macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

The Rockefellers were most notorious. positively. for giving money back because they realized that they had gained money through the system here in the United States. their hard workI am not denying thatbut. in the overall system that we have. allowed their money to grow. I would just make the argument that we can do well together in doing a comprehensive system. I certainly will not ignore the fact that the equalizing of taxes through the sales tax deduction is an important step. but I would like to take many steps. I would like my colleagues to join me in relieving the sequester but also not voting for the previous question so that pay equity can come to the floor. Vote for the women.
Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. a year and a day ago today. 276 innocent Nigerian schoolgirls were tragically taken away from their boarding school and their family. One year later. more than 200 of these girls are still missing. and Boko Haram continues to prey on the Nigerian people. The kidnapping of these schoolgirls is just one example of the appalling acts of terror committed by this group. who. according to the Human Rights Watch. have killed more than 2.000 people and forced 800.000 children to be displaced from their homes. We simply must do more to combat their efforts. I commend President Obama for publicly expressing his willingness to assist Nigeria in its efforts to dismantle this group. Additionally. I encourage the incoming President of Nigeria. President Buhari. to remain committed to his pledge to implement an aggressive effort to combat Boko Haram and to protect his citizens. I hope. with the anniversary of these attacks upon us. we are all regalvanized to do what we can to bring back our girls and protect our other innocent citizens from any future attacks. I thank Congresswoman FREDERICA WILSON for her leadership on this issue.
Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Today. lowwage workers across the country rallied in small towns and big cities. Their request is very simple: a livable wage and the right to organize. This isnt rocket science. These folks turn on the news and see reports on stock market gains on Wall Street. They see companies reporting record profits. They see the prices for bread and a carton of milk rising every month. Then they open their paychecks and see the same amount that they have seen for the past 10 years. This is a crisis that my colleagues across the aisle keep trying to brush under a political rug. That may have worked in the past. but it is just getting too big to be hidden. According to UC Berkeley economist Emmanuel Saez. the Nations 100 richest families have as much wealth as the 80 million families that make up the bottom 50 percent in wealth. Meanwhile. Republicans keep trying to peddle the same. tired "work hard and get ahead" rhetoric. Madam Speaker. American workers are doing just that. They are stringing together 40hour weeks whenever they can. In many cases. they are not given the opportunity to even do that. but they are being paid wages that cobble together to just over $15.000 a year. Even when McDonalds raises wages for the fraction of its workers behind the counters of their corporate stores. they will only get a raise of $5.000. $5.000 will make a huge difference for those families. but at $20.000. they have gone from drowning to just barely keeping their heads above water. That is not enough to pay for a college education or to buy a home. That is not enough to save for retirement. That is not enough to pay for medical bills. Madam Speaker. that is not enough to achieve the American Dream. My Progressive Caucus colleagues and I are here on the floor tonight to stand with workers in the fight for $15. that is $15 an hour and the right to form unions. It is time to support working families. and it is time to make it possible to work hard and get ahead. It is now my pleasure to yield to the gentleman from Minnesota . one of the chairs of our caucus.
Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for the fine points that he has made. I can speak from a personal perspective. I am one of four siblings. and my father was the bread earner and my mother was the woman who was taking care of our family. And he. indeed. did provide a good and wholesome living for his family. Madam Speaker. right now. tens of thousands of American workers in fast food and child care and home care and airport services. and even in professional positions in higher education. are not being paid enough to survive. And what that means. and I believe that my colleague did mention it. it becomes a drag on the economy. Our economy does rely on consumers buying products. They want not just products that they need. Spending is what gives companies. big and small. the revenue to expand and hire more workers. Ideally. it is also what gives companies the revenue to increase wages. But if you ask the workers who are fighting for $15 an hour. they will tell you that a wage increase has been nowhere in sight. Madam Speaker. I yield to my colleague from the great State of California. Congresswoman LEE.
Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentlewoman from California for sharing her insights with us and the very important points that have been made. As I stated a moment ago. our economy relies upon consumers buying products that they want. not just products that they need. But $15 an hour is what we are trying to fight for. and even with that. that will barely provide the needs of these families. They can barely cover their rent or keep food on the table. They cant buy new cars and support the American auto industry. They cant afford new clothes. supporting American retailers. and they cant buy computers or smart phones. supporting Silicon Valley. Six out of the ten largest corporations with median wages of less than $15 also rank among the most occupations projected to add the most jobs in the coming years. And as the lowwage workforce grows. the declining purchasing power of Americans means that there is less demand for goods and services in the economy. If we want to grow our economy. if we are focused on creating jobs. we need to support the people that do just that. I would like now to yield to my colleague from the great State of Texas. who stands up for workingclass families every single solitary day and has even introduced legislation to secure a living wage for the families in our country.
Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Congressman. it has been an honor to share this moment with you in this Special Order hour. It has been a blessing to me. Texas is very. very lucky and very fortunate to have you as a Representative. Florida must be very proud because you were born there. Thank you. and God bless you.
Date: 2015-04-16
Speaker: MICHAEL F. DOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. I want to take a moment today to highlight the contributions of the Oncology Nursing Society to cancer care in our Nation. Oncology nurses care for cancer patients during some of the most critical and challenging times of their lives. As cancer treatments have become more complex. oncology nurses have been called upon to acquire new knowledge and skills while continuing to provide compassionate care and emotional support to their patients. This is where the Oncology Nursing Society comes in. Since 1975. the Oncology Nursing Society has worked tirelessly to lead the transformation of cancer care and ensure that our Nations oncology nurses are well equipped to tackle the healthcare challenges of the future. Next week. the Oncology Nursing Society will hold its 40th Annual Congress. I want to commend the Oncology Nursing Society for its commitment to the highest quality care possible for cancer patients. and I want to offer my congratulations on its 40th anniversary.
Date: 2015-04-16
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to this bill that would add hundreds of billions of dollars to our deficit to deliver a windfall to the heirs of the wealthiest estates in the country. Although the Republican budget holds that we must make draconian cuts to domestic programs in the name of fiscal prudence. cuts that harm the elderly. the working poor. the infirm. the middle class. the Republican leadership lauds a bill that would provide inequality in our Nation and give an average tax break of $3 million to the most secure. In my congressional district. the median income is $48.841. The unemployment rate for African Americans is 24.5 percent. The poverty level for children is 38.3 percent. the poverty rate for the elderly is 21.4 percent. and over 63.000 households receive food stamps. In the State of Illinois. over 13.000 children are homeless. At the end of last year. Chicago had the fifthhighest foreclosure rate in the Nation. This bill is fiscally irresponsible and reflects misplaced priorities for our Nation. We can make improvements to the bill to address the concerns of small businesses and family farms if current law is inadequate. but wholesale repeal reflects poor leadership. The fiscal recklessness of the Republican approach that balloons our deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars via dozens of tax cuts reminds me of the adage that says "death by a thousand cuts." only this time it is debt by a thousand tax cuts. Debt by a thousand tax cuts is bad for our economy. it is bad for our citizens. and it is bad for our Nation. I will vote "no."
Date: 2015-04-16
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The State and local sales tax deduction is an important tax provision for Americans living in States without a State income tax who cannot take advantage of the State and local income tax deduction. Although I support this deduction as an important alternative for taxpayers in States without income taxes. H.R. 622 is fiscally irresponsible. given that it permanently extends this deduction without any offsets. Frankly. I am quite surprised that the Republican leadership is advancing this bill that would add $42 billion to the deficit. Just last year. thenChairman Dave Camp proposed eliminating the State and local sales tax deduction in the Republican tax reform draft. At that time. current Chairman RYAN said he approved of eliminating the sales tax provision before us. Further. just last month. the Republican leadership presented a budget that requires offsetting the cost of any tax extenders that are made permanent with other revenue measures. Indeed. the GOP budget principle is in line with the Republican tax reform draft last year. which adopted a fiscally responsible approach. I am at a loss to understand why the Republican leadership is adding $42 billion to our deficit to permanently extend a provision it thinks should be repealed. This bill coupled with the next bill under consideration would add over $300 billion to our deficit. almost half of the amount the Republican budget said we must cut from domestic discretionary spending. The Republican budget said that we had to cut $759 billion over the next 10 years in domestic discretionary spending in the name of fiscal prudence but can throw $300 billion to the wind for a provision that they have proposed eliminating in tax reform. We need to provide certainty to taxpayers in affected States that the sales tax deduction will be available to them this year. and then we need to focus on comprehensive reform. This bill moves us farther away from tax reform. not closer. In addition to being fiscally irresponsible. this bill coupled with the next one under consideration reflect misplaced priorities for this House. rather than pushing a piecemeal. deficitinflating agenda. we should be helping hardworking American families by raising the minimum wage. ensuring equal pay for equal work. making college more affordable by increasing the Pell grants and improving student loans. helping lowincome families afford quality child care. encouraging work via effective tax programs. improving investment in lowincome communities. and strengthening the research innovation and competitiveness of our Nation. just to name a few critical efforts on which we should focus. I am ready to work with the majority on tax reform. However. I cannot support this piecemeal. fiscally irresponsible approach. and I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-04-16
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Again. I emphasize my surprise at Republican priorities before us. This week. the Joint Economic Committee issued a report on the economic challenges facing the African American community. The findings are stark and detail the significant racial inequities in employment. earnings. wealth. and poverty. The report shows that the median income of African American households is $34.600. nearly $24.000 less than the median income of White households. Black Americans are nearly three times more likely to live in poverty than White Americans. At 10.1 percent. the current unemployment rate for Black Americans is more than double that for White Americans. In my congressional district. the rate of Black unemployment is 24.5 percent compared to only 5.1 percent for White unemployment. These facts exemplify the extraordinary growth of inequality in recent years. Massive inequality and the injustices which flow from the great imbalance grips so many of our neighborhoods. so many of our towns and villages. so many of our people who need and deserve the opportunity to share in all of our Nations potential and all that it has to offer. These are the topics on which policymakers should focus. not hundreds of billions of dollars in piecemeal tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations and heirs to estates over $10 million. The Republican budget proposes to raise taxes on 26 million working families and students by discontinuing important improvements to the earned income tax credit. the child tax credit. and education tax credits. The Republican budget proposes making college more costly by freezing the maximum Pell grant award. eliminating mandatory Pell funding. reducing eligibility for Pell grants. eliminating the inschool interest subsidy. and cutting the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The Republican budget would end Medicare as we know it and proposes undermining the retirement and employee benefits of Federal workers and postal workers. It cuts funding for the Internal Revenue Service. which results in less revenue for our government. undermines taxpayer assistance. and encourages fraud. We should focus on repairing our Tax Code and enacting policies to help hardworking Americans share in the economic opportunity enjoyed by the wealthiest Americans and most profitable companies. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-04-17
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise to note that on April 10while Congress was out of sessionwe celebrated the 36th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). As a Taiwanborn American immigrant. I take pride in this landmark piece of legislation. which has provided Taiwan with a great deal of stability and support as it transformed itself into a vibrant democracy. advanced economy and civil society. The TRA was intended by Congress to endure. continuing the important relationship between close friends and allies. I am heartened by the strengthening of ties that have taken place in recent years. from Taiwans admission to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program in 2012. the first visit of a Cabinetlevel official since the Clinton Administration in 2014. and Taiwans shift from our 12thlargest trading partner in 2013 to our 10thlargest in 2014. As Los Angeles Countys fourth largest trading partner. Taiwan has a unique relationship with my district. With the largest Taiwanese population in the country. it is no coincidence that Los Angeles County is often seen as the international gateway between the United States and Taiwan. Taiwan has much to offer the international community. It has proven a responsible global citizen by assisting international organizations during humanitarian crises and disasters. from its efforts following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami to its contribution of 100.000 sets of Personal Protective Equipment to West Africa last year for use in the fight against Ebola. These acts are emblematic of a people with whom we share many values. On this occasion of the 36th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act. I ask my colleagues to join me in offering our greetings and best wishes to the people and leaders of Taiwan. E528 Friday. April 17. 2015 Daily Digest Senate Chamber Action The Senate was not in session and stands adjourned until 2 p.m. on Monday. April 20. 2015. Committee Meetings No committee meetings were held. House of Representatives Chamber Action Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 4 public bills. H.R. 18901893. and 2 resolutions. H. Res. 21011. introduced. Page H2315 Additional Cosponsors: Page H2315 Reports Filed: A report was filed today as follows: H.R. 1731. to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance multidirectional sharing of information related to cybersecurity risks and strengthen privacy and civil liberties protections. and for other purposes. with an amendment (H. Rept. 11483). Pages H231415 Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Boustany to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. Page H2313 Quorum CallsVotes: There were no yeaandnay votes. and there were no recorded votes. There were no quorum calls. Adjournment: The House met at 10:30 a.m. and adjourned at 10:32 a.m. Committee Meetings No hearings were held. Joint Meetings No joint committee meetings were held.
Date: 2015-04-21
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I was just thinking that one of the reasons I like spring so much and so well is that we get an opportunity to interact a bit more with young people. with our children. and I have seen many around here this morning all over the place. and I simply want to welcome them. Also. yesterday. I got an opportunity to visit two schools. The first was the Proviso Area School for Exceptional Children in Maywood. Illinois. where we just had a wonderful time. Then. in the afternoon. I did a book fair at the Lovett Elementary School with its principal. Dr. Haney. The young people at Lovett were saying they just love being at Lovett. so it was a refreshing day. Like many of my colleagues. I also use a lot of interns and fellows who come and learn and work and who are engaged and involved. The statement that I am going to read today was developed by one of my interns. Jakie Martinez. Jakie has been working on health issues. and she came up with this statement. So I come here today to speak of a health concern that many women are likely to develop in their lifetimes. Known as one of the most common gynecological disorders. uterine fibroids affect nearly 70 percent of Caucasian women and more than 80 percent of African American women by the age of 50. For many of these women the associated symptoms of this diagnosis will significantly impact their quality of life. work. personal relationships. and daily activities. The prevalence of uterine fibroids is one that increases with age. Although we see a commonality in the disorder and its symptoms. the greater public has not yet received the proper continued education into the causes and treatment options available for women who suffer from these fibroids. In response. we see that hysterectomies are the most commonly performed major gynecologic surgery in the United States. with over 400.000 hysterectomies performed annually. yet there are also several minimally invasive surgical options for the treatment of uterine fibroids that feature less blood loss. shorter hospital stays. smaller incisions for minimal scarring. and less need for pain medication than with traditional open surgery. It is important to remember that the best surgical option for each woman. whether it is open or minimally invasive. is reserved for a casebycase evaluation. In recognizing the health and educational needs of women in the United States. it is important that the greater public be educated in greater detail on the alternatives to more or less invasive surgical treatments so that women can have access to a full spectrum of treatment options. After all. it is my hope that women will become more educated and empowered in regards to their reproductive health and in the understanding of safe options available for the treatment of symptomatic fibroids. I thank Jakie Martinez for writing this statement. It is very important.
Date: 2015-04-21
Speaker: JUDY CHU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. prescription drugs improve the quality of life for millions of Americans. They treat illnesses. alleviate pain. and help cure disease. But the ease of abuse has turned a solution into a problem. Each year. nearly 15.000 overdose deaths are attributed to prescription pain relieversmore than heroin and cocaine combined. Our government and private entities in the prescription drug supply chain must do what they can to prevent drug abuse and diversion. At the same time. we must ensure that pharmacists. who are our Nations most accessible healthcare providers. are able to dispense drugs to patients who are in legitimate need and have proper prescriptions without groundless disruptions. The bipartisan bill we vote on today that I am proud to have introduced with my colleagues would do just that. Our bill encourages collaboration between stakeholders and the Drug Enforcement Administration to ensure effective enforcement of abuse while also ensuring that patients will continue to have safe access to the drugs they need. This will lead to fewer disruptions for pharmacists and. in turn. ensure that patients will not be left behind. I urge an "aye" vote on this very important bill.