macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-09
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Let me thank the ranking member. Mr. PRICE. and his staff. as well as the chairman. Mr. DIAZBALART. for their work on something that is very close and near and dear to many Members hearts. It certainly is close to mine. The Jackson Lee amendment was passed last year. I am grateful to have the opportunity this year to restate the fact that this amendment indicates that none of the funds made available by this act under the heading "Federal Transit Administration: Transit Formula Grants" may be used in contravention of section 5309. This is. as I said. an amendment identical to the Jackson Lee amendment. Might I just briefly speak to this amendment. It affirms the importance to the Nation of projects that create economic development. particularly in the transportation area. It particularly says that the Secretary of Transportation may make grants under this section to State and local governments. it has the authority to assist in financing capital projects. small startup projects. including the acquisition of real property. The key is that these grants under State and local authority can undertake capital projects. which means that. when local governments propose their projects. the Secretary has the authority to go forward. Nothing can contravene that authority. It is well documented that nothing enhances the competitiveness of a Nation in this increasingly globalized economy than investments in transportation and infrastructure capital projects. I will include an article about transportation dated March 31. 2015. into the RECORD. [From the Houston Chronicle. Mar. 31. 2015]
Date: 2015-06-09
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Chair. I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. I am very surprised that this amendment is being brought by my friend. Mr. GARRETT.
Date: 2015-06-09
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. this amendment would absolutely. totally. and completely allow discrimination against our veterans. If you are a veteran and you need a service animal and if there is an area that is set aside with no pets allowed. that service animal can become a pet. We cannot allow veterans to be discriminated against. With reference to this amendment being a theory. all 11 circuit courts have upheld it. It is not a theory. It is a standard. It is a standard that the courts adhere to. and it is a standard we ought not abrogate. We must continue. I am absolutely. totally. and completely opposed to this amendment. and I beg that my colleagues would go on record as being opposed to it as well.
Date: 2015-06-10
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. lets make no mistake about it. I will just tell you this retaliation situation is real from Canada and from Mexico. The question is: Why should we here put our agriculture foundation at such a tremendous risk? Canada and Mexico are right now moving to institute retaliatory tariffs against U.S. exports. It is critical that Congress also take this corrective legislation and act on it right away before the August recessit is just that importantso we can send a powerful. quick message because Canada has already issued a preliminary retaliation list. targeting our commodities and our manufactured products not just in one State. not just in two States. but in every State in the United States of America. totaling over $3.5 billion in the first year alone. My own State of Georgia will have an impact of losing $180 million. Mr. Speaker. lets deal with this right. This country of origin labeling is not about food safety. Lets not scare the American people into thinking that. we dont need to make the American people confused or feel that we are doing something to make the food unsafe. What we are doing is protecting our American economy. We are protecting our agricultural interests. More than anything else. at a time when America needs it the most. we are standing up for America for a change. Protect our farmers. Protect our agricultural economy. Protect our people. Make sure we pass H.R. 2393. Send a powerful message that we are not going to stand for Mexico and Canada putting their tariffs on us. We are going to stand firm and protect American interests.
Date: 2015-06-10
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. the purpose of this amendment is to encourage the Secretary of Defense to allocate resources needed to provide technical assistance by U.S. military women to military women in other countries combating violence as a weapon of war. terrorism. human trafficking. narcotics trafficking. and their impact on women and girls across the globe. Let me thank the chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Defense for the work they have done in the backdrop of the very overwhelming sequester. which I certainly oppose so that all of the appropriators will have the ability to provide the resources that they need. In particular. my amendment is recognizing the new face of war and the new fight of terrorism. I hold up these pictures of the numbers of countries who are adding women to their forces. America. of course. has had women in different parts of its military for a number of years. going back to nurses in World War I and II and in the various types of work that have been done recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. and the women are enormously proud and very effective. My amendment simply says that. in this new war on terrorism and human trafficking. we would have the opportunity to use the women in the United States military who have achieved levels of rank that are extremely important to be able to train and to provide technical assistance to those who are just adding women to their military. The United States Armed Forces possesses an unparalleled expertise and technological capability that will aid not only in combating and defeating terrorists. who hate our country and prey upon innocent personsespecially women. girls. and the elderlybut we must also recognize that. notwithstanding our extraordinary technical military capabilities. we face adversaries who adapt very quickly because they are not constrained by geographic limitations or norms of morality: the Caliphate. ISIL. ISIS. Boko Haram. al Shabaab. al Qaeda. all. We are also finding that these organizations are using women. but then. of course. the institutionalized militaries are also putting more women in. What better interface than that of the United States military and women. in particular. I have an article that I would like to submit into the RECORD. "Turkeys Women Expand Role in Military."
Date: 2015-06-10
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I would like to take this moment to thank the chairman and the ranking member and their staff for working with me on this matter. I am hoping to be able to revise or to resubmit this. At this time. if the chairman would allow me. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw this amendment.
Date: 2015-06-10
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Again. I want to begin by thanking the chairman of the subcommittee and the ranking member of the subcommittee and their staff because I have worked on this in past appropriations and had the privilege of receiving the support of both the chair and the ranking member on the question of posttraumatic stress disorder. I heard the chairman mention both Chairman Young and Chairman Murtha. Over the years. I have had the privilege of working with them on this question of posttraumatic stress disorder. I just want to use a little anecdote. particularly as it relates to Vietnam vets. Many of us remember Vietnam vets coming back and. some long years later. getting a better understanding of Agent Orange. I remember a Vietnam vet telling me about it. but as he indicated. they mentioned it or spoke about it or tried to explain it when they came back directly from Vietnam. It was a long time before the understanding came about Agent Orange. and in years going forward. there was great medical care needed. medical costs needed. because those veterans had been suffering for a long time. We now understand posttraumatic stress disorder. and. as I look over the landscape of the last years of war. Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. about 11 to 20 out of every 100 veterans. or 11 to 20 percent. who served have posttraumatic stress disorder in any given year. In the Gulf war. Operation Desert Storm. about 12 out of every 100 Gulf war veterans who still live have PTSD in any given year. In the Vietnam war. about 15 out of every 100 Vietnam vets. or 15 percent. are currently diagnosed with PTSD. In a recent study in the late 1980s. the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study stated that it is estimated about 30 out of every Other factors contribute to it. and. if you listen to individuals who have PTSD. they seek to be part of a normal life and to work and survive and provide for their families. My amendment is simple. It adds an extra $1 million to increase funding for PTSD. These funds will be used to outreach activities targeting hardtoreach veterans. especially those who are homeless and reside in underserved urban and rural areas who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. I had the privilege a couple of years ago to provide a PTSD facility that was offsite of a veterans hospital in a small. communitybased hospital. Mr. Chairman. the response from veterans was amazing because they were able to come to an offsite location for counseling in PTSD. We know that the tragedies of war last with men and women for a very long time. I am hoping that my colleagues will support this amendment again to ease the trauma of the thoughts that these men and women have. the nightmares when they sleep. because they really want to beas they arecontributing members of society. Again. I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment.
Date: 2015-06-10
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment. Again. I thank the staff. the chairman. and the ranking member for their commitment to the betterment of the lives of our young men and women in the United States military. Mr. Chairman. with that. I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas .
Date: 2015-06-10
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. the responsibilities of the President and the responsibilities of the Defense Department continue in this new climate to grow. This has been a long journey in the Defense Appropriations process and amendments on the floor. and I would like to at this hour thank the chairman and the ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee for their patience and their participation in the list of amendments that we have had the opportunity to present. I am a member of the Homeland Security Committee. Therefore. I see a lot of the new approaches.
Date: 2015-06-11
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. it is always a preeminent privilege to stand in the well of the House of Representatives to advocate on behalf of my constituents in the Ninth Congressional District of Texas. but it is also a greater honor to advocate on behalf of the American people. I contend that no one could have predicted that I would have had this great opportunity at my birth. and I am always grateful to have it. and I want people to know that I appreciate it greatly. Mr. Speaker. last night. the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan piece of legislation. H. Res. 295. This is a resolution that would encourage law enforcement agencies to use body cameras. It passed overwhelmingly. and I am here today to express my gratitude to the many Members who supported this piece of legislation. I would like to start with the leadership. I am honored that the leadership supported it because. without the support of leadership. legislation does not come to the floor.
Date: 2015-06-11
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia changed her vote from "yea" to "nay.". So the bill was passed. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. Stated for:
Date: 2015-06-12
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman. I rise in strong opposition to the trade bill before us. and I am also in opposition to using 1 cent of Medicare money for anything other than paying for health care for senior citizens. I am not antitrade. I believe in trade. and I want a trade bill. but I want a trade bill that creates jobs and economic opportunity for the communities that I represent. I want a trade bill that creates fair wages and opportunities for employment. I dont want a bill that continues to help the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and the middle class get squeezed into oblivion. and I dont want a fast track. As a matter of fact. the jobs in economic development have left the communities I represent fast enough. They dont need our help. and they dont need to be gone. We need jobs in America. I am going to vote against this. If I do and if it is the wrong vote. I am going to be voting with the people that I represent. the people who sent me here. the people who have said "represent us." They want a "no" vote. I vote "no" because I represent them.
Date: 2015-06-12
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak against this misguided TPA bill. Many of my colleagues have highlighted the reasons to oppose the bill. but I want to focus on two specific fundamental issues. labor and civil rights. There is nothing in this that requires countries to bring their labor laws and regulations into compliance before this deal takes effect. How can we have an agreement that doesnt require everybody to play by the same rules? That is just ridiculous. We need trade agreements that prohibit signatory countries from murdering. jailing. torturing. or firing citizens for doing such outlandish things as trying to unionize and bargain for safer working conditions. Enforceable labor provisions tell trading partners that we mean business on labor rights before letting their goods into the U.S. Trade agreements should not continue a race to the bottom for workers. We should be setting the standards. I am frustrated that TPP negotiations are nearly complete and we are just now giving the administration their marching orders. but here we are. and those marching orders should be clear. especially on labor rights. Additionally. in the Ways and Means markup for this legislation. I offered a commonsense amendment to address the issue of countries whose laws call for imprisonment. torture. and even death for the supposed crime of ones sexual orientation. I was baffled to watch every single Republican member on the committee vote to say that it is perfectly acceptable to do business with countries that have these laws. Perhaps it was naive of me to think that we could at least have one brightline rule for the most basic of human rightsnot to be put to death based on a persons actual or perceived sexual orientation.
Date: 2015-06-12
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. U.S. market access shouldnt be a free pass. If you want to do business with the U.S.. we shouldnt tolerate such barbaric behavior. For these reasons. I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.
Date: 2015-06-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. todays vote on the trade package that includes trade adjustment assistance and trade promotion authority. also known as fast track. represents a flawed and hurried process to expedite the proposed TransPacific Partnership Agreement that is almost at the finish line. We should not vote for a TPA that fails to include strong and enforceable negotiating objectives on currency manipulation. labor rights and does not address the investor state dispute settlement system. which could see corporations challenge government regulations in secret tribunals that leave taxpayers on the hook for the bill. I also strongly oppose using trade adjustment assistance as a bargaining chip to help pass a flawed TPA. I support providing assistance to workers displaced by trade but this bill should stand on its own merits and be improved on behalf of all workers before it is rushed through for a final vote. We must go back to strengthen TAA and TPA before moving forward on any future trade agreement that will have wideranging consequences for Americas working class.
Date: 2015-06-12
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise to express both strong concern and guarded optimism about the customs bill before us today. I will be voting against the underlying bill before us today because of the drastic and unnecessary changes the bill makes to TPA provisions related to human trafficking. currency manipulation. and immigration policy. However. I remain optimistic that the customs provisions in this bill can become as strong as the Senate bill during conference. Senators worked on a bipartisan basis to reach an agreement after nearly a decade of negotiations on how we should be enforcing our trade laws. I am now hoping that House Republicans will be part of getting these provisions across the finish line. One of my biggest priorities for many years has been finding a way to combat the blatant abuse and duty evasion by some foreign producers that undercut American industry here. Foreign companies use schemes to avoid paying the duties they owe on goods that they import into the United States. That is why I have introduced and fought for the ENFORCE Act. For the first time. it finally feels like we are very close to getting this done. And to that end. I want to thank Representatives TIBERI and BOUSTANY. along with Chairman RYAN. for several productive discussions on the best way to get this done in conference. I hope that we will be able to keep working on a bipartisan basis to get a final. bipartisan House customs bill. Giving up on the opportunity to give real teeth to our enforcement procedures would not only be harmful to our economy. but it sends a message to manufacturers. employers. and U.S. workers that this Congress doesnt care about them. By increasing our customs security measures. we can ensure that American companies that play by the rules are not undercut by foreign competitors who cheat by evading duties on their goods. I urge my colleagues to work to improve this bill by incorporating final language with some teeth. U.S. manufacturers have waited long enough to have customs enforcement that works.
Date: 2015-06-12
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. I am not going to speak long as I have lost my voice. If we pass fast track. the American workers will lose their voice. This is wrong. The President has said that social mobility and income inequality are the issues of our time. If I really believed that anything we are voting on here would do anything to address that. I would sincerely be voting "yes." but it doesnt. After 20 years of NAFTA and CAFTA and every sort of trade agreement. we have not seen our middle class benefit. Lets finally use this time to rebuild the American middle class and stand up for our workers.
Date: 2015-06-12
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to fast track authority and the Trade Act of 2015. Passage of this legislation today will undermine Congresss constitutional authority to regulate trade and. I fear. accelerate the deindustrialization of our great country. The Constitution is very clear that it is Congress. and Congress alone. that has the power to "regulate commerce with foreign nations." Passage of fast track. which grants the Executive Branch authority over how and when legislation must be considered by Congress. undermines our chambers very ability to effectively regulate foreign commerce. I share the concerns of many Members and middle class families in Texas and around the country about the TransPacific PartnershipTPPthis megatrade deal we are negotiating with Japan. Vietnam. and other countries. To this date. Congress has been left in the dark as to whats in TPP. let alone made public to the American people. We are told that TPP will help American businesses export billions of dollars of manufactured and services each year and has labor and environmental protections that all countries will have to abide by. But we simply dont know because we havent seen the text. What I do know is that these socalled free trade deals have displaced millions of middle class jobs to developing countries over the past 20 years. Our district in Houston and Harris County. Texas saw firsthand the consequences of free trade when five plants moved to Mexico in the years immediately after we joined NAFTA. If TPP benefits the American people as much its supporters say. it doesnt need fast track. It canand shouldbe considered under regular order and give Congress and the American people the time to debate the merits of this trade agreement. the largest our country has ever negotiated. Mr. Speaker. I call on Members from both sides of the aisle to stand with Americas working families and small businesses and to vote no on fast track.
Date: 2015-06-12
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. over the last couple of hours. we had the opportunity to discuss some important issues that. as they were framed. many Americans might not understand. They are called trade issues or trade legislation to discuss the interactions between the United States and its future world trading partners. No vote here should be maligned. When I stand here to emphasize that whatever the ultimate results are. if these bills do not generate into actual jobs for our local districts. then we have all failed. That is the question for this Congress and that is the question for those who are working so intently and for those of us who raise the question whether jobs are created. And we will only move forward if we can determine a pathway of a structure that actually addresses the question of documented jobs. nonlost jobs or substituting jobs for the American people. Trade. yes. it is business. But it is also the business of the American people and the constituents of the 18th Congressional District in areas like Fifth Ward and southeast and South Park and Acres Home and Independence Heights. It is a question of whether or not jobs are created. Mr. Speaker. I look forward to that answer being answered as "yes."
Date: 2015-06-15
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. and to the Republic for which it stands. one nation under God. indivisible. with liberty and justice for all.
Date: 2015-06-15
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. today. I rise to commemorate the 3year anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. also known as DACA. Over the past 3 years. DACA has changed the lives of more than 640.000 young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. including an impressive intern in my office named Maria. Maria moved to the United States when she was only 6 years old. Now. as a college student with a 4.0 GPA. Maria tutors children and is giving back to the country that has helped her reach her goals. As we mark DACAs 3year anniversary and all that it has accomplished to support students like Maria. thousands more DREAMers are waiting for their opportunity to come out of the shadows. Sadly. the court battle over DACA continues. We must rededicate ourselves to fixing our broken immigration system. Students like Maria deserve the chance to live free of fear and contribute their talents to keep our country vibrant and the envy of the world.