macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1983-10-06
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. Alfred Nobel established aninual awards. to be given to those men and women whose work in physics. chemistry. medicine. physiology. literature. and peace was deserving of exceptional recognition. In that last and most important categorypeacethe prize has been bestowed on some of the greatest men and women of our century. These recipients have contributed to the fundamental stability of our world. and to the quality of human life. Recent recipients have included Mother Theresa. Anwar Sadat. Menachem Begin. and Soviet dissident Andre Sakharov. Yesterday. the peace prize was awarded to Lech Walesa. leader of the outlawed Polish labor union. Solidarity. Walesa has championed the cause of freedom of association and basic human rights in a time and place where those causes are anathema. He has gone toetotoe with the Sovietinspired repression in his native Poland. and he bears the scars. He was Imprisoned. slandered. and humiliated by a system that has nothing but contempt for the dignity of Its own people. He was dismissed from his job. and his union was broken up by force. But at a recent sports event~people in the audience learned that Walesa was there. and that it was his birthday. Suddenly. without any prompting. thousands in tile stadium rose to sing him I Happy Birthday." No amount of repression or fear can suppress the kind of spirit that Walesa has ignited in his fellow countrymen. andthey hold the mianand what he stands forin a special place in their hearts. In its citation. the Nobel Committee said Walesas battle for workers rights has. been characterized by "A determination to solve his countrys problems through negotiation and cooperation." They went on to say that "This contribution is of vital Importance to the wider campaign to secure universal freedom to organize." Walesa Is an ordinary working manan electricianwho saw the need for fundamental change in his society an d went on to bring about that change through peaceful means. Working men and women In this country Identify with him. and support him in his efforts to achieve the basic rights that Solidarity sought. The Polish Government knows all too well that the Imposition of martial law did not stop the inexorable movement toward those goals. The pride and dignity of the Polish people will not be submerged by force. The selection of Lech Walesa as recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize renews that pride and the legitimacy of Walesas struggle. I congratulate him. and wish himn every success. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD the news story announcing the award. There being~ no objection the matter was ordered to be printed In the RECORD. as follows:
Date: 1983-10-06
Speaker: RALPH M. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise In support of H.R. 3958. and in opposition to the amendment to delay the water resource development appropriation bill. and commend the members of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development -for their untiring efforts to meet the present and future water needs of this country. The future has now become the present with many of the projects in this appropriations bill have been authorized by the Congress years ago. Of special interest to Texans and Oklahomans is the Red River chloride control- project. My predecessor. Speaker Sam Rayburn began this project over 20 years ago. and my goal is to complete his dream of having potable water in Lake Texoma. Ten areas were designated for work and this bill would initiate construction of two of the areas not yet completed. The first area was finished in 1964. The areas we fund today have been authorized since 1966think of the savings In dollars if the money had been appropriated and construction begun at the prices of materials and labor 20 years ago. ITexas and Oklahoma have lived up to the mandate of the authorization that the States clean up the manmade sources of pollution. In Texas alone we have spent $52.000.000 in 1983 dollars. and tne State of Oklahoma spends about $5 million annually. The States have patiently waited for the Federal Government to live up to its obligation to build this project. The approval of construction in these two areas will make that 6bligation a reality. I applaud our colleagues on this committee. and especially WES WATKINS. I vote in support of their recommendations.
Date: 1983-10-18
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. there may or may not be a noteworthy change in the foreign policy direction of Grenada taking place. It is difficult to know for sure since we are not off iciaily represented there. News reports tell us. however. of an ideologically based power struggle over whether Premier Bishop has led . the Marxist revolution far enough or whether Deputy Premier Coard can convince the peoples revolutionary army to go farther. Whatever leftward direction this takes Grenada in the future. it should underscore the realization that the U.S. Virgin islands are at the cutting edge of the changing eastern Caribbean. Insofar as has been possible. we have done our best to promote better relations for the United States there. The College of the Virgin Islands. for example. has educated many of the best and the brightest officials In the Englishspeaking Caribbean. We are ready and able to do more. however. Our new federally built hospital system. certainly the most modern in the area. should be developed into a medical center for the eastern Caribbean. Assistance I have been obtaining for our airports and harbors should enable the U.S. Virgin Islands to serve as a regional transportation hub. What is required is a recognition that there is no better way for our Nation to help the eastern Caribbean than to fully utilize its resources of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Date: 1983-10-18
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise to offer my support for two provisions regarding sanctions against South Africa. One is Representative SOLARZ provision. currently incorporated Into the Export Administration Act. and the other is Representative GRAYS bill. H.R. 1392. which I urge my colleagues to include in the act. Prohibition of bank loans to the South African public sector. banning U.S. importation of Krugerrands and other South African gold coins and requiring adherence to the Sullivan fair workplace principles. all proposed by Mr. SOL~ARZ. are firm steps which I believe will bring home to the South African Government the fact that we are serious in our censure of apartheid.
Date: 1983-10-18
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it had been my intention to allow the gentleman from Illinois . the ranking minority member. or anyone designated by him. to handle the time. Under that reservation. Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Vermont
Date: 1983-10-18
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished minority leader. the gentleman from Illinois . and that time Is to come from the time allotted to the gentleman from Illinois .
Date: 1983-10-18
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 10 minutes to the distinguished ranking minority member. the gentleman from Illinois . that time to be available for him to use for himself or to yield to other Members who wish to address the Issue on that side.
Date: 1983-10-18
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. just to conclude. let me say that all we are asking is to go to conference. to try to do the best possible thing we can do for the people Involved. for the consumer. for the taxpayer. It pains me to see this. as the proposal of the gentleman from New York was considered In the committee. and it was not adopted. There was the Bennett bill that was not adopted. A substitute for It was adopted. In the other body. the proposal of the gentleman from New York loat 56 to 37. in the body controlled with a Republican majority. The process that we find ourselves in is that the Senate passed legislation and I know Members who disagree with it and will continue to disagree. If we debated It for 100 days. there are certain Members on this side and on that side who would never approve. so that is not the Issue. One issue I would like to bring up. because it pains me again to feel that they accuse me of manipulating: those that brought upon us that Reconciliation Act with a volume 6 inches thick. with no time to read It. Now anyone who says that he has not had an opportunity. he had it In the committee. It was In the Members folders. It has been discussed thoroughly. This is what the rules of the House provide. I was instructed by the committee to come before the House.
Date: 1983-10-18
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. just to correct my distinguished and dear friend. it is not so. Everything that we discussed this afternoon. somebody misrepresents. We had the Farmers Home Administration bill here on the floor for 3 days or so. The chairman cannot control a singleissue bill. If you have a bill dealing only with peanuts and nobody is that much opposed to it. you put it on the suspension calendar. I am being accused of doing something that I wish I had the power to do. The Farm Bureau says they are going to impugn my credibility and they spelled It credit. creditability. by the way. in the letter. but I take It from whence it comes. It pains me and it really grieves me that my coleader in the commnittee would feel this way..because the legislation we have brought from our committee has come out unanimously. What do you do with something unanimous out of the committee? You go on suspension. Some of it we could have passed by unanimous consent. The Members have the opportunity to offer amendments in the commit. tee. I cannot control them. There are 41 members in the committee.
Date: 1983-10-18
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

So now I am accused because the elevator get stuck in the Longworth Building. That is what we are debating. We have no control over that. All we are saying is that the rules provide that when the Senate passes a bill. we go to conference. The committee has Instructed me to go to conference: I will do the best I can. bring It back so the Members can vote yes or no and that is the procedure. That is the rule. That Is the way we operate and I cannot change that.
Date: 1983-10-18
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the matter just considered.
Date: 1983-10-19
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. today and the following days I will be bringing you some information relative to dairy legislation. Last night the House acted on the conference committee and declined to allow us to go to conference. One of the reasons was a socalled Conable amendment. Let me advise Members that the socalled Conable amendment would cost $672 million more than the committee version in 1984. $579 million more in 1985. and a grand total of $1.360.000.000 in 5 years.. And that. my dear friends. unless you have fallen prey to the fad that $200 billion deficits are fashionable. I think you should look at this. In the next several days. I will be bringing you more Information on this issue because we cannot forget the fact that we are running $200 billion deficits. This type of legislation as Mr. CONABLE proposes would be disastrous and it would Indeed be devastating to what we do to the economy.
Date: 1983-10-19
Speaker: ERLF BORN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I offer an arn dment. The Cler- -ad as follows: Aniendniv. ffered by Mr. ERLENBORN: Page 27. brw 4. strik! out all that follows "SEC. 113" thsrough linm 12. and redesignate succeeding su -dection (bi. (c). and (d) as (a). (b). and (c) A t1 references thereto accordingly. Page 27. h 13. after "the Act" Insert "(50 U.S.C. . 2405(a))". and strike the word furithPage 28. sm out line 4 and all that follows through Vi>" on line 7. Page 29. Ie - 19. strike out "(a). ib) and (c)" and inserr n lieu thereof "(a) and (b)".
Date: 1983-10-20
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. there has been some criticism of the qualification of William Clark to be Secretary of the Interior because the National Security Adviser has no apparent background in natural resource management Issues. This is not a criticism that carries much weight with my constituents. We are used to new Secretaries lacking background in another of Interiors leading responsibilities. issues affecting the U.S. territories. Background we think is not the issue. Sensitivity Is. I am hopeful that in terms of sensitivity to the territories Judge Clark will prove to be qualified. Territories serve as this Nations border in the Caribbean and the Pacific regions critical to the U.S. national security. Judge Clarks background should make him sensitive to the role that this imposes on thle territories In promoting U.S. interests. and this sensitivity should make him an advocate of policies to strengthen territorial economies and definitely territorial Infrastructure. They are critical to the territories serving effectively in our national security role and with the tragic events taking place in Grenada and the Caribbean these days I think this is more important than ever. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 1983-10-24
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. Speaker. our marines have been placed in anl untenable situation. and I think it is criminal. I voted against the 18 months extension of the Marine peacekeeping force In Lebanon for exactly this reason. Apparently our Goverment leaders have learned nothing from Vietnam. It Is axiomatic that when you commit American fighting men to a combat zone. you have of ficiaily recognized that a war Is going on. and when a war Is in progress. you take thle necessary military sleps to bring it to a quick and decisive eonciusion. Our marines alc nothing more than sitting ducks in Lebanon. and if the administration cannot find thle political courage to have them assume a more aggressive role to defend themselves. then the administration ought to order them home. Many have said that if we pull the marines out of Lebanon we will have flunked the test of will. As was said by Tomn Briaden on September 29: Agreed. will is often a virtue. Just as. of ten It Is plain silly. The "Charge of the Light Brigade" was a marvelous demonstrat. on of how to pass the test of will but whant about lie test of comnmonsense?
Date: 1983-10-24
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Chair be authorized to declare a recess this afternoon to permit Members to attend a briefing oin the Lebanon situation.
Date: 1983-10-24
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to provide for equitable waiver in the compromise and collection of Federal claims. as amended.
Date: 1983-10-24
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill just passed.
Date: 1983-10-24
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill . To amend section 2733. 2734. and 2736 of title 10. United States Code and section 715 of title 32. United States Code. to Increase the maximum amount of a claim against the United States that may be paid administratively under those sections and to allow. increased delegation of authority to settle and pay certain of those claims. and for other purposes as amend ed.
Date: 1983-10-24
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I would like at this time to commend the gentleman from Ohio . for the great effort that he has made on the past two suspensions. This has been a joint effort in its entirety. Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time. and I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 1983-10-25
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I have two questions. The gentleman stated there are two alternatives. One is that they could pay $900. The second alternative is that if they sell it prior to their death. the money would go to the Government. My question Is: Suppose these people who live on this property died without ever having sold the property. Could theydevise it by will to their heirs?
Date: 1983-10-25
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

If the gentlemanl will yield further for one other question. I have correspondence that has come to me to the effect that these people have lived on this pr6perty for many. many years. paying taxes on it each year before delinquency. Is that a fact?
Date: 1983-10-25
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

Well. I have dealt with this for 30 years and it is so seldom that something dealing with law comes up here that I want to get involved in. It is usually the responsibility of a grantee to decide whether or not hie or she might want title insurance. Then they go to a title company. as 1. amn sure the gentleman is aware. and makes a request to examine the title to a certain tract of land and they do or do not issue a title. Now. all the title companies I have ever dealt with wvould not issue a title insurance policy onl a piece of land unless the title to that property was good. No: if there is some latent defect that does not appear or a patent. whichever it might be. that does not appear of record. then. of course. the title policy is issued subject to the exclusions that they always have at the bottom of a policy.
Date: 1983-10-25
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

But if in this instance there was nothing to show that there was any exclusion that would be covered by this exclusion. then the title company would have issued a good title to this p~iece of property.
Date: 1983-10-25
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. we are all greatly concerned over the very serious chain of events taking place in Central America. Lebanon. and now. as of this morning. in the island of Grenada In the eastern Caribbean. This morning. Prime Minister Eugenic Charles of thle island of Dominica. and the head of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. was at the Presidents side during the White House press conference on this mornings events in Grenada. I would like to underscore one very important point that Prime Minister Charles made during that press conference. That is that thle islands of the eastern Caribbean have a long history of democratic rule. They are uniquely bound. as Mrs. Charles put it. "kith and kin." historically. politically. and culturally related with a record of peaceful. democratic governments and a long history of genuine friendship with the United States. These eastern Caribbean islands must not be confused with the nations of Central and Latin America. where stormy histories of dictatorial rule and violent changes in government is the rule rather than the exception. We in the U.S. Virgin Islands. being also part of the "kith and kin" of which Mrs. Charles spoke so eloquently this morning. know the difference well. And I would urge my colleagues to keep this very important point in mind and not to confuse the eastern Caribbean. with its history of democratic rule. with other areas where democracy has been at best a fleeting experience. To confuse the two is to ignore past history. and could very well most harmfully effect history now in the making.
Date: 1983-10-26
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I would urge my colleagues. as I did yesterday. to resist all temptations to lump together the situation in Grenada with events In Lebanon and Central America. The only thing these events have in common Is their timeframe. They are literally and figuratively worlds apart and have to be viewed in that manner or we will make serious and irrevocable mistakes in judgment. I am seriously concerned that so many. particularly those in thle national media. -are lumping thcse events together and fitting them Into convenient stereotypes rather than taking the time to understand the history of the region. and listen to the duly elected leaders of the island nations that make up the eastern Caribbean. These English speaking islands of the eastern Caribbean form part of a chain running from off the coast of Florida to the coast of Venezuela. But they have nothing in common with Latin America or Central America other than the Caribbean Sea. These island nations have no history of bloody coups which have bcen a common occurrence in the power struggles that have engulfed Latin and Central America for centuries. Instead the islands of the eastern Caribbean have a history and a tradition of democratic principles. A bloody coup. such as occurred In Grenada. Is an aberration and an abomination to the people of this region where democracy has been thle rule rather than the exception. How then did we get into thle situation that exists In the region today? Again. I say. we must look to the history of these islands for thle answer. The history of the~.e islands goes back to Christopher Columbus. All the major powers of Europe fought over these islands. Practically all of the islands of the eastern Caribbean. includIng Grenada. were coloni:..ed at one time or another by Great Britain. and for over 300 years Britain extracted enormous profits from her colonies in the eastern Caribbean. But. by the fifties and sixties of this century. the economic balance shifted. and as worsening conditions In the colonies islands fueled an increasing need for subsidies. and an increasing spirit of nationalism. Britain decided to pull out and cut her colonies loose. Granting independence was a pragmatic economic decision by the British. Tragically. when Gfeat Britain pulled out she left her former colonies without the means to defend themselves from aggression from within or without. We are seeing the consequences *of that tragic mistake today. For last week during the bloody coup in Grenada. when individuals seized power by force and brutally executed the prime minister and members of his cabinet. neither thle people of Grenada. nor the people of the neighboring eastern Caribbean islands were able to respond. The problem is that these small independent nations of 70 to 100 thousand people were left with no capacity to protect themselves from violence. within or without. I ask you to listen to thle democratically elected leaders of the eastern Caribbean. They are the ones who cried out for help. PLAN
Date: 1983-10-26
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman. with reference to the matter that the gentleman from Oklahoma has just discussed I would like to state that I am concerned over the directive by the committee contained on page 138 of the report regarding a facility to manufacture RDX/HMX explosives. I am at a loss to understand wvhy the committee feels the need at this time to cease efforts on RDX/HIMX until the Army can give the committee a master plan. Surely the committee is aware that DOD Is still evaluating the benefits of investing In new RDX/HMX production facilities. In fact. I am informed that a decision should be reached in the November/December time frame. concurrent with the development of the fiscal year 1985 budget request. and is not formulation of a master plan such as called for by the committec. Impossible if the Congress denies the Army the ability to study and develop plant designs for the proposed IIMX/RDX production facilities?
Date: 1983-10-26
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

If the gentlemnan would yield further. I understand. looking at the second paragraph on page 38 where it says: While the committee recognizes that additional RDX/HMX manufacturing facilities may be required. it directs that no further efforts be undertaken until the Army has prepared and submitted to the committee for review a master plan. Do I understand the chairman to state that the committee is directing that no further efforts be undertaken until the Army submits its plan?