macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-10-05
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I rise in support of the Waxman amendment. and without the amendment I rise in opposition to H.R. 2681. the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011. As we all know. cement plants are one of the primary sources of mercury pollution in the U.S. In my State of Texas alone. there are 10 cement plants which emitted 225 pounds of mercury in 2009 alone. It takes only oneseventieth of a teaspoon of mercury to contaminate a 25acre lake and render the fish unsafe to eat. And children are the most vulnerable. Mercury exposure impairs a childs ability to learn. write. walk. talk. and read. As a registered nurse. I have seen firsthand how children are particularly sensitive to emissions of mercury and other air toxins. As a mother and a grandmother. I cannot stand by and watch these emissions go unchecked. I have always been a strong and proud defender of EPAs charge to protect public health and the environment. In 2009. I led a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson calling for even stronger emissions standards to reduce mercury pollution. Last year. I was pleased to see that EPA finalized standards for cement plant emissions that will reduce mercury and particulate matter pollution by over 90 percent. resulting in health savings of up to $18 billion each year. Despite all the talk that we have heard in recent months. EPA regulations do not kill jobs. As the ranking member of the Science. Space. and Technology Committee. I know that our Nations scientific. entrepreneurial. and industrial sectors have and will innovate to meet new standards as they always have. We will reduce air pollution in this country while creating thousands of jobs. The predictions of widespread economic disruption and collapse of our industrial sector because of what some have called the overreaching Clean Air Act have been proven wrong time and again. We should expect that todays hysteria is no different. Therefore. I stand with the citizens of Texas and impacted communities across the Nation in opposing this bill and not with the big polluters. Congress passed the Clean Air Act 40 years ago. and we have cleaner air today because of it. But we can always do better. And that is why we must support the purpose and the mission of the EPA and oppose this bill without this amendment. We are not here to kill jobs. but we are here to save lives.
Date: 2011-10-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 5. lines 16 and 17. strike "not earlier than 5 years after the effective date of the regulation" and insert "not later than 3 years after the regulation is promulgated as final". The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Date: 2011-10-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the gentleman. I think the very argument that you just made is one that I would like to utilize and suggest that conformity could be 3 or 5. And Im suggesting conformity should be 3 years. with the EPA doing just as you said. having the discretion to give more time. I think it shows us. as a Congress. being as balanced for jobswhich I know that youre trying to doas trying to save lives. And there are lives that are impacted by the conditions that these companies generate.
Date: 2011-10-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII. further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas will be postponed.
Date: 2011-10-06
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. there is something about having a heart and a philosophy that Americans who are not working want to work. Americans who are not rich simply want an opportunity to provide for their families. I want to congratulate the President today for acknowledging that this economic downfall is not attributable to his actions as a President that happens to be a Democrat. I thank him for mentioning the calamity in China. dealing with the manipulation of currency. It is something we have to address. It is something that has not benefited the United States. I believe as individuals run for the Presidency. they have every right to do so. but every time they make a statement of insult to the American people. Im going to address it. Mr. Cain seems to want to continue. rather than to talk constructively about how we can bring people together. today he announced that those who are on rallies around this countrysome in my district. as we speakhe told them. if you are not employed and you are not rich. its your fault. Mr. Cain. you need to understand what the common people and person is going through. Understand the common man and stop being high and mighty. I dont know how you can represent all of the people. You need to get a grip and understand what America is all about.
Date: 2011-10-11
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 6. lines 23 and 24. strike "not earlier than 5 years after the effective date of the regulation" and insert "not later than 3 years after the regulation is promulgated as final". The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Date: 2011-10-11
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

For a clarification. I did not argue that regulation creates jobs. I do believe that you can produce the kind of regulatory climate that will. But my point was that clean air and a better quality of life encourages businesses to move into areas and grow jobs. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Date: 2011-10-11
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII. further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas will be postponed.
Date: 2011-10-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. Members of the House. one of our most important responsibilities as elected officials is to promote and protect American jobs and values. When it comes to trade. jobs and values go handinhand. To promote American jobs. we must promote American values. We do this by ensuring that our workers are protected from unfair competition with countries that keep wages artificially low by repressing essential democratic rights: the right to speak out. the right to organize. the right to bargain. the right for a better life without fear of reprisals. And so as we now consider the trade agreement with Colombia. what do you get when you exercise your rights in Colombia today? You get death threats and death squad activities against you and your families. Colombia is the most dangerous place on Earth for workers who dare to exercise their rights. During the last Colombian Presidents 8 years in office. 570 union members were assassinated. To date. only 10 percent of the thousands of killings over the last 25 years have been resolved. The problems here are undeniable. So I appreciate that the U.S. and the Colombia Governments have finally brought labor rights into the equation. They have agreed to a Labor Action Plan requiring Colombia to change some labor laws and to commit more resources to fight the violence and impunity. But that plan is fatally flawed. It only demands results on paper. It does not demand real change. Colombia could have a record year for assassinations and still meet the requirements of the plan. Sure enough. real change is yet to come to Colombia. Since President Santos took office last year. press reports indicate at least 38 trade unionists have been murdered16 since the Labor Action Plan was announced. In midJune of this year. I met with a Port Workers Union leader from Colombia in my office about his concerns with the free trade agreement. He told me that he was not provided protection and that the abusive cooperative system was still in place despite commitments made by the Colombian Government to remedy both. In July. I spoke directly to his concerns on the floor of the House. And 2 weeks later. this leader received death threats via text message. The message said. "If you continue to create problems and denounce things. you will die in a mortuary union." Its under these conditions that we are asked to approve this deal. If we approve the deal now. any incentive for Colombia to truly improve will vanish. Now is not the time to reward violence with impunity with the seal of approval from the United States. The deal with Colombia is neither fair nor free. Telling Colombian workers that if they speak out for higher wages. they will diethats not freedom. Telling American workers to compete with that kind of repressionthats not fair to our workers or our values. Stand for American values. and reject the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
Date: 2011-10-11
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

and Messrs. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California and SMITH of New Jersey changed their vote from "nay" to "yea.. So the resolution was agreed to. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. Stated against:
Date: 2011-10-12
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. I rise today to speak in opposition to this fatally flawed trade agreement. During a time when our top priority should be job creation. Congress is instead considering free trade agreements that will ship more American jobs overseas. Making matters worse. we need to make sure that our current trade laws are being enforced. This Korea FTA will allow China to dump even more cheap goods into the U.S. without paying proper duties. And were not talking about just a couple of dollars here either. Chinese companies fraudulently labeled many of their products as "Made in Korea" to the tune of $153 million last year. This fraud will mean lost jobs and lost revenue here in the United States. If this agreement passes. more Chinese companies will ignore our trade laws. I think we can all agree that we should be working toward supporting our manufacturing sector. not making it easier for China to cheat us. Working families in this country deserve better than this flawed agreement. For that reason. Im urging my colleagues to vote against it.
Date: 2011-10-12
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. I would like to insert into the RECORD a resolution from the League of United Latin American Citizens expressing opposition to the free trade agreement.
Date: 2011-10-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I rise today to honor the achievements of Marcia Jo Zerivitz. the founding executive director and chief curator of the Jewish Museum of Florida. Marcia has been a leader in the organized Florida Jewish community for more than 40 years. Originally from West Virginia. she has been a leader in Jewish organizations since her work with Hillel during her college years. Since the 1970s. Marcia has held various leadership roles within organizations such as Israel Bonds. AIPAC. ORT. and Hadassah. Throughout her lifetime. Marcia has broken the glass ceiling as the first woman in many positions. including as president of the Greater Orlando Jewish Federation. She is one of the first women nationally to hold this office. She was also the first woman to chair the Florida Association of Jewish Federations Conference in 1979. In 1993. Marcia guided the restoration of an abandoned 1936 art deco building on Miami Beach. which served as an Orthodox synagogue for 50 years. and she opened the Jewish Museum of Florida in 1995. She led the effort to get the museum accredited and has presented more than 50 exhibits in 15 years. The museum. which is on the National Register of Historic Places. has collected. preserved. and interpreted the Jewish experience in Florida since at least 1763. when Jews were first allowed to live in the State. In 2003. she initiated State legislation for a Florida Jewish History Month. which is now recognized each January. Then in 2005. Marcia and members of Miamis Jewish community approached me with the idea to designate a month to honor the contributions that American Jews have made to our Nation. As a result. I was the proud sponsor of the Jewish American Heritage Month resolution. which the House and Senate unanimously passed in 2006 and which has been proclaimed by President Bush and President Obama annually since then. Marcia Zerivitz should take great pride in knowing that Jewish American Heritage Month. which is now celebrated across our Nation each May. began with her work at the Jewish Museum of Florida. I am honored to recognize Marcia Jo Zerivitz for the positive impact that she has made. not just on Floridas Jewish community but on communities across our Nation. I wish her well on her retirement. and I thank her for enriching the lives of countless others in the Jewish community and around the country.
Date: 2011-10-13
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of American families whose jobs and livelihoods are being undermined by China and other countries which purposely undervalue their currency. For the past several years. the best economic research has shown that China manipulates the value of its currency by at least 25 to 30 percent against the dollar. This blatantly unfair trading practice has contributed to our trade deficit with China. growing it from $68 billion to $273 billion in just 11 years. Worst of all. the American people have become the ultimate victims. Last month. the Economic Policy Institute found that 2.8 million U.S. jobs have been eliminated or displaced since 2001 due to the growing U.S.-China trade deficit. Last year. the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act passed this Chamber with strong bipartisan support. Yesterday. unfortunately. the new House majority voted nearly identical legislation down. The Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act has been supported by Members on both sides of the aisle and would give this and any administration the authority to take countervailing measures against currency manipulators. like China. in support of hardworking Americans. We need to change that. Madam Speaker.
Date: 2011-10-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise today to voice my opposition to H.R. 358. When I speak with women in my district. they are concerned about finding a job. keeping their home from foreclosure. or putting food on the table. What they do not ask for is their constitutional rights to be threatened or their health to be endangered. Yet this bill does just that. Rather than focus on continuing to rebuild our Nations economy. the Republican majority is focusing their time on. once again. seeking to limit womens access to reproductive care. I am particularly troubled that this bill. the Protect Life Act. actually does just the opposite. This bill would override core patient protections and allow hospitals to legally refuse lifesaving treatment to women. thus allowing them to die in a hospital despite their treatable condition. This extreme legislation is dangerous to womens health and does nothing to address the jobs crisis facing American families. I urge my colleagues. if they truly want to protect life. to vote against this bill.
Date: 2011-10-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Its unfortunate that we have to come to the floor of the House to discuss the personal decisions that a woman has to make. And I can assure you that the question of choice. the question of abortion. the question of what a woman does to her body is not one that a woman takes lightly. On many occasions. there is the necessity for a doctor and his female patient to make decisions to save the life or health of the mother. Just as the federal courts have ruled unconstitutional and rejected the Texas law that requires a doctor to talk first to a woman seeking an abortion and to allow or force them both to listen to sounds that might discourage this needed action. this is going to be held unconstitutional. This is not a law that can pass. You can not tell a woman her insurance company can not provide her all the benefits of that coverage. It goes way beyond the pale. I would ask my colleagues to vote against this rule and protect the right of a woman to choose and the dignity of all people in this Nation to make their own decisions over their lives. through consultation with her family. faith leader and doctor. I am saddened that were here today discussing such an issue. Please vote no on this rule and for a womans right to choose.
Date: 2011-10-13
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 358. the misleadingly titled the "Protect Life Act". Let me be clear. The Affordable Care Act already prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortions. except in cases of rape. incest. or where the womans life is endangered. We included extensive mechanisms to ensure that no federal subsidies in the health insurance exchanges would go to pay for abortions. The bill on the Floor today takes the unprecedented step of preventing a woman from using her own private funds to purchase a full. comprehensive health care plan through the exchanges established in the Affordable Care Act. That is simply another way of denying a woman the right to choose. I urge House Republicans to stop playing ideological games and to pursue an agenda to help create jobs. strengthen the economy. and move our country forward.
Date: 2011-10-13
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

The American people want us to work together to address their top priority: creating jobs. Were now 280 days into this Congress. and we havent passed a jobs plan. With only 22 legislative days left this Congress. instead of addressing jobs. Republicans are continuing to propose legislation targeting womens health. This bill disregards the compromise on abortion reached during last years debate on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA is consistent with longstanding federal law by prohibiting the use of federal funds to pay for abortions (except in cases of rape or incest. or when the life of the woman would be endangered). The Act requires two separate premium payments for women and families receiving federal subsidies that choose health plans that include abortion coverage. The language is clearno portion of federal subsidies may be used to pay for the portion of coverage that is purchased in state exchanges that relates to abortions. While I dont agree with the ban on federal funding. Members decided last year to call a truce and preserve the status quo. This bill would go further. This bill restricts how women with private insurance can spend their own private dollars in purchasing health insurance. The Protect Life Act would prohibit all individuals who receive federal subsidies from purchasing a plan that includes abortion coverage (even if they are using their own private dollars to purchase the portion of coverage relating to abortions). and would also prohibit insurance plans from offering abortion services if they accept even one individual who receives a subsidy. Health care plans will likely be deterred from covering abortion. and since most insurance plans currently cover abortion. the Protect Life Act would result in millions of women losing the coverage they currently have. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Republican assault on womens health and to oppose the Protect Life Act.
Date: 2011-10-13
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. today I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 358. the Protect Life Act. Instead of focusing on creating jobs. the House majority has decided instead to continue their relentless assault on womens rights and limit access to fair and adequate health care. Despite its name. this bill is not about protecting life. In fact. it is far from it. One provision in this bill would put womens lives in danger by allowing hospitals to refuse to provide lifesaving abortion care even when a womans life is in critical danger. This bill would also allow states to ostensibly deny critical nonabortion services to women. The Protect Life Act has the potential to undermine laws guaranteeing health care services well beyond those in the reproductivehealth area. This could result in the denial of mental health care. HIV counseling. and other vital services. Current law is clear: Federal funding of abortion is forbidden except under very limited circumstances. This bill would impose unprecedented limitations on abortion coverage and restrict access to abortion services and contraceptives for all women. I urge my colleagues to reject this dangerous assault on women and I urge the majority to work on legislation that will put Americans back to work.
Date: 2011-10-14
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank our ranking member for allowing me time to speak. I rise to express my support for H.R. 2273. the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act. As a Member of Congress from basically an oil and gas and refinery and chemical plant area. for the last 8 months I have learned more about coal ash than I think I have ever wanted to. We know that coal combustion waste can be responsibly recycled and beneficially used. Wisconsin recycles 97 percent of their coal ash. Encouraging beneficial reuse of coal ash ensures less of it in landfills. which is good for our environment and good for the economy. The great debate with coal combustion waste is how do we ensure we have enough environmental protections for coal ash disposal without discouraging beneficial use. As ranking member of the Environment and Economy Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce. I believe the legislation before us today is a vastly improved version of the legislation considered by our subcommittee for markup. which would simply ban EPA from deeming coal ash as a hazardous material. This legislation would further be improved by the adoption of the Shimkus amendment. the managers amendment. later. Currently. there is a patchwork of State programs to regulate the disposal of coal combustion waste. H.R. 2273 for the first time establishes comprehensive. minimum Federal standards for coal ash management and disposal. Contrary to statements made. H.R. 2273 does include groundwater monitoring provisions. The legislation applies existing requirements for groundwater monitoring and corrective action measures to coal combustion residuals. Facilities would be required to monitor and respond to any releases. In addition. States have the authority to require facilities that dont meet the standards to close. Additionally. this legislation includes a provision championed by my good friend. Congressman DOYLE from Pennsylvania. which would ensure adequate closure standards for surface impoundments. including closure plans and drainage standards. I know some Members have concerns about the legislation. but we worked diligently with the majority and stakeholders to make improvements to the bill. There has been an assertion by some of my colleagues that the legislation does nothing to protect the environment. EPA has no current authority. and this bill for the first time sets those standards. The assertions by some of my colleagues that this legislation does nothing to protect the environment are misleading at best. EPA has no authority now and this bill for the first time sets national standards. No. this bill is not perfect. But part of legislating is moving the ball forward and we cannot continue to spend months working on legislation that is simply sent to the Senate to die. I believe my colleagues on the Majority made significant improvements since their first draft of the bill and a good faith effort to address many of the concerns raised by the minority.