macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-15
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

And were doing it without our friends on the other side of the aisle. which is really just so incredibly disappointing. I mean. I have seen our leadership reach across the aisle time and again and ask our Republican colleagues to come to the table. sit down. Were not going to agree on everything. but lets sit down and try to hammer out areas of agreement where we can find some common ground. Lets try to pass bipartisan legislation. As you said. we passed health care reform with over 150 amendments that were offered by Republicans. accepted and included into the bill. We had a bipartisan bill without a bipartisan outcome. and thats been their choice repeatedly. They have made a choice. whether to either sit with us and try to work something outand you know theres times where you have tolook. politics can be a contact sport. This is a situation where they have different ideas than we do. but Ive been in office for 18 years. I spent 12 years in my legislative body. You were in your legislature as well. I have never been in a situationand I come from a State that is controlled by Republicans for the majority of the time that I have served in office. But I was always able to reach across the aisle and find some common ground. And we were always able to. on many things. pass bipartisan legislation. They have no interest in that. So the choices that they are making are. I think. going to result in the American people being presented with a choice to either embrace hyperpartisanship. embrace individuals who are bent on power and bent on controlling the direction that this country moves. and only doing it their way. or Members like our Members who have their fingers on the pulse of their communities. who understand intuitively what the needs are in their district. and who arent reflexively just voting with their party. I mean. just look at the diversity of our caucus. We have been able to pass some significant legislation: the Recovery Act. the health care reform legislation. Weve passed the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights. We have some significant proconsumer economic recovery legislation. and we havent passed it unanimously out of our caucus. We have a diversity of ideas. but our ideas and our diversity reflect America because some Members are able to be supportive and some Members arent. You would think that there would have to be some people on the other side of the aisle that would have the nerve. that would have the backbone to step up and say. You know. Im going to put aside my quest for power. and Im going to sit down. and I know we can work something out. And each of us has had private conversations with other colleagues on the other side of the aisle. and they whisper. Debbie. I really wish we could be with you on this. I really agree with you. but you know. my hands are tied. Really? Your hands are tied? I dont see any rope actually binding your hands or a gag binding your mouth. Its sad.
Date: 2010-06-15
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

And using that free market base for innovation and investment in alternative energy is going to take us right through the 21st century. We are risking. without passing that legislation and making sure that we can spark those significant corporate investments in those technologies. we are risking giving over our leadership in this area to China and India. I mean. because thats whats going to happen. They are certainly not sitting around waiting for us to decide whether or not to pass alternative energy and climate change legislation. They are focused on making sure that they can be leaders in innovation and technology in the area of alternative energy. We have so many opportunities to create tax incentives and to help create jobs through that legislation. Again. it would be nice if we werent being stiffarmed. And. Mr. Speaker. I see you rising and wanted to thank my colleague from Ohio for joining me tonight. Mr. Speaker. we among House Democrats really spend quite a bit of time interacting with our constituents. We do it in many ways. We do it in live town hall meetings. in telephone town hall meetings. as well as through social media networking and interaction. And I know that I really encourage people who are listening to this and encourage our colleagues to reach out to me and provide me with feedback on my Facebook page. which is RepDebbieWassermanSchultz. So anyone interested in giving us some feedback on our Facebook page. thats welcome. And Mr. BOCCIERI. I dont know if you want to promote your own. We do have a contest going on in the House Democratic Caucus. and so we are all interested in adding folks to our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Date: 2010-06-15
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thats exactly right. We look forward to repeatedly inviting our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us in moving this country in a new direction. continuing to jumpstart the economy. create jobs. and aggressively restoring the prosperity that Americans have enjoyed for our entire history. With that. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. I rise today to recognize a very special individual by the name of First Lieutenant Wayne T. Hogancamp. First Lieutenant Hogancamp. who lives in Orange County. California. was awarded the third highest honor in the military for gallantry in action. the Silver Star. on While in command of an M8 cannon platoon and advancing over an enemycontrolled road in the Philippines. First Lieutenant Hogancamp maneuvered his M8 through a barrage of enemy artillery fire and successfully destroyed two 77 millimeter guns. thus allowing his column to advance. While continuously exposed to enemy fire and using a burning M5 tank for cover. he eliminated the enemy threat. allowing the safe passage of his men. First Lieutenant Hogancamps bravery is a testament to the dedication and valor of himself. his unit. and the United States Army. It was an honor for me and my office to have helped Lieutenant Hogancamp obtain his muchdeserved Silver Star medal and to have presented it to him this past weekend. 65 years after his heroic act. Madam Speaker. please join me in honoring First Lieutenant Wayne T. Hogancamp of the United States Army.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Amendment No. 7 offered by Mr. AL GREEN of Texas: Page 19. after line 4. insert the following new subsection: (e) NOTIFICATION TO CUSTOMERS. Any eligible institution receiving funds under the Program shall (1) disclose on every applicable loan transaction that the loan is being made possible by the Program. and (2) if such institution has an established internet website. such institution shall make available on its internet website (A) the written reports made by the Secretary pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 7. and (B) a statement that the institution. as a participant in the Program. is seeking to make small business loans to qualified borrowers and may not discriminate on the basis of any factor prohibited under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. including the race. color. religion. national origin. sex. marital status. or age. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1436. the gentleman from Texas and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I yield myself 3 minutes at this time. Madam Chair. this is an important amendment. This amendment will not be a perfect amendment with references to what it seeks to do. but it is a perfecting amendment. This amendment seeks to provide disclosure and enhance accountability. and Id like to make it known that this amendment received a lot of help and input from the Office of Congressman HENSARLING. and I thank him for what he has done. This amendment would provide that an institution engaged in the lending process with the funds from the program. that this institution will on applicable loan documents indicate that the funds being loaned are funds that are coming from the fund. This is important because the public desires to know where the money is going. how it is being utilized. This amendment would also require. if the institution has a Web site. it will require that that Web site contain the written reports of the Treasury Secretary. These reports would indicate. to the extent that loans have been made. how the money has been utilized. and this. again. would provide additional transparency which will lead to accountability. Finally. the amendment will require lending institutions to make known to the capable. competent. and qualified borrowers that they will have the opportunity to participate in the program by way of receiving loans and that these loans must be based upon the law as it is written and not allow any type of discrimination. invidious discrimination to infiltrate the program. I think this is an amendment that goes a long way toward helping us improve our transparency and accountability. It is not a perfect amendment. but it is a perfecting amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

It will indicate what transactions took place. and it will indicate who the banks. the lending institutions. that engaged in the transaction. The borrowers name would not be a part of the information.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me simply say in response that the bill anticipates that loans will be repaid. Its not a circumstance where persons are going to receive or businesses will receive loans that are not going to be paid. And the bill causes banks or lending institutions to make the loans because they will receive a better interest rate upon making loans such that they are incentivized to make these loans. So. while the bill will not cure all of the ails of society. all of the ills that we have. it certainly will go a long way towards stimulating small business lending. which is important to the economic recovery. I believe in this bill. I believe that this amendment will help with transparency and accountability. And I also believe that it is time for us to do all that we can to help the small businesses in this country. I believe that this is something we can do. and I believe that it is the something that will make a difference. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I yield myself such time as I may consume. While I appreciate the gentleman from Texas desire to make sure that budgets are balanced and to make sure that we have accountability and transparency. I do have to remind the gentleman that the desire and the need to balance the budget did not start this year. nor did it start last year. We should have had a balanced budget for the 8 years of the prior administration. I think that you find this administration burdened with the problems that were created by the past administration. I believe that in an effort to correct these problems. we will have to take some necessary steps toward helping small business. I hear my colleagues on the other side quite regularly contending that small businesses need help. This is help. and my trust and my hope and my belief is that the small business help will be supported by not only this side of the aisle. but by both sides of the aisle. Madam Chair. I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas .
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I rise to claim time in opposition. but I will not oppose the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. Without objection. the gentlewoman from Texas is recognized for 5 minutes.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. I am delighted to have Mr. CAO join me in my amendment that I offered in the Rules Committee. and I am delighted that he was able to rise to claim the time for this amendment. This is an amendment that I have written. and I have asked Mr. CAO to join me. as he had a similar amendment. I appreciate very much the support that he has given. and I recognize the concerns that he has expressed. I want to support the underlying bill as well and to make note of the fact that small businesses are now facing the most difficult time in the worst recession in our history. According to a February 2010 report of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. total bank loans and leases declined for the sixth straight quarter. with total loans to commercial and industrial borrowers declining by 4.3 percent and real estate construction development loans declining by 8.4 percent. What that means is that small businesses are taking the strongest hit. This bill will focus. in particular. on the question of providing a lending scheme. a lending structure. which is paid for to provide the startup credit for our small businesses. Well. here we find ourselves addressing an enormous crisis that has occurred in the gulf. During the Memorial Day recess. I did a flyover of the gulf and of the Deepwater Horizon. and I saw the magnitude and the growth of this disaster. Somewhere between millionsor at least a million gallonsbut somewhere between 20.000 and 40.000 barrels per day are gushing into the gulf. We dont know where this is going to stop. Many small businesses are impacted in the Gulf States. That would include Florida. That would include Texas. That would include Alabama. Mississippi. and Louisiana. This amendment. for which I am delighted to be joined by Mr. CAO. will. in fact. cause lending institutions to focus resources on the small business community. Even Linda Smith. who owns the Alligator Cafe in Houston. Texas. is shut down because she cannot get product. When I visited New Orleans. there were restaurants that seemed to close early because they couldnt get product. What about the oystermen and shrimpers and fishermen who cant seem to get a lump sum payment from BP for which weve advocated? In speaking just a few minutes ago to an oysterman in Pointe a la Hache. he indicated he had not gotten his money. So. therefore. I am asking my colleagues to support this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the gentleman from Louisiana and New Orleans. especially for his leadership. I look forward to working with him as we go forward on legislation that addresses some of the concerns I have heard him express so as we may establish a real national energy policy. I would ask my colleagues to support this amendment. As I have indicated. I have obtained the time in opposition. but I will not oppose the amendment that we have both offered on the floor of the House. I will argue vigorously that this is an excellent opportunity to protect small businesses which are yet noted. which are yet listed. which are going to be impacted across that gulf from tourism in Florida. Alabama. Mississippi. on to the shrimpers. fishermen. oystermen. and to the restaurants that are now in conditions where they are shutting down and where they are letting go of their employees. They are pleading for assistance. This is a good amendment. and it is a good amendment to this legislation. It focuses on our small businesses. so I would ask my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Louisiana .
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII. further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Louisiana will be postponed.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Chairwoman. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Amendment No. 13 offered by Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California: Page 62. after line 15. insert the following: "(8) The extent to which the applicant will concentrate investment activities on small business concerns in targeted industries. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1436. the gentlewoman from California and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairwoman. I rise today in support of H.R. 5297. the Small Business Lending Fund Act. It is crucial in todays world that we further expand the potential of small businesses and of key industries that have proven to create jobs and to increase our manufacturing base here in the United States. As a former investor and financial analyst. I was particularly impressed with title III of this bill. the Small Business Early Stage Investment program. In recent years. we have seen a shift from the entrepreneur and small business startup community. from the traditional loans and from leverage such as mortgaging our own homes. to using intellectual capital and innovation as our leverage. As a Californian. I understand the importance of startup businesses and the economy as California makes up a large percentage of startups and venture capital funders. Creating a publicprivate partnership designed to channel investment capital to them is increasingly important in order to get our economy on track. which is why I submitted an amendment that would include additional criteria during the selection process of these investment companies. My amendment would ensure that. as part of the selection criteria. the small business administrator would examine the extent the investment company would concentrate its investment capital on our targeted industries. Such targeted industries have been historical in job and economic growth. such as the information technologies. life sciences. defense technologies. clean technology. and digital media. The small business startups are the backbone of our economy. and they will contribute to all of the sectors so that we can get our economy going again. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Chair. first. I would like to thank our great chairwoman of the Small Business Committee. I know that shes a little under the weather today. so we really appreciate that she would come down and speak on our amendment. As a Californian. I continue to go back every week to my district. and our small businesses are ailing. Theyre asking for help. Theyre holding on. A lot of them have not been able to make it through. Those who are still holding on are waiting for us to help them to do something. About a month ago. I had Chairman Bernanke before us in the Joint Economic Committee. And we talked about the fact that we needreallywe need to help small business. Small business is really where the hiring of America happens. So if theyre ailing. then there will be unemployment. So I really believe in this bill. I thank those who have worked on it. I urge a "yes" vote on the underlying bill and on this amendment. I have no further requests for time. and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. LORET-
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. as the designee of the gentlewoman from California. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Amendment No. 17 offered by Mr. AL GREEN of Texas: Page 11. line 2. before the period insert the following: ". as well as a plan to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate outreach. where appropriate". Page 18. line 8. after "provide" insert the following: "linguistically and culturally appropriate". Page 18. line 9. strike "appropriate language of the". Page 21. line 13. after "funding to" insert the following: "minority- owned eligible institutions and other". Page 26. line 2. insert after the period the following: "To the extent possible. the Secretary shall disaggregate the results of such study by ethnic group and gender.". The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1436. the gentleman from Texas and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. this amendment is one that will add additional language to the requirement that there be minority outreach in this program. Its important for me to state that I have a district that I represent that is currently about 36 percent African American. 31 percent Latino. 21 percent Anglo. and 12 percent Asian. Its important to note that in my district the ballot is printed in three languages. Its printed in English. Spanish and Vietnamese. This amendment furthers the notion that persons who speak languages other than English will have an opportunity to have materials that are linguistically and culturally sensitive. This amendment would require that appropriate materials. when published. be in languages that are culturally and linguistically sensitive. It also requires that advertising receive the same sort of consideration. given that we are trying to reach markets wherein we do have persons who can better understand what is being conveyed if they have the opportunity to do so in a language that they are comfortable with. By the way. I would add that many people who speak English have difficulty with financial documents. as was indicated by a previous amendment. Imagine. if you will. speaking English. but it is not a language that you are as comfortable with as perhaps another language. This would assist persons with the understanding that they should have. so as to participate in the program. The amendment also would have data disaggregated. We find that the information that we collect too often does not disaggregate as it relates to the Asian American community. and we would have this information disaggregated so that we might ascertain whether or not we have persons who are not only of wealth in the community but also find out about persons who may not be as wealthy as many others. With this said. I will reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. at this time I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California .
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas .
Date: 2010-06-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I especially want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee for working with us on this resolution. I especially want to thank the ranking member. Mr. SMITH. for his working with us on the resolution. and I also want to give an extra special thanks to