macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the ranking member for yielding. I rise in opposition to this rule. and I dont do so because it gives us limited opportunity to keep the government open for a few days. and I know that we are going to allow our physicians to practice medicine so that they can take care of Medicare patients for a few more days. What it does not do is it does not extend unemployment insurance for those 2 million or more people who will not have it. This is not going to be a good Christmas for many of the people in my district. It is going to be just the opposite. I will vote against the rule so that we can. in fact. come back and provide unemployment compensation to those millions who need it.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. let me thank the ranking member and the chairman of the full committee for their leadership and also for the bipartisan leadership that is noted on the Foreign Affairs Committee on which I had privilege to serve some years ago when we worked on a number of issues. Let me add my appreciation to the Congresswoman from California. BARBARA LEE. who led us during her tenure as the chairman of the Black Caucus during an enormous crisis in Haiti and. more importantly. as a supporter of this legislation and efforts to see Haiti move into a new era of democracy and reconstruction. This legislation. H.R. 3509. is long overdue. I ask my colleagues to enthusiastically support it. I traveled to Haiti on any number of occasions. visiting those who are incarcerated in jails. and even after the earthquake. to find individuals who were suffering and had been incarcerated and seeing people who had lost their place to live. children who were out of school. and resources that were looking to be directed but possibly. Mr. Speaker. not being directed as they should. This legislation. of course. will do several things. It will require a thorough assessment of the progress in meeting the original goals expressed in January 2011. PostEarthquake U.S. Haiti Strategy. provide a description of efforts to combat corruption and ensure public accountability. and assess whether or not vulnerable populations have been taken into account in the design and implementation of the new program. It is very important to note that even though much has been done. between the efforts of the international community and including USAID. up to 3.000 people still live in tent camps. many of whom are facing forced evictions as time moves on. Cholera has killed over 8.400 Haitians and sickened over 689.400 since the time of this earthquake. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians have little or no access to potable water or basic health services. and Haiti is facing an impending food crisis. according to local and international organizations.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. Speaker. I now yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Maryland . my colleague and friend on the Transportation Committee.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I think this agreement is an acknowledgementat least a majority on both sides. certainly on the Democratic side. a strong majoritythat the sequester is a dumb and unproductive way to cut spending or to reduce the deficit. What this agreement does is prevent that full sequester from taking place over the next 2 years. We believe that we should address and substitute the remaining sequester through a balanced approach of additional targeted cuts. But. Mr. Speaker. we also think we should close some of these special interest tax loopholes that benefit nobody except certain narrow interests that sometimes have undue sway here in the Congress. But as my colleague said. we have different approaches. and our Republican colleagues have refused to close a single one of those special tax breaks or preferences for the purpose either of reducing the sequester or reducing the deficit. So we have different approaches. We wouldnt have chosen the offsets that are in here to pay for the sequester replacement. They are the result of a negotiation. As I said earlier. I believe on balance this is an important step forward. Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York . one of the people who was very important in this process. my good friend and colleague from New York. the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee and one of the conferees.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina . a good friend and colleague. one of the conferees who worked with us to move this agreement to a place where it was supported by many of us on the Democratic side. the assistant Democratic leader.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 11/2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . a terrific member of the Ways and Means Committee.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

with the measure that is in front of us today. But if we can get past some of the acrimony and some of the illconsidered language here. maybe we could find a path forward. The Medicare picture has brightened substantially. It is wild what has happened. The automobile sector is doing much better. The private sector in general is. Americans are shedding debt. but not to miss the point that there is a very elusive term that needs to be addressed in America today. and it is a term of confidence. The government shutdown shaved 1 to 2 points off of gross domestic product. That is reality. that is not fiction. We need to get past. again. the harsh language that has now taken over this institution and provide investors and provide the American people with the idea of some confidence to unleash the forces of that $2 trillion that is sitting here domestically and another trillion that is sitting offshore. This is the sort of conversation that we need to have. This is a confidencebuilding measure. It does lighten up some of the spending caps. again. that would have caused grave damage to the economy. We should have found the time to help out on the issue of unemployment benefits. Mr. Speaker. we did the docfix this morning. I favor it. $8 billion over 3 months. We could have found money in this budget to extend unemployment benefits to American families.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 11/2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California . a great member of the Armed Services Committee.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to emphasize a point that we both made. which is that if we had our druthers. we would have approached this issue differently. I do want to say with respect to some of the offsets. there are many of us who would have preferred to see the closures of many special interest tax breaks as part of the offsets in this legislation. We hope that as we go forward. we would agree that that is also a kind of wasteful spending in the Tax Code. If you give a special interest in this country some tax preference not enjoyed by others. you are simply raising the burden on everybody else. It is simply a form of spending through the Tax Code. Mr. Speaker. as we address these issues going forward. whether it is replacing the sequester or reducing the deficit. as part of a balanced approach. we think we should take those into account as well. We also proposed. as part of this measure. applying some of the excessive subsidies that we give to agribusinesses as part of the offsets. and our colleagues rejected those. As has been said. this is a product of compromise. but I do want to let people know that it has been our preference to close some of those special interest tax breaks and use some of those excessive agriculture subsidies as offsets here rather than some of the provisions that are before us. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland . our distinguished whip and somebody who has been working very hard on these budget issues and working with us also to make sure that this is done in as fair and equitable a manner as possible. He has worked with us very closely to make sure that Federal employees do not take a disproportionate share of the burden. And as a result of those efforts. current Federal employees will not be asked to bear additional burdens after having already borne so much of the burden.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. at this time I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas . a great member of the Judiciary Committee.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman very much for his kindness in yielding. As I indicated earlier today. even Time magazine recognized that the better of all of us is when we extend ourselves to the most vulnerable. acknowledging Pope Francis. So I want to ask the chairman of the Budget Committee. but he has heard so many of us indicate that there is value to this budget deal. Chairman RYAN. I would like to pose a question. if I could. to you. if you would. You have heard us say that we too appreciate the bipartisanship. disagree with so much of it in terms of the sequester and what has been done as it relates to nutrition for the unemployed. But would you not hold us back. would you not join us in putting on the floor an amendment that would provide for the extension of unemployment that will not run out December 28 for the hardworking Americans. 68.000 in Texas. 1.3 million? Would you not do that?
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Well. we get no answer. And all I can say is that this budget is a deal that I want to thank
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

for the work that has been done. along with the other conferees. Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. CLYBURN. but I believe we should not leave here today. leave here this week without having a freestandingand I wish the gentleman would own up to honesty and answer the questionbut to be able to put on the floor of the House the opportunity for those who have worked to be able to get unemployment insurance. not a handout. but unemployment insurance. I know. Mr. RYAN. that we can carry our bipartisanship at least to that point and be able to work on behalf of the American people carrying forward the need to ensure that we have housing. education. child care. all of that. A little bit is happening under this particular budget. That is why many of us are interested in moving forward. getting rid of the sequester. keeping the doors open. But I would think that there is enough bipartisanship on both sides of the aisle to be able to extend the unemployment insurance. And we should not leave here. I ask the President to convene us. to call us. to call the Senate. to call the House and make sure that we vote on that. I thank the gentleman for the hard work that you have engaged in and also how far you have brought us.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. Mr. HOYER is right. This agreement does not address the comprehensive issues that we need to address. We need to address those in a balanced way. and that means working on both additional. smart. targeted spending cuts. but also closing special interest tax breaks. But what this agreement does do is make sure that. in the next several weeks. we do not move to a full sequester. very deep acrosstheboard cuts. which will hurt the economy. Instead. it provides more room to invest in vital areas like education and research. That is a positive note. That is a positive bipartisan note. I do want to say. Mr. Speaker. however. and this is not as a result of anything the chairman of the Budget Committee does. there is also a sour note in leaving here without having addressed the unemployment insurance. This agreement didnt include the docfix. and it didnt include unemployment insurance. We should be dealing with both those issues together. We are only dealing with one of them now. So I hope. as we go forward. we will address those issues. and we should not leave town until we address the unemployment issue. But lets. at the same time. take this small positive step forward. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of extending Federal unemployment insurance (UI) as part of a comprehensive and bipartisan budget agreement. Without Congressional action. 1.3 million Americans will lose access to vital UI benefits on December 28. Within the first half of next year. an additional 1.9 million Americans will lose access to Federal unemployment insurance. As Congress heads home for the holidays. it is important that we do not leave millions of Americans without a social safety net to protect against longterm job loss. Longterm unemployment as a percentage of the unemployed still remains around 37 percent. meaning these individuals will be left without any support after their state unemployment insurance expires. Further. failure to extend the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program could cost the U.S. economy an additional 240.000 jobs. My home State of Texas is not immune from these expiring benefits. Once the UI benefits expire. 68.900 unemployed workers in Texas will lose access to Federal unemployment insurance. Within the first six months of 2014. an additional 106.900 workers will also lose these benefits. Mr. Speaker. as long as millions of unemployed workers struggle to find a job. Congress is doing a great disservice to this country by allowing Federal unemployment insurance to expire. Federal unemployment insurance serves as a vital lifeline for job seekers and their families. The very least we could do for these workers as we enter the holiday season is to provide them with the support they need to weather these challenging economic times.
Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I want to thank my friend. Mr. FATTAH. my friend. Ms. FUDGE. and the entire CBC for organizing this time to honor the life of Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was a man who stood up so bravely to injustice. The power of his beautiful example inspired people around the world. stirred our hearts and stirred our conscience. It was Nelson Mandela and the injustice of apartheid that first moved me to political activism. At the time. I was a student at Swarthmore College in the State of Pennsylvania. I joined the Swarthmore Antiapartheid Committee to urge and petition Swarthmore College to divest from South Africa. Young people at colleges around the country were moved to action. I watched there as members of the Congressional Black Caucus here in the United States Congress worked to make sure that the United States stood up to the meaning that is in our founding creed that all people will be created equal. They were people like Congressman Gray and others. and Members who are members today of the CBC that are standing up. And then. in 1985. I had the privilege of going to work as one of the foreign policy advisers to a great Maryland Senator by the name of Mac Mathias. who served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and was one of the sponsors of the legislation to impose economic sanctions against South Africa because of the evil of apartheid. It was Senator Mathias. Senator Kennedy. and Senator Lugar. the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. working in the Senate along with the CBC in the House of Representatives and others who said the United States cannot stand by while the evil of apartheid is in place. We must answer the call of Nelson Mandela. Certainly. my proudest moment as a staff member to Senator Mathias on those days on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was. first. when the United States Congress passed that legislation and then on a bipartisan basis overrode the veto of thenPresident Reagan. showing how the democratic process in this country would work to stand up for justice. As we confront issues here at home and around the world. we would do well by remembering the example of Nelson Mandela as we confront other issues of justice and peaceful reconciliation.
Date: 2012-12-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank all of my colleagues. I particularly thank Congresswoman DAVIS for her persistent leadership. and I join her as a cochair of the Afghan Caucus. I thank the chairman for his support as well. So many of us have traveled to Afghanistan and have traveled as women to Afghanistan and have begun to look at this country from the eyes of wanting its survival. Malala is a young girl who is not from Afghanistan. but she symbolizes the essence of this motion to instruct. Malala is from Pakistan. but many of you will remember that she took more than one bullet as a young girl who fought and stood up for girls being able to be educated. In my travels to Afghanistan and to the many provinces. you would hear stories from women. as have been evidenced. about the inability to serve. the inability to express themselves. In meeting with a group of women Afghan parliamentarians. interestingly enough. they would indicate how they wanted to serve their constituencies but how difficult it was and dangerous it was to travel as women to their particular provinces to serve their constituents. That is not the basis of the principles for which our soldiers have fought and died. America has wonderful principles. and I am delighted that this motion to instruct focuses on providing the safety net for girls and women in leadership and in education. It is indicated. of course. that this transition will occur but with the requirement of a road map to ensure the safety and security of girls and women. Over the period of time of our being in Afghanistanthe longest war that this Nation has ever seenwe have seen the ups and the downs but. more particularly. the tragedy of having schools burned that were particularly directed towards serving girls. Girls turn into young women and into women who want to serve. As we all know. the hand that rocks the cradle does establish the basis of civilization. For the democracy of this great nation. I include my support for the motion to instruct. for our Nation not to leave. as it leaves a pathway of democracy. leaves a pathway of democracy for the women and girls of Afghanistan. We must provide the protection that they need to help lead this nation and to ensure its democracy. freedom. and justice.
Date: 2012-12-17
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Ladies and gentlemen of the Congress. the Lord Jesus said. Suffer the little children to come unto me. for they are the kingdom of Heaven. But Jesus didnt stop there. He spoke. and then he acted. He first rebuked his disciples. brought the children to him. picked each child up in his arms. put his hand on them. prayed with them. and then blessed them. And just as Jesus spoke and acted. the people of this country are expecting this Congress to speak. but to act. The first order of business is to make sure that this kind of tragedy never happens again. The first order of business is to ban. to make illegal to own. manufacture. sell. or possess this deadly weapon that was used to massacre these 20 children and these six educators. two 23 Bushmaster semiautomatic assault weapons. If we are going to honor those children who were massacred. we need to make sure that that weapon will never be used again. If we do not do that. then this Congress needs to hang its head in shame.
Date: 2012-12-18
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

The old adage "live and let live" is not enough. We now must live and help live. We have persons who will be severely impacted by the fiscal cliff if we dont take action. FEMA may lose as much as $878 million. and this would affect persons who are victims of disasters. Persons who receive rental assistance may lose as much as $2.3 billion in help. It is not enough to live and allow others to live. We have to live and help others to have a better quality of life. Lets avert and avoid the fiscal disaster.
Date: 2012-12-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of S. 3642. the "Theft of Trade Secrets Clarification Act of 2012." a bill that simply clarifies a provision of the Economic Espionage Act for the purpose of protecting American business and jobs. More specifically. S. 3642 would broaden language in the Economic Espionage Act so that it protects businesses from trade secret theft to the extent that it was originally intended to rather than the narrow scope applied by a recent Second Circuit court opinion. In United States v. Aleynikov (April 2012 decision). the Second Circuit overturned the conviction of a defendant who was found guilty of stealing computer code from his employer. The reason for this reversal was that the court determined that the theft of the trade secret did not meet the interstate commerce threshold delineated in the Economic Espionage Act. Even though the Defendant copied stolen code from his New York office to a computer server in Germany. downloaded the code in New Jersey. and then took the code with him to his new job in Illinois. the Second Circuit found that the stolen trade secret was not part of a product that was produced for or placed in interstate commerce and. therefore. was not the subject of this criminal provision of the Economic Espionage Act. Effective protection of intellectual property rights. including trade secrets. is essential for fostering innovation. Innovation typically requires substantial investment in education. research and development. and labor to bring a new idea to the marketplace. The fact that the stolen computer code. which was proprietary. was not produced to be placed in interstate commerce should not preclude a guilty verdict from being rendered. Businesses often spent time and money to develop their own proprietary software to be used internally. if others can steal their idea. it undermines the creators ability to recoup the cost of his or her innovative investment. and the incentive to innovate is reduced. These innovations add value to the overall business. even if they are not commercial endproducts themselves. The language contained in this bill will fix the problem so that trade secret thieves cannot take advantage of the loophole in the Economic Espionage Act. For that reason. I urge my colleagues to support S. 3642. the "Theft of Trade Secrets Clarification Act of 2012."
Date: 2012-12-18
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank you. Mr. WATT and Mr. GOODLATTE. I am pleased that weve come together to support this good bill. This bill is going to allow consumers to share their video viewing habits as they see fit. and it will actually enhance consumer privacy without causing any significant detriment to providers of digital services. I agree that the Senate amendments actually improve the bill. and I think. also. that passing this bill is going to support and enhance emerging online video companies to grow and expand their services. I think its important that we come together to make sure that our laws actually work well in the Internet environment. which this bill now does. I look forward to Congress working to do the same thing when it comes to the Electronic Privacy Act reforms we know that are necessary. even copyright reform. to make sure that the laws actually work with modern Internet services. The VPPA is a great start down this road. I look forward to voting in favor of it. and I commend all who worked on it.