macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

We also make a landmark investment in minorityserving institutions to make sure that those institutions that serve a disproportionate number of minority students are able to provide the services. to make sure that those students who are fully qualified to go to college. who are prepared to go to college. in fact.. stay in college. so we dont have a continuation of the situation we had today where. all too often. because services arent provided in college to help those students stay in college. those students end up out of college. no diploma and a lot of debt. And we want to make sure that that. in fact. doesnt happen. So today this legislation provides a great deal of promise and a great deal of assistance and a great deal .of resources to those students and their families who are sitting down figuring out how theyre going to pay for this college education that is so incredibly valuable today if youre going to fully participate in the American economic system. if youre going to participate in our democratic society. This is a very. very important piece of legislation. This is legislation that is designed to help these students be able to pay for that education. We do something else in this legislation. Weset up a partnership where we go to the private sector. .to wealthy individuals. to corporations. to foundations. and we tell them for every dollar that theyll put up to pay for essentially a Pelleligible student to complete their education without going into debt. we will match them 50 cent on the dollar. We are told by those individuals who have actively been participating in raising money for these students that this should allow them to raise hundreds of millions of dollars additionally because of that match. to have that public/private partnership pursuing one of the great goals of this great democratic society. which is to make sure that a student from any part of American society whos prepared to go to college can. in fact. go to college. . So we not only have the government helping them out. we also have private citizens. corporations. philanthropic organizations. and in some cases even local governments if they decide this is good for their economy. and we will provide a match to help them do that. This is a comprehensive bill. It recognizes the complex needs of families and students to gain access to colleg6. to pay for college. and to succeed in their employment afterwards. and I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa . -Mr." LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. I rise today in strong support of the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. and I thank Chairman MILLER for his impressive work .on this legislation. As a result of this legislation. Iowa students and families will receive $232 million over 5 years in additional benefits in the form of student loans and Pell grants. Almost 77.000 students will benefit from the eligibility expansion and Pell Grant increase in this bill. I am also very pleased that ano -amendment that I offered in committee to allow parttime students and students in certificate programs to participate in the yearround Pell Grant program and accelerate their studies was accepted. As a longtime teacher. at Cornell College in Iowa. I regularly encountered students struggling to afford their education. and I am certain that this bill makes the right investments at a critical time for our students. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. and I strongly support its passage.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the College Reduction Act of 2007. and I thank the chairman and the committee for bringing this bill to the floor. I think it is a great step forward for our college students. This important piece of legislation will strengthen the middle class by making college more affordable in several ways at no addi-. tional cost to taxpayers. First. it will increase the maximum Pell grant scholarship by at least $500 over the next 5 years. and expand student eligibility for other grants like the National SMART grant. Both of these things will increase the purchasing power for students who otherwise would not be able to afford going to college. In Texas alone. over 475.000 students .will benefit from a $500 increase in the Pell grant. In addition. this bill will cut interest rates on needbased Federal student loans from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent over the next 5 years. All of this will be done at no additional cost to the taxpayers by cutting excess subsidies paid by the Federal Government to lenders in the student loan industry. Four of the six offsets were already approved by the House this year. when it overwhelmingly voted to pass the College Student Relief Act of 2007 this past January. During the past few years. student lenders have been able to increase their efficiencies through marketdriven mechanisms. but the Governments subsidization has continued unchecked. The Congress has a chance to help the American people at no additional cost for the taxpayer. How can we resist doing this? In our district. financial barriers often inhibit the ability of high school graduates to go tocollege. By reducing student loan interest rates and increasing Federal grants. we are encouraging families and students to get a college education. When we pass this legislation. we are investing in the future of our economy. because we will have more college graduates with a lower debt burden. This will enable graduates to do things like buy homes. invest. and fuel our economy. This is such a critical bill. and its important that this body approach this bill in a manner that shows bipartisan support for educating our children. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I yield myself 15 seconds to say. its most interesting to sit here and be lectured by people who. when they controlled every department of government. every branch of government. they took a $5 trillion surplus that they inherited from the Clinton administration and immediately turned it into a $3 trillion debt that this Nation now is carrying around as it tries to compete in the world. To be lectured by mindless spenders like that is really a treat on this floor.. Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York .
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 15 seconds to say that I find it unbelievable that Republicans would decide that families that are making every sacrifice to borrow money. and students that are making every sacrifice to borrow and pay back money. that somehow they are called welfare recipients. These are hardworking American families who are struggling to educate their children. and I want to disassociate myself from that kind of characterization of these families or these students. Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I want to thank the gentleman for bringing this to our attention. and we look forward to continuing to work with him on this issue. As he has pointed out to this committee and many Members of Congress. we in fact have a workforce crisis. and that is what we have tried to address in the loan forgiveness program in those professions that are not necessarily the highest paying in our society but are essential to the wellbeing of our society. We will work with the gentleman as this bill proceeds through the legislative process on this matter.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island and look forward to continuing to work with him on. this issue in this conference and also on the Higher Education Act.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California . a member of the committee who had a major amendment in this legislation.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for her amefidment. and I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California a member of the committee.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of the College Cost Reduction Act. Students from working families. especially those who are the first in their families to attend college. face many obstacles. For example. there is no one at home to say the SATs arent that difficult or that tricky. or that financial aid forms arent going to be a nightmare to fill out. or that taking out a student loan isnt as scary as it might seem. The high cost of college is. of course. the biggest obstacle. In recent years. rising college tuitions have far outstripped inflation. and the previous congressional majority failed to ensure that Pell .Grants kept. up. Thats why I. am proud to support this bill. It provides the single largest investment in higher education since the GI Bill at- no new cost to taxpayers. My mother and father. both -immigrants who arrived in the U.S. with little money. and not knowing English. raised seven children. With a lot of hard work and sacrifice. all of us attended college and two even made it into Congress. What I really like about this bill is that it ensures that the doors that were open to my brothers and sisters and me will stay open for the young people of today and generations to come. I urge support for this inportant bill.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. the road to a better society is paved with better education. H.R. 2669. the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. is the single largest investment in higher education since the GI bill and highlights the commitment of this Congress to making college more affordable. By making this investment in our students. we are investing in the future of our country. This landmark legislation will provide vital assistance to low- and middleincome students by increasing the Pell Grant Scholarship by $500 over the next 5 years. In the State of Texas alone. over 470.000 could benefit from -this increase. H.R. 2669 will also encourage philanthropic participation in college financing through matching grants aimed at increasing the number of first generation and lowincome college students. By passing this bill we will be making great strides on behalf of minority students. The College Cost Reduction Act invests $500 million in minority serving institutions and creates two new designationsPredominately Black -Institutions and Institutions Serving Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. By recognizing these institutions. we recognize their commitment and dedication to serving our minority students. Mr. Speaker. I believe in an America where every child should grow up knowing that if they study and work hard. that they will have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. I believe in an America where the circumstances into which you are born do not determine whether you will one day stand in front of family and friends as you receive a college diploma. I commend Chairman MILLER and our Democratic Leadership for their continued commitment to ensuring that a college education is notout of reach for low- and middleincome Americans..
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu). a member of the committee. Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for yielding me the time. And with just a minute or two of time. one of the saddest moments. one of the two saddest moments in my relatively brief career here in the United States House was when this Chamber acted at the Presidents request to cut $12 billion from college financial aid. That occurred the day after a State of the Union Addresswhere the President talked about American competitiveness. Today. we take a bold step in rectifying that error. And I just want to refer a moment to the other saddest day of my thus far 8 years in the House of Representatives. and that was the decision in this Chamber to go to war in Iraq. Those were the two saddest moments in my . congressional career: Begin a war in error. and now perpetuating a pride. But at least today. at this moment. we are having an opportunity to rectify. in my view. the other great error that we committed during my time in this Chamber. and that is the $12 billion cut that the Education Committee passed.. the prior majority passed in this Chamber. and that went into effect without a necessary 60vote majority in the Senate. Now. we can propose this greatest increase in college financial aid. We may or may not have the votes for cloture in the other Chamber. but this is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do. It will make America more competitive. It will -help individuals. and it will help our society. and we will rectify the errors we have made in the past one by one. I rise in support of the College Cost Reduction Act. Affordable access to quality postsecondary education is the best tool available to ensure success and the kind of career that can support a family. It is also critical that American students have the education that will help them remain competitive ih an ihcreasingly global and knowledgebased economy. The College Cost Reduction Act provides a major funding increase to assist students and their families achieve the goal paying for college. and much moreat no new expense to taxpayers. It provides tuition assistance to undergraduates who commit to teaching in lowincome communities or highneed subject areas. It rewards those who serve their communitiesfirst responders and law enforcement officers. for example. by providing loan forgiveness to those that serve others. Perhaps most importantly. the bill provides a .major help to students in my home state of Oregon. The bill expands Pell Grant eligibility. and the maximum Pell Grant scholarship is increased over $500. This means nearly 70.000 Oregonians could benefit from the bill. This Aranslates into $194 million dollars in aid to Oregon students and families over five years. College costs have skyrocketed over the past decade. The College Cost Reduction Act is instrumental in helping more Americans achieve their dream of a college education. I strongly support this bill. and urge my colleagues to do so as well.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank Chairman MILLER for his recognition. I rise in support of the College Cost Reduction Act and want to thank my good friend. the chairman. for his leadership and the members of the committee for their exceptional work. While I am very supportive of the bills overall goal. I have a concern that the bill incorporates the Bush administrations proposal to significantly cut the yield on all lenders across the board. Students and parents have saved. millions of dollars due to smaller competitive lenders offering consolidation loans at lower interest rates. Greater competition leads to lower prices and more choices for the consumer. .I do want to thank the chairman for his recognition of. small lenders. And quite honestly.-hes worked very. very hard to get the legislation to this point. and I know he continues to try to do that. I want to thank the chairman for eliminating the origination fee for small lenders because thats an important part of this bill as well. It will lower interest rates for students in the future. But we must ensure that individuals currently enrolled do not pay more when theyre starting to repay their loans. I look forward to working with Chairman MILLER and the ranking member and hope that this matter will be addressed in conference. and I know the chairman has committed to continue to try to do that. We must ensure that. we help all students. parents and lenders equally and fairly.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Weve even got a multiplier in this bill. We tell highachieving college students who are studying math. science and engineering. if you will commit to going in and teaching in the most difficult schools in this Nation. you will bring those talents to those kids. well give you $4.000 tuition relief while youre in school. not later. We know that that is a multiplier because we know the kids that are exposed to highly qualified and effective teachers can learn things that we cant believe of. and thats what gives back to this society. At the end of the day. maybe Speaker PELOSI said it best: The dollars we invest in this legislation. the dollars we invest in these young people. that we invest in their families. in their futures. in their competencies. comes back to us every year from the same group of people as they graduate. They return the gifts. They return this gift of the Nation. Were trying. to do for this next generation. what my grandparents did for me. what my parents did for me. And those investments that they made in the college systems of this country. in the GI bill in this country. what did they do? They took America to the premier position in the world in economic leadership. in national security. in foreign affairs. took us to the first place in the world and has been there for 50 years based upon that investment. America knows now that they need a. new investment. and thats what this legislation is about. Its about a new investment for the next generation. the next generation of talent and competency and fearless and beautiful young people. beautiful young people who want their future to be as rewarding as all of ours have been. I ask you to vote "no" on this amendment.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

The Chair responded to the parliamentary inquiry that it is not forthwith. that it precludes action on the bill today. Thank you.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 2900. legislation to reauthorize important user fee programs at the Food and Drug Administration and enact critical drug safety reforms at the agency. This legislation is the result of years of hard work by the Energy and Commerce Committee and particularly the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and the Health Subcommittee. I am proud to serve on both of these subcommittees. The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee has worked on a bipartisan basis to investigate the drug safety concems brought to light by scandals associated with drugs such as Vioxx. Ketek and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. or SSRIs. which are typically used to treat depression. These investigations uncovered significant safety lapses at the FDA and shed a bright light on the FDAs bias toward drug approval with too little attention paid to postmarket safety concerns. The FDA Amendments Act of 2007 makes important changes at the FDA to place a greater emphasis on postmarket surveillance within the agency. Specifically. this legislation would establish a Risk. Evaluation. and Mitigation Strategy whereby drijgs approved by the agency are monitored throughout their lifecycle for adverse events or other signs of safety concerns. A critical aspect of this strategy is the additional authority this bill gives the Secretary of HHS to mandate that drug manufacturers conduct postmarket studies. Under this bill. the additional postmarket activities extend to the user fee programs that help fund the drug approval process. Specifically. this bill directs drug manufacturers utilizing the FDAs drug approval process to dedicate an additional $225 million over five years for postmarket surveillance activities at the FDA. This additional funding represents an important investment by the pharmaceutical industry in the FDAs postmarket safety activities. while also ensuring that premarket uqer fees are adequate to bring potentially lifesaving medicines to market in a reasonable time. This legislation also reauthorizes the Medical Device User Fee Act. as well as the Best Pharmaceuticals For Children Act and the Pediatric- Research Equity Act. The unanimous support of the committee for this bill is a testament to the open process and bipartisan nature in which the committee members and staff on both sides of the aisle conducted these negotiations. I would like to thank our Chairman. Mr. DINGELL. and our Health Subcommittee Chairman.
Date: 2007-07-11
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I thank my colleague from Texas for yielding to me. And I want to thank this House. Madam Speaker. because earlier this year we passed a bill and it has been signed by the President naming the Department of Education building for Lyndon Baines Johnson. A lot of our goal was to make sure that Lady Bird was alive when that was done. And it was. When President Bush signed the bill. she actually heard.- because of her illness she couldnt be in Washington. but she heard the bill signing and the great things said about the legacy of President Johnson and the Johnson family. And all of us share the loss of the Johnson family and the loss of Lady Bird. She literally defined the term "lady" for those of us who knew her.
Date: 2007-07-12
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for yielding. I rise today as a cosponsor. of H.R. 2956. and although I support this resolution. I must express my sadness that it has come to this point. This President was wrong when he claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. He has had over 4 years. He has asked for more time. for more troops. for more surges. And regardless of what our military. experts and our troops -on the ground say. this President continues to claim that we are winning the war in Iraq. Mr. President. what reports are you reading? Whom are you listening to? Certainly not the reports that I have read or the military officials I have spoken to. who tell a very different story about what is happening in Iraq. To me it is with sadness that this Congress has to tell you that your war in Iraq is a .failure and that we will not let you leave our brave men and women over there when you have no plan to allow them to succeed. We will not let them be targets any longer. History will show-. Mr. President. that your war was a failure. But today the Congress stood up to you and said enough is enough.