macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-03-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 2733. a bill to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Last month. we took the next step toward reauthorizing the Higher Education Act by passing H.R. 4137. the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. in the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. That bill builds on the law Congress enacted last year that put $20 billion in Federal student aid in the hands of those in most need. lowand middleincome students and families working hard to pay for the cost of college. Now. as we work with the Senate towards the conference report to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. we are close to providing students and families with additional refornis needed to truly ensure that the doors of college remain open to all qualified students. It is our goal to ensure that the final bill include vital provisions of H.R. 4137 that address the major obstacle families face in the path to college. from skyrocketing college tuition prices. to the needlessly complicated student aid application process. to predatory tactics by student lenders. It has been nearly 10 years since the Higher Education Act last reauthorized. and I believe that Members on both sides of the aisle and in both Chambers are eager to complete the work on a compromise bill this Congress. This bipartisan reauthorization presents the best opportunity that we had to bring our higher education system into the 21st century. The bill under consideration today. S. 2733. will extend the programs under the current Higher Education Act until April 30. 2008. to allow sufficient time for further deliberations to continue on the two bills passed in the House and Senate. Andwhile that process of reauthorizing the Higher Education Act may be coming to a close. I would like to underscore that it does not mean that. we will complete work on higher education altogether. The Education and Labor Committee will continue our efforts to ensure our higher education programs operate in the best interests of students and families. which include overseeing the proper implementation of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act and other provisions of the Higher Education Act. We will also examine how we can best ensure the availability of Federal student loans in the midst of volatility in our Nations credit markets. I look forward to completing this work with the respective Members so that we can continue to make college more affordable and accessible for 6ur Nations students and families. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-03-12
Speaker: HERSETH SANDLIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman. And I thank Chairman SPRATT and Mr. Boyi for their leadership on the Budget Committee in fashioning a budget resolution for fiscal year 2009 that is putting our fiscal condition on a course toward far better health than weve seen in the first 6 years of the Bush administration and the continued proposals that weve seen from the administration in the substantial cuts. but also the imbalance that weve been experiencing and adding to the national debt. I am proud. as a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. to support this resolution because of so many of the core principles of our organization and fiscal responsibility that Mr. BOYD and
Date: 2008-03-13
Speaker: PATRICK MURPHY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Madam Speaker. as we prepare to mark the 5year anniversary of the war in Iraq. I would like to take a moment and offer a moment of silence for the brave and the fallen. including 19 members of my unit. the 82nd Airborne Division. who never made it home. On this somber occasion. we are united behind our troops. We honor the memories of thousands. and we pledge our support for those still fighting for our freedom.
Date: 2008-03-13
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Thank you. Member SCOTT. and I thank you for the stellar job that you have done on this budget. I thank Chairwomskn KiLPATRICK for what she has done as well. The. Members on the other side talk about control spending. I think we heed to give some indication of what "control spending" is. Control spending occurs when you spend $144 billion per year on war and you cut Medicaid by $500 billion over 10 years. [] 1230 Control spending is spending $12 billion a month on war. and you are cutting Medicaid by $100" billion over 10 years. Control spending means that you cant fully fund health care. education. first responders and infrastructure repair. but you can spend $243.550 per minute on war. It is time for us to assess our priorities. If we can spend $395 million per day on war. then we can spend $32 million to fully fund FHIP. the Federal initiative to make sure that we end discrimination in housing. We can fund it for 1 year for $32 million. It has been cut. In 2006 we had 27.000 housing discrimination complaints. 18.000 were resolved. The administration is presently requesting $26 million in 2008. That is a 15 percent cut. given that $6 million of it will go toward a study. FRIP is a way to end discrimination in housing. We have to have the will to fund it. If we fund FHIP. we can end housing discrimination. The Fair Housing Initiative Program deserves to be funded. and lets control spending in some other areas and take care of home.
Date: 2008-03-13
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Messrs. GUTIERREZ. SAXTON. Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Messrs. HOYER. COHEN. FRELINGHUYSEN. FATTAH. TURNER and Mrs. SCHMIDT changed their vote from "aye" to "no." Messrs. FLAKE. EHLERS. FRANKS of Arizona. SHULER and McINTYRE changed their vote from "no" to "aye." So the amendment was rejected. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Date: 2008-03-14
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I began my service in Congress fighting for the right to privacy. Above all else. Americans ability to communicate without the fear of having the government tap their phones. listen to their conversations or intercept their private communication is a right that just cannot be discarded. Our good friends on the other side of the aisle have said if an American is not communicating with a terrorist. then they have nothing to fear. The manner in which the administration has conductedthe warrantless surveillance program has undermined our citizens confidence in the bedrock belief that we live in a free country where we do not live in constant fear of the government looking over our shoulder. This is a cherished right that has been arrogantly cast aside by an administration run amok. After a careful review of both classified and unclassified materials concerning the administrations warrantless wiretapping program. I. like so many of my Judiciary Committee colleagues. concluded that the immunity that is proposed by the administration is unnecessary and goes too far. We must be vigilant when protecting our citizens right to privacy. It is a rare. unique. and important right that we cannot allow to be subjected to death by a thousand cuts. If the administration has its way and this right falls. what is next? We must stand in the breach and make sure that Americans right to privacy is preserved. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Date: 2008-03-31
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of a resolution offered by a fellow Texan. Congresswoman GRANGER. recognizing the month of March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. There are few diagnoses that strike more fear into Americans than being diagnosed with cancer. More than 10 million Americans currently live with cancer. According to the American Cancer Society. more than 1.4 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed this year. . In the United States. colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and women. If it is caught early. it is often curable. Regular colorectal cancer screening or testing is one of the best ways to prevent colorectal cancer. Once abnormal cells start to grow. it takes approximately 10 to 15 years to develop into colorectal cancer. Regular colorectal cancer screening can prevent colorectal cancer altogether because some polyps and growths are identified and removed before they turn into cancer. Screening can also result in finding colorectal cancer early. when it is highly curable. Houstons MD Anderson Cancer Center is .located near my district so I have seen the effectiveness of research and treatments that have come from investment in- cancer research programs. However. the easiest way to prevent. treat. and recover from cancer is to find it early. That is why recognizing the month of March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is important. Letting people know that they should be regularly tested for colorectal cancer is the firststep in saving lives. I want to thank my colleague. Representative GRANGER. and urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Date: 2008-03-31
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. for millions of American families it is becoming more and more difficult to make ends meet. Our economic outlook is grim in light of the recent housing crisis. fluctuating interest rates. and increasing prices. Working Americans are feeling a serious squeeze on their family finances. because for too long. Republicans and this administration ran up big deficits and ignored priorities here at home. With the economy continuing to decline. African American households are suffering disproportionately. In 2006. African Americans were two times more likely to get highcost subprime loans. In my district. more than half of loans given to working Americans were subprime. of these loans. 80 percent were African American. One in six resulted in foreclosure. this is unacceptable. In 2007. the Democratic led Congress passed an increase to the minimum wage. but this does not help Americans who cannot find jobs. The African American unemployment rate has climbed from 8 percent this fall to 9.2 percent in January. with 1.6 million African Americans currently looking for work. I applaud the Congressional Democrat Leadership for their rapid agreement on an economic stimulus package to aid families across America. While I feel that this stimulus package is a step in the right direction. I am disappointed that there was no aggressive plan for job training programs such as: adult education and literacy. welfaretowork. and vocational education. As a senior member of the House Science Committee. I feel it is important to invest in our childrens futures. This Congress has led the fight to address access to higher education. enrichment programs in STEM fields. advancement in educational programs for minorities. and spur critical research and development to meet the needs of the country. Education is the foundation to building a better and brighter future for all Americans. Mr. Speaker. honest. hardworking men and women are struggling to make a decent living as they go about their daily routines. The economic disparities of African American and other minoritiesare truly hurting this country. I am hopeful that the President will join this Congress to help find longterm.- comprehensive measures as opposed to a -temporary bandaid to our economic problems.
Date: 2008-04-01
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Thank. you. Mr. Speaker. and colleagues. Today I rise to honor a hardworking labor leader. Cesar Chavez. who founded the United Farm Workers Union and dedicated his life to promote nonviolence through boycotts and strikes that would protect farm workers from the dangers of pesticides. low wages. and the denial of fair and free elections. I met Cesar Chavez in the 1970s when he came to organize farm workers in. Texas. I was a young Texas State Representative and was inspired by his leadership then and as he inspires people today in this century. Cesar Estrada Chavez was born on March 31. 1927. in Yuma. Arizona. It was 10 years later in 1937 that like many other migrant families. his parents lost their farm and their home. This was a hardship that led them to join thousands of other migrant farmer workers to toil in the California fields. In 1944Cesar Chavez enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served and fought for the United States in the Pacific during World War II. He later married Helen Fabela and fathered eight children. Although Cesar Chavez was not able to complete high school because his family required his helping hands in the California fields. he not only endured the *hardships of migrant working conditions but experienced the injustices that he later made into a personal crusade for the migrant farm workers. His personal struggles as a migrant farm worker led him to find a nonviolent way to help Hispanic farm workers. In the 1950s. Cesar quietly began to study and work for the better working conditions of migrant workers. His persistent struggle to help Hispanics led him to organize the National Farm Worker group in Fresno. California. Cesar Chavez was one of the first Hispanic activists that begun what was a series of boycotts and strikes against California grape growers. Most notably. he called a boycott against Schenley Industries. a major California grape producer. His series of boycotts and strikes caused a national awareness that provoked the late Senate Robert F. Kennedy to criticize local officials after uncovering strikebreaking practices against farm workers. The National Farm Workers Union later reached a groundbreaking settlement with Schenley Industries that marked the first contract ever signed for farm workers in the United States. This was a monumeptal achievement that the United Farm Workers would not have been able to accomplish without the hard work and determination of this courageous individual. As the struggle to protect farm workers continued. Cesar Chavez even sacrificed his health several times by fasting. He saw his fight as a personal fight to end the terrible suffering of the farm workers and their children. Cesar Chavez worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Americas farm workers by securing their rights to organize and bargain collectively for fair working conditions. Chavez showed us that together we can make a safe and prosperous America with a strong and vibrant economyan America with good jobs and good pay. Fifteen years after his passing. his lifes work and legacy continues to inspire millions.
Date: 2008-04-01
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Members of the House. this country has given the best of its young men and women in the battle in the war in Iraq and much of its treasure on the theory that we were fighting terrorists in Iraq so that we would be safer at home. on the theory that we were fighting terrorists in Iraq to eradicate them. We have lost over 4.000 young men and women in that battle. and tens of thousands of more seriously wounded. and almost $1 trillion of our treasure. Yet. this last week we saw our troops were not called upon to go against insurgents. to go against al Qaeda. They were called upon to enforce one side of an election battle of Shias against another band of Shias. Our troops were put into battle over this last week because there was a fear by the Maliki government that the Sdipreme Council of Iraq would lose an -election in Bosra. So they declared a battle against Muqtada alSadrs supporters in Bosra. They were unable to do it. They were unable to effectively carry it out. And they didnt force American troops into that battle. Our troops should not be engaged in trying to square the field for the election advantage of one group of Iraqis over another. That is what elections are about. that i what democracy is about. But it should not be with the lives of our troops and the treasure of this country.
Date: 2008-04-01
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1005. a resolution supporting the designation of May as Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month. I want to thank my colleague TOM. DAVIS for his leadership on an issue that is very important to many Americans. Borderline personality disorder is a serious mental health illness that centers on the inability of people to manage their emotions effectively. Approximately 4 million Americans suffer from borderline personality disorder. Its symptoms include destructive impulsiveness. rage. marked shifts in mood. bodily selfharm. chaotic relationships. fears of abandonment. substance abuse. and unstable selfidentity. Although it was officially recognized in 1980 by the psychiatric community. borderline personality disorder is at least two decades behind in research. treatment options. and education compared to other major mental illnesses. Borderline personality disorder can have a devastating impact on peoples lives. While some persons with this disorder may be functioning normally in certain settings. their private lives are often in turmoil. Others are unable to work and require financial support. If Americans would like more information on borderline personality disorder. I encourage them to visit the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder Web site at www.neabpd.org or the National Alliance on Mental Illness Web site at www.nami.org. Madam Speaker. this resolution acknowledges the pressing burden of those afflicted with borderline personality disorder and seeks to spread awareness of this underrecognized. and often misunderstood. mental illness. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Date: 2008-04-01
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I would first like to thank my colleague from Georgia Mr. JOHN LEwis for introducing this resolution which honors the life and legacy of one of Americas greatest citizens. Dr. Martin tuther King. Jr. Today. neariy 40 years after he was tragically taken from us. we are still striving to create a society of equal opportunity which he so eloquently called for. We still have a long way to go before his goals will be achieved. but at least he left for us a beacon of hope toward which we can all strive. I am privileged to represent the Thirtieth District of Texas in the Congress and would note that there are many in North Texas who have endeavored to maintain the legacy of Dr. King. Indeed. in their everyday actions. the clergy. elected officials. students and community in the district strive to implement Dr. Kings philosophy. In 1964. King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial. discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means. It is ironic that his life was taken so prematurely at the hands of violence as he visited Memphis. Tennessee to help lead sanitation workers in a protest over black workers being sent home with no pay because of bad weather when white workers remained on the job. This tragic incident happened the day after he gave his "Ive been to the Mountaintop" speech during which he seemed to almost prophetically foreshadow his impending deatlDr. King. stood for the common man and for social and political justice in every facet and echelon of life. As a man of vision and determination to do Gods will. King was truly destined to lead the people to the "promised land." Sadly. like Moses. Dr. King was not able to go into the promised land of opportunities with those he led so far through the wilderness of injustice. hatred. and bigotry. Still today. there are many that have been left to rough their way through the thicket of discrimination and racism. Therefore. it is our responsibility to carry on the beacon he left for us that lights the way to true equality and justice. Mr. Speaker. we can honor Dr. King by bowing our heads in memory of him. but only for a moment. For we must then lift our heads. hold each other hands. look ahead. heads high. and continue the fight for his sacrifice for this Nation. which was freedom. equality and opportunity for all.
Date: 2008-04-01
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. this afternoon I rise to recognize Mr. Charlie Ara. the recipient of the First Annual Cesar Chavez Humanitarian Award for the 56th Assembly District of California. for over 50 years of community service and activism in the field of human and civil rights. Mr. Ara was ordained a Roman Catholic priest by Cardinal James Francis McIntyre on April 25. 1956. at St. Vibianas Cathedral in Los Angeles. California. From 1956 to 1970. he served as associate pastor in five large parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles: St. Lawrence Martyr in the South Bay area. St. Finbars in the BurbankGlendale area. Visitation in West Los Angeles. All Saints in El Sereno. and St. Cecilias in the TustinSanta Ana area of Orange County. On August 28. 1963. Mr. Ara participated in the March on Washington. along with over 250.000 people. and experienced Martin Luther King Jr.s "I Have a Dream" speech. Mr. Ara has carried Mr. KINGs message of equality throughout his career. Mr. Ara became a strong advocate for social justice. including support for farm workers. antiVietnam War activists. and fair housing legislation for MexicanAmerican families living in public housing projects in East Los Angeles. In 1970. Mr. Ara married. He and his wife. Shirley. were -blessed with five wonderfulchildren: Martin John. Jose Anthony. Rana Annette. Dawna Gibrana. and Matthew Charles. Mr. Kra became the chief executive and administrator of antipoverty programs funded by the California Community Services Administration. the U.S. Department of Labor. and the City of Long Beach Department of Rehabilitation. Through these programs. Mr. Ara assisted Latinos and other ethnic minorities by directing men and women to job training programs. Mr. Ara also established English classes for the Spanishspeaking community. served as a liaison with the welfare department. and sought assistance for the elderly. Mr. Ara also wrote and obtained the first mental health government grant for the Asian American community in Long Beach serving widows of fallen military servicemembers. In addition to his advocacy work. Mr. Ara holds a doctoral degree in psychology and has been a marriage and family counselor for 36 years. He has written a bestselling marital success guide titled. "The Grass is Greener Where It is Watered." Mr. Ara has prepared many thousands of couples for marriage. and has made numerous appearances on national television and radio programs to discuss his work. Most recently. Mr. Ara led an effort with the Hubert Humphrey Democratic Club of Cerritos and the AfricanAmerican community to observe the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday in the city of Cerritos. Madam Speaker and distinguished colleagues. please join me in recognizing Charlie Ara for his many years of service to the community. and for his many years of social justice advocacy. He is a great man who does great work in our community. We respect him tremendously. and he deserves this honor.