macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-12
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to commemorate and honor our fathersfathers of this countrywho have provided the stable. loving atmosphere for children all over the Nation. I thank. in particular. my late father. the first African American comic cartoonist. Ezra Jackson. who provided me with such stability and love and inspiration. my fatherinlaw. a Tuskegee Airman. who served in World War II. certainly. my own husband. Dr. Elwyn C. Lee. who integrated the faculty of the University of Houston and its administration. But the real tribute is to the many fathers across America who have taken children and treated them with love and dignity and who have given them. even if they did not have it. some semblance of comfortfathers who have adopted. fathers who have foster cared. fathers who are incarcerated but who still try to maintain the love and connection with their children. poor fathers. working fathersthose who have found their way to claim Sunday as the day when we say. "Happy Fathers Day." We honor the fathers of America. We thank you for the foundation that you have given to this Nation.
Date: 2014-06-17
Speaker: SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. I. too. rise today to honor the service and pay tribute to Gregg David Wenzel. a National Clandestine Service officer of the Central Intelligence Agency. Gregg graduated from MonroeWoodbury High School in my district and from SUNY Binghamton. He then went on to graduate from the University of Miami School of Law in the midnineties. Choosing a life of public service. he worked as a public defender in Miami before taking a job with the Florida Bar Association. After the tragic events of September 11. 2001. Gregg joined the CIA. He was a member of the first post9/11 class. Serving in his very first assignment abroad in 2002. at the age of only 33. he lost his life in service to our country in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia. on July 9. 2003. The CIA honored Gregg and his service by placing a star on their memorial wall at the CIA headquarters. but it was not until later in 2009 that the full story of his service could be shared publicly. Gregg Wenzel represents an entire generation who bravely served their country by answering the call to service following the attacks of September 11. He sought a career at the Agency for two reasons: to serve his country and to "live for a greater purpose than himself." That is a legacy and expression of service that we can all learn from. Recognized as a leader by CIA Director Leon Panetta and known for his sense of humor and desire to make a difference. Gregg served on the front lines of our intelligence operation abroad and ultimately sacrificed his life in defense of the freedoms we all too frequently take for granted. Our country owes a debt of gratitude to Gregg and his family. including his mother. Gladys. his father. Mitchell. and his sisters. Maura. Rachel. and Heather. With passage of H.R. 2112. a post office in Monroe. New York. will be named in his honor. For generations to come. his hometown will be reminded of his service and sacrifice. and my neighbors will continue to be inspired by this mans deep devotion to his country. Although no one can ever fully repay his family for their tragic loss. I hope this bill will come as some small comfort and tribute to his memory. Mr. Speaker. with honor and respect for the life of Gregg David Wenzel. I urge my colleagues to support H.R.
Date: 2014-06-17
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my colleagues from Indiana and Pennsylvania very much for their support on this bill. I rise today. of course. in support of my bill. H.R. 3998. which would direct. as you have heard. the General Services Administration to sell. for fair market value. the historic post office building in downtown Albuquerque. New Mexico. to the Amy Biehl High School Foundation. As you have also heard. the charter school is named after a young Fulbright Scholar from Santa Fe who was. in fact. tragically killed in South Africa in 1993 while working to end apartheid. The high school is located in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. It is a few blocks away from a public library. a historical city theater. and a robust transportation center. Fiftyfive percent of the students receive free or reduced lunch. 64 percent of the students will be the first generation to attend college. and 70 percent of the students represent minority families in New Mexico. In fact. this school primarily serves atrisk youth. The schools central location ensures that all of the students have access to transportation and allows the school to partner with nearby businesses and nonprofits to collaborate on community projects. The Amy Biehl High School holds an impressive track record. with 99 percent of its graduates enrolling directly into college. and has been a recipient of several awards. In 2000. the school was designated as one of 20 Mentor Schools in the Nation by the Coalition of Essential Schools. In 2006. the high school also won the National Trust for Historic Preservation Award. The school has leased the old post office at the corner of Fourth and Gold in downtown and has held the lease from GSA since 2006. Currently. this lease is for a term of 60 years. The building was built in 1908 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties. The Amy Biehl High School moved into the old post office. which sat unoccupied for 6 years. and they were able to raise and invest more than $3 million in Federal. State. and private funds to renovate and restore the building for use as a school. Selling the building to the high school provides the school with greater autonomy. It opens the door to capital campaigns and creates a permanent home for the school and the students. The Amy Biehl High School Foundation and the GSA have determined that transferring ownership of the building is. in fact. in the best interest of both entities. the Federal Government and the school. I would like to thank Senator TOM UDALL for working with me on this bill. and I ask my colleagues to support this legislation that will help the Amy Biehl High School continue to provide Albuquerque students with a firstrate education. while also preserving a historic piece of downtown Albuquerque.
Date: 2014-06-18
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in honor of Troy Edgar. the chair of the board of the Orange County Sanitation District. and I congratulate him on his upcoming retirement. Mr. Edgar was instrumental in ensuring the successful upgrade of the sanitation districts facilities. and I applaud him for his leadership in implementing a sustainable financial plan for the district. creating successful partnerships. and adopting effective policy in order to ensure the highest quality of water by the most costeffective methods. I hold Mr. Edgar in the highest regard for his outstanding public service and his efforts on behalf of the sanitation district and its mission to protect public health and our environment. I thank Mr. Edgar for his role in Orange County. He is a great example of what a great public servant looks like. does. and acts. Again. I thank him for his leadership. his vision. for his commitment to the residents of Orange County. I congratulate him. He is a star in our community. and I wish him luck in his future endeavors.
Date: 2014-06-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today as a mother. as a senior member in the Homeland Security Committee which was created in the backdrop of the horrific tragedy of 9111. Today. the President and America confronts a heinous group in Iraq. ISIS. that is beheading persons and proclaiming one religion over another. And again. an oped appears in The Wall Street Journal from the former Vice President. who wants to blame everything on President Obama whose administration has just brought into justice one of those who perpetrated the violence and killed our Americans at Benghazi. This is not an American issue in Iraq. We gave them that opportunity. We gave 4.000 in treasure. This is really an international issue that calls upon the United Nations and the nations surrounding Iraq and Maliki to be able to have a coalition government. It is the same in Nigeria with Boko Haram that is beheading persons. kidnapping girls. We need a coalition that faces down these terrible. horrific. tragic terroriststhese are thugsand it cannot be on the shoulders of Americans. We have given our treasure. We can protect our Embassy and we should. Thank you. Mr. President. We can give resources. but there needs to be a strong coalition. Those who come back from the ghost of yesteryear and blame this administration should be silenced. America should stand united together. and others need to work together to stop this tragedy.
Date: 2014-06-18
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I was unavoidably detained today and missed roll No. 315. Had I been present. I would have voted "nay."
Date: 2014-06-18
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia and Mrs. BEATTY changed their vote from "nay" to "yea." So the motion to instruct was rejected. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Date: 2014-06-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as read. The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Texas?
Date: 2014-06-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I. again. add my appreciation of the chairman and ranking member of the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and add my appreciation of their concern for the health and welfare of the men and women of the United States military. Their appropriations bill evidences that. I thank them again for working with me and their staff for working with me on this amendment dealing with increasing the funding for breast cancer research by $5 million. offset by a reduction of like amount in funding for procurement. Equally important is that this amendment has been supported by this committee. I would say that my fellow survivors and those in the United States military would appreciate the emphasis that we are making on addressing this phenomenon of breast cancer. My amendment. as indicated. increases the opportunity for research. The American Cancer Society calls several strains of breast cancer particularly aggressive subtypes associated with a lower survival rate. In this instance. it is called a triple negative. But I raise an article that says: "Fighting a Different Battle. Breast Cancer and the Military." This triple negative strain has killed many individuals in a very quick manner.
Date: 2014-06-19
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I. too. rise to honor the life of Carol Dixon. Carols public service was not just to the Ethics Committee. but to the entire House. Carol provided wise counsel to hundreds of Members and to thousands of staff. This House will miss Carols sage advice and her deep institutional knowledge. The members and staff of the Ethics Committee will also miss our good friend. While Carol loved her job and her coworkers in the House. most of all. Carol loved her family. We know this because she spoke of them warmly and often. Carols mother and father and family members are here with us today. On behalf of all of the members and staff of the Ethics Committee. thank you so much for sharing Carol with us. Mr. Speaker. at this time. I would ask for everyone to rise to observe a moment of silence in the House to honor the life and memory of our friend. Carol Dixon.
Date: 2014-06-19
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. the Senate voted last week to pass comprehensive legislation aimed at addressing the longstanding issues within the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system. Now it is time for the Republican House leadership to bring a comprehensive package to the floor. With more than 8 million veterans turning to the VA for medical care each year. it is absolutely critical that we thoroughly address these issues in a timely fashion. That is why I commend Congresswoman KIRKPATRICK for introducing companion legislation to the SandersMcCain bill to improve the quality of care within the VA. Our veterans should not have to endure excessive long waits. tolerate canceled appointments. and question the quality of care they are receiving. nor should the persons reporting these activities be punished. The legislation would increase access to care while also improving on the quality of care. and it is something that we can act upon today. Mr. Speaker. our Nation will be judged by how we treat our veterans. I urge this Congress to act swiftly on comprehensive legislation so that we can bring real accountabilityand some sanityback to the VA.
Date: 2014-06-19
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise with many of the women of the House. both Republican and Democratthe members of the Congressional Womens Softball Teamto share with our colleagues that. last night. at the Sixth Annual Congressional Womens Softball Game. the Members beat the press and took back the trophy. Now. unbelievably. the press seems to be absent. They want to cover us on everything else. but they seem to be absent in observing these proceedings. We are so proud to report to you that we didnt just beat them. but we beat them badly105. We were able to raise the most that we have ever raised for the Young Survival Coalition. In total. over the last 6 years. we have raised just over $500.000 for the Young Survival Coalition. which helps raise awareness and takes care of young women who are facing breast cancer. I know all of you know by now that I am a breast cancer survivor myself. I was diagnosed at 41. and so this is so personal for me. I want to thank all of my teammates who have become my sisters and friends. The best thing about this game. besides that we were able to raise awareness for young women all across this country. are the friendships that we all formed and that many of us know would not ever have been made without our playing together on this team. It was so much fun for such a good cause. Actually. what we would like to do before I turn it over to my cocaptain. Mrs. MOORE CAPITO. is we would like to ask Coach Nat to come join us at the front because she never gets the recognition that she deserves. We love her so much. Natalie gave us such incredible skillbuilding drills this year that it really made a difference. Our bats were hot. and our fielding was great. We had very few errors. and we jelled as a team. If I can just say one thing before I turn it over to Mrs. MOORE CAPITO. it is that we are really so proud of the fact that this is a bipartisan team. and. hopefully. we set an example for how it really is possible to set aside politics and work together. We are very proud of being able to do that. Many of us work together in the Chamber now that we have played together on the field. so we hope that we can continue to set an example and make sure that we can. as much as possible. put aside politics so we can do things together for the country. With that. I yield to the gentlelady from West Virginia . my cocaptain.
Date: 2014-06-23
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I think we all know that the entire Nation is cheering on Team USA in the World Cup right now. and we are happy that they are going to continue to do well. but. Mr. Speaker. I would like to bring the bodys attention to another hardfought game. which was the second annual Capital Soccer Classic. In a very close game. the Democrats edged out the Republicans by a score of 76. and we will have the plaque. Mr. Speaker. I have to confess that both teams benefited from having some professional players on both sides. but the Democrats had a ringer in the Shuster Simpson Sinema Sires Slaughter Smith (MO) Smith (NE) Smith (NJ) Smith (TX) Southerland Speier Stewart Stivers Stockman Stutzman Swalwell (CA) Takano Terry Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Bonamici Chu Clark (MA) Duckworth Aderholt Amodei Bachmann Bachus Barber Barletta Barr Barrow (GA) Barton Beatty Becerra [Roll No. 340] YEAS 379 Benishek Bentivolio Bera (CA) Bilirakis Bishop (GA) Bishop (NY) Bishop (UT) Black Blackburn Blumenauer Bonamici Boustany Brady (PA) Brady (TX) Braley (IA) Bridenstine Brooks (AL) Brooks (IN) Broun (GA) Brownley (CA) Buchanan Bucshon Thompson (PA) Thornberry Tiberi Tierney Tipton Titus Tonko Turner Upton Valadao Van Hollen Vargas Veasey Vela Viscosky Wagner Walberg Walden Walorski Walz NAYS 12 Ellison Honda Johnson (GA) Nadler Wasserman Schultz Waters Weber (TX) Webster (FL) Welch Wenstrup Westmoreland Whitfield Wilson (FL) Wilson (SC) Wittman Wolf Womack Woodall Yarmuth Yoder Yoho Young (AK) Young (IN) ORourke Pocan Scott (VA) Tsongas name of ERIC SWALWELL. who was a great player and who was the high scorer in the game. and also. as goalie. he stopped a lot of goals. Mr. Speaker. I would just like to thank the people who participated in the Soccer Caucus. cochair DAVID REICHERTCongressman REICHERT and TODD YOUNG. We also want to thank the captain of the Democratic team. MIKE MCINTYRE. and ERIK PAULSEN played very well. Finally. I want to acknowledge GEORGE MILLER. who is a cochair of the caucus. Mr. Speaker. I just want to thank the U.S. Soccer Foundation for all their support for soccer. for all the good work they do to promote soccer among the youth in our country. Now. it gives me great pleasure to yield to the cochair of the Soccer Caucus. former Division I player at the Naval Academy. TODD YOUNG.
Date: 2014-06-23
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

We had a bill. H.R. 1062. Ms. WATERS was absolutely right because that bill mandated the benefit and the cost. and it was beneficial. in a way. to certain industries. I voted against that bill with
Date: 2014-06-23
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership in so many ways in this body. I rise in opposition to H.R. 4413. This bill would impose unnecessary burdens on the CFTC and would restrict our financial regulators ability to regulate crossborder derivatives. DoddFrank brought the previously unregulated derivatives market out of the shadows and created a robust regulatory regime for derivatives. One of the core principles of this regulatory regime was that if the United States is ultimately bearing the risk on a derivative. then you have to comply with the DoddFrank rules. One of the reasons that the U.S. markets are so strong is because investors have confidence in our markets and in our market participants. I am concerned that this bill. particularly in the crossborder area. could undermine that confidence. For foreign derivatives entered into by a U.S. bank. the bank can only avoid complying with DoddFrank rules if they are already complying with regulations that are at least equivalent or stronger than DoddFrank rules. This bill. unfortunately. establishes a presumption that the derivatives rules in London and the EU are equivalent to DoddFrank. even though we know that is not true. The truth is London and the EU are well behind the United States on financial reform. and it may take many years for them to become equivalent to our rules. This is in my view a very real concern and presents an undue risk to the United States financial system and to our investors and to our taxpayers. This is why I cannot support this bill. Mr. Chairman. I include for the RECORD two letters. one from Americans for Financial Reform and one from the Center For Progressive Reform.
Date: 2014-06-23
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to clarify one point made by the gentlelady from New York. and I just pointed out to her. she was clear in her statement. and I am reading from the actual bill here where it says that: Or other foreign jurisdiction as jointly determined by the Commission. shall be exempt from the United States swaps requirements in accordance with the schedule unless the Commission jointly determines that the regulatory requirements of the country or administrative region or other foreign jurisdiction are not broadly equivalent to the United States. I just wanted to clear that up.
Date: 2014-06-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. and to my colleagues I believe that this is an important asset or aspect of helping to have more information for our consumers. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. Chair. I thank you for this opportunity to briefly explain my amendment. It is simple and makes a significant improvement to the bill. This bipartisan legislation to reauthorize and improve the operations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). as well as address concerns relating to protecting customers from another failure such as MF Global and Peregrine Financial. It is the product of a multiyear process that included hearing perspectives from market participants. endusers. futures customers. and the CFTC. The Jackson Lee amendment only seeks to improve this bill. If passed it would require a study that will provide very basic information about firms regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The amendment simply requires the CFTC to do a report examining the number of entities regulated by them. the entitys size. practice models. and assets under management. We must be quick to acknowledge the dramatic failures of not just MF Global and Peregrine but several other venerated firms such as Bear Stearns. This amendment would also provide more insight as to how industry works. The language of the Jackson Lee amendment gives two years for the agency to complete the first one. That is more than enough time for the staff at the CFTC to comply with this amendment. In that span of two years a lot of things could change but the gist of the amendment is to provide more transparency for investors. It also asks that those firms rendered defunct like MF Global be included in the report. It is critical that investors know what is going onparticularly smaller investors who are not privy to the information that many of the larger entities are made aware. The MF Global bankruptcy hurt investors and potential investors. It is critical that firms increase their transparency and disclose information which consumers may use to make informed investment decisions. The Jackson Lee amendment asks very basic information of these firms via an agency studymuch of which the Commission may already keep account ofand I am merely seeking to have it in a report. Again. the amendment simply requires the CFTC to do a report examining the number of entities regulated by them. the entitys size. practice models. and assets under management. It also asks that those firms rendered defunct like MF Global be included in the report. And more importantly. many of the residents of the 18th District of Texas have invested in homes. stocks. and educationand to see it all flittered away because someone on Wall Street. France. or Houston even. pushed the wrong button. generating a contratrade when they meant to bet in the other directionis not what Americans want to see. I urge my colleagues to vote for transparency. fairness and openness by supporting the Jackson Lee Amendment.