macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-01-13
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the female pilots who served during World War II. known as the Women Airforce Service Pilots. or the WASPs. These brave and hardworking female pilots signed up. of their own volition. were trained in over 12.000 aircraft. and stepped up to the plate to fill the shortfall of male pilots. Despite the fact that the WASPs were merely considered civilians. they served their country. delivering planes overseas in dangerous conditions and helping to train the male pilots for combat. Thirtyeight of these WASPs died while serving their country. and their patriotic sense of duty is truly inspirational. Unfortunately. these courageous women have been unjustly denied the honor of burial at the Arlington National Cemetery. Why? Because they were civilians. As a cosponsor of H.R. 4336. I strongly urge the Secretary of the Army to change its policy and allow these female pilots to be honored at Arlington National Cemetery. It is the moral imperative of our country to honor them.
Date: 2016-01-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it is with sadness in my heart that I rise to acknowledge the death of a great leader in our community. Dr. J.S. Stone. a graduate of Talladega College and a graduate of Meharry Medical School. who leaves his beloved wife. Gertrude. a dear friend. and three children. This was a great leader and a great medical professional. committed to service in our community. serving on many. many boards and sharing his great brilliance with all of us. He had a residency at Texas MD Anderson and hospitals in Philadelphia and became one of the first African Americans to participate in the Harris County Medical Society and to practice in hospitals that. for the first time. saw an African American doctor. such as St. Joseph. a community hospital that has remained historic in our community. Again. I want to pay tribute to him for his service in the United States military as captain. This is the kind of African American leader and a kind of American leader that stood tall. being born in 1930 in the face of segregation. but he never let the ills of the world overcome him. He became a servant of the peoplenot electedbut he became a servant in medicine and serving them. I honor him today and express my deepest sympathy to his family. his wife. his children. and to the entire community in Houston. for we have lost a fallen hero. He is a hero. I say well done. good and faithful servant. May you rest in peace. Dr. J.S. Stone.
Date: 2016-01-20
Speaker: MARTIN SHKRELI (democrat)
Chamber: S

Chief Executive Officer. Turing Pharmaceuticals LLC. Avenue of the Americas. 39th Floor. New York. NY. DEAR MR. SHKRELI: The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging is conducting an investigation into the pricing of offpatent drugs in certain circumstances. We seek your cooperation with this investigation so that the Committee may better understand drug pricing and related regulatory and public policy concerns. In particular. the Committee wishes to learn more about Turing Pharmaceuticals recent acquisition of the rights to sell Daraprim. a drug used to treat and prevent infections. from Impax Laboratories and Turings subsequent decision to increase the price of Daraprim from $13.50 per tablet to $750.00. In order to assist us in our investigation. we ask that you provide us with the documents set forth in Schedule A and the information set forth in Schedule B by December 2. 2015. Please submit the material responsive to this request as it becomes available. rather than waiting to provide it all at once. In order to facilitate this production. we request that you schedule a time to meet and confer on the Request with Committee Staff as soon as it is practicable for you to do so. The jurisdiction of the Special Committee on Aging is set forth in Section 104 of S. Res. 4. agreed to February 4. 1977. We appreciate your attention to this matter. Should you have any questions. please do not hesitate to have your staff contact Samuel Dewey of the Majority Staff at (202) 2242798. or Cathy Yu of the Minority Staff at (202) 2247752. Please direct all official correspondence to the Committees Chief Clerk. Matt Lawrence. Sincerely.
Date: 2016-01-27
Speaker: JEANNE SHAHEEN (democrat)
Chamber: S

from New Hampshire. for her hard work over the years on this legislation. It is time for us to get it done. It is time to provide this incentive and give this economy a shot in the arm to help ensure that we can take advantage of the energy resources in this country. use them more efficiently. and. by doing so. create more economic opportunity for everyone. Thank you. Mr. President. Mr. President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
Date: 2016-02-01
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support today for H.R. 2209. In sum. this bill levels the playing field for cities and States. saves cities and States hundreds of millions of dollars. and does it in a way that maintains the safety and soundness of our banking system. I would first like to thank the gentleman from Indiana . my friend. for his leadership on this issue. It has been a pleasure to work with him. When we introduced this bill. we worked hard to have balanced. bipartisan support and to have broad support on both sides of the aisle. We introduced it with a coalition of five Republicans and five Democrats. On the Democratic side. we were joined by Mr.
Date: 2016-02-01
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. this is an important bill. It will help the economy. It will help our cities and States. It levels the playing field for cities and States. It saves our cities and States. literally. hundreds of millions of dollars. and it maintains the safety and soundness of our banking system. That is why it had such a strong. overwhelming bipartisan vote in committee. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Date: 2016-02-01
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this measure. Let me first thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his leadership on human rights and antitrafficking issues and for his hard work on International Megans Law. I also want to thank the Judiciary Committee for its bipartisan input on this bill. This legislation is the product of a lot of hard work and reflects a commitment to advancing practical and effective ways to help those victimized by sexual predators. This is hard to believe. but around the world today there are tens of millions of victims of human trafficking. which is what we call modernday slavery. Many of these victims are children exploited in prostitution. In many countries. extreme poverty and gaps in law enforcement create zones of impunity where sex offenders exploit vulnerable children. Sometimes local officials have no idea this is going on. Sometimes they turn a blind eye. and sometimes officials are even complicit in this crime. We have a responsibility to protect all victims and to crack down on this crime that destabilizes communities. fuels corruption. and undermines the rule of law. International Megans Law aims to prevent child sex offenders and traffickers from exploiting vulnerable children when they cross an international border. This bill would establish an Angel Watch Center within ICEImmigration and Customs Enforcementand provide advance notice to foreign governments when a convicted child sex offender travels to their country. This bill will hopefully prevent some of these horrific crimes from taking place. But. Mr. Speaker. fighting modern slavery requires a much more comprehensive response. Beyond prevention. governments must do all they can to protect victims: robust identification efforts. policies and procedures that get victims out of harms way. comprehensive support services that include physical and mental health care. education opportunities. legal assistance. reintegration with family and community. and. of course. aggressive investigations and prosecutions to go after those responsible for such heinous crimes. The reality is. the sad reality. is that no single government or single law will put an end to human trafficking. But every step we take strengthens our ability to prevent these crimes. protect victims. and punish those responsible. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support the Senate amendment to H.R. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2016-02-01
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing. I would simply congratulate the gentleman who does a wonderful job chairing our Foreign Affairs Committee. As I said on a radio show in Philadelphia last week. I really wish those who say that there is no bipartisanship in Washington. D.C.. could see the way the ranking member. Mr. ENGEL. and our chairman. Mr. ROYCE. conduct our foreign affairs business. I think they would have a different view. I am proud to support this piece of legislation. and I urge all my colleagues to do so. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2016-02-01
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this measure. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank Chairman ROYCE. Subcommittee Chairman SMITH. and Ranking Member BASS. I also want to thank our Senate colleagues. especially Chairman CORKER and Ranking Member CARDIN. for advancing this effort. We are now in a place to send this legislation to the Presidents desk. Mr. Speaker. across subSaharan Africa. more than 600 million individuals live without access to reliable electricity. That is double the U.S. population without electricity. nearly twothirds of their population. For individuals. that deficit means never knowing what will happen with the flip of a switch. It means a days work needs to come to an end at sunset. that food cant be refrigerated. and that technology that is so valuable for connecting to the rest of the world cant be relied upon. For communities. lack of access to power undermines the ability of hospitals to deliver health care because vaccines spoil and medical equipment sits useless. Businesses cant expand and thrive. Schools are limited in what they can offer students. For countries. these factors combine to undermine stability and stymie progress. Without reliable power. countries cant become strong players in the global economy or strong partners on the global stage. The better these countries do. the better it is for their neighbors. for their region. and for the entire world. As you can see. the United States has an interest in helping these countries grapple with this challenge and making sure the lights stay on. That is why the Electrify Africa Act is such an important bill. This legislation puts into law President Obamas 2013 Power Africa initiative. It seeks to create strong. new partnerships among governments. banks. and other private sector investors with the aim of providing firsttime power to 50 million people by the year 2020. It calls for a longterm strategy from our own government for assisting subSaharan African countries with national power strategies. and it directs other American agencies to make assistance for power projects in subSaharan Africa a top priority. It helps bring American influence to bear around the world to encourage international bodies to bring a new focus on this challenge. Mr. Speaker. I fully support this bill. and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2016-02-01
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. I thank Chairman ROYCE. Ranking Member ENGEL. and the subcommittee chairman and ranking member. Sometimes the right thing to do is also in our strategic interests as a country. and this piece of legislation is a great example of that. I urge this body to pass it. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2016-02-01
Speaker: MICHAEL F. DOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to remove myself as a cosponsor of H.R. 546. the ACE Kids Act.
Date: 2016-02-01
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. when President Barack Obama delivered his final State of the Union address last month. he highlighted the resilience and determination of the American people. The President touted notable achievements in scientific advancement. greater transparency throughout our political system. and a stronger and more equitable economy as evidence pointing to the strength of our Nation. For context. in the final month of President George W. Bushs presidency. the economy was in free fall. The private sector lost nearly 820.000 jobs in the final month of President Bushs presidency alone and unemployment peaked at around 10 percent in the midst of the Great Recession. Today. the economy has added 14.1 million jobs over 70 consecutive months of privatesector job growth. household wealth has increased by more than $30 trillion. and average home prices have recovered to prerecession levels under President Obamas Administration. However. economic indicators are not the only method for determining the true state of our union. As we celebrate Black History Month in February. it is timely to consider how other great leaders from our past would perceive the state of our union today. Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. is one such leader who envisioned a greater future for our Nation in the face of unspeakable discrimination and intolerance. In his famous "I Have a Dream" speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. D.C.. Dr. King laid out his vision of our country where all men are created equal and where freedom must ring if America is to be a great nation. Today. those principles ring true. We have made great progress as a nation to move away from the darkest moments of our past. Yet. there is still much work to be done. We have witnessed continued efforts to disenfranchise select groups of voters by gutting the Voting Rights Act and persistent racial tension between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect. It is a constant struggle that afflicts communities all across the United States and suggests that more work needs to be done if we are to achieve Dr. Kings dream. Mr. Speaker. the freedoms we enjoy in the United States are not absolute. The principles and values that define our Nation are constantly challenged and everevolving. Dr. King had a distinct vision for the future of our Nation and his legacy can help guide our decisions moving into the future so that we can avoid making the same mistakes of our past.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in order to bring attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Madaya. Syria. The inhabitants of Madaya are unable to leave and are threatened daily by regime snipers and antipersonnel mines that surround their city. Over 40.000 civilians have been kept from receiving vital humanitarian aid. And. yes. this has resulted in mass starvation. Sadly. Madaya is not unique in its suffering. There are Madayas all over Syriacities under siegecaught in the middle of this vicious fighting. cities with inhabitants in dire need of food. water. and medical attention. I urge Congress. the President. and the international community to do more in response to the humanitarian crisis that is going on in Syria. Enough is enough. We have to stop these tragedies from happening. It is our collective responsibility to do everything in our power. so lets do it.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington . who is on the Republican committee designed to roll back protections to womens health care.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois . who is the ranking member of the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives that Republicans set up to take away reproductive healthcare access from women.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia . the distinguished ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I would remind my colleagues that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that if you actually override this veto. 22 million Americans would lose access to affordable health care. Under the Affordable Care Act. the number of uninsured Americans has dropped significantly. It is a sad day that some people dont see that as a good thing. just like the same people apparently want to deny women access to reproductive health care. Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York . a member of the Judiciary Committee and the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I really urge my colleagues. Republicans and Democrats alike. to read the letter from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. This is the agency that we all turn to for unbiased. nonpartisan advice. On page 9. you will read that their estimate is that. by overturning the Presidents veto and enacting the underlying bill. H.R. 3762. we would increase the number of people without health insurance coverage by about 22 million people in most years after 2017. When my colleagues say this is a historic moment. it is true. Never before would this Congress have voted on a veto override that would immediately deny access to affordable health care for 22 million people. I yield 112 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey . a terrific member of the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I had no idea that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle were such great fans of the movie "Groundhog Day." If I had a little more time right now. I would give the exact same speech I gave just 1 month ago. because nothing has changed. The facts remain that Planned Parenthood is a health organization serving 3 million Americans each year. that one in five Americans will receive care from Planned Parenthood. that despite arguments to the contrary. there are simply not enough health centers to fill the gap. that defunding Planned Parenthood snatches care away from millions of families. and that todays bill says to women once again how and when they get health care is not their choice. Like then. this has no chance of becoming law. and. like then. I urge my colleagues to abandon the merrygoround of attacks on women and families. Enough attacks on health care. enough attacks on women. and enough attacks on families.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it is hard to see how giving power to the people is stripping 22 million Americans of their affordable health care. I yield 112 minutes to the gentlewoman from California . a member of the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. facts are stubborn things. Since the Affordable Care Act was passed. which our Republican colleagues said would be a jobs killer. we have actually seen millions and millions of jobs added in the economy. and the unemployment rate has come way down. The notion that the Affordable Care Act was going to wreck the economy is just blatantly false for everybody to see. Just look at the statistics around the country. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan . someone who cares about the facts. the distinguished ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I would encourage everybody to read the results of the Texas grand jury proceeding. Here are some headlines from what happened: "Vindication for Planned Parenthood." and "Texas Grand Jury Clears Planned Parenthood. Indicts Its Accusers." It is a charade that we are back on the floor after that grand jury decision. It is rare. my colleagues. to see a grand jury investigate one entityin this case. Planned Parenthoodand turn around and indict its accusers. Despite that. we are back here in this evidencefree zone. I yield 1 minute to gentlewoman from North Carolina . a distinguished member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.
Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Republican leader said we dont have to worry about the veto. The reality is the Presidents veto will be sustained today. Apparently. our Republican colleagues are not worried about the 22 million Americans who will lose access to affordable health care. I dont know what the Republican leaders definition of "mockery" is. but if anybody is mocking the Republican bill here. it is the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. which wrote to each and every Member of Congress that. if you actually overrode the Presidents veto and enacted this legislationand I am sorry to repeat it again. but it is here in black and white from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Officeyou would increase the number of people who are without health insurance coverage by 22 million people. That is what our Republican colleagues are talking about here. So. no. we dont want to do that. and the President doesnt want to do that. and that is not going to happen here today. but it certainly does indicate the stakes in the 2016 elections. because. on the one hand. you have a Republicancontrolled Congress that would. at the snap of a finger. like to get rid of affordable health care for 22 million people. and. apparently. it wants to ignore the facts that we learned from the Texas grand jury that vindicated Planned Parenthood and said that their accusers. instead. should be indicted. I reserve the balance of my time.