macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-21
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 25. which authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service and the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition. It is altogether fitting and proper that we do this. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is the nations monument to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Dedicated on October 15. 1991. the Memorial honors federal. state and local law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its people. Carved on its walls are the names of 20.538 officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. dating back to the first known death in 1791. Added to the Wall this year will be the names of the 117 police officers killed in the line of duty in 2014. Mr. Speaker. enshrined on the Memorial Wall of Honor also are the names of 1.695 fallen peace officers from the state of Texas. the most of any state. including 114 members of the Houston Police Department who gave their lives to keep their city safe. I ask unanimous consent to include a list of these fallen heroes from Houston. Texas. Mr. Speaker. today there are more than 900.000 law enforcement personnel serving the people of our country. the highest amount ever. About 12 percent of them are female. These brave men and women risk their lives to keep the peace and keep us safe but they are too often taken by the violence they are working to prevent. Every year. a law enforcement officer is killed somewhere in the United States every 60 hours. and there are also 58.930 assaults against our law officers each year. resulting in 15.404 injuries. Mr. Speaker. as a member of the Law Enforcement Caucus I am proud to represent the people of the 18th Congressional District of Texas in paying tribute to the 117 fallen heroes who will be joining the 20.538 gallant men and women who gave the last full measure of devotion to the communities they took an oath to protect and serve. Mr. Speaker. I ask for a moment of silence in memory of the officers whose names will be added to the National Peace Officers Memorial Wall of Honor.
Date: 2015-04-21
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I yield 10 minutes to the gentleman from Washington . He is the next gentleman that you are going to hear from this side of the aisle. He is the author of the legislation that certainly would have given small businesses a seat at the table of the CFPB. He worked very hard on this bill. and he is one of those persons on our committee who reaches across the aisle all the time on bipartisan efforts.
Date: 2015-04-21
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I first need to remind the gentleman from Illinois that Mr. HECK worked hard to put small business advisory at the table and to codify the other businesses that the CFPB had already put at the table. They snatched it right away from the table. They took away small business. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota . who is the cochair of the Progressive Caucus and a member of the Financial Services Committee.
Date: 2015-04-21
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin . She serves on the Financial Services Committee and is a strong supporter of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus.
Date: 2015-04-21
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think that we have done a very good job on this side of the aisle of exposing what is happening on the opposite side of the aisle as simply an attempt to try and gut and demean the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Let me just deal with this argument that they made about the cost of renovation for the CFPB. Bloomberg Businessweek. in an article. entitled. "Republican Attacks on a CFPB Office Renovation Dont Add Up." found that Republicans took liberties with their math. Using data from a report prepared by the CFPBs inspector general. Bloomberg found that renovation would only cost $421 per square foot. if you inflate the price by including rental of temporary space and paying for movers. compared to the GOP claim of $590. Actual construction costs are only $283 per square foot. half of what the Republicans claim. However. and I think this is very interesting. there is one very expensive renovation happening in Washington. D.C.. right now. It is the Cannon House Office Building. which houses Members and committees of the House of Representatives. All end costs for the renovation of the Cannon Building approved by Speaker BOEHNER will be $753 million. or $911 per square foot. much pricier than the Bellagio or the Burj Khalifa. If we want to talk about what is high cost. take a look at ourselves right here in Congress for what we are doing. Having said that. I just wonder why the continued attempts on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Maybe it is because somebody else is being protected. Lets look at some of the work of the Bureau: a January 2015 settlement against J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo for $35.7 million after uncovering a scheme where loan officers illegally referred customers to affiliated businesses in exchange for cash and marketing services. Look at a July 2014 settlement against Rome Finance for $92 million for a predatory lending scheme that targeted servicemembers by hiding finance charges. withholding information from billing statements. and engaging in illegal debt collection practices. Another settlement from July 2014 against payday lender ACE Cash Express for $10 million for intentionally trapping consumers in a cycle of debt. a practice formalized in their employee training materials. as well as illegal debt collection practices. including harassment. I could go on and on and on how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has taken on some of the biggest corporations. the biggest businesses in this country to protect consumers. What is it you are afraid of? What is it you are worried about? Why are you trying to kill the agency that is protecting consumers rather than applauding them for making sure that the consumers dont continue to be taken advantage of the way they were prior to 2008 when we didnt have any consumer protection? I ask you to question yourselves about why you hate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau so much. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-04-21
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Chairman. I rise in support of this amendment. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from New Hampshire for offering this measure. which will ensure that the concerns of our Nations veteranowned businesses are represented on the small business advisory board this legislation creates. Madam Chairman. our Nations veterans heroically put their lives on the line for this country. And when they come home and decide to start a small business. they are carrying forth that patriotic duty by taking another risk for the betterment of our Nation. Just as our Nation has a responsibility to care for those who return from battle. we too have a duty to ensure those who have served in our Armed Forces have a voice at the table. in whatever vocation they enter. Early on. the CFPB recognized the unique needs of servicemembers. veterans. and their families by creating an office targeted to address their needs. Likewise. small businesses owned by veterans comprise a subset of our Nations economic backbone that should not be ignored. This amendment ensures that the CFPB is made aware of their views. perspectives. and interests in the same manner as all smallbusiness owners. But Madam Chairman. while I support this amendment and believe in its goals. I remain strongly opposed to the underlying bill. which would impose cuts to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and would set a precedent that could ultimately lead to a time when the Nations leading consumer advocate is cashstrapped. underfunded. and financially unable to ensure that the views of veteran business ownersor any other business ownersare appropriately taken into account.
Date: 2015-04-21
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank Congressman HONDA for hosting this very important Special Order this evening. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury for women in America. More often than not. cases of violence against women go unreported. Over 80% of women who were victimized experienced significant shortterm and longterm impacts related to the violence and were more likely to experience PostTraumatic Stress Disorder and longterm chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes. Every year in the United States. 1.000 to 1.600 women die at the hands of their male partners. often after a long. escalating pattern of battering. In 2009. 111 women were killed by their former or current husband. intimate partner or boyfriend in the State of Texas. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury for women in America. Every nine seconds a woman in the United States is assaulted or beaten by stalkers or her partner. Another form of violence against women is sex trafficking. Trafficking ensnares millions of women and girls in modernday slavery. According to the FBI. sex trafficking is the fastestgrowing business of organized crime and the thirdlargest criminal enterprise in the world. More than 300.000 American children are at risk of becoming victims of sex trafficking annually in what is estimated to be a $9.8 billion industry. Women and girls represent 55 per cent of the estimated 20.9 million victims of forced labor worldwide and 98 per cent of the estimated 4.5 million forced into sexual exploitation. Similar to current sex trafficking crimes is the past atrocity of the crimes that were committed towards the Korean women. The "comfort women" system of forced military prostitution by the Government of Japan. considered unprecedented in its cruelty and magnitude. included gang rape. forced abortions. humiliation. and sexual violence resulting in mutilation. death. or eventual suicide in one of the largest cases of human trafficking in the 20th century. Today. there are now only just 59 known survivors that were comfort Korean victims. There are about 200.000 women are estimated to have worked as comfort women in Japans military brothels. Today. the comfort women issue remains taboo and controversial topic. just like other violent crimes committed to women. These women are not victims but also survivors. survivors from a brutal crime. The comfort women issue is not just about the past. but it is very relevant today. The worlds strength to oppose killing today is made greater by accountability. for actions present. but also past. Its weakened by denial of accountability and obfuscation of past acts. History is a continuum that affects today and tomorrow. Women everywhere should not be victims of such an atrocity. Its much harder to get tomorrow right if we get yesterday wrong. Today. we call on to the Japanese government to apologize to the few women who continue to live with the shame of the crimes committed against them.
Date: 2015-04-22
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. in a modern society. all of us deal with a thousand issues. but there is only one issue that can kill humanity as a species. and that is climate change. Rising sea levels. more extreme weather events. and hotter temperatures are not partisan issues. Last month. President Reagans former Secretary of State George Shultz wrote a column in The Washington Post asking for action on climate change. Today. on Earth Day. I am introducing the Climate Solutions Act. which will tackle climate change by focusing on three areas: slashing carbon pollution. implementing bold renewable portfolio standards. and setting high energy efficiency standards. In the future. our history books will write that America led the world on climate change and saved the planetor there will be no more history books.
Date: 2015-04-22
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. I rise today to oppose to H.R. 1560. the Protecting Cyber Network Act (PCNA). While I commend Chairman NUNES and Ranking Member SCHIFF for crafting a bill that improves upon the cybersecurity legislation this body has previously voted on. I cannot support it in its current form. Despite addressing many of the reservations I had when we voted on the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) last Congress. I have concerns about the ambiguous liability provisions in this legislation. While companies should have some legal protection. this bill gives liability protections to companies so long as they share or receive information "in accordance with the Act." It would grant immunity to companies for simply putting forth a "good faith" effort when reporting security threats and sharing consumer data with the government and other companies. For example. companies would receive liability protection even if they fail to act on threat information in a timely manner. The unintended effect of these murky liability provisions is that companies would not have the same incentive to report security threats and protect their consumers privacy. I was disappointed that Republicans did not allow a vote on two amendments offered by Rep. RICHMOND than would have addressed these overbroad liability provisions. Our country faces cybernetwork attacks each day which threaten our national security and our economy. I strongly believe that we must take steps to protect against these cyber threats while not sacrificing our privacy and civil liberties. Should this bill pass the House. I hope that many of the loopholes can be resolved with the Senate. but as it stands today I cannot support it. The Acting CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired. Pursuant to the rule. the bill shall be considered for amendment under the 5minute rule. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the 5minute rule an amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence printed in the bill. The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. The text of the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute is as follows: H.R. 1560 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.
Date: 2015-04-22
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

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: Add at the end the following:
Date: 2015-04-22
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. I thank the manager and the chairman and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee for their service and leadership. I offer this amendment that I believe will answer a question that has been raised by many Members but really has bipartisan support. This amendment is offered as a Jackson LeePolis amendment. and the specifics of it say: "Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act. the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the actions taken by the Federal Government to remove personal information from cyber threat indicators pursuant to section 4(b)." Again. this relates to the concern that many of us will hear over and over again from our constituents. In the world of hacking and mistakes and misdirection and unfairness and terrorism. it is important to secure this Nation and to be able to have the right information. As I serve as a member of the Homeland Security Committee. I believe we have to have information to thwart terrorist acts and protect the homeland. But there is a public benefit to my amendment. This amendment will provide the public assurance from a reliable and trustworthy source that their privacy and civil liberties are not being compromised. We are a State and a Nation born out of the existence of the Bill of Rights. Along with the Constitution. it has framed a democracy. but it has also framed the preciousness of individual rights and privacy. I offer this amendment. again. to emphasize the importance of privacy that is so very important. The Jackson LeePolis amendment provides. again. for a Government Accountability Act report to Congress on the actions taken by the Federal Government to remove personal information from data shared through the programs established by this statute. The intent of the report. as indicated. is to provide Congress with information regarding the effectiveness of protecting the privacy of Americans. Again. this amendment would result in the sole external report on the privacy and civil liberties impact of the programs created under this bill. Privacy is of great concern to the American people. I know that because. as we were doing the Patriot Act in the shadow of the heinous acts of 9111. I will tell you that large voices were raised. particularly out of the Judiciary Committee and in working with the Intelligence Committee. about the issues of privacy. Americans understand that. Privacy is of great concern to the American public. Privacy involves the handling and protection of personal information. And as well. when personal information is improperly accessed. used. or abused. it can cause financial and personal harm to those whose data is involved. Madam Chair. may I ask how much time is remaining? The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Texas has 2 minutes remaining.
Date: 2015-04-22
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California . the distinguished ranking member.
Date: 2015-04-22
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you. Madam Chair. Let me quickly say that a report on consumer views on the privacy issue published by the Pew Center found that a majority of adults surveyed felt that their privacy is being challenged along such core dimensions as the security of their personal information and their ability to retain confidentiality. It is for this reason that I believe the Jackson Lee amendment. in conjunction with the underlying legislation. H.R. 1560. will be an added asset to ensure that the personal data. privacy. and civil liberties of Americans are protected. Madam Chair. I offer my thanks to Chairman NUNES. and Ranking Member SCHIFF for their leadership and work on H.R. 1560. The bipartisan work done by the House Select Committee on Intelligence resulted in H.R. 1560 being brought before the House for consideration. I offer acknowledgement to Congressman POLlS in joining me in sponsoring this amendment. The Jackson LeePolis Amendment to H.R. 1560 is simple and would improve the bill. Jackson Lee Amendment designated #5 on the list of amendments approved for H.R. 1560: The Jackson LeePolis Amendment provides for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to Congress on the actions taken by the Federal Government to remove personal information from data shared through the programs established by this statute. The intent of the report is to provide Congress with information regarding the effectiveness of protecting the privacy of Americans. This amendment would result in the sole external report on the privacy and civil liberties impact of the programs created under this bill. Privacy is of great concern to the American public. Privacy involves the handling and protection of personal information that individuals provide in the course of everyday commercial transactions. When personal information is improperly accessed. used. or abused it can cause financial and personal harm to the people whose data is involved. A report on consumer views on their privacy published by the Pew Center found that a majority of adults surveyed felt that their privacy is being challenged along such core dimensions as the security of their personal information and their ability to retain confidentiality. For this reason. the Jackson Lee amendment providing an independent report to the public on how their privacy and civil liberties are treated under the implementation of this bill is important. I ask that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle support this amendment. I ask that the amendment be supported. and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas .
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to commend the Senates action yesterday on the passage of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. and I urge the House leadership to bring this legislation up for final passage. The measures included in this trafficking package will provide survivors of human trafficking the desperately needed resources and services to recover and rebuild their lives and to put traffickers and buyers behind bars. I am thrilled this package of bills also includes three pieces of legislation I am proud to be leading in the House. including the HERO Act. which trains wounded military veterans to aid law enforcement in investigating child exploitation. the Rape Survivor Child Custody Act. which encourages States to allow a woman to terminate the parental rights of a rapist. and my friend Representative RENEE ELLMERS bill. which I am proud to colead. to train health care providers in identifying and assisting victims of trafficking. Survivors of child exploitation. rape. and trafficking have waited long enough. They need health. housing. and legal services now. They need legal and civil protections now. I urge the House to bring the Senates Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act up for a vote without delay.
Date: 2015-04-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. this morning. we will be addressing the issue of cybersecurity. one of the responsibilities of the Homeland Security Department and of the Homeland Security Committee. In a briefing. many of us had the opportunity to hear a number of challenging and difficult representations regarding the gyrocopter. Let me simply say that the responsibility of this Nation and of this government is to protect its citizens. and I am appalled at what seems to be the inability or the inaction of certain agencies. I stand today on the floor of the House to say that it is intolerable and unacceptable when tourists and Americans come to their capital. I want them to expect the highest grade of security for their families. for their peace of mind. The Commander in Chief resides in Washington. D.C. That Commander in Chief has the right to have the highest degree of security. I would ask. Mr. Speaker. that we immediately demand a response from the appropriate agencies so that nothing of this kind happens ever again.