macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-02-26
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. what a rather startling revelation by Mr. Greenspan. Chairman of the Fed. that the answer to the deficit that this administration has run up and the longterm debt of this Nation is to raise the basic retirement age of Social Security and to cut benefits. Mr. Greenspan and the Republicans speaking for the investor class decided that average working people in this country. the ironworkers who are rebuilding the San Francisco Bay Bridge. the people who are building the skyscrapers in our major cities. who are building our transportation systems. who are working out there in snow and rain and cold weather all through the winter to provide for their families. that they should just work a few years longer so that they will not have to pay for Social Security. This administration has run up the largest deficit in history. and now they are using that deficit as an excuse to attack Social Security. which is the backbone of retirement for millions and millions of Americans. Maybe not for Mr. Greenspan and his friends who have stock options. who have golden parachutes. who have buyouts when they leave their corporations. but for millions of hardworking Americans it is Social Security. and we should not cut it to take care of the Republican deficit.
Date: 2004-02-26
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the Unborn Victims of Violence Act and in support of the substitute bill offered by the gentlewoman from California . the Motherhood Protection Act. I believe very strongly that violence against pregnant women is one of the most morally reprehensible crimes. Any act of violence against pregnant women should be condemned. and I support legislation that protects women and their unborn fetuses from violence. However. I have to rise and oppose the Unborn Victims of Violence Act that we are considering on the floor today because it jeopardizes .a womans right to choose and fails to protect women from violence. This bill is a blatant attempt to undermine a womans right to choose. disguised. sadly. as an effort to protect women from violence. Under the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. for the first time anywhere in Federal law. an unborn fetus at any stage of development will be treated as a person that can be an independent victim of a crime. It is not that hard to figure out that it is a direct attack on a womans right to choose as established in Roe v. Wade. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act is also inadequate for protecting women from violence. If the proponents of this bill were. in fact. sincere in their desire to prevent harm to unborn fetuses. they would start by preventing harm to pregnant women. It is very telling that the Unborn Victims of Violence Act is silent on the issue of preventing and punishing violent crimes against women and that the proponents of this bill will not accept the substitute bill offered by Ms. LOFGREN. the Motherhood Protection Act. . The gentlewoman from Californias
Date: 2004-03-02
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. do you believe that if the United States had acted earlier in a more humane way that this crisis could have been averted?
Date: 2004-03-02
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Madam Speaker. I would like to thank our troops for preventing further chaos and killing in Haiti. But I would like to know what in the world does the future hold for the Haitian people.
Date: 2004-03-04
Speaker: MARY LOU RUSH (democrat)
Chamber: H

Ohio Department of Education. Columbus. Ohio. DEAR DR. RUSH: We are pleased to recognize Ohios 21st Century Community Learning Centers and their commitment to excellence in education. E302 It is with great pleasure that we acknowledge and commend the Ohio Deparment of Education as the national leader in 21st Century Community Learning Center program Implementation. In particular. we want to commend you for your exemplary leadership in developing Ohios network of safe and supportive learning environments for all chil-. dren. both during and outside the traditional school day. A tireless and committed advocate. your singular ability to focus Ohios diverse communities on the educational needs of all children is assuring that Ohios education system is the best in the nation. On behalf of the Ohio delegation. we extend our thanks to the Ohio Department of Education for supporting a program that has impacted the lives of so many children. We congratulate the individuals behind the 21st Century Community Learning Center program and wish them continued success in their efforts to create appropriate educational opportunities for the children of Ohio. Sincerely. Members of Congress: Bob Ney. Marcy Kaptur. Sherrod Brown. Steve Chabot. Paul E. Glllmor. Stephanie TubbsJones. Dennis Kucinich. Steven C. LaTourette. Robert Portman. Timothy J. Ryan. Ted Strickland. Patrick J. Tiberi. and Michael R. Turner.
Date: 2004-03-10
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 339. the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act of 2003.. According to a report released yesterday by the CDC. poor diet and a lack of physical activity are among the leading causes of death in the United States. In fact. obesity is fast approaching to be the number one cause of death in our country. Unless our families become healthier. the CDC estimates that one in three children. or in the Hispanic community. one in two children. will become diabetic. This year. California State. University at Fullerton is proposing a Center for the Prevention of Childhood Obesity. which would work with schools and other organizations .to arm teachers and parents with the tools that they need to prevent obesity in their children. It is also heartening to see some foQd companies such as McDonalds and Xellogg making positive changes in the way that they produce food. and I would argue that these changes are due in large part to some of those lawsuits brought against certain food companies regarding nutritional value. content information. or longterm consequences of eating high fatty foods.
Date: 2004-03-10
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 2714. the State Justice Institute Reauthorization Act of 2003. I worked with my colleagues on the House Judiciary committee to mark this bill up in September of last year. and I offered my support at that time. This bill will authorize the operations of the State Justice Institute (SJI) for Fiscal Years 200508 and proposes to allocate grant money to state courts and other entities that support their operation. I understand that this bill has not been reauthorized since 1996. so this bill is indeed timely. as the need certainly does exist. Since its inception in 1984 and operation in 1987. the SJIs $125 million in grants and $40 million in private and other public funds have played a role in making the state court system in Houston an efficient engine of the administration of justice of which we Houstonians are quite proud. Given the urgent need for us to allocate energy and resources to our critical infrastructure and to the first responders in the context of Homeland security. the insurgence of funds to improve the overall flow of work through the state court systems is extremely important. For example. during the recent blackouts. those agencies and offices that needed this kind of assistance the most had to suffer until power was restored. Insome instances. the blackouts were crippling. If there had been a real threat of terror in those instances. the areas of vulnerability would have translated to disaster. This area of the assessment of threat and vulnerability will be best served by. the provision that requires the Attorney General. in consultation with the Federal Judicial Center. to submit a report to the House and Senate Committees on the Judiciary as to the success and effectiveness of the. SJI. Furthermore. the authorization of the Institute to procure goods and services from the General Services Administration (GSA) will be a boon to those administrative areas that are antiquated and nonfunctioning for want of new equipment and resources. Should this bill pass. I would look forward to conducting a full assessment of need in Houston and make these GSA resources available as soon as possible. Therefore. Mr. Speaker. for the above reasons. I support H.R. 2714 and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Date: 2004-03-17
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. as it should be. military service is being held in high esteem. What strikes me when I visit our military bases and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. is the age of those who have answered the call to duty throughout Americas history. In this war. as in those of our past. we send our young. They are the best of the best. Their motto might well be. in the words of Alexander Pope. "Act well your part. therein all honor lies." SpO. Jeffrey Wershow. a National Guardsman from Gainesville. Florida. is a shining example of Popes words. He was a patriotic young man with passion and heart who left this world too early. His dreams included law school and public service. Spc. Wershow wanted to change the world. and he did. I stand 100 percent behind our troops. All those who deserve our appreciation. our respect. and our compassion. The brave men and women in uniform who have volunteered to defend our country are in my thoughts. and in my prayers. I pledge to work to ensure that they have all the resources necessary to help them accomplish their mission quickly and safely so that they can return home to their families. I want to salute the 566 U.S. troops killed In the year that troops have been in Iraq. Our Nation is humbled by their allegiance. service and sacrifice. I pray that their families will find comfort and peace. To date. 3.254 U.S. troops have been physically wounded. I wish them a speedy recovery and happiness as they return to their family and friends. An untold number of troops will not bear physical scars from this war. but will struggle with their time in Iraq when they return home. I pledge that I will not forget their service and will stand with them when they come home to America. Thousands of Iraqi civilian casualties have been reported. I want the Iraqi people to know that my heart goes out to them during this difficult period. May God bless our troops and may God continue to bless America.
Date: 2004-03-18
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. Members of the House. we now learn that the efforts to provide a prescription drug benefit tb the seniors of this Nation. which they so desperately need. that legislative process has now become a scandal. We learned in the papers this morning that administration officials were threatened to be fired if they told the Congress the true cost of that legislation. We learned that the Medicare administrator was negotiating to set up a consulting business with the very people who would benefit from this legislation. We learned that the legislative chairman of the committee was negotiating with the pharmaceutical industry for a contract to a job after leaving Congress. We learned in the New York Times that there is an inquiry now about the offering of a bribe to a Republican Member of Congress to support that legislation. No wonder the senior citizens do not like this bill. It was never about them. It was only about the special interest and special money and campaign contributions and employment contracts for the Republican administrators and the Republican Members of the House.
Date: 2004-03-18
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

and Messrs. VITTER. BERRY. CANNON. PETRI. POMEROY and ISSA changed their vote from "aye" to "no." Hayes Pence Hayworth Peterson (MN) Hefley Petri Hensarlng PickeringHerger Pltts Hobson Pombo Hoeketra Pomeroy Hooley (OR) Porter Hostettler Portman Houghton Pryce (OH) Hulshof Putnam Hunter Quinn Hyde Radanovich Inslee Rahall Isakson Ramstad Issa Regula Istook Reguer Jenkins Rehberg Johnson (CT) Reynolds Johnson (IL) Re s Johnson. & B. Rogers (AL) Johnson. S Rogers (KY) Jones (NC) Rogers (MI) Jones (OH) Rohrabacher Kanjorski RosLehtinen Keller Ross Kelly Royce Kennedy (MN) Ruppersberger Kind Ryan (WI) King (IA) Ryun (KS) King (NY) Sandlin Kingston Saxton Kirk Schrock Kline Scott (GA) Knollenberg Sensenbrenner Kolbe Sessions LaHood Sadegg Larsen (WA) Shaw Latham Shays LaTourette Sherman Leach Sherwood Lewis (CA) Shuster Lewis (KY) Simmons Linder Skelton LoBiondo Smith (MI) Lucas (KY) Smith (TX) Lucas (OK) Snyder Manzullo Souder Marshall Stearns McCarthy (MO) Stenbolm McCotter Sullivan Mcrery Sweeney McHugh Tancredo McInnis Tanner Mica Taylor (MS) Michaud Taylor (NC) Miller (FL) Terry Miller (Ml) Thomas Miller (NC) Thompson (CA) Miller. Gary Thornberry Moore Tiahrt Moran (KS) Toomey Murphy Tumer (OH) Musgrave Upton Myrick Visclosky Nethercutt Vitter Neugebauer Walden (OR) Ney Walsh Northup Wamp Norwood Weldon (FL) Nunes Weller Nussle Wicker Osborne Wilson (NM) Ose Wilson (SC) Oxley Wolf Paul Young (AK) Pearce Young (FL)
Date: 2004-03-18
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague for yielding to me. and he is exactly right. The problem with this is we need to make sure that the American people understand what is happening. That is why I am glad that he is doing this. Because we have an administration that goes out and does a lot of photo ops with beautiful landscapes in the! background. There is a lot of rhetoric about the importance of preserving our environment. protecting areas like the Chesapeake Bay. but while we have this great public face of environmental protection on the one hand. on the other hand. when it comes to the regulatory process. people are very busy unraveling protections that have existed for years and years and years. and that is what this regulatory assault is about. It is one of many that has taken place in recent years. and it is very important that we put a stop to it.
Date: 2004-03-18
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. the gentleman is exactly right. I mean. the way most people go about planning when they are making major decisions is to take a look at the facts and then figure out what the policy is based on the facts. not to come down with a politically motivated policy and then try and make up the facts to fit that policy. and this administration has gotten in trouble in many ways with respect to that approach. You really do not want to make a mistake when it comes to something like mercury. because if you make a mistake now. it is something that is going to live with us for many. many years to come. Let us just take the Chesapeake Bay for an example. When it comes to nitrogen. when you are cleaning up nitrogen in the bay. if more nitrogen is going in today. and we take strong efforts. for example. in the bay watershed to get rid of that nitrogen. we can do it. We have to work hard to do it. Mercury. on the other hand. is something that stays in the ecosystem for a very long time. We cannot get rid of it overnight. And it stays in the ecosystem. it gets into organisms. it gets into fish and then. of course. it gets into the human food chain and gets into the food we eat. and then eventually can get into the brains of developing fetuses and of children. This is a very. very serious issue. obviously. and it is one where we want to make sure we get the science right. we do our homework before we leap off the cliff. I appreciate again my colleague. the gentleman from Maine . drawing the attention of this body to this issue. Hopefully. we will pull the administration back from the precipice on this and. more important than saving the administration from a bad decision is saving the American people from what could be a very. very serious health problem in years to come.
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the Republican budget because it provides virtually no hope for the 20 million women without health insurance in this country.
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise against the Republican budget because it cuts most programs for women. .most especially for Violence Against Women programs. Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks about the Republican budget because it cuts funding for the Violence Against Women Programs. The funding for violence against women supports most of the programs created by the Violence Against Women Act of. 1994. The programs impact the lives of women and children by bolstering prosecution of domestic violence. sexual assault. increasing services for victims by funding shelters and increasing resources for law enforcement personnel. The Presidents budget proposes to cut funding for these programs to $362 million. a reduction of $22 million. Since the Violence Against Women Act was implemented. there has been a 25 percent decrease in violence against women. This 25 percent decrease demonstrates. the effectiveness of the policing and prosecutions that these programs fund. Violence against women is a global epidemic. It is not a womans issue and it is not a "private" issue. We need to restore the $22 million to the Violence Against Women Programs to show the women. children and families across the country that we are committed to creating a safer and more peaceful world for them.
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. I rise against the Republican budget because it continues a .practice of reverse Robin Hood. robbing from the poor and working people to give tax breaks to the rich.
Date: 2004-03-25
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr.. Chairman. President Bush is cutting funds for veterans medical care in 2005. CBO has stated that the amount the President is providing is 257 million below what is needed to maintain purchasing power at the 2004 levels. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs has testified that he sought $1.2 billion more than what the President provided. The Presidents 2005 budget is a perfect example of how the Bush administration is failing to treat our veterans with the respect that they have earned. It is mindblowing to me that the Bush administration is going to make the trillion dollar deficit they created even worse by keeping the tax cuts it has given to the wealthy. Americans deserve to have a President who looks out for the interests of the Nation as a whole. not just for the elite few. In conclusion. Mr. Chairman. the Republican budget is not adequate to meet the needs of 25 million of our Nations finest individuals. President Bush needs to start walking the walk if he is going to talk the talk. Wearing a flight suit and landing on a carrier does not take care of the needs of former and current members of our Nations military.
Date: 2004-03-25
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I oppose the Republican budget because it cuts funding for the Violence Against Women Programs. This funding supports most of the programs created by the Violence. Against Women Act of 1994. The programs impact the lives of women and children by bolstering prosecution of domestic violence. sexual assault. increasing services for victims by funding shelters and increasing resources for law enforcement personnel. The Presidents budget proposes to reduce these. programs to $362 million. a cut of $22 million. Since the Violence Against Women Act was implemented. there has been a 25 percent decrease in violence against women. This 25 percent decrease demonstrates the effectiveness of the policing and prosecutions that these programs fund. Without full funding. thousands of women and children will not be able to access the services they need to escape from domestic violence. We need full funding for these programs to support this vulnerable section of our population. Violence against women is a global epidemic. It is not a womans issue and it is not a "private" issue. We need to restore the $22 million to the Violence Against Women Programs to show the women. children and families across the country that we are committed to creating a safer and more peaceful world for them.
Date: 2004-03-25
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. on March 25. 1821.. after nearly 400 years pf Ottoman rule. Greece became @n. independent. �te. But. even before there .was a state. thelipflence of the Greek people was well established by their countless contributions to art. sport. culture. literature and government. No Congressional recognition of Greek Independence Day. can be made without an acknowledgment of the profound contribution the Greek people have made to the pursuit of democratic ideals here in the United States and the world over. Every schoolaged child is familiar with the story of how the Founding Fathers modeled the framework for American government on principles first laid down and discussed by the ancient Greeks thousands of years ago. Thomas Jefferson called ancient Greece. "the light which led ourselves out of Gothic darkness." Today. as we meed to celebrate Greek Independence Day. and celebrate the GreekAmerican heritage that continues to strengthen our communities and enrich our society. let us also recognize the influence the Greek people. past and present. have had on the strength of our democracy. Greece and the United States are bound by history. mutual respect. and common ideals. In the coming year. the world will converge on Greece to participate in the Olympic Games. the largest pageant of ahtletic skill and competitive spirit on the planet. On Greek Independence Day. as we pause to reflect on the many ways Greece continues to touch our lives. I encourage all Americans to celebrate the contributions the people of Greece and Greek Americans have made to our country.