macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-12
Speaker: BEN RAY LUJAN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Madam Chair. last August. the Environmental Protection Agency was responsible for the blowout at the Gold King Mine in Colorado that spilled 3 million gallons of wastewater. impacting New Mexico. Colorado. Utah. Arizona. and the Navajo Nation. I was in Farmington. New Mexico. when the toxic plume turned the Animas River yellow. I met with the community and heard their concerns about the toll that the spill was taking on businesses. farmers. families. and individuals. Madam Chair. we are almost 1 year removed from the spill. and in communities that have been impacted. there remains serious concerns about the longterm effects that the spill will have on the river and all that its water sustains. from drinking water to farming and livestock. Longterm water quality monitoring is essential to ensure that communities along the Animas River have the data they need to protect the health of all those who rely on this water. Unfortunately. the State of New Mexico and the EPA have been unable to agree on what the longterm monitoring should look like. As a result. the State has moved ahead with a lawsuit against the EPA. Madam Chair. it is disappointing that it has come to this point of legal action. My amendment today seeks to address this issue by providing $6 million to direct the EPA to work with affected States and Indian Tribes to implement longterm monitoring programs for water quality on the Animas and San Juan Rivers in response to the Gold King Mine spill. The State of New Mexico has worked with stakeholders to develop a robust monitoring plan that I believe can serve as a basis for a truly comprehensive effort. Monitoring now and well into the future is necessary to protect the health of all those who rely on this water. and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2016-07-12
Speaker: BEN RAY LUJAN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Madam Chair. I appreciate the leadership of the chairman. He has been very gracious. he and his staff. with several amendments that are important to New Mexico during this debate as well. What has happened now is the temporary facility has been located in the State of Colorado as well. where this has taken place. where this blowout took place. but we are still seeing remnants of heavy metals all the way down to that contamination plume. and it just hasnt been enough. I will read something that our Attorney General from the State of New Mexico recently said. "The release of hazardous substances into waters that are the lifeblood of our economy and culture in New Mexico has had a devastating impact on our historical rural. agricultural and tribal communities . . . It is inappropriate for the EPA to impose weak testing standards in New Mexico and I am demanding the highest testing standards that the EPA would impose in any other state in the nation to protect the health and wellbeing of our citizens. Additionally. remediation and compensation dollars have been far too minimal for these very special agricultural and cultural communities who depend on this precious water source for irrigation and drinking water. They must be properly compensated and there must be appropriate independent monitoring to prevent future dangers to public health and the economy." Attorney General Hector Balderas.
Date: 2016-07-13
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. today I rise to speak on the provisions included in the fiscal year 2017 Interior appropriations bill to address the California drought. The language is well intentioned and seeks to alleviate some of the issues that we Californians are facing because of the drought. However. we have to take into account all impacts of increased pumping and how it affects our river ecosystems. our fishing economy. and our wildlife associated with the San Joaquin River. I support increased pumping to aid those affected by the drought. especially in the Central Valley. If you had gone to see some of those homes. it is really damaging. But we also have to take a look at the longterm impact. We need to look at developing our longterm water sustainability and our infrastructure. as we have done in Orange County. in my home district. where we were able to avoid some of the terrible effects of this drought because we invested. over the last 15 years. in water reclamation and water recapture. About 90 percent of the water that we use in my hometown is completely recycled. As I have said before. we need to pass drought legislation. and we need to listen to all of the stakeholders.
Date: 2016-07-13
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on this bill and in so many other areas. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to the socalled Conscience Protection Act. It is. in fact. a bill that offends the conscience and threatens the health and security of women. This vindictive bill is yet another tactic to throw roadblocks between women and their constitutional right to choose their own form of reproductive health care. Neither an employer nor an insurance company has the right to dictate a womans healthcare choices. That is right. This bill permits insurance companies to deny certain coverage based on religious or moral grounds. This is merely another deliberate attempt to cut women off from safe. legal. comprehensive healthcare services. It could even restrict medical communication between a patient and her doctor or prevent women from getting critical emergency care. There are already sufficient laws in place so that religious institutions and providers cannot be compelled to perform abortions if they are morally opposed. So who are we protecting? This bill is not about conscience. It is an attack. It is an attack on women. It is an attack on their health care. It is a vehicle of discrimination against women. and women only. I urge my colleagues to vote against this unnecessary and destructive bill.
Date: 2016-07-13
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise to express my opposition to S. 304. the socalled "Conscience Protection Act." This bill would allow employers. insurance companies. and other health care entities to refuse to provide. pay for. cover. or refer for abortion services. This is an overreaching and dangerous proposal under which employers. among others. could deny women comprehensive health insurance coverage and intrude on their personal health care decisions. This legislation is unnecessary since existing federal law already protects individuals who do not want to participate in abortion care and many states have refusal clauses for individual who wish to refuse to participate in abortion care. A womans medical decisions should be left up to her and her physician. they should not be vulnerable to the arbitrary discrimination of an employer or other outside party. As responsible lawmakers. we have a duty to reject any and all provisions that seek to codify a health care system in which discrimination against women is legal and encouraged. The Supreme Court has upheld the right of women to choose regarding this matter. It is time that we move on from attempts to undermine this right and instead focus on improving health care quality and access for all Americans. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing S. 304.
Date: 2016-07-13
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. this evening I inadvertently voted "nay" on rollcall No. 451. As an opponent of seismic airgun testing. I duly intended to vote "yea." Stated against:
Date: 2016-07-13
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H

of Texas): H. Con. Res. 145. Concurrent resolution celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program and recognizing the significant contributions of Albert Einstein Fellows. to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. By Mr. BRADY of Texas (for himself.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today with a heavy heart. I rise to honor the memory of an extraordinary young man who worked in dedicated service at the Democratic National Committee. Seth Conrad Rich. Seth was just 27 years old when he was killed this past weekend in our Nations Capital. the victim of an unknown shooter. He was a dedicated. selfless public servant. protecting one of our most essential freedoms: the right of all Americans to vote. He carried out this work because he believed that together we could make the world a better place. We were fortunate to know and work with him. Just last Friday. Seth wrote a response on Facebook to the terrible shootings in Dallas. He wrote: Stop hating each other. . . . We have to be better and more true. . . . Please. stop killing each other. I hope the Members of this body will join me in offering our deepest thoughts and prayers to the Rich family today. but thoughts and prayers are simply not enough. In Seths prescient words: We must stop the hate. We must be better and more true.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas . a member of the Ways and Means Committee.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . the ranking member of the Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing on the Financial Services Committee.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. You have heard very clearly from this side of the aisle as to why it is so important for us to be true to our commitments that were made under the agreement. You have heard very clearly what this bill is all about. Part of that agreement which is being denied by the opposite side of the aisle has to do with nonU.S. financial institutions. We maintain our sanctions as they relate to the United States financial institutions. Our institutions are not in any way violating those sanctions. and we do not allow our financial institutions to do business with Iran. but we do support nonU.S. financial institutions ability to do business with Iran. What is this bill all about? We keep hearing about rumors. We keep hearing about suspicions. We keep hearing about what we think they may do. We keep hearing about what someone else said they are going to do. The fact of the matter is this agreement is extremely clear. Theythat is the Iranianshave not violated this agreement at all. As a matter of fact. there is something in the agreement called dispute resolution. If you believe that they have violated the agreement in some way. why dont you insist on a dispute resolution to deal with the issue? But you cannot do that. You cannot point to anything that the Iranians have done that is in disagreement with the agreement that has been made. Why are you coming to the floor of the House of Representatives 1 day before we are to take a break and putting this bill and other bills on the floor? Is this politically motivated? What are you trying to do? Who are you trying to send a message to? Instead of using your power and your ability to deal with this agreement in an honest and credible way. what you should be doing is supporting the President of the United States of America and respecting this country and our commitments. We have five other countries in this deal. What happens if we renege on our agreements? What are they to think of us? What do you think about your country? Why would you have the President of the United States on the international stage looking as if the rug has been pulled out from under him by his own legislators? I dont get it. I do not understand it. As a matter of fact. one of the things we should all be very clear about is our support for Israel. That side of the aisle does not support our relationship and our friendship any more than we do. If that is the message you are trying to send. it doesnt work. It doesnt hold water. As a matter of fact. any Member of Congress who looks at this agreement. who reads the agreement. who understands the agreement knows that you dont have any issues with what is happening in our financial system. You have not been able. in this debate. to talk about the fact that U.S. financial systems are not involved in any way.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I will address these remarks to you so they can hear them. and that is that they have not been able to identify in this debate how the United States financial institutions are involved in any shape. form. or fashion in doing business with Iran. They have not been able. in the debate. to indicate that. somehow. we have not agreed that nonU.S. financial institutions can be involved in financial deals with Iran. I am simply asking that they deal with the facts. I am simply asking them not to undermine the agreement that we have made. I am simply asking them to admit that Iran has in no way violated this agreement. I am asking them to simply support this country and this President and to make sure that we dont separate ourselves from the other five countries that we have a deal with. I am asking them not to put us in the position in which the other five countries say: "We cannot trust America. We cannot trust America because they are reneging on the deal." We have done a tremendous service not only to Israel but to the United States in working out this deal to ensure that Iran does not continue to develop its nuclear capability. Why did we do that? It is because we are on the path toward peace and not war. We do not want Iran to attack Israel. and we do not want Israel to attack Iran. We do not want the United States to be thrown into this wara war that could be created by either of thembecause we believe that we can provide credible leadership for peace. That is what this is all about. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing. I would just like to say that we are all in agreement that Iran should not be a nuclear state. which would pose a direct threat to both the United States and international security. The Iran nuclear deal is the best option we have for keeping nuclear weapons out of the Iranian Governments hands. It would be reckless to abandon our commitments under the deal which deny Iran a credible opportunity to produce weaponsgrade nuclear material for use in a bomb for at least a generation. To date. Iran. again. has upheld its end of the deal. and we have a responsibility to do the same. The Presidents Statement of Administration Policy on H.R. 4992 and the other harmful Iranrelated bills on the floor this week state that undermining the JCPOA would "remove the unprecedented constraints on and monitoring of Irans nuclear program. lead to the unraveling of the international sanctions regime against Iran. and deal a devastating blow to the credibility of Americas leadership and our commitments to our closest allies." H.R. 4992 is being framed as protecting the U.S. financial system. yet our financial system is already protected by our primary sanctions on Iran. In other words. this bill does nothing to protect the U.S. financial system or to promote our national security. In fact. it does the opposite. We have said all of this. which I have just reiterated. but let me make my final and closing statement. Why are you wasting your time? Even if. by some stroke of magic. you could get this through the Senate and send it to the President of the United States. he is going to veto it. They know it. Everyone knows it. Why are we doing this? I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE (democrat)
Chamber: H

J Texas. Messrs. JOHNSO YOUNG of Alaska. DOC EDWARDS. Messrs. HOYER. and PAYNE ch vote from "nay" to "yea." So the motion to concu to. The result of the vote wa as above recorded. A motion to reconsider the table. Visclosky Wagner Walberg Walden Walker Walorski Walters. Mimi Walz Weber (TX) Webster (FL) Wenstrup Westerman Westmoreland Whitfield Williams Wilson (FL) Wilson (SC) Womack Woodall Yoho Young (AK) Young (IA) Young (IN) Zinke Neugebauer Pallone Palmer Pelosi Perlmutter Pingree Pocan Poliquin Polis Posey Price (NC) Rohrabacher Rooney (PL) RoybalAllard Ryan (OH) Sanford Sarbanes Scalise Schakowsky Schi1ff Stated for:
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. on rollcall No. 466. On Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment with an Amendment to S. 764. GMO Labeling Requirements. I was unavoidably detained and missed the vote. Had I been present. I would have voted "no."
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. Zika is here. and Congress is not doing its job. Yesterday. health officials in Houston. Harris County. Texas. diagnosed an infant with microcephaly. which is a birth defect that causes a severe underdevelopment of the brain and a long list of health problems. This is the first documented case of Zikarelated microcephaly in Texas. Unfortunately. it is one of the many tragedies that will continue if we fail to act. Zika poses a grave and unprecedented threat to our public health. It is time Congress fulfills its constitutional and moral duty to protect the health and welfare of our people. It is an appalling disservice to the American people that we are not yet providing resources to combat this virus. Congress reluctance to provide funding is attributed to a distorted sense of fiscal responsibility. The fact of the matter is that their reluctance is putting the health and lives of the American people at risk. and inaction now will only be more costly in the long run. We are delaying medical research for a cure for Zika. We are delaying funding for our communities to fight Zika. We need to work with a sense of responsibility for the health and welfare of our Nation and approve the funds that are necessary to prevent Zika from spreading in our country.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. 7 weeks52 days. I rise today to express my disappointment with our Republican colleagues for shutting down the Congress for the summer. After the tragedies in Orlando and Dallas. are you telling me that we cant get together. that we cannot find a compromise on gun violence and gun control? The American people believe we can. They want it done. Mr. Speaker. is there no action with respect to Flint. Michigan? So much of our infrastructure needs to be redone in so many cities. This is just the beginning of what we will see. We have to address these national crises because working families all over the country will go to work tomorrow. and they will go to work on Saturday. and they will go to work on Sunday. and they will go to work for the next 7 weeks. They expect us to find solutions. Mr. Speaker. lets get to work.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker and Members. if you take a look at this House. that side of the aisle is empty. They left. They are gone. Take a look on this side. and you see Democrats. Democrats are raising the question: Why did you decide to leave and to take a break without dealing with the serious issues that confront us today? Let me just remind them: Columbine. Newtown. Aurora. Colorado. Fort Hood Army Base. Texas. Tucson. Arizona. Representative Gabby Giffords. Oak Creek. Wisconsin. Washington. D.C.. Navy Yard. Reynolds High School. Emanuel AME Church. San Bernardino. Pulse nightclub. Orlando. Florida. In all of these. there were children. What do we say about the children? We have had a moment of silence. and we have forgotten that children are dying. In Flint. Michigan. children still dont have clean water. The water has lead in it. We have not done anything. Well. whether we are talking about Flint or the Zika virus or the children who have been killed because of gun violence. Republicans. where are you? Shame on you for abandoning the issues that need to be dealt with.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. tomorrow there will be a bright and shiny Sun. but in this Chamber it will be nothing but darknessnothing but darkness. with no sound. no response from my friends on the other side of the aisle. From 2005 to 2015. 300.000 people have died from senseless gun violence. The people of Flint are crying out for relief from poisoned lead water. And then there is the Zika virus impacting the Gulf region. As of July 6. 1.132 travelassociated cases of the Zika virus. 2.534 cases in U.S. territories. and. of course. the Gulf region is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Pregnant women with laboratory evidence of Zika. now some 320. including the United States and the District of Columbia. and the U.S. territories is 279. And. yes. a baby has now been born with microcephaly in Harris County in Texas. And our Gulf region Zika task force has said thousands more may come. Give us the Senate bill. $1.9 billion. Our people are suffering. Dont turn off the lights. Lets work. They are crying out for relief.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today with great concern as the Republic majority has allowed the House to head home for 52 days without addressing the gun violence epidemic. providing resources to respond to Zika. or doing anything about the Flint water crisis. And that is just to name a few issues. Mr. Speaker. our constituents elected us to focus on their needs: growing our economy. creating jobs. improving education for our children. improving and ensuring safety and security in their communities. Now. we are about to leave town without handling at least these three incredibly concerning issues. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to see reason. work with us to find a path to compromise. get back to doing their jobs. and give us a vote.
Date: 2016-07-14
Speaker: JUDY CHU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. at just 4 years old. Salvador Esparza already had a reputation for lighting up a room whenever he walked in. His aunt called him "a sweet boy with a passion for soccer and Spiderman." But now pictures and memories are all that remain. Last week. Salvador was shot and killed in a driveby shooting on his own front porch in my California district. Like him. 91 people are killed by guns each day. But people like Salvador deserve to be more than a statistic. That is why I joined 350 people in front of Pasadena City Hall last week at a vigil to call for an end to gun violence. They are hurting. Now is the time for Congress to take action to save lives. But. instead. Republicans decided to end session early and push lifesaving work on guns. Zika. and the Flint water crisis aside. The American people elected us to do our job. They deserve better.