macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-07-08
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to voice concern over the disregard President Bush has shown to our brave servicemembers and their families. Our troops are dying in Iraq at a rate of one per day. The reason? This administration failed to adequately plan for postwar peacekeeping and civil reconstruction in Iraq. As a consequence. our troops are overstretched. morale is low. and the situation within Iraq is getting worse by the day. This administration must. it must readdress the situation and give our troops the peacekeeping training that they need. and. in addition. efforts to reach out to the international community for assistance must be enhanced. In short. we should do everything in our power to quell the violence as quickly as possible. But instead. just last weekend. President Bush taunted insurgents in Iraq by boasting. "Bring em on." This is an insult not only to the military families who have lost a. loved one in Iraq. but to those who live under the constant fear that their loved ones might not come home.
Date: 2003-07-08
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I am honored to stand before the Members today in support of H.R. 2396. This legislation designates the post office located at 1210 Highland Avenue in Duarte. California. after a courageous young marine. Lance Corporal Francisco Martinez Flores. Lance Corporal Flores was killed in the line of duty near Nasiriyah. Iraq. on March 25. 2003. protecting the rights. beliefs. and values of a Nation that he could not yet call his own. He was just 2 weeks away from gaining his U.S. citizenship. which was granted posthumously on April 6. 2003. According to the Department of Defense. an estimated 37.000 legal permanent residents are currently serving on Active Duty In our Armed Forces. These young men and women have willingly volunteered to carry out one of the most solemn duties any nation can ask of its people. .and they have more than earned the right to become citizens of the Nation they have sworn to uphold and protect. Their contributions should always be remembered. Naming the post office after Lance Corporal Flores is not just a way to honor his memory. but also a small way to show appreciation and respect to the other 200 soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Each day when a person walks through the Highland Avenue Post Office located in Duarte. California. they will be able to read about this hero and remember that it is the people in their community who contribute to the freedoms that we all enjoy as Americans. I would like to thank every man and woman currently serving in the U.S. military. I hope they stay safe. and I. wish them a speedy return. and I sleep better at night knowing that they are doing such a tremendous job. and I sleep better at night knowing that people like Francisco Martinez Flores are there serving our country. I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R.
Date: 2003-07-08
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to be here tonight. and I want to especially thank my good friend. the gentleman from Maryland
Date: 2003-07-09
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I wonder if the President bothers to take a look outside his helicopter window on" his way from Crawford. Texas. to the White House to see the millions of people pounding the pavement looking for jobs. Once again. the national unemployment rate has risen. It is now 6.4 percent. up from 6.1 percent in May. and the unemployment rate for Hispanics. it is even higher. up to 8.4 percent. Moreover. millions of students across the country this month are graduating from college. with over $20.000 in debt from student loans. wondering if they are going to get a job to begin to pay off those loans. With the economy in a state of flux at home. what does the President say? He says "bring em on" to those who are attacking troops in Iraq. If the President wants to bring something on. how about a fiscal plan that creates Jobs. that does not plunge us further into debt and that allows us to care for seniors in their golden years? It is unfortunate that he cannot be as confident and cavalier about the future of our economy as he is being about the lives of our troops.
Date: 2003-07-09
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I want to begin by commending the committee leadership on both sides of the aisle for their efforts on this bipartisan bill. the chairman of the committee. the gentleman from Ohio . the ranking member. the gentleman from California . the subcommittee leadership. the gentleman from California . and the gentleman from Michigan . and the gentleman from Georgia for all his work on this piece of legislation. It is critical that we improve teacher training in this country to make sure that the children in our classrooms get the best possible results. I want to thank the committee for adopting an amendment that I submitted along with the gentlewoman from California
Date: 2003-07-09
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. I. thank the gentleman from Michigan for managing both of these bills on the floor today and for his contributions to this legislation. I want to thank the gentleman from California . the gentleman from Ohio . the gentleman from South Carolina . and the gentleman from Georgia for all their cooperation on this legislation. I think these bills are consistent with what we have been saying about the importance of teachers in the classroom. I think they finally put some resources in place to help those individuals who want to become teachers and who want to remain teachers. and I would urge passage of this amendment. Finally. I would say when we see a young.child who can raad and master these strokes. it is a wonderful feeling. I Was very happy when I saw that my granddaughter was actually excited because Harry Potter was almost 800 pages. She was worried that it might be only 300 to 400 pages. but she was excited that the latest book was almost 800 pages so she could rip through it and read it. To see that kind of excitement on a childs face who is comfortable with reading is something that we hope for all of our Nations children. Hopefully. this amendment will provide a little bit of help to do that.
Date: 2003-07-10
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise today in reluctant opposition to this LaborHHS Appropriations billfor the Investments it refuses to make and the promises it fails to keep for the American people. I am profoundly concerned about the growIng gap between what we say and what we do In this Congress. We say we want a healthy America. But this Appropriations bill shatters a fiveyear bipartisan commitment to the NIH by funding the worlds premiere scientific and medical research organization with a paltry 2.5% increasethe smallest in fifteen years. And the majoritys solution to our nations critical nursing shortage? A funding freeze for the Nurse Reinvestment Act. No new money at all. For the growing ranks of our unemployed. a $150 million cut in the Community Services Block Grant program. Thats less help for those left behind by the Bush economy--just when they need it tha most. Perhaps nowhere Is the credibility gap between the Republican leaderships rhetoric and its honesttogoodness priorities more glaring than in the area of education. Not three years ago. President Bushthe selfproclaimed "education president"-signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law. In exchange for higher expectations and new.- tough accountability measures to meet them. the President and the Congress promised students. states and trchool districts the requisite funds to get the job done. The bill we are asked to support today falls $8 billion short of that promise. It is an unconscionable abdication of our national responsibility. When the Education and Workforce Committeeon which I sittook up the IDEA bill this Spring. the committees leadership repeatedly refused to make IDEA funding mandatoryarguing that the Republican party could be trusted to provide what was necessary for the proper education of children with disabilities. In a grandiose show of GOP commitment. the Chairman even went to the Budget Committee and announced he had secured an additional $4.6 Billion In authorized funding over the next two years for IDEA. Now we see the true colors: Less than 50% of the $2.2 billion authorized. And astonishingly. even less than the $1.4 billion authorized in the original bill. So much bluff and bluster. Mr. Chairman. Appropriations bill are about so much more than dollars and cents. They reflect who we are as a people. Our values. Our priorities. And the course we wish to chart for the future. I believe this bill charts precisely the wrong course. and I urge my colleagues to defeat it.
Date: 2003-07-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I would just say it is interesting. they talk about everything except this amendment. This amendment does nothing to prohibit the Secretary from expanding overtime to those who may not now be required. but what it does not do is it does not let the Secretary strip 8 million workers who currently get overtime of that overtime pay. including the -half a million first responders that go out on Orange Alert. Under this regulation. many of them will lose overtime for those long hours that they spend guarding the national security of this country. That is what the regulations do. That is what this amendment prevents. It does not keep anybody from expanding into overtime.
Date: 2003-07-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. let me just say. once again. the gentleman from Ohio tried to suggest that this is going to create two classes of people. This just protects everybody who gets overtime today gets overtime tomorrow. They say if you get hired tomorrow. well. let me tell you In the Bush economy. nobody is getting hired tomorrow. People are getting laid off tomorrow. Okay. They are not getting hired. so that is not an issue. Secondly. let me say for first responders. you are talking about people from homicide detectives. you are talking about EMT. the people we expect to respond to these sites. to firefighters. So many first responders wrote objecting to this amendment that the Department of Labor sent out a letter and said. that is not our intent. They said. then exempt us from the regulation. They said we will not do that. So it is not their intent to include them. but they will not take them out of it. You are talking about half a million first responders who will go out on Code Orange and will get no protection of overtime pay. Your party. your choice. your vote.
Date: 2003-07-15
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Call

fornia. Mr. Speaker. this week we will be voting on a spending bill for the Department of the Interior. the agency entrusted with the management and stewardship of our national parks. Unfortunately. this agency seems to have forgotten the stewardship portion of their mission. The Department has decided to ignore 10 years of scientific study by the National Park Service. which concluded that the best way to protect and preserve Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. two of our greatest national treasures. would be to phase out the use of snowmobiles. They have decided to ignore the conclusion that emissions produced by snowmobiles force park rangers to wear respirators. adversely affect the health of visitors. and obscure visibility around the famous Old Faithful geyser. This decision is an affront to the health of our national park system. That is why I strongly support an amendment to the Interior appropriations bill that will call for a phaseout of the use of snowmobiles in these parks. Our national parks are irreplaceable. We need to act now so that we can ensure that they are protected for generations to come.
Date: 2003-07-15
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the socalled School Readiness Act of 2003. H.R. 2210. This bill does not provide the adequate funding for Head Start or for the muchneedeV expansion of early Head Start and migrant and seasonal Head Start programs. H.R. 2210 begins an irreversible process of dismantling Head Start by promoting religious discrimination in hiring. shortchanging teachers. and denying services to eligible children by continuing to underfund Head Start. Nearly 4 decades of research have established that Head Start delivers the intended services and improves the lives and development of the children and families that it serves. To illustrate how effective Head Start can be. let me tell you about one of my constituents. Ms. Robles is a single mother with three children. She works full time while her children attend school. Pablo. the youngest of her three children. has been fortunate enough to participate and be enrolled in the Head Start program. Before Pablo started Head Start. he was quiet and withdrawn. a very shy boy who was very much dependent upon his mother. Pablo is now a confident and expressive little boy. He wants to do things independently and enjoys playing puzzles and building blocks. Ms.. Robles told me. "The transformation in Pablo is amazing. I see the difference in Pablo and my other two children who were not lucky enough to participate in Head Start." In addition. Ms. Robles is grateful to Head Start because of the services it provides. She receives help from the social workers. including the emotional support she needed ever since leaving her family and friends behind in her country to make a new start in the United States. The nurses and teachers who participate in Head Start are also attentive and helpful to her and her children. Ms. Robles now feels she is a better mother to her children at home and a more prepared parent advocate to her children in school. I urge my colleagues to vote "no" on this bill that skimps on children. H.R. 2210. As the old saying goes. if it aint broke. why fix it. Let us not play with the future of our most vulnerable children like Pablo Robles.
Date: 2003-07-16
Speaker: RON DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: S

President National Marine Engineers Beneficial Association. Washington. DC. DEAR MR. DAVIS: I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the National Marine Engineers Beneficial Association. Under your outstanding leadership. the National Marine Engineers Beneficial Association strengthened the Army. Air Force. and Marine Corps combat power. and ensured our militarys buildup in Southwest Asia.
Date: 2003-07-16
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: S

and DAVIS of Illinois. From the Select Committee on Homeland Security. for consideration of section 1456 of the House bill. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. Cox. SHADEOG. and THOMPSON of Mississippi. From the Committee on House Administration. for consideration of section 564 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. NEY. MICA. and LARSON of Connecticut. From the Committee on International Relations. for consideration of sections 1047. 1201. 1202. 1209. title XIII. sections 3601. 3611. 3631. 3632. 3634. and 3636 of the House bill. and sections 323. 343. 921. 1201. 1202. 1204. 1205. 1207. 1208. title XIII. and section 3141 of the Senate amendment. amid modifications committed to conference: Messrs. HYDE. BEREUTER. and LANTOS. From the Committee on the Judiciary. for consideration of sections 661665 and 851853 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. SENSENBRENNER. SMITH of Texas. and CONYERS.. From the Committee on Resources. for consideration of sections 311. 317319. 601. and 1057 of the House bill. and sections 322. 330. and 601 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. POMBO. GILCHREST. REHBERG. RAHALL. and UDALL of New Mexico. From the Committee on Science. for consideration of sections 852 and 911 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. BOEHLERT. SMITH of Michigan. and HALL of Texas. From the Committee on Small Business. for considerationm of section 866 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Mr. MANZULLO. Mrs. KELLY. and Ms.
Date: 2003-07-16
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my concern over the partisan political use of Federal resources by the majority party. Roughly 2 months ago. the Justice Department. the Department of Transportation. and the Department of Homeland Security were all called upon to track down Democratic members of the Texas legislature. even though they had broken no law. nor endangered public safety nor homeland security. I applaud the gentleman from Texas
Date: 2003-07-16
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. BERRY and Mr. GREENWOOD changed their vote from "no" to "aye." So the bill was passed. The result of vote was announced as above recorded. The title of the bill was amended so as to read: "A bill to establish the Millennium Challenge Account to provide increased support for certain developing countries. to authorize the expansion of the Peace Corps. to authorIze appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal years 2004 and 2005. and to authorize appropriations under the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for security assistance for fiscal years 2004 and 2005. and for other purposes.". A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Date: 2003-07-16
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today as the Representative of the Congressional District that is the intended home of a key component of the Project Bioshield Act. a $186 million biodefense laboratory that is planned to be built on the northeast corner of the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda. Maryland. While I support the Bioshield initiative. I have serious concerns about the proposed location of the blodefense laboratory. Many of my constituents have expressed to me their concerns about the potential safety risks that the location of this laboratory poses to our community. and the possibility that it could become a target for terrorist attacks. Given that our govemment determinedeven before this new laboratory was proposedthat a perimeter fence is required to safeguard the buildings and employees at the National Institutes of Health. I believe a number of questions must be answered before we proceed further with the plan to locate the laboratory on the NIH campus. I have written to the Director of the National Institutes of Health and asked him to address the following issues: (1) The property of locating this laboratory In an urban setting like Bethesda. as opposed to at Fort Detrick. where a biosafety level 3 laboratory is already under construction. (2) if located on the Bethesda campus. whether it can be located centrally on the campus. either in a new building or by renovating an existing building and relocating the offices and laboratories of that building to a building In the location chosen for Building 33. and (3) the precautions that will be taken to ensure that. in the event of a terrorist attack or human error. that any potential risk to our community presented by the presence of this laboratory on the Bethesda campus is minimized or eliminated. Mr. Speaker. I know that all of my colleagues in this House are united In our common effort to combat terrorism. But we owe it to our constituents to approach this endeavor carefully. I urge my colleagues and the Administration to consider all options so that we do fight by all Americans.
Date: 2003-07-16
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time. I rise in strong opposition to this rule. and I would ask Members to vote against the previous question so .that we could have an opportunity to vote on the ObeyDicks amendment which would restore the $570 million that has been cut from conservation spending in this country. I also rise to say that I would oppose the Boehlert amendment that would restore $95 million to these programs. The Boehlert amendment simply is an endorsement of these cuts. It simply is an endorsement of the cuts. We were spending $450 million on Federal land and water conservation programs per a bipartisan agreement and the support of this President of the United States. If my colleagues vote for the Boehlert amendment. we are down to $130 million on State land and water conservation. a primary driver of open space and conservation programs and habitat protection and the protections of the community values. $450 million after these cuts. Even with the Boehlert amendment. that is only $118 million. We are talking about a massive loss of opportunities for local communities to protect and provide for the conservation of land around those communities for public use. for the use of their citizens. because these dollars are matched by private dollars. by local dollars. and they drive these acquisitions. The Boehlert amendment is simply an endorsement of a policy that is now just wreaking havoc with that bipartisan agreement. with that -promise made by this Congress that we would once again start using those moneys coming into the Land and Water Conservation Fund from offshore oil drilling to protect the natural assets of this country and our local communities. That is why we have got to vote against the previous question and the rule. Because if we voted for the ObeyDicks amendment. then we would keep the promise that we have made. We have made that with business organizations. we have made that with conservation organizations. we have made that with restoration organizations. we .have- made that with communities. that these were community values where the Federal Government would help out. All of that is devastated by this legislation. and we cannot buy into an endorsement of that by buying an amendment that simply puts just a few dollars back into these accounts while these accounts initially in this bill get slaughtered by the appr6priations provided in this committee.
Date: 2003-07-16
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. that was his promise during the campaign. and it was his promise after he was elected. He was asked by the supporters of CARA in the campaign. I hate to say this. but he endorsed the bill and the concept and the money before the Democratic nominee did. He was out there saying this is important. Why? Because he understands this is communitydriven. This is the best in our Federal system. Local people have these needs. they have raised local money. The Federal Government provides a catalyst from an account that was set aside specifically for that purpose. The gentleman has done an incredible job on these conservation accounts over the last several years. but now all of a sudden it looks like they just got in the car and drove over the cliff on this one. We will see who puts in the requests for the dollars. So no more Federal land. and yet bill after bill is passed out of the Committee on Resources. and then the Committee on Appropriations is supposed to fund it.