macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-15
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. as a CoChair of the Unexploded Ordnances Caucus. I strongly support this amendment. Anyone who lives on or near. a site containing disposed munitions can attest how unsettling thiscan be. In Florida. thousands of my constituents have moved to an area on or adjacent to an old military gunnery. Unfortunately. inspections have found rockets. mortars. and grenades. putting people at substantial risk. In fact. one piece of live ordnance vas found less than six inches beneath a childs backyard trampoline. This is not a problem confined to a few areasthis is a nationwide issue. Across the country. from Representative EARL BLUMENAUERS district in Oregon. to Brooksville. Florida. many sites face a similar dilemma. Some people are literally sitting on ticking time bombs. Congress has an opportunity to prevent the worst from happening. Jurisdiction over cleanup at these older sites falls under two major accountsthe Formerly Used Defense- Sites account within the Defense Appropriations bill. and the BRAC 1990 account within this legislation. Our amendment would redirect funds from the BRAC 2005 account. which is set to see a large increase over its previous year funding. to cleanup efforts at these older sites. where people are increasingly taking up residence. Listen up America" The Federal Government has an obligation to clean up its mess. I urge my Colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense amendment and put public safety first.
Date: 2007-06-18
Speaker: DAVID DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the request to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2359. the SBA Entrepreneurial Development Programs Act of I would like to thank Chairwoman VELAZQUEZ for working in a cooperative and bipartisan manner to bring this bill to the floor. This bill makes modest yet necessary changes in the core entrepreneurial technical assistance programs of the SBA. the Small Business Development Center Program. Small business development centers. on a relatively modest appropriation. provide free training sessions which last at least 1 hour and free individual oneonone counseling* The centers met a total of 700.000 individual business owners and prospective owners in fiscal year 2007. Changes are necessary to clarify the statutory mandate and ensure that small business development centers are appropriately responding to the new challenges facing Americas enfrepreneurs. These alterations are reflected in title I of the bill. Even though the program is more than 25 years old. there is no definition of the term "small business development center." which substantially adds to the confusion interpreting the statutory language. I would like to thank the chairwoman for including the definition in the term. Another key change demonstrates the need to update the mission of the small business development centers as technology and business practices change. Broadband access is no longer a luxury for many. if not most. small businesses. yet the only reliable data on broadband access in America comes from providers that make the reports to the Federal Communications Commitsion. Congressman FORTENBERRY. the ranking member of the Committees Subcommittee on Rural and Urban Entrepreneurship. hadthe idea that rather than relying on these providers. a more accurate picture might come from actually asking. individuals whether they had .access to broadband services. Mr. FORTENBERRY thought it would make sense to have the center survey their clients when they come in the door on the availability of broadband service. The survey might prove a valuable addition to supplement the existing data from broadband
Date: 2007-06-18
Speaker: DAVID DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today. Mr.. Speaker. Irise in support of the request to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2366. the SBA Veterans Programs Act of 2007. I would like to .thank Chairwoman VELkZQUEZ for working in a cooperative. bipartisan manner to bring this bill. authored by
Date: 2007-06-18
Speaker: DAVID DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. todayI rise in support of the request to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2284. a bill to provide additional Small Business Development Center resources focused on Native Americans. Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians. The bill. the product and dedicated effort of the author. Congressman TOM UDALL. former Small Business Committee member. was passed without objedtion by voice vote. I would like to thank Chairwoman VELAZQUEZ for working in a cooperative and bipartisan manner to bring this matter to the House floor. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2007-06-18
Speaker: DAVID DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the request to suspend the rules and pass. H.R. 2397. the SBA Womens Business Proerams Act of 2007. I would like to thank Chairwoman VEL .ZQUEZ for -working in a cooperative and - bipartisan manner to bring this bill. authored by Ms. FALLIN. a freshman member of the committee. to the House floor. Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma .
Date: 2007-06-19
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman. I rise in opposition to this amendment. although I believe it is of value in making sure we question how we spend our money. Im concerned that coal provides over 50 percent of our energy source in America. In this bill. theres $108 million for FutureGen which is.creating energy from coal without emissions. $73 million for the other clean coal power initiative. and some $376 million has been recommended for the core research . and development program. much of that done at the National Energy Technology Research labs. some of which are in my district. and others in West Virginia and Oregon and around the country. We have a 250year supply of coal under our Nations soil. Conversely. other parts of the world that have oil will run out long before we are out of coal. We have to crack the code in understanding how to create electrical energy out of coal without emissions. It is a monumental and perhaps one of the greatest scientific challenges of our time. If were able to do this. well be able to create the electrical energy and the power we need to power our factories. to light our homes and run our office buildings. Without this. we will continue to be subject to the whims of countries involved with OPEC who manipulate the price of our energy every day. A report done this year through MIT called the Future of Coal stated that we need perhaps billions to deal with this issue of finding out how to create energy out of clean coal. It is an important investment and one that we cannot lag on. one that we have to continue to work on. I certainly encourage all of us to look at ways we can watch for any waste involved with how this money is spent on every level in appropriations. however. I ask that this be one area. where America has abundant supplies of coal. we make sure that we continue to mine our coal because its one of the few ways that we can do so and create energy without having to worry about the whims of terrorists and OPEC states.
Date: 2007-06-20
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. this is an important bill. The fact that it is on suspension ought not to suggest that it is not an important bill. This bill is another in a number of bills that helps us heal some tremendous wounds in this country that go to the very essence of this country. The Civil War. which caused more bloodshed than any other war that this Nation has been engaged in. is viewed as the tremendous act of expiation with the effort of this Nation to resolve. in its own mind. what it meant by every man and woman being equal. That began the process that was followed through in a remarkable period of time during the last century called the civil rights revolution. But that revolution has not ended. There are still things that need to be done. One of the terrible stains left on this Nation is the lack of justice done for those who suffered at the hands of people who believed this country would never recognize the rights of all. those who thought they could act with impunity to threaten. to terrorize. to murder other human beings merely because of the color of their skin. I call this bill the "last chance bill." the "now or never bill." If we dont do this now. we will never have the chance to do it again. because those individuals who were involved in these crimes may not be around. and the family members of those who were victims of these crimes may not be around. We give ourselves a 10year period of time in which we make a real effort to try and bring those to justice who should have been brought to justice a long time ago. In the process. we say to all Americans. We understand the injustice that was done. We will make sure it is never repeated again. We will work to make this country a better place now and in the future.
Date: 2007-06-20
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I rise today -in support of this amendment barring funding in this bill to be used to designate any area as a "national interest electric -transmission corridor." or a NIET. NIET designation and the corresponding authority that has been givento FERC blatantly usurps States rights to designate and site transmission lines in accordance with what is best for its citizenry. There is a wellestablished successful history of States executing this authority. and there is no real reason to take it away. I understand there needs to be a holistic approach to our energy policy. but absent clear and definitive reasons to grant this authority to FERC. why are we allowing this Federal entity to circumvent State siting decisions. State comprehensive energy plans. and State efforts to promote energy efficiency and independence? It is clear . more analysis and consideration is needed. This amendment would not strike this provision forever. Rather. it would allow us more time to have debate. oversight. and public comment on the issue. When this provision was passed in the last Congress by the Senate and signed into law. it was a small piece- of a broad energy overhaul. It received no debate on this floor and no vote in this body. Now. with the prospect of towering transmission lines funning through 214 counties in 11 States across our Nation. and that is just the first chapter. we must take a time out to reexamine this provision. What will you tell your constituents wheh these towering lines are denied by your State regulators. but mandated by FERC? You had your vote today and you need to vote for this amendment. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Vote "yes" to allow us to give needed consideration to the broad ramifications of proposed NIET corridors and ensure that the rights of States are not unduly trampled.
Date: 2007-06-21
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. I would simply remind my colleagues what if the policies advocated by those who are against this program had succeeded during the 1980s in Poland and EasternEurope? Just ask yourself that question and remember when we did what we are doing here in the 1980s. what happened in Eastern Europe. Mr. Chairman. I would like to yield 1 minute to a distinguished leader and human rights activist from New Jersey
Date: 2007-06-21
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. at a time when the Cuban terrorist dictator and dictatorship is ailing. this bill guts the funding for the brave and heroic prodemocracy movement in Cuba. Now. what has that money been used for in the last 10 years? This is in the report: medicine. food and clothing for the families of political prisoners. more than 23.000 shortwave radios. hundreds of thousands of newsletters and other informational material. including books. journalism courses to more than 200 independent Cuban journalists who published almost 25.000 reports and publications from within the enslaved island. I hold in my halld a letter from a diverse group of brave opposition leaders in Cuba making it clear that this assistance is vital and desperately needed in the effort for a free and democratic -Cuba. I read the GAO report. both the classified and unclassified parts of it. and it does state that this assistance does reach the prodemocracy movement in Cuba. And it is important to note that all of the recommendations. every- single one in that report. have been implemented. unlike what you have heard today. This is not the time to abandon those brave men and Women. their families. the political prisoners. the opposition leaders. the independent journalists. labor leaders who are heroically and at a great personal risk working for a democratic transition in Cuba. This amendment. which is fully offset and CBO has scored as revenue neutral. will rectify the uncohscionable betrayal and abandonment of the brave and heroic dissidents. the opposition leaders who are working under the toughest of conditAons for a tree and democratic Cuba. I urge the adoption of this amendment.
Date: 2007-06-21
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Lets see what the dissidents in Cuba. in a letter and knowing full well the risks they take by sending a letter to Members of Congress about this issue today. what they say about the aid that this program has sent to Cuba and is sending: "We can affirm that the aid that for many years has flowed to the prodemocracy movement takes into account the vast range of needs. from medicine to keep a political prisoner or dissident from dying. to food. water filters. medical equipment. clothing. shoes. coats. toys for the children of political prisoners who suffer doubly the loss of a loved one and social repression on the streets and in school. essential vitamins. office supplies. the tools of democracy. computers printers. phones. fax machines. among others that account for the long list of articles and materials that have been made possible in Cuba." And they thank the American people in the same way in which the people of Poland and the people of Eastern and Central Europe will be eternally grateful to the American people. including the Congress of the United States. for the support in their difficult days. The .dissidents and the prodemocracy movement in Cuba thank the American people for this aid. And what President Bush has requested for the rest of the hemisphere is either being funded or exceeded. and yet for the only totalitarian police state in the hemisphere. the committee has funded it at 19 percent. That is net justifiable. Mr. Chairman. That is why we are asking for the funding fully offset to be at the requested level by the administration. Please support this amendment.
Date: 2007-06-21
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. Mr. WOLF has said it all. This is an amendment not only of conscience. this is an amendment to help people who are risking their lives. Thousands who are in prison. hundreds recognized as prisoners of conscience by international organizations such as Amnesty International. They are risking their lives and their families lives to peacefully advocate for freedom and democracy as those heroes mentioned by Mr. WOLF advocated and risked their lives in Eastern and Central Europe in the 1980s. and they finally achieved freedom. And have no . doubt that the dissidents in the prodemocracy movement in Cuba will be fundamental in the transition. They will be leaders in the future tomorrow. perhaps received in this Congress as the sovereign and elected leader of the Republic of Cuba. perhaps one of those political prisoners. I have no doubt. or those opposition leaders. So it is time to help them and. as Mr. WOLF said. send a message of solidarity and not retreat at this critical time.
Date: 2007-06-21
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to express my strong support for this amendment. U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and MultiNational Force Commander General David Petraeus will provide an assessment of Iraq this fall. The assessment will include the military. economic and political situation in Iraq. The assessment will be a key determinant for future U.S. involvement. The debate over what to do in Iraq will continue and the CrockerPetraeus assessment will be challenged. If the report is positive Crocker and Petraeus must provide specific signs of progress and lay out in detail how long and how many troops will be needed in Iraq. If the report is negative then Crocker and Petraeus should provide definitive steps on a phased withdrawal plan that reduces the number of lives lost. Whatever the outcome of the CrockerPetraeus assessment we need an independent validation of the assessment. This is why I am supporting Mr. Shays amendment to reconstitute the Iraq Study Group. This bipartisan group. that provided observations and recommendations to the President last December concerning the situation in Iraq would be reengaged and provide the American people a bipartisan perspective of what we can expect for the future of Iraq. With all the partisan debate we witness week in and week out in Washington. we must reconstitute this nonpartisan group. which has as its only goal. moving forward American interests. Mr. Chairman. it is time we come together and support this amendment to provide a bipartisan assessment of the situation in Iraq.
Date: 2007-06-21
Speaker: DAVID DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank my friend from Ohio for yielding. It is interesting as I hear this debate. I am a new Member of Congress. I have been here 6 months now. Ive heard speakers on the majority side talk about "your amendment is irresponsible." I have a hard time understanding that. Quite frankly. coming from Tennessee. holding the line on spending is not irresponsible. I heard another speaker talk about cuts. Well. actually there is no cut. What your amendment actually does is hold it at the levels of lastyears spending. That is not a cut I have not gotten used to "Washington speak" yet. coming from the mountains in East Tennessee. In East Tennessee. a cut actually means you spend less money this year than you did last year. Your amendment says youre going to spend the same amount of money. We are talking about $34.2 billion. In East Tennessee. that is a lot of money. That goes a long way. Actually. what we are looking at in this appropriation bill is a 9.5 percent increase in spending. When the rate of inflation is less than 3 percent. this is a growth in spending of almost three to four times the rate of inflation. We have men and women all around America right now sitting at their kitchen tables trying to decide how they are going to balance their budgets. Why in the world are we in Congress trying to grow our budgets almost 10 percent when we have people across America that are trying to just balance their budget? Gas prices are high. They are worried about increases in taxes. The least.we can do. the very least we can do. is just hold the line on spending. That is not a cut. That. is not how I learned about cuts back in East Tennessee. I just hope that we will do everything we can to support your budget. I encourage support of your amendment. I encourage my Colleagues to do so. Still. we are looking at. again. $34.2 billion. I think that is enough spending. We need to hold the line. Thank you for your amendment.
Date: 2007-06-25
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I certainly rise in support of H. Res. 189. I have a large number of Vietnam veterans in my district. Several years ago. I had a commemorative coin struck that I gave to the Vietnam veterans. I presented it and called it a long overdue welcome home event. There werent too many dry eyes as the coins were presented. We need to remedy that. and certainly having a Welcome. Home Vietnam Vets Day as this bill calls for is long overdue. The one thing that I ask Vietnam vets to please always do is when our young men and women are returning today from battle. that they always help the community to welcome them back. because no one would like to be treated the way that many Vietnam vets were treated. This is a great resolution. and it is long overdue. I certainly support finally having a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.
Date: 2007-06-25
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to rise in strong support of this resolution. which expresses the commitment of Congress to fostering increased homeownership opportunities in this country. Earlier this month. President Bush designated June as National Homeownership Month. as he has done for the past 6 years. I introduced H. Res. 477 to complement this designation and to elevate the discussion of housing opportunities in this Nation. This resolution conveys the support of the House for the goals and ideals of National Homeownership Month and reiterates the importance of homeownership in the United States. I would like to thank the leadership on both sides of the aisle for bringing this important resolution to the floor today.