macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1997-04-30
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I thank the gentleman. and allow me to thank the author of this legislation and the gentlewoman from Connecticut for bringing this piece of legislation forward. It is the best piece of legislation I have seen that addresses adoptions. I appreciate it. Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.
Date: 1997-04-30
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I.move to strike the requisite number of words. I rise to address a question to the gentleman from Michigan relating to elderly caregivers. I need to ask the question as to whether or not there is protection for older caregivers who have retired or who are disabled and taking care of minor children where they might need aid to dependent children. What provision do we find anywhere in the law that protects them from having the 2year limit on aid to dependent children?
Date: 1997-04-30
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I think that explanation really takes care of my concern that there will not be 50 or 75 percent. So I think that will be enough percentage to allow them to be protected. I thank the gentleman for that response.
Date: 1997-05-08
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 3. the Juvenile Crime Control Act. This piece of legislation is too extreme in its treatment of juveniles in the system. bath in its insistence on prosecuting more juveniles as adults and in allowing juveniles to be housed with adults. and because it fails to include any measures aimed at preventing juvenile crime. Moreover. as written. the bill fails to include provisions crucial to the fight against crime including real prevention funding. drug control efforts. gun control efforts. and provisions aimed at targeting gang activity. Mr. Chairman. it is in my opinion that we need to foster a relationship between communities. law enforcement. schools. social services. business communities. and government agencies in order to create partnerships that thwart juvenile violence. Initiatives that target truants. dropouts. children who fear going to school. suspended or expelled students. and youth going back into school settings following release from juvenile correctional facilities. are needed to keep the minds of our youth on the path of righteousness instead of destruction. Mr. Chairman. another one of my primary concerns with the majoritys legislation is that it allows juveniles to be housed with adults. First. the bill allows juveniles and adults to be housed together in pretrial detention. Perhaps most disturbingly. this provision would permit children who have not been accused of violent crimes to be held in adult jails. Children charged with petty offenses like shoplifting or motor vehicle violations could be held with adult inmates. Mr. Chairman. most significantly. H.R. 3 fails to include a meaningful prevention program. The Federal Government should give local governments money to assist them in finding ways to stop the children in their communities from getting involved in crime in the first place. Money should be available for boys and girls clubs. mentoring programs. after school activities. and other programs that are researchedbased and have been proven to work and are cost effective. In the same vein. money should also be spent on early intervention for youth at risk of committing crimes and intervention programs for first offenders at risk of committing more serious crimes. Mr. Chairman. I would hope that we can work in a more bipartisan manner when it comes to juvenile crime. We all know and understand that crime. on any level. is not partisan--it affects us all--so let us try to bring forth legislation that is bath fair and sensible to all.
Date: 1997-05-20
Speaker: ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

for their cooperation and collaboration to celebrate what I think is one of the more outstanding programs that we have in America. the creation of a synergy where people in the public sector and the community itself. businesses and the private sector. and the notforprofit sector which have come together to contribute their time and resources and effort to give to their fellow neighbor one of the greatest gifts that one can imagine. and that is receiving the Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speakgift of home ownership. of obtaining er. I very much appreciate my colthe American dream. league yielding. I want to express my 0 1330 deep appreciation to my colleague. the gentleman from Ohio. . This is through the Habitat for Hu- who has worked with me on this issue. inanity Program. We are about to and my colleague. the gentlewoman begin a celebration in June. the second from Washington. DC. . week in June. of selfhelp housing pro- my local Member of Congress. grams and in particular the Habitat Mr. Speaker. last Tuesday Ms. NORProgram. TON and I came to this floor to speak to This model builds upon an act that a very important need facing the cititook place last year. where. for the avr motn edfcn h ii ftk tm Cac t lastyed toe. corthe zens of the District of Columbia and infirst time. Congress acted to contributededtenirNao.Thneds about $25 million to ensure that thou- de teent aton. he nei sands of Americans would be able to simple: Decent. affordable homes for live the dream of homeownership the working families of the United throgh te HaitatProgam.States. through the Habitat Program. The gentlewoman from Washington. I am looking forward to having my DC. . Speaker of the colleague from California. . Hos s NRC. teketofmth explain in further detail what as a House NEWT GINGRICH. the gentleman group we are going to do in a biparti- from Missouri. the House minority san way to help rebuild two homes in leader. . the gentleman the Anacostia area.. from Ohio. . the genMr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of * tleman from New York. . my time. and the gentleman from Massachusetts
Date: 1997-05-20
Speaker: ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

the gentleman from Ohio. Mr. Lou STOKES. the gentleman from New York. Mr. RICK LAZIO. and the gentleman from Massachusetts. Mr. JOE KENNEDY. for their commitment to this unique effort and for joining me in passing this bipartisan resolution
Date: 1997-05-20
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. the first order of business is to thank the chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus and the gentleman from Mississippi for recognizing that America. albeit diverse. is of one mind. and that is a mind of equality and fairness and opportunity. The Congressional Black Caucus budget -amendment is not an amendment for AfricanAmericans. It is an amendment. however. for Americans. It stands for those who are least able to stand for themselves. Particularly let me say. do any of my colleagues have a grandmother or a mother? Have any of my colleagues ever known a single parent that has worked long and hard to bring about an opportunity for their child? Do any of my colleagues know anything about immigration. coming from the bottom belly of a slave boat. or maybe crossing over the Rio Grande River? This particular amendment responds to full. funding for Medicaid. It is remembering the history of our elderly. our senior citizens who paved the way for us. and yes. it remembers 10 million uninsured children. At the same time. the CBC budget looks to the future and provides $5 billion over the 1998 to 2002 period to stimulate new construction and renovation projects in school districts with severe deficiencies in their facilities. Have. Members ever been to a PTA meeting when we have discussed over and over again the leaking roofs. the bathroom that does not work. parents who work every day. and children who are educated in buildings that are crumbling? This budget stands for those children. Can we do any less? Yes. the 21st century is a century of science. In this budget funds for elemefitary and secondary math and science programs are included in the CBC budget via full funding for the National Science Foundation. Do Members know what that means? It makes prekindergarten to grade 12 competitive with the world market in science. It increases literacy in computers. It establishes computer learning centers. These math and science programs accelerate progress toward meeting the national educational goals in science and mathematics. As I stated before. this is not a budget for one group versus the other. This is a budget for Americans. Join us and stand for those who are least able to stand for themselves. and walk into the 21st century with the Congressional Black Caucus budget.
Date: 1997-05-20
Speaker: ADAM SMITH (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Washington

Mr. Chairman. I too rise in support of the budget resolution before us today. While there are many reasons that I support it. there are two that stand out. it represents fiscal responsibility and bipartisan cooperation. The two things my constituents told me that they wanted during the .course of my above campaign were anything else bipartisan cooperation and fiscal responsibility. They feel both of those things are desperately needed back here in Congress. I feel this resolution is the first step toward delivering on those requests and strongly support it. Now. it is not perfect and I do not think any one person in this body would have drafted it exactly as it came out. but that is the nature of compromise. Compromise does not mean we get the other side to do what we want. compromise means we find middle ground we can all live with in order to make progress on difficult issues. As strongly as I support this budget resolution for its fiscal responsibility and bipartisan cooperation. it is but the first step. There is more work to be done by this Congress and by future Congresses if we are going to maintain the fiscal responsibility we need to balance the budget. I urge my colleagues support.
Date: 1997-05-20
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman from Mississippi and the chairwoman of this caucus for an amendment to this budget. substitute budget. that really answers the questions of the previous speaker. There was reference made to a conservative budget or a liberal budget. and the fact. that we do not have the time to have those budgets presented. What we do not have the time for is to leave millions of Americans outside of the circle. I am very proud that the Congressional Black Caucus has another attribute that has not been mentioned tonight. This is the deal. or the deficit reduction. red and very loud. This is the CBC reduction of the deficit. as Members can see. by the year 2002. Mr. and Mrs. America. look at this very carefully. This is not an AfricanAmerican budget or a Hispanic budget or an Anglo budget or an Asian budget. it is a budget that reflects the principles of the quality of life. Let me very quickly speak to those quality of life issues. One. we have already heard that Chairman Greenspan has indicated that he is not going to raise the interest rates. so we can do more creative things with our budget. The Congressional Black Caucus responds to our concerns about Medicare. and does not raise the premium $1.50 per month on seniors least able to do it. It also. as I have said. brings down the deficit. but it reinforces very strong principles. one of investment. which increases the Community Reinestment Act so our urban and rural communities can be improved and have money reinvested in housing. and housing built. Education. it rebuilds our schools. so crumbling schools will not be part of our children.s history. Veterans. it preserves the benefits for veterans. Health. it increases the Ryan White treatment dollars. and it provides monies for our public hospital systems. who serve the most indigent of ours. As well. it does something unique: It takes us into- the 21st century with science. in math and science. in NASA funding. in National Science Foundation funding. in funding for traditionally -black colleges. allowing them to be -prepared for the 21st century. and yes. computer learning centers. This is a budget for Americans that should not be left out. The deficit reduction- is part of this budget. I ask my colleagues to be bipartisan in their support for the Congressional Black Caucus budget.
Date: 1997-05-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the CBC budget. We know it is an alternative budget. The socalled budget deal is not the only budget. however. that should receive consideration in this body. The CBC alternative budget balances the budget a year sooner than the deal. It applies deficit reduction fairly and preserves the fundamental budget priorities of the American people. The CBC budget does several things which contrast it from the deal. which few Members have really actually been able to see and which imposes deficit reduction on many of the most vulnerable populations in this country. The bridget alternative would not impose undue cuts on programs serving the elderly. veterans. working families or the poor. Wealthy corporations would bear their share of the deficit. The budget would fund education programs at levels beyond those proposed by President Clinton while incorporating his priorities. The budget would fund child health -initiatives. which cover the 10 million children who do not receive health care coverage at this time. The budget would institute a real program of welfare reform. reinstating cuts in food stamps. immigrant services and SSI which simply went too far in the deal. In short. the Congressional Black Caucus budget alternative is the most reflective of the values and priorities of the American people that Members will have an opportunity to support. A vote for this budget will be a vote for jobs. A vote for this budget would be a vote forwelfare reform. A vote for this budget will be an opportunity to give the wealthy and large corporations an opportunity to assist in deficit reduction. A vote for this budget would be a vote for keeping Medicare trust fund solvent. A vote for this budget would be a vote for protecting social investments which help our economy grow. I urge all of us to consider that we do represent real people. Let us vote for the real people and support this budget.
Date: 1997-06-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. very simply. I rise to support the Spratt amendment to this budget and raise three simple points to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Let me say. because of the work that we have already done. we have a booming economy. I think we should acknowledge that. The numbers suggest that we have the lowest unemployment. One of the things that we need to do. however. is create jobs for many in our community. On behalf of the 18th Congressional District in Texas. two other points that I think are more farreaching that we should attest to. and that is that many of our constituents wanted us to balance the budget and they wanted us to bring down the deficit. This particular budget resolution and the motion to instruct conferees on the budget resolution is important. and that is because it instructs that the tax cuts do not exceed the $250 billion net cuts in the budget agreement. We do not want to bust the balanced budget. That is key and that is very important. And then I believe that we should have tax cuts but they should be tax cuts for working Americans. the working Americans that have helped build this country. a child tax credit. an education tax credit. targeted estate tax relief. targeted capital gains. The real emphasis of this balanced budget should be for those Americans who every day go out and work. every day continue to pay their taxes and build this country. We should create jobs for the graduates in the 1997 class. the 1998 class. the 1999 class and. yes. the year 2000 class. Put our people to work by focusing on the right kind of tax cuts that do not bust the budget. that have a targeted estate tax. a targeted education tax cut. a targeted child credit tax cut. and to make sure that this is truly a balanced budget that works for all Americans.
Date: 1997-06-05
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Congresswoman of the U.S.A.. Washington. MY DEAR LADY: Thanks to your visit to this Penitenciary some changes have occurred and we. the inmates. vish to thank you for your kind intervention and interest in our plight First of all. we wish to inform you that the inmate Jose Ayala Gomez. after 4 years and 6 months of prison. for possessing one marijuana cigarrette. was finally released. He went to the press and T.V. to publicly thank you for your help. On the other hand. we have seen that judges have started to take depositions from the inmates and some progress seems to be underway. This all has happened after your visit to this center. Two thousand prisoners that have been relegated and remain without sentence for years are still waiting for justice. We wish to ask you to keep your kind interest in our suffering so that the international organization of Human Rights pressures the Ecuadorian authorities to comply with the law and cease the abuse of the civil and human rights of Ecuadorian citizens. We are pleased to remain yours very truly.
Date: 1997-06-05
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Congresswoman U.S.A.. Washington. DEAR LADY: I wish to send you by this letter. my deep feeling of gratitude for my release from prison. After four years and six months I have managed to get out of hell. thanks to your kind help. I will always remember the beautiful lady that came here as an aparition from heaven. Now I must seek my wife and three children that I have lost. I will also try to recover my health. Hundreds of companions that are left behind wait also for justice. I pray so hard that you are well and that your efforts be successful.
Date: 1997-06-25
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. what my good friend from Arizona fails to acknowledge is that welfare reform in its best sense was bipartisan of Democrats and Republicans. What this spending bill does is takes the rights away from working welfare people. does not provide them with protections of fair labor standards laws. does not provide them with protection against sexual harassment. does not treat them as workers who get equal pay for equal work. That is why we are against this spending bill. because it dishes the welfare reform that we put together in a bipartisan Congress. I am ashamed of what is coming about in this pending bill.
Date: 1997-06-25
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak in opposition to this years budget reconciliation bill. As the House considers this bill. I recall the words of the great Senator from Minnesota. Hubert Humprehy when he said: . . that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life. the children. those who are in the twilight of life. the elderly. and those who are in the shadows of lifethe sick. the needy and the handicapped. Mr. Speaker. this reconciliation bill fails that crucial test of governments compassion for all those individuals. When this Republican package fails to provide welfare workers the leave to care for their children and parents under the Family Medical Leave Act. it fails the moral test of government. A Republican bill that backs away from the commitment between GOP leaders and the President to restore Federal aid to disabled legal immigrants fails the test of how the Government should treat those in the shadows of life. the people with disabilitieswho pay their taxes. Mr. Speaker. last week. certain members of the majority were behind the effort to issue an apology for slavery in this country. Less than a week later. their reconciliation bill states that benefits provided to welfare workers are not to be considered wages or compensation. Simply stated. this is an underhanded effort to deny welfare workers the labor and nondiscrimination protections that all other workers enjoy. In essence. this is confining the welfare worker to a modem day life of slavery. Mr. Speaker. how long will it take for the majority to apologize for this? Mr. Speaker. just yesterday. we heard many colleagues on the other side of the aisle speak in grandiose tones about human rights violations in China when we voted on MFN. They opposed granting MFN because they believed that it. would not help stop human rights and civil liberty abuses. Unfortunately. they are quick to ignore the human rights of our own people with a bill that restricts access to health care insurance. fair pay protections for welfare workers. weak sexual harassment protections and the rights and benefits of legal immigrants. This bill continues to further the benefits of the rich while eroding the opportunities for the poor. the children. and those with disabilities. Mr. Speaker. I sincerely hope that any colleagues who voted for the budget resolution hoping that it would balance the budget while helping the unprotected. will now vote against this reconciliation bill as it falls tremendously short in helping those who need help the most. Mr. Speaker. I ask my colleagues to oppose this bill and have our Government live up to its moral test of how it treats the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our country.
Date: 1997-06-25
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. as I come to a close. the gentlewoman is so very right. I know that you know this because I have heard you speak so eloquently on the floor about your veterans hospitals and trying to work so hard for the veterans in your area. We thank the administration for giving Jesse Brown the latitude and leeway to fight for veterans. As I was saying. these individuals who are veterans. some homeless. but some who work every day. but they make $15.000 a year or $25.000 a year. let me set the record straight. since we will vote on the tax bill tomorrow. They do pay taxes. They pay Social Security taxes. Payroll taxes are taken out. And it is important that we have a tax bill that responds to Americans who served their country. who may not be making $250.000 a year. Jesse Brown used to go across this Nation. He came to my district several times. So many of us can account for his time. He was not sitting in his office with the door closed. He was on the road working and reaching out to veterans. Let me tell you something tonight and to all of my colleagues. because I know that Jesse Brown will live and this is not his eulogy. my promise to you Secretary Brown is. one. to wish you well. and hopefully your voice will continue to be raised on behalf of the veterans as a private citizen. I have an obligation now to work with my colleagues. the gentlewoman from Florida. to ensure that the veterans of this Nation are continuously supported by this United States Congress. Yes. to support tomorrow the fairest tax bill. the Democratic alternative that does not turn its back on the veterans of this country. the working men and women of this country. those that make $25.000. those that make $50.000. those who make $85.000. working every day to send their children to college. to make ends meet. those are the folks that we will be supporting. That is my promise and tribute to Secretary Brown. that I will continue to work for the 1.646.700 veterans in the State of Texas and. yes. the veterans all over this Nation. Secretary Brown. we will miss you in your service to this Nation. but how proud you have made all of us for what you have done by offeringoalmost your life on our behalf of freedom and. yes. fighting for the least of those. our brothers and sisters. God bless you and God bless America.