macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-09-27
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. it is often said by politicians of both parties that Members of Congress must act with compassion and legislate from the heart. It is my strong and fervent belief that there are few pieces of legislation that this body will consider that are more relevant to the hearts and souls of our constituents than the passage of the Violence Against Women Act. I have looked into the eyes of women beaten by men. Those women thought that that person was their partner for life. their soulmate and their lover. I have s~en the painand rejection and the hurt on their faces as these women struggle to recover their dignity and their strength. I have spent a great deal of my public life being involved in raising money for domestic violence shelters. In the small county where I lived and was first a county commissioner. I raised money. because I saw the need. I was involved in the board of the domestic violence shelter. For years. the Founding Fathers of the county. the power brokers. were in denial that domestic violence actually occurred in the county. When I finally got elected to the Florida State Senate. I fought long and hard to get funding for domestic violence shelters so that women and their children would have a place to go. The purpose of this hour this evening is to highlight the Violence Against Women Act. which was first passed in 1994 and which will be on the House floor tomorrow. Before I go into any more detail. however. I would like to yield to my colleague. the gentlewoman from West Virginia . a woman with whom I have worked closely over the 3 short years I have been here on issues affecting women and the former Chair of the Congressional Caucus for Womens Issues.
Date: 2005-09-27
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from West Virginia . Certainly- hearing the story about the domestic violence shelter close to her home is one that many Members of Congress certainly can relate to. and I appreciate her sharing that with us tonight. Whether the victims name is Mary. Laurie. Kate. Stephanie or Florence. they are all victims. Let me tell about a woman I know who was a victim named Floronce. She found herself pregnant at the age of 17. She went on to have several other relationships and a total of four children. all daughters. Those daughters grew up seeing their mother being a victim. These children believed that abuse was normal because all of Florences partners were abusive. Three of her four daughters turned out to be victims or abusers themselves. -it is true that children learn what they live. Given that stpry and my background of advocacy for victims. .I know how important it is for Congress to recognize that there are millions of Americans out there who have had similar harrowing experiences. I rise this evening to highlight the Violence Against Women Act. which we will be discussing on the floor tomorrow. VAWA. as it is commonly known. is landmark legislation that provides real solutions to reduce the incidence of violence against women. Mr. Speaker. domestic violence affects our most vulnerable constituents: battered women and their families. I think that every Member of Congress has heard stories of women who wish to leave an abusive situation and face threats. severe physical harm. and in some cases even death. Evidence suggests that the past incarnations of VAWA have been effective in reducing the violence. I am delighted to see that I am joined by a fellow Floridian this evening. the gentlewoman from Florida .
Date: 2005-09-28
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I. too. want to just first commend the two individuals who have brought this resolution forward. two individuals who have a history of fighting for human rights around the world. I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for his leadership. Once again. those who are oppressed can always count on the gentleman from Arkansas. and the gentleman from California . a person who is. again.-a hero to so many around the world. particularly to those who cannot. speak up. cannot speak out. like we are able to do here. I thank him for his leadership. It is a privilege to serve with him. A lot has been said about why. this resolution is needed. My colleague from Florida just mentioned the response that the European Union has had to this latest crackdown. A deplorable response. a response which. is the definition of appeasement. if there ever was one. It is wonderful to see. though. Mr. Speaker. that this Congress. once again. stands up with those who are seeking freedom. but who do not have it. This Congress once again is saying. no. we are not going to stay silent. we are going to speak up for those who cannot speak up. we are going to speak up for those who are in prison. We do not forget that just 90 miles away from the shores of the United States there is a dictatorship. a tyranny that is not only corrupt. that is not only on the list of terrorist nations. those nations that sponsor terrorism. that is not only a dictatorship who sponsors narco trafficking. which also is a dictatorship who practices apartheid against its own people. and who murders not only its own people. but also has over the years murdered numerous Americans. We recall. we recall as one of the many examples that I can talk about today. when that dictatorship shot down two American airplanes. So how appropriate then that this Congress. this symbol of freedom around the world is. once again. speaking out for those who cannot. is once again remembering those who are being tortured in prison and. I think. also shows that once again. yes. this is the beacon of freedom. We understand that others are suffering. We do not forget. And. we know that one day the Cuban people will be able to speak up. though they are not able to do it right now. they will be able to speak for themselves. because they will not be imprisoned forever.
Date: 2005-09-28
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. My amendment requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to Congress on the correlation between a perpetrators drug or alcohol abuse and thereported incidence of domestic violence. I rise today to offer an amendment to the Department of Justice Authorization Act. As you know. this bill includes provision that reauthorize the successful Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). As the Republican CoChair of the Congressional Caucus for Womens Issues. I wholeheartedly support VAWA 2005 because it faithfully reauthorizes existing programs that work and it sets forth new and innovative ideas. Since VAWA was first passed in 1994. the rate of domestic violence against females over the age of 12 in the U.S. has declined each year. While great strides have been made in breaking the vicious cycle of domestic violence in this country. there is much more to be done. Too many people continue to be abused and victimized by family members whom they should be able to trust. When VAWA 2005 was drafted. I was disturbed by the lack of information available to Members of Congress on the correlation between a perpetrators drug and alcohol abuse and incidence of domestic violence. My amendment seeks to fill this gap in time for the next reauthorization of VAWA in 2010. Intuitively. the connection between substance abuse and physical abuse of a spouse or family member seems obvious. While Congress can be guided by intuition. ultimately we need hard data to help shape future policy decisions. Currently. there is an absence of nationally complied data examining the Strength of this connection. My amendment requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to Congress on the correlation between a perpetrators drug and alcohol abuse and the reported incidence of domestic violence. I urge support of my amendment to the 2005 Department of Justice Authorization Act.
Date: 2005-09-28
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor our former colleague and my good friend. the Honorable Christopher Cox. For almost 20 years. Chris Cox has served his country nobly. admirably. and to the best of his ability as a public official and legislator. Now President Bush has tapped him for a new chapter in his public service career as the next Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In making this choice. the President could not have picked a more qualified. a more determined. and a more -able candidate. Chris Cox has extensive experience as an attorney specializing in venture capital and corporate finance and a lecturer at Harvard Business School where he taught Federal income tax law. He began his service to our nation as a Senior Associate Counsel to President Reagan. advising the President on a range of issues. Now he will continue this service in a different capacity as the Chairman of the SEC. where he will have a platform to encourage corporate responsibility and raise investor confidence. From 1988. until very recently. Chairman Cox represented Orange County faithfully in the U.S. Congress. In this body. his leadership was essential in authoring the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and the Intemet Tax Freedom Act. Chairman Cox was also instrumental in the creation of a permanent Homeland Security Committee. on which he served as the first Chairman. No matter his role in this House. he continuously worked for a smaller and more efficient government. a fiscally responsible budget. and an overall better America. For the last 7 years. I had the great privilege of being his colleague in this House. Here I witnessed firsthand the depth of his intellect and the extent of his devotion to our nation. I also witnessed his compassion and care for the residents of south Orange County. He represented them loyally and they rewarded him with eight consecutive reelections to the House of Representatives. As Chairman Cox leaves these halls to continue his public service at the SEC. I can say with certainty that he will be missed by his fellow lawmakers. his constituents. and the American people. We can take~solace. however. in his call to a higher duty. In this time of war and economic uncertainty. America needs capable leadersleaders with experience. with knowledge. with determinationleaders like Christopher Cox. As Chris Cox begins his new challenge as Chairman of the SEC. I am confident that the qualities that made him such a great Congressman will likewise make him an excellent Chairman.
Date: 2005-10-03
Speaker: WITHIN ARMED FORCES (republican)
Chamber: S

INSTITUTE OF PATHOLOGY.-Subsection (c)(3) of section 754 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (as enacted into lay by Public Law 106398. 114 Stat. 1654A196) is amended. by striking "within the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology".
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that House Resolution 481 be considered as amended by striking the number 3983 in each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof the number 3893.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that it shall be in order at any time to consider in the House the resolution. H. Res. 480. the resolution shall be considered as read. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the resolution to its adoption without intervening motion except 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of th- Committee on Rules.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. pursuant to the previous order of the House. I call up the resolution (H. Res. 480) permitting individuals to be admitted to the Hall of the House in order to obtain footage .of the House in session for inclusionin the orientation film to be shown to visitors at the Capitol Visitor Center. and ask for its immediate consideration.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. this is a very simple resolution which allows the Speaker. in consultation with the minority leader. to allow individuals to be admitted to the Hall of the House in order to film the House in session for inclusion in an orientation film to be shown to visitors at the Capitol Visitor Center. This resolution is necessary because clause 2(b) of rule IV of the rules of the House provides that the Speaker may not entertain a unanimous consent request or a motion to suspend clause 2 of rule IV. which restricts access to the floor of the House while the House is in session. Mr. Speaker. I would urge all Members to support this resolution which will provide edification for millions of visitors to our Nations Capitol. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. Pursuant to the order of the House of today. the resolution is considered read and the previous question is ordered. The question is on the resolution.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. by direction of the Committee on Rules. I call up House Resolution 481 and ask for its immediate consideration.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. for purposes of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to my dear friend from New York . pending which I yield myself suchtime as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may. consume to the gentleman from California . chairman of the Committee on Rules.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas . distinguished chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. it is interesting how today is a clear example of how anything. anything. is possible on this floor. Anything can be said. That is freedom. Even the most inconceivable. out of touch with reality statements. Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas . the author of the legislation. the distinguished chairman of the- Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. this is an important piece of legislation that the gentleman from Texas has brought forward today. I urge support of the rule. I urge that we reject the arguments we have heard from the prophets of pessimism. This is an important piece of legislation to keep the economys infrastructure in place for sustained economic growth- and for the lifestyle that this great Nation has become accustomed to. and so we would ask all colleagues to support the underlying legislation as well as the rule.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.
Date: 2005-10-07
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Madam Speaker. I rise today to call attention to and honor the 45th anniversary of the Nations leading and longestrunning educational television program. the Emmywinning show. "Its Academic." "Its Academic" is a nationwide. weekly high school competition that began in Washington. D.C. Since its inception 45 years ago. "Its Academic" shows have spread to other cities. During the current school year. 27 high schools in my congressional district will compete against the brightest students from public and private schools throughout the District of Columbia region. These students will be coached and encouraged by dedicated teachers and principals on a wide variety of academic subjects and the challenges of a competitive format under the television lights. Every Saturday morning. viewers tune in to watch local high school students compete in their knowledge of math. literature. history. and current events. In many schools. students compete for the opportunity to be on the show. Not only do they enjoy the camaraderie with their peers in learning challenging information and developing team skills. but they get the added bonus of being on television and performing under pressure. something many students on the football team and the drama club can simply envy. The goals of "Its Academic" are more than showcasing intelligent students. All the students. including members of the losing teams. receive scholarship money from the corporate sponsors. which in my area has been primarily Giant Food. In. a recent editorial. The Washington Post said of the show: "Amid all the disturbing news about declining test scores and failing -schools. this homegrown Saturday morning staple serves as a welcome reminder of what is right with education." Madam Speaker. I wholeheartedly agree and look forward to the partnership between "Its Academic" and our communities and schools for many more years to come.
Date: 2005-10-18
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 177. the Santa Ana River Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2005. I want to thank ResourcesChairman POMBO and Water Subcommittee Chairman RADANOVICH for recognizing the importance of this bill. basically providing innovative water solutions to the challenges posed by chronic water shortages in Southern California. This bill will authorize water resource reliability projects in the Southern California region and dramatically improve the water supply reliability of the Santa Ana River watershed and the water basin in San Bernardino. Riverside. and Orange counties. Water scarcity issues and wastewater treatment are particularly important to my region. If you want to sustain our Nations economic growth and provide for rapidly increasing population. we must ensure there is an efficient and reliable access to water resources and pursue modernized sanitation infrastructure. It is critical that we find innovative solutions to the challenges posed by chronic water shortages in Southern California. In Southern California. water supply deficiency discourages economic growth. endangers the environment. and compromises the health and safety of residents. Because of limited supplies and increased demands. Southern California communities continue to seek nontraditional. methods to produce reliable. dependable resources. including water through recycling and desalination. This bill would help reduce Southern Californias dependence on imported water supply by constructing the recycling project. desalination demonstration reclamation project. the regional brine line project and will help in the study of technologies of water recycling. The Federal Governments specific role in water recycling and desalination projects is in title XVI of the reclamation wastewater and groundwater studies in the Facilities Act. which direct the Department of the Interior to award Federal grants to communities developing nontraditional water supplies. The significant local cost share and minimal Federal share makes these projects attractive to private financing partnerships and encourages regional solutions to complex water problems. Upon full implementation. these projects will create an estimated 200.000 new acre feet of water for the region. upon full implementation. some 65.2 million gallons of water. and that is significant for our region. It reduces the impact of water from the Colorado River in Northern California. As this bill moves forward. I ask my colleagues to support this. This is good for the environment. good for people. and good for the region.
Date: 2005-10-18
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 3549. a bill to designate a post office in Warren. Pennsylvania. as the "William F: Clinger. Jr- Post Office. Building." Mr. Clinger was the distinguished chairman of the. Government Reform and Oversight Committee when I first came to Congress in 1995. I became one of his subcommittee chairmen. and I will be forever grateful to him for showing me the ropes on this Committee. Many of my colleagues are probably familiar with the ClingerCohen Act. which transformed the way the Federal Government plans for. acquires and manages information technology investments. I was proud to have worked with Chairman Clinger on this important law. that will be celebrating its 10th anniversary early next year. Anyone who knows Bill Clinger would not be surprised with his. response upon learning that a post office would be namedin his honor. He told us he considered it a major success when a dog run in Punxatawny and a sewage treatment plant in Dubois. Pennsylvania were named for himhaving a post office named after him was beyond his wildest dreams. Mr. Clingers graciousness and respect for others set an example for all Members who served with him. I am proud to be here today to express my strong support for H.R. 3549. a lasting tribute to the life and work of William F. Clinger.
Date: 2005-10-18
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my enthusiasm about what the future holds for Iraqs women. This past weekend marked yet another courageous showing of women who are eager to live in a democracy. first in Afghanistan and now in Iraq. The message is very. very clear that these individuals are ready. willing. and able to vote for a change. President Bush stated that our fight in Iraq includes promoting -the rights of women everywhere. This fight is a very. important one. Our society proves that when women are given the same rights and opportunities as men. the entire nation benefits greatly. The constitutional referendum specifies equality regardless of sex and actually reserves 25 percent of the national assembly for women. Because of this provision. for the first time in Iraqs history. women will have a voice in their country. Currently. twothirds of allIraqi women are illiterate. Since our presence in Iraq. 2.400 schools have been renovated. 3.000 teachers trained. And this is resulting in 2 million girls back in school. The progress that has been made for the women of Iraq is exceptional. During Saddam Husseins reign. women were imprisoned. tortured and raped. and their attackers faced no recourge. There was no justice under this dictator of terror. Today. injustice no longer is the rule. Iraqi women will no longer have to fear the terribly cruelty of their past because they will have control of their future.
Date: 2005-10-19
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H

of -Texas. Mr. criminal prosecution of 2nd Lt. Erick J. AnCULBERSON. Mr. POE. Mr. CARTER. Mr. derson. United States Army. to the ComROHRABACHER. Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. mittee on Armed Services. HOSTErrLER. Mr.. SESSIONS. and Mr. By.Mr. McCOTTER: KING of Iowa): H. Res. 503. A resolution condemning the