in the mother 3o the brains .an be sucked out and the 3aby killed while part of he baby i. ..till in the mother. because tbhy know
Date: 1996-09-27
Speaker: ALAN LANDERS (republican)
Chamber: S

Lauderhill. FL. DEAR ALAN: On behalf of the citizens of Florida. I wish to thank you. As a former model for cigarette manufacturers. your compelling testimony before the Florida Legislature of cigarettes insidious poison. and the perverse marketing of this product to our youth is a true "profile In courage". Your personal message made the difference in our winning 1996 Legislative battle against Big Tobacco. Your critical help. combined with the American Cancer Society. American Lung Society. and the American heart Association. permitted Floridiansto beat back over sixty (60) high paid lobbyists and a million dollar media campaign designed to distort the truth. In biblical parlance. "we smote them with the jaw bone of an ass." Alan. thank you again. We will need your help in the future. and I am glad that I can count on you. Warmly yours.
Date: 1996-09-27
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. we have been uncovering all kinds of information in the committee of the gentleman from California . as well as on the United StatesRussia Commission on POWs/ MIAs. of which I am a member. about prisoners being taken to Russia during World War II. the cold war. Korea. and Vietnam. We have yet to resolve that. I think our families are owed that. Members will recall last year we included in the defense authorization bill language which clarified and strengthened the policies and procedures regatding missing service personnel. It was praised by both militaryand veterans groups. Asa matter of fact. it was also praised by the families. who were still alive. of missing members. They are vitally concerned and support this. * as we know. Those who support the repeal of these provisions. some of them on the other side. claim it puts undue pressureon our field commanders. Do Members want to know. -is it undue pressure to ask a commander to report a missing person in 48 hours? I do not think so. They also claim it is too burdensome to require division or theater commander staffs to handle search and rescue calls. Come on. is- it too much to answer our families when they are asking about their missing guys? As a 29year Air Force veteran who has fought in 2 wars. I want to say this thinking. besides being totally illogical. is potentially devastating to all American military families. One of the most basic standards we live by in this U.S. military .is the promise that if while performing your duty you are found missing. or taken prisoner. that everything possible will be done to try to find you or free you. This bond of trust was made stronger by the missing person language that was signed into law last year. If we continue to revoke that language now. are we not revoking our promise to our military to take care of our troops who fight to keep this country free? Mr. Speaker. I ask Members to please understand what I am saying. Before going into combat. the service member does not know if they are going to be fully backed up by our Government if they get into trouble. It is a matter of morale. We should not even be debating this issue. in my- view. I think we should support our valiant military and support this "bill. I thank the gentleman for bringing this to the front.
Date: 1996-09-28
Speaker: MICHAEL J. MATHESON (republican)
Chamber: S

Acting Legal Adviser. Department of State. Washington. DC. DEAR MR. MATHESON: We write regarding the "Declaration of Panama." a document signed on October 4. 1995 by several countries. including the United States. This declaration addresses. measures regarding the protection of dolphins in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. In this declaration. signed for the United States by Brian Hallman of the Office of Marine Conservation. the United States and 11 other nations announced their intention to formalize another agreement (the "La Jolla Agreement") as a "binding legal Instrument." So that we may understand the legal significane of this document. as interpreted by your office. we request answers to the following questions: 1. Does the Department regard the Declaration of Panama as a binding international agreement? 2. If so. please provide a legal analysis discussing the factors pertinent to determining whether a document is a binding international agreement. Such analysis should include. at a minimum. an assessment of the factors set forth in 22 C.F2R. 5181.2 (State Department regulations regarding the coordination and reporting of international agreements). 3. If the Declaration of Panama is a binding international agreement. when did this agreement enter into force. and by what means? 4. If the Declaration of Panama is a binding international agreement. has the agreement been transmitted to Congress pursuant to the CaseZablock Act. 1 U.S.C.�112b? If it has not been so transmitted. why has i not been? Thank you for your attention to this matter. We would appreciate a reply prior to the reconvening of Congress in early September. Sincerely.
Date: 1996-10-01
Speaker: MARK HATFIELD (republican)
Chamber: S

the senior Senator from Oregon. We are brought together. of course. by geography. by the fact that so many of the regional challenges that affect one of our States affects the other as well. By the very real geographic fact that rivers join together rather than separate and the boundary between our two States. through most of its length. is the Columbia River. So. in any event. we would have been pushed together for the solution or for answers to these regional questions. but our association is far greater than that. I can say. Mr. President. that when I arrived in this body in 1981 and viewed my 99 colleagues. the single individual who most closely fit the bestpossible academic or idealistic profile of a U.S. Senator was MARK HATFIELD. in bearing. in demeanor. in dress. in voice. in mind and in ideas. MARK HATFIELD is an individual who. as much as any other I ever met. is able to combine a great loyalty toward a set of ideas and directions which make and preserve a political party. with an independence of judgment and an unwillingness to delegate his final decisionmaking authority to anyone else. That is a very difficult balance. Mr. President. but MARK HATFIELD. I am certain from the beginning of his career. certainly during the 14 years that we have been here together. has perhaps best exemplified that wonderful balance: a chairman of an Appropriations Committee. tolerant. willing to listen to the views of others within his own party and in the other party. a firm and fine negotiator with whatever administration is in power. but at the same time. someone who never has lost sight of his goal of a more thoughtful. more peaceful. more generous America. MARK HATFIELDS influence on this body will live for many years. perhaps for generations. after he has left. Others. beside myself. will look back and say that MARK HATFIELD was their ideal of what a U.S. Senator ought to be. Mr. President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
Date: 2013-01-15
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Article VI: "All debts contracted and engagements entered into. before the adoption of this Constitution. shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution. as under the Confederation. "This Constitution. and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof. and all treaties made. or which shall be made. under the authority of the United States. shall be the supreme law of the land. and the judges in every State shall be bound thereby. anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding. "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned. and the members of the several State legislatures. and all executive and judicial officers. both of the United States and of the several States. shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution. but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
Date: 2013-01-15
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Amendment XXVII: "No law. varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives. shall take effect. until an election of Representatives shall have intervened."
Date: 2013-01-15
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate Coach Carey McVickers for achieving his 500th victory. Coach McVickers is the head coach for the Taylorville High School boys basketball team and. on December 26. led my Tornadoes to defeat Rantoul. 7635. to secure his 500th win. He has been coaching for 31 years. leading teams from all across central Illinois. in areas like Palmyra. Divernon. Williamsville. Nokomis. Pana. and my hometown of Taylorville. In his career. his teams have combined to win 12 conference championships. 9 regional championships. and 19 tournament championships. And to our knowledge. he is the only coach to have brought home a trophy from the State tournament for boys and girls teams. He has been named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year four times and was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012. Carey McVickers is more than just a head coach. he is a dedicated husband. father. and grandfather. and is a rock within the Taylorville community. Congratulations. Coach. Go Tornadoes.
Date: 2013-01-15
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Madam Speaker. on rollcall No. 12. I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present. I would have voted "yea." Stated against: