macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-01-21
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

I thank the gentleman for his leadership and for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to this rule. After all the talk by our Republican friends about focusing their efforts on jobs and growing the economy. so far their rhetoric does not match their record. Last week. we took up a pipeline bill that. according to the State Department. would only create 34 jobs. and the bill that we have on the pipeline today probably wont create one single job. but what it will do. it will make it easier to damage the environment. The majority has also introduced six antichoice bills in the past 7 days. and what all these bills have in common is that they will not create one single American job. Instead of a jobs agenda. the majority seems bound and determined to attack womens rights. to take away a womans constitutional right to make for herself the most private and personal and intimate decisions. Now. we are taking up this bill. H.R. 36. which is based on the insulting belief that women are incapable and unprepared to make decisions about their own bodies and their own health care. Fortytwo years ago this week. the Supreme Court. in Roe v. Wade. made it clear that a woman has a constitutional right to decide for herself these private issues concerning her own health and wellbeing. This is not only insulting to the women of this country. it is just another pointless exercise in political posturing. It will never become law. It is a waste of Congress time. What we should be doing instead is focusing on any idea or measure that can help create greater economic opportunity for all Americans. The President pointed out last night that our economy is on the rise. Under his leadership. we are experiencing the strongest private sector job growth we have had in 17 years. over 11 million new jobs. Lets not squander this opportunity. Lets work together to create real jobs. not political posturing for the American people.
Date: 2015-01-21
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 161. a bill that claims to expedite applications for construction of natural gas pipelines in the United States. First. let me say as a native Houstonian and as a Democrat. I support American energy development. The energy revolution that has taken place over the last decade is unlike anything Ive seen in my lifetime. The natural gas plays currently developed in Pennsylvania. Ohio. and Texas are solely responsible for the recovery the U.S. has seen. Low natural gas prices have given our industries an advantage over international competito rs. Low natural gas prices have given our homeowners cheaper electric bills. Low natural gas prices have resulted in lower emissions and smaller contributions to climate change. To reap those benefits. however. we need pipelines to move that product from the field to market. I can confidently say. I am a big supporter of pipelines. The stacks of raw materials and finished pipe in my district are probably unlike any other district in the country. Pipelines are the most economically efficient and environmentally sound method of moving oil and natural. I am an advocate of building more pipelines. I have cosponsored legislation to build domestic and international pipelines to facilitate energy development. I have advocated for expediting the application process. so that our federal agencies provide private investors certainty. Unfortunately. I cannot support H.R. 161. While I am an advocate of all things natural gas. I am not in favor of completely circumventing the permitting process. About a decade ago. the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). which has jurisdiction over pipeline approvals. had some issues. We worked closely with the industry and the agency to improve the processes and timelines so that we could get pipe built in this country quickly. FERC has done an admirable job working with industry and other key stakeholders to improve the process. Currently. FERC approves the majority of permits in less than 18to24 months. Where there are problems and delays with other permits. namely at the local and state level and FERC is working to resolve those issues. Unfortunately. this bill does nothing to address those issues. This bill sets a timeline for FERC and if that timeline expires. then any permit is approved. Our federal agencies have an oversight role to play and allowing permit applications to essentially "run out the clock" when issues arise is a way to circumvent our federal process. In Energy and Commerce. we put a lot of work into this bill and I want to thank my colleagues for working closely with our side. But. I cannot support H.R. 161 and I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill as well.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: JUDY CHU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the RECORD that the House should vote for bigger paychecks and better infrastructure instead of attacking womens access to health care.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

I thank the gentlewoman from the great State of New York for her extraordinary leadership on the Rules Committee and in so many areas for this country and our State. I rise today in strong opposition to yet another closed rule. Despite all the lectures from Republicans about how creating jobs and growing the economy should be the number one top priority for this Congress. here we are instead once again hammering away at a womans right to make her own choices. control her own body. and make choices about her own health care. It is insulting to women. and it does not create one single job. But what it does do is put government between a physician and its patient. That is what it does. The other side says they want freedom and they want the government off their back. Yet on the most personal health care decisions for women. they are putting government between a woman and her doctor. This bill will not grow our economy. but it will make permanent such discriminatory bans that target women in both the public and private health insurance market. Republicans claim on their Web siteyou can look it up and see it on their Web sitethat they want to "do something for the 8.7 million people in America who are still unemployed." It is time to focus on creating jobs and improving the economy for Americans. yet the first bill the Republican majority puts on the floor does not create one single job but discriminates. hurts. and insults women. I urge a strong. strong "no" vote on this rule and on the underlying bill.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentlelady for yielding. Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the RECORD that the the House should vote for bigger paychecks and better infrastructure instead of attacking womens access to health care.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. I thank the gentlewoman from Colorado. Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the RECORD that the House should vote for bigger paychecks and better infrastructure instead of attacking womens access to health care.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the RECORD that the House should be voting on proposals that create jobs and accelerate economic growth. Instead. the only thing the Republicans have accelerated around here is their attacks on a womans constitutional rights and health care.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the RECORD that the House should vote for bigger paychecks and better infrastructure instead of constantly attacking womens access to health care.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the RECORD that the House should vote for bigger paychecks and better infrastructure instead of attacking womens access to health care.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentlewoman for her courage. Madam Speaker. I stand here today. refusing to surrender on behalf of millions of women of all economic backgrounds. races. ethnicities. and religions who rely upon the Supreme Court of the United States. which. under the Ninth Amendment. has indicated that Roe v. Wadethe right to chooseis a viable and important law of the land. How can we undermine the Constitution in its premise and its articulation? Today. very quickly. let me say that I know there are millions who are here to disagree with me. I respect that disagreement. but I am saddened that we would take advantage of this day to misrepresent the law and pass a law that will do damage to millions of Americans. This is the face of Republican women. who. in essence. decided that H.R. 36 was too extreme. Even Republican men said that they could not vote on a bill that caused or asked women to report a rape before they would be able to benefit from an abortion. How sad. in the trauma of rape. that you must require someone to go to the police department before she could get assistance. That bill was pulled. That extreme bill was pulled. In order not to leave us without dramatics. we come again to do what is hurting millions of women in Texaswhere they cannot even get health services because of the laws passed in Texas. which completely shut down good health care clinics that deal in abortion and other womens services for health carewith this dastardly law about requiring those clinics to be within a certain milage of hospitals. with their never having any problem before. Now we come with another masquerade in H.R. 7. which prohibits Federal funds from being used for any health benefits coverage which includes the coverage of abortion. making permanent already existing Federal policies. prohibiting the inclusion of abortion in any health care service furnished by Federal or the District of Columbia health careagain. interfering with the women in the District of Columbiaand prohibiting individuals from receiving refundable Federal tax creditsindividuals interfering with private health insurance. Madam Speaker. this is a bad bill. and I ask my colleagues to vote against it. It undermines the Constitution and the Ninth Amendment.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: JUDY CHU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. once again. womens rights are being attacked on the floor of the House. A decision about health that should be made by a woman and her doctor is. instead. being made by politicians with an agenda. Despite their claims of acting for the sake of womens health. this draconian bill would deny women access to medical care and drive out abortion coverage from private health plans once and for all. What would be the effect? Women would be denied access to abortion. especially lowincome and minority women who are buying health insurance through the marketplace. For some. they will be sent back to the days before Roe v. Wade. when women who were desperate for help were driven to unlicensed doctors and unsanitary conditions. often suffering infections. hemorrhages. and. at times. death. We should not be in the business of endangering womens health and safety. This is why. yesterday. I introduced the Womens Health Protection Act. It would prevent States from restricting access to abortion if they cannot demonstrate an actual benefit to womens health. Personal medical decisions belong solely to the people they impact and to the medical professionals they trust. We must oppose this bill.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. a bill falsely advertised as profamily and supporting American values. If they actually care about defending the values of our Nation and of the wellbeing of American families. I ask my colleagues across the aisle to offer legislation that reflects the priorities of American families instead of debating a bill that the Republican leadership just threw on the calendar at the last minute because their original abortion bill was too extreme. even for them. Today. we should be discussing ways to ensure every woman can put food on the table by raising the minimum wage. like 29 States have done. and by passing equal pay for women. We should be discussing how to ensure that every person who dreams of a higher education has access to it by working with President Obama on his community college proposal. We should be discussing legislation to allow 43 million workers to take time off when they are sick and to make sure parents can take time off with their new babies. These are the familycentered priorities that reflect our values as a nation. and these are. certainly. the challenges that my constituents in south Florida sent me here to tackle. Instead. we are debating a bill with an underlying principle that has already been codified. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle know that a regressive policy of banning taxpayer funding for abortion. which only serves to punish our Nations poor and most vulnerable women. already exists. As the President said Tuesday night. while we may not agree on choice. we can at least agree that the best people to make these decisions for women are not politicians. Building on the zeal to interfere in the health decisions of women. this bill goes even further by tying a womans health options to her income. A strong majority of Americans agree. including 62 percent who identify as Republicans. that abortion is the wrong issue for Congress to be spending its time on. I agree with them. When my colleagues are prepared to work on legislation that truly addresses the concerns of the American people. we stand ready to work with them. Listen to your Members who sounded the alarm bell on the original bill that was pulled off this floor. and get your priorities straight.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

I thank my good friend. DIANA. for her leadership on this issue and for so many other important issues and for yielding to me. Madam Speaker. despite the rhetoric we have heard from our Republican colleagues about their commitment to focusing. laserlike. on what the American people care about mostcreating jobs and accelerating economic growththe only thing that they have accelerated in this new Congress is their attacks on a womans constitutional rights. In just their first 7 days in office. our Republican colleagues have introduced six antichoice bills and brought two of them to the floor for debate. so rather than focus on jobs. we have a bill that is not only an assault on women. it is pure political posturing that is guaranteed to be vetoed. even if it makes it through the Senate. The President has made that clear. We need to focus on what the vast majority of the American people have asked us to do: create greater economic opportunity for all Americans.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Madam Speaker. I join with womens rights advocates. health care stakeholders. and religious groups in opposing H.R. 7. the Unprecedented. Radical Assault on Womens Health Care Act. This piece of legislation is another attempt by politicians to control womens private health care choices. As we emerge from one of the worst economic crises in our nations history. Congressional leaders should focus on bills to increase Americans paychecks. create jobs. improve education. and incentivize investment in America rather than jeopardize the health of American women and undermine longstanding Supreme Court precedence regarding womens reproductive health. Politicians are not medical experts. yet this bill today allows politicians to control womens private health care decisions. Politics should not drive medical decisions. I firmly believe that the American people wish to see their representatives focus on proactive policies that strengthen our economy and address their health care needs. such as by increasing access to affordable health care and reducing health disparities. Rather than imposing national restrictions on private medical decisions. policymakers should focus on keeping Americans healthy via comprehensive health care. healthy pregnancies. and healthy children. Rather than allowing the federal government to violate the basic constitutional rights of women. we should increase our investment in research and development. help students afford and succeed in college. raise the minimum wage. strengthen our roads and bridges. and invest in our communities. America needs policymakers who support our citizens. not who subordinate them. I cannot support this bill that allows politics to control womens medical choices. and I urge my colleagues to oppose.
Date: 2015-01-22
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise today to express my opposition to H.R. 7. the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. Longstanding federal policy explicitly prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions. except for certain narrow circumstances of rape. incest. or severe health complications that threaten the life of the mother. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) maintains this ban and a federal appeals court confirmed that no federal dollars may be used to pay for abortion services under the law. Far more sweeping in scope than the title implies. the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act goes well beyond codifying the Hyde Amendment and protecting public funds. This bill intrudes on womens reproductive autonomy and access to health care. manipulates the tax code to put additional financial burdens on many women and small businesses. and unnecessarily restricts the private insurance choices available to consumers today. The House of Representatives should be spending our time working to improve access to health care for all Americans. instead of deceptive legislation that interferes with a womans ability to make personal. private medical decisions.
Date: 2015-01-26
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. it is an honor to be here and speak on the House floor for the first time. I want to thank my constituents. the 13th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia and Montgomery County. for giving me this unique opportunity. Mr. Speaker. I am here to speak about an issue that affects millions of Americans in the middle class. myself includedthe student loan debt crisis. While I applaud President Obamas announcement of the Americas College Promise proposal. which would provide 2 years of community college to responsible students. we do need to make expansion of higher education more enduring through the weight of legislative action. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. student loan debt has become the largest form of consumer debt in the United States other than mortgages. The financial load on Americas students has more than tripled over the past decade to well over $1 trillion. The formidable costs that aspiring students face as they consider college or trade school poses an enormous obstacle to their personal and professional development. Mr. Speaker. I look forward to many other occasions to speak about this issue. as we clearly have to deal with it as a nation and come together.
Date: 2015-01-26
Speaker: SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of my bill. H.R. 357. the Human Trafficking Prevention Act. I would like to thank my colleagues
Date: 2015-01-27
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I join my colleagues today in honoring. recognizing. and respecting those who traveled through the devastation and horror of the Holocaust. To those who lost their lives. I prayerfully mourn them. For those who survived. I champion them and thank them and make a commitment as we have done as brothers and sisters. Republicans and Democrats. and as Americans: Never again. I rise as well to speak of the heinousness of the acts of Boko Haram and the killing and murderous acts against innocent children in Nigeria. We must stand together and act against this crisis. We must recognize that this bloodshed will not stop. I am grateful that Secretary Kerry is in Nigeria and collaborating on what the next steps are. I want to thank the United States military. which has provided insight and cooperation. But. Madam Speaker. there needs to be more. We need to have a waiver of some of the provisions dealing with utilization and collaboration in the Nigerian military. We must ask them to do what is right. We cannot sit by while the bloodletting Boko Haram continues to kill women and children across Nigeria. Enoughit must stop now.
Date: 2015-01-27
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. as I have no further requests for time. I will just close by saying our children need our response. They are suffering. It is important that we work together to minimally provide them with the shelter that they need and with the resources that they need to eliminate the scourge of human trafficking and sex trafficking. With that. I ask for the support of the underlying legislation. H.R. 350. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-01-27
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Wisconsin . who has championed these bills.
Date: 2015-01-27
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing. we have all come today with an important project. and that is to help save our children. I wouldnt want to leave this very important bill that talks about saving our children from sex trafficking without letting our colleagues know that we want every possible act of human trafficking to be reported at 18663472423. We want those who are victims to know that they can seek help. too. at 18883737888. The statement we are making is that we are doing everything we can to extinguish and eliminate this heinous tragedy in our country. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation and to recognize that we must stop exploitation through trafficking. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 159. and I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-01-27
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia . an active and committed member of the House Judiciary Committee and ranking member on the Commercial Subcommittee.
Date: 2015-01-27
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia . who has served so ably on this committee. and we congratulate him for his ranking position on the Education Committee.