macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-22
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. I rise in opposition to this amendment for a. number of reasons. While I support the gentleman. who is from the same generation that I am. in his endeavor to make sure that we can communicate and receive information in an electronic format. the approach that the gentleman is taking is absolutely inappropriate and wont accomplish his goal. We have crafted a tight and fiscally responsible bill. As I outlined in general debate. we have held thebill to a 4.1 percent increase. We actually held it to $276 million below the total request. In their traditional views. the minority agreed. They said that. on balance. the funding provided in this bill to operate the legislative branch agencies is fiscally responsible. This amendment would add to existing shortfalls. It would add to what is already a growing funding shortfall in this account. To be fiscally responsible. we have had to make some tough choices. including funding levels for GPO. The bill already. our colleagues should know. holds congressional printing and binding $62.000 below what was provided in fiscal year 2007. GPO is expecting an $8 million shortfall in this account in fiscal year 2007 in addition to a $3 million shortfall in fiscal year 2006. These shortfalls are due to the flat funding provided to this account since fiscal year 2007. in spite of increasing costs and workloads. These shortfalls will continue in fiscal year 2008. Eventually they are going to have to be paid. This amendment would make that situation even worse. Most of the appropriation for congressional printing and binding -goes towards Congress printing requirements. I want to point out that the gentleman is incorrect when he states that there is a statute. While there is a statutory number in the Code that the GPO is told to print. they only print the number that is requisitioned. In other words. they only print. on a daily basis. the number that. they are asked for. We have a deficit in. the account that allows them to print the number that is asked for. GPO has no control over those requirements. Its required by law to produce the information. If the gentleman is concerned about the number of printed materials being produced. he should take it up with the authorizing committee. the Joint Committee oh Printing. and seek reductions in the amount of material that GPO is required to print in the Code. Simply gratuitously cutting out and leaving -people with the impression that we are doing something. when we are not. and all we are doing here is cutting $3.2 million when GPO will still be required to print the Code. is the wrong approach. The suggestion that this amendment was accepted previously but then cut out in conference also leads people to believe that we have done something when we have not. I refuse to be disingenuous when it comes to being forthright with the American people. We do need to make sure that in the future the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD is produced electronically. This is not the right way to do it. It is irresponsible. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2007-06-22
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. I just want to point out that the amendment offered by Mr. FLAKE does not say anything about reducing the number of copies printed of cuts $3.2 million out of the Congressional Printing and Binding account. It provides no direction. It simply cuts that funding. There is no assumption that any of what the gentleman is suggesting would occur. It would simply further add to the deficit. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2007-06-22
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. I really believe that we should approach this in the appropriate way. If we want to change the statute and go to electronic production of the we should do. We should not simply hamstring the GPO by. requiring them not ensuring they have adequate funds to do that. when they are already in a deficit situation. I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. -
Date: 2007-06-22
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. at this time I yield the balance of our time to the gentleman from Virginia . the former ranking member of this subcommittee.
Date: 2007-06-22
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Yes. it is. It is an initiative from former Speaker HASTERT. I strongly urge you to vote against the motion to recommit. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2007-06-22
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Clerk be authorized to make technical corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 2764 and H.R. 2771. to include corrections in spelling. punctuation. section number and crossreferencing. and the insertion of appropriate headings.
Date: 2007-06-25
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of House Resolution 505. to highlight the important contribution of the recreational boating community and the boating industry to our way of life. and to call upon the President to issue a proclamation asking the American people to observe National Boating Day. As a Representative of Floridas 20th Congressional District. I can attest to the � important contribution recreational boating and the boating industry has had upon South Floridas economy and quality of life. The marine industry is responsible for more than $18 billion of revenues and 220.000 jobs in Florida. Recreational boating is integral to the way of life in Florida. From fishing to snorkeling to scuba driving in our beautiful coral reefs. or simply taking a scenic cruise through Floridas intracoastal waterways. recreational boating and South Florida go hand in hand. In fact. recreational boating is such an important part of Ft. Lauderdale that the city has earned the welldeserved nickname. the "Venice of America." But the contributions of the recreational boating community go far beyond my home State. The boating population exceeds 73 million individuals utilizing and enjoying an estimated 18 million recreational watercraft. In addition. the recreational boating industry provides more than $39 billion in sales and services to the U.S. economy. and provides nearly 380.000 manufacturing jobs. Boating helps to bring us closer to the wonders of nature. and it helps us to appreciate the need to be goods stewards of our natural resources. Its no surprise that boaters often are some of our most ardent conservationists. because they see firsthand the importance of protecting our fragile ecosystem for generations to come. Its for these reasons that I rise in support of H. Res. 505. recognizing the contributions of the recreational boating community and the boating industry to the continuing prosperity and affluence of the United States. This resolution calls upon the President to issue a proclamation to observe National Boating Day. with an appropriate day being July 1. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 505 and vote for its final passage.
Date: 2007-06-25
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. it is an honor today for me to pay tribute to Mr. Jack Valenti. As it has been said. by age 15. he was the youngest high school graduate in Houston. He began work as an office boy with the Humble Oil Company. which is now Exxon Mobil. which is near my congressional district. As a young pilot in the Army Air Corps in World War II. Lieutenant Valenti flew 51 combat missions as the pilot commander of a B25 attack bomber with the 12th Air Force in Italy. He graduated with a B.A. from the University of Houston and an M.B.A: from Harvard. In 1952. he cofounded the advertising and political consulting agency. Weekly & Valenti. which was in charge of press during President Kennedys and Vice President Johnsons tragic visit to Texas. He was in the motorcade. six cars behind .the President. in Dallas on November 22. 1963. Within an hour of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Mr. Valenti was aboard Air Force One flying back to Washington with the new President as the first newly hired special assistant to President Johnson. Later in his position as President and Chief Executive Officer of the MPAA. Mr. Valenti presided over tremendous worldwide change in the industry. New technologies. the arrival of the importance of international markets and the tyranny of piracy radically changed the landscape of the American film and television industry. It was Mr. Valentis leadership and personal efforts that led the confrontation with these global dangers. problems and opportunities. Mr. Speaker. our communities and our country have always relied on the contributions of those individuals who have the ability to rise above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference in the lives of others. both personally and professionally.. Jack Valenti was one of those rare individuals that demonstrated unfailing and tireless commitment to the betterment of the U.S. movie industry and the entire Nation. Mr. Speaker. though our community is diminished by his loss. I ask that my colleagues join me and his friends and his family in celebrating the remarkable life of this mail who truly symbolized America at its best. Jack Valenti. a true and loyal Texan.
Date: 2007-06-25
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. today I was unavoidably delayed and missed the votes on H. Res. 189. Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" should be established (rollcall 549). and H.R. 2546. To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville. North Carolina. as the "Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (rollcall 550).
Date: 2007-06-26
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I have heard many times from the gentleman from Pennsylvania the suggestion that drilling for natural gas is low impact compared to oil drilling. In fact. he even called it clean on the floor today. Unfortunately. this opinion runs contrary to scientific findings on the matter. There are. drastic and devastating environmental and economic repercussions that come with drilling into the ocean floor. drilling into the ocean floor.
Date: 2007-06-26
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Speaker. before I get into my remarks. let me talk about some of the remarks and the comments that have been made. I know weve heard a study quoted about $3.50 natural gas. Right now if you can find $3.50 natural gas anywhere. we ought to buy it because now its $6 to $7 per million cubic feet for natural gas right now. And so whatever studies talk about $3. $3.30. whatever. is really not relevant. I represent a district that we actually have zero emitting natural gas wells in the Gulf of Mexico. Zero emitting for air pollution. zero emitting for water pollution. And Ive offered many times to take colleagues whove never been to a natural gas offshore well to just come to the Gulf of Mexico. either off of Texas or Louisiana or maybe Mississippi or Alabama where folks also drill off the coast. Natural gas is one of the cleanest producing fuels we can use. Im a strong supporter of this Peterson amendment to allow the Department of the Interior to issue new leases for offshore natural gas in areas 25 miles off the coast. Were not talking about 3 miles off the coast. Were not talking about 10 miles. Were talking about 25 miles. This amendment has less to do with fosgil fuels and everything to do with helping Congress address our climate change and transition America to a clean energy future. If you are for renewables. if youre for cleaner power. if youre for lowemitting vehicles. if youre for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. then you should be increasing the access to the domestic natural gas supplies. Demand for natural gas is already building across our economy. and proposals pushing cleaner energy will only accelerate the demand. Thats because it takes a lot of natural gas to make the materials for our economy that make it more energy efficient. Insulation. weatherization materials. thermal windows. appliances. lightweight vehicle parts. lowresistance tires. compact fluorescent light bulbs. heat reflecting coatings. house wrap. the list goes on and on. All are made from materials that are directly made from natural gas. It also takes natural gas to make materials that make wind turbine blades and solar panels to run biomass facilities and to run cleaner burn power plants. One example is right here in the Capitol where our Speaker and majority leader directed the Chief Administrative Officer. our CAO of the House. to develop a green Capitol initiative. The CAO officer announced last week that his strategy- to reduce CO2 emissions from the Capitol power plant was to use natural gas instead of coal. which will lower CO2 emissions by 30 percent from 2006 level. This is equivalent to taking 1.900 cars off the road each year. Mr. Chairman. I urge my colleagues to back up their support for addressing both climate change and by supporting domestically produced natural gas in the environmentally responsible Peterson amendment.
Date: 2007-06-26
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I want to thank my Pennsylvania colleague for yielding to me. This is similar to the earlier amendment. although I rise in strong support of thisbecause it is for new leases. offshore natural gas and oil. at least 100 miles of the U.S. coast. Supply and demand for our energy is out of control and our Nation needs more energy from all sources. Demand for natural gas is already building across the economy and proposals pushing cleaner energy will only accelerate this demand. Natural gas. again. is the most abundant cleanburning fuel to heat and cool our homes and businesses. We also need a lot of natural gas to make the materials that we make wind turbine blades out of and solar blades. Opening the OCS would save $300 billion in natural gas costs over 20 years for customers and manufacturers. High natural gas costs are sending manufacturing jobs overseas- following the cheap. gas. When I had the Shell CEO of Western Hemisphere two years ago sit in my office and say they transferred jobs from their chemical facilities in our country to the Netherlands because of the high cost of ournatural gas. because the North Sea gas was so much cheaper. that is why we need the Peterson amendments. Environmentally conscious nations like Norway. Denmark. Canada. Japan and the United Kingdom are safely producing natural gas in their coastal waters. Why cant we do it? No other country in the world can it do as responsibly as we can. I have been on oil and gas rigs and have seen so few discharges into the ocean. A mediumsized fishing boat will leak more in a year than we will see off some of our rigs. This amendment is a major opportunity for us to respond to todays energy crisis and the climate change with a national solution. I urge my colleagues to support the oil and gas production -on the Outer Continental Shelf and support the Peterson amendment.
Date: 2007-06-26
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

When it comes to quantifying the implications of this proposal on the environment and public health of this Nation. the Agency is silent. The burden of proof regarding soundness of this proposed rule rests squarely on the shoulders of EPA. Thus far. the Agency has failed. at best. to make even a lackluster case. My constituents in Dallas and the surrounding area are already burdened by thie scarlet letter of nonattainment. I refuse to let their public health be subject to another further deterioration from a proposal laced with tortured assumptions. This is an unsound policy that should be stopped. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting clean air. a healthy environment. and a strong Clean Air Act. Vote "yes" on the Johnson amendment and the Interior and the Environment Appropriations bill. While I appreciate the vigor of the opposing sides view on this matter. it is my respectful view that they are simply wrong on this matter. I would like to amplify an area. of concern raised by EPAs own regional offices regarding enforcement should the once in. always in policy be negated. In a 2005 Regional Memorandum to EPA Headquarters. the regions assert the following: A related concern with regard to the draft changes as written is that a facility. by changing from a major source to an area source. and back again. could virtually avoid regulation and greatly complicate any enforcement against them. Take. for example. a facility that is covered by a MACT standard. and has 3 years from the date the rule is promulgated to come into compliance. Three years go by. and just before the end of that time period. the facility announces its area source status. If an area source regulation exists. there may also be some equivalent waiting period before the facility is required to comply with the area source requirements. If the facility later announces that it is after all. a major source. then it may again enter a grace period. possibly up to another 3 years. before it is subject to the MACT standard requirements. Thus. by continually going back and forth between major and area source status. a facility could be a major source [polluter] for most of its operating life and never have to comply with the MACT standard requirements. Again Mr. Chairman. these are not my words but those of EPAs own regional offices. Mr. Chairman. my congressional district lies within the heart of EPA Region 6. Throughout Region 6 there are approximately 3.000 major source polluters according to EPA data. If EPAs rule were to take effect. based on the guidance of EPAs own regional offices I just referenced. 3.000 major source polluters could continually backslide on a public health safeguard meant to minimize my constituents exposure to toxic. cancer causing air pollutants. Clearly. this was not the intent of Congress as reflected in Section 112 of the Clean Air Act. Mr. Chairman. I include for the RECORD a memorandum dated December 13. 2005. from Michael S. Bandrowski. Chief. Air Toxics. Radiation and Indoor Air Office. Region IX. of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Date: 2007-06-26
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I might also add to my good friend. the gentleman from Texas. that this President. our 43rd. has racked up more foreign debt than all 42 previous Presidents combined. So if we are going to discuss who it is that. is responsible for the numbers on your mockup chart. lets ensure that we put the full blame on the 43rd President who is fully responsible for the number on that chart and fully responsible for the debt that has been accumulated more than the 42 other Presidents combined.
Date: 2007-07-10
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill to provide for the extension of transiti~nal medical assistance (TMA) and the abstinence education program through the end of fiscal year 2007. and for other purposes. -
Date: 2007-07-10
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 2669. the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. This intelligent bill increases Federal scholarship amounts and loan limits to provide students with additional assistance Iin paying for college. and to help them rely less on costlier private loans. In fact. when I went to school. college. 25 years ago. college tuition at my university was $8.000 a year. and my Pell Grant was $2.700 a year. Today. that very school costs $38.000 a year. and the Pell Grant is $4.100 a year. We need to do something about this situatiQn. As part of this legislation. I am pleased to see that the Congress is moving to enact $5.000 of Federal student loan forgiveness for students who are using the education they receive to serve their community and country in areas of national need. Loan forgiveness provides a powerful message to a student: Your Government will help you if you choose to help your Nation. The College Cost Reduction Act is an important step towards investing in American college students and our future workforce. and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this today.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Let me thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for the time. and thank her for her leadership on education issues. Mr. Speaker. this is a good day for students around the country. and it is a good day for all Americans. and I commend the Education and Labor Committee for their good work on this legislation. During the first 100 hours of this new Congress when we passed legislation to cut the interest rates on student loans in half. many of us stood in the well here and said. this is just the beginning. That was an important first step to making college more affordable and giving millions of students a chance to further their educations and to brighten their futures. We stand here today to take the next step. the largest investment in student loans since the GI Bill. We are keeping the promise that we made to the American people and American students. cutting interest rates on student loans in half and now increasing Pell Grants. raising the cap on lowinterest Federal loans and making it easier for students who are being pinched by other costs to pay back the payments on their interest rates and" their loans. In addition. this bill makes it easier for young people to enter public service and serve their communities by extending loan forgiveness to law enforcement officers. first responders. librarians and nurses and giving more assistance than ever to undergraduates who commit to teaching in highneed locations or subject areas. As we make these very vital changes to give more opportunities to students. we do so in a fiscally responsible manner by -cutting exorbitant fees to lenders. Mr. Speaker. by opening thedoors to college and maintaining a balanced budget. we are working to ensure the best possible future for our young people. By increasing the opportunity incentive to enter public service. we harness the ability and ambition of our best and brightest. And by helping students achieve advanced degrees. we are ensuring that the United States remains on the forefront of innovation and discovery in an increasingly competitive global economy. Mr. Speaker. I think we would all agree. there is no better investment that we can all make than in the area of education. Students and middle America are feeling the pinch of rising costs in many areas. This helps provide them greater means to open the door of college and opportunity to more and more Americans. I encourage my colleagues to join with all of us in taking this very important step for the students of this country and. indeed. for all America.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2669.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. pursuant to House Resolution 531. I call up the bill to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 601 of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2008. and ask for its immediate consideration.