macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank my colleague. Madam Speaker. it wasnt that long ago. in fact. it was September 2004. that President Bush told the Nation. and I quote. "We will lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are eligiblebut not signed up for the governments health insurance programs. We will not allow a lack of attention or information to stand between these children and the health care they need." Thats what the President said just a little over 3 years ago. He has. with his veto. changed his mind. He has turned his back on what he said to America just 3 years ago. But what hasnt changed since hes changed his mind are the needs of a million American children. in fact. the needs have only grown greater over the last 3 years. We see rising gas prices. we see rising grocery prices. we see rising prices of going to college. and. yes. we see rising prices for health care. In fact. many more people are not going to be able to afford health care for their kids today than before as people fight a tightening economic squeeze in the months ahead. We are trying to work together on an economic stimulus package. We worked together on a bipartisan basis when this legislation passed the House and the Senate. It is time for us to work together for the children of this country and make sure they get the health care they need at this very important time. You know. the American people are hungry for a change in direction. Theyre hungry for politicians who follow through and do what they said they were going to do. and this is something the President told the Nation he wanted to do. Now that we need it more than ever and more families and more children are struggling than ever before. we need to come together and fulfill the commitment that was made. Madam Speaker. its time to say "no" to the Presidents veto. This bill is paid for by increase in tobacco taxes. Lets make sure we dont spend our time looking outfor the tobacco companies. Lets look out for the children of America. Lets say "no" to the Presidents veto and "yes" to this bill.
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I thank our Chair of the committee for allowing me to speak. Sitting here. waiting in line and listening. I am amazed at the rhetoric I hear. We had Members from our minority side talk about we have to worry about saving for the stimulus next week. and we want to vote for that. But it is amazing they want to save money from the SCHIP program to pay for a stimulus. and at the same time they dont worry about paying for the billions of dollars a month that we are spending in Iraq. It is amazing how frugal they are when they want to be. Madam Speaker. the Presidents veto of the childrens health care bill once again shows it is playing politics rather than embracing an opportunity to fix a system that is in need of repair. The reason we are here is over 10 years ago this House and Senate and the President at that time signed the bill. The issue was we need to cover the children first. Instead of signing this piece of legislation into law. President Bush twice vetoed a bill to provide insurance coverage to 10 million lowincome American children of working parents. The administrations reason for this veto just doesnt stand up. No Federal funding will be spent on undocumented immigrants in this bill. If they are. they are on the States. the State of Texas or whoever else. to pay for it if they allow illegal immigrants on the CHIP plan. In 1 year. childless adults are taken off the SCHIP program. even though this administration issued waivers to allow them to be on it. Only lowest income children are covered. with a prohibition on coverage for over 300 percent of poverty. and still the President vetoed it. We continue to spend billions of dollars a month in Iraq. and we cant even cover the lowest income children. Energy costs are up. Everything is up. Our economy is weakening. and the number of unemployed and uninsured in this country are rising. Lets at least cover the children with health care. Lets vote to override this misguided veto.
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 916) honoring the contributions of Catholic schools.
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous .consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I am pleased at this time to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois . the author of this bill.
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I too rise in support of H. Res. 916 to honor the contributions of Catholic schools throughout the country and to support the goals of Catholic Schools Week. I believe we should continue to support all schools that graduate our youth in high percentages and prepare them for a productive future. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker. Catholic schools enrolled over two million of our Nations children during the 20062007 school year. With minority enrollment at 25 percent and nonCatholic enrollment at . 14 percent this past year. Catholic schools continue to teach students of all backgrounds. The highschool graduation rate of Catholic schools is an impressive 99 percent. with 80 percent going on to. a 4year college and 17 percent going to a 2year or technical college. These rates are extraordinary and are to be commended. Next week. January 27th through February 2nd is designated as Catholic Schools Week by the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of .Catholic Bishops. The purpose of Catholic Schools Week is to show support for the Catholic schools: including St. Emydius in Lynwood and St. Helens in South Gate. and to their students. parents. and teachers across the Nation for their ongoing contributions to education. and for the key role they play in promoting and ensuring a brighter. stronger future for this Nation. I believe we should continue to support all schools that graduate our youth in high percentages and prepare them for a productive future. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res.
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. S5eaker. at this time. I would like to yield as much time as she may consume to the author of this bill. the gentlewoman from Minnesota
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. at this time I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to my distinguished colleague from California .
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 932) expressing support for designation of the week of February. 4 .through February 8. 2008 as "National School Counseling Week".
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. 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 bill under consideration.
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. I appreciate my colleague for his support of this resolution. I would urge all my colleagues to support House Resolution
Date: 2008-01-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to designate the Port Angeles Federal Building in Port Angeles. Washington. as the "Richard B. Anderson Federal Building".
Date: 2008-01-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R.
Date: 2008-01-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 4140 is a bill to designate the Federal building located at 138 West First Street. Port Angeles. Washington. as the Richard B. Anderson Federal Building. Private First Class Richard Anderson was born in 1921 in Tacoma. Washington. He joined the Marine Corps on July 6. 1942. and received his Marine Corps training in San Diego. California. He died at the young age of 22 during World War II and on Roi Island. part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Medal of Honor. His heroism is marked by his actions on Roi Island when he hurled himself on a live grenade in a shell hole to save the lives of many people. He was severely injured and died of his injuries on February 1. 1944. He was buried at sea with full military honors. In 1945. the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Richard B. Anderson was named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Anderson. It is both fitting and proper to honor the life and courageous actions of Richard B. Anderson in this designation. I support this bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of our time.
Date: 2008-01-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to amend the International Center Act to authorize the lease or sublease of certain property described in such Act to -an entity other than a foreign government or international organization if certain conditions are met.
Date: 2008-01-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3913.
Date: 2008-01-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Im pleased to support H.R. 3913. a bill to make a needed technical amendment to the International Center Act. P.L. 90553. H.R. 3913 authorizes the Department of State to lease land to Intelsat at the International Center. which is located on Connecticut Avenue at Van Ness Street in northwest Washington. The amendment clarifies and ensures that Intelsats longterm lease of the land. on which its headquarters is located. is consistent with the International Center Act. Intelsat was originally established in the early 1900s as an international organization. In 2000. Congress passed legislation which essentially required Intelsat to become a private company. Unfortunately. at that time. Congress overlooked a change in the ICA that would be necessary when Intelsat completed its transition to a private company. and this bill corrects that omission. I support this bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-01-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 832) honoring the Texas Water Development Board on its selection as a recipient of the Environmental Protection Agencys 2007 Clean Water State Revolving Fund Performance and Innovation Award. as amended.
Date: 2008-01-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H. Res. 832.
Date: 2008-01-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Texas Water Development Board was created in 1957 with the mission "to provide leadership. planning. financial assistance. information and education for the conservation and responsible development of water for Texas." Additionally. the Texas Water Development Board provides water planning. data collection and dissemination. financial assistance. and technical assistance services to the citizens of the State. The Texas Water Development Board was selected this past November as a recipient of the Environmental Protection Agencys 2007 Performance and Innovation in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Creating Environmental Success Award at the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities annual conference in Denver. Colorado. Mr. Speaker. this is extraordinary for Texas because normally we get on the other end of things of this sort. But the Texas Water Development Board provides loans and grants to local governments and entities for various projects. The financial assistance programs are funded through Statebacked bonds. a combination of State bond proceeds and Federal grant funds. or limited appropriated funds. To date. the Texas Water Development Board has successfully awarded communities approximately $4.3 billion in lowinterest loans to finance 472 water infrastructure projects across the State of Texas. The State of Texas currently administers the second largest Clean Water State Revolving Fund in the Nation. second only to New York. In 2007 alone. the Texas Water Development Board made 32 loan commitments through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. for a total of $692 million. Of the 32 total commitments made out of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund in 2007. approximately 8 percent of the funds were committed to disadvantaged communities. and 10 percent were committed to small communities with populations consisting of less than 10.000 residents. The Texas Water Development Board is working with the EPA to strengthen the program. including the ability to offer extended term financing up to 30 years to help communities that may need more time to repay the loan. Additionally. the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program is being proactively marketed to ensure that all Texas communities are aware of the benefits offered by this program. And. Mr. Speaker. I am delighted to be able to honor such a vital organization in the State of Texas. Its sometimes a rare occasion. The Texas Water Development Board is recognized as a leader in the State water planning and waterrelated infrastructure financing. I would like to thank my colleagues from the Texas delegation for joining me in this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-01-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time. and I simply want to ask everyone to support the resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-01-29
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise in support of this stimulus package for the relief it provides over 117 million American families and the timely boost it delivers our slowing economy. Lets be clear: As a product of genuine bipartisan compromise. this legislation does not contain everything one might have included in a stimulus package. For example. I supportand I hope the President will acceptthe Senates proposal to extend the relief in this package to lowincome seniors and people with disabilities. That being said. this legislation proposes to put $145 billion into the hands of those who will use it to strengthen our economy. and it deserves our support today. The centerpiece of this package is tax relief in the form of rebates of up to $600 for individuals and $1200 for married coupleswith an additional $300 available for every dependent child. Importantly. it extends relief to 35 million hardworking families who make too little to pay federal income taxes but do pay payroll. sales. property and other taxes. These rebates will generate $1.26 in economic activity for every dollar we put back into the economy. The package before us also encourages business investment by doubling the amount small businesses can expense for capital investments made in 2008 and by allowing all businesses to immediately write off 50 percent of depreciable plants and equipment purchased in 2008. Finally. it assists those facing foreclosure by increasing Federal Housing Administration. FHA. loan limits to $729.750 in 2008. and it provides greater liquidity to the mortgage market by temporarily increasing loan limits for single family homes at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from $417.000 to a maximum of $729.750. For this initiative to be meaningful. it must be timely. Therefore. while I agree with many of the additional elements being discussed by the Senatesuch as an appropriate extension of unemployment insurance for those who need itwe must not let prolonged arguments over these items delay swift enactment of the stimulus our economy so clearly needs. If additional steps prove necessary. we will of course stand ready to act. But for today. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bipartisan agreement.
Date: 2008-02-06
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my colleague and both the Government Reform Committee and Rules Committee for allowing this resolution to be considered today. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. The Dynamo soccer team arrived in Houston just 2 years ago. and in the teams first two seasons. they won backtoback MLS Cups. The Dynamo are the first team to do so in over a decade and have immediately drawn a huge fan base in Houston for their success. Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear has guided the team to 26 wins. 20 draws. and 16 losses in its first two seasons in Houston. The Cup win this season came over the New England Revolution. the same team the Dynamo defeated in 2006 to win their first MLS Cup and the 2007 match to an attendance of merely 40.000. The 2007 Cup win was a comefrombehind victory in which Dwayne De Rosario assisted on the tying goal to Joseph Ngwenya. and scored the winning goal to take home the most valuable player honors from the match. The Dynamo managed to accomplish this without the most valuable player from their 2006 Cup win. Brian Ching. who was sidelined with an injury. Texas and Houston have a long history of being a football State and town. but I first learned about soccer when I was in college playing goalie just during college sports. My two children grew up playing soccer in the 1980s when they were young in Houston. Over the years. I watched soccer grow not only in the suburbs but also in the very inner city. and you can hardly have a flat field. flat surface. without having soccer goals put up. Today in our district and throughout the Houston area. countless numbers of children have played and become soccer fans. and the Dynamos success since arriving in Houston greatly increased the interest in the game. Four of the Dynamo stars. Brad Davis. Eddie Robinson. Ricardo Clark. and Stuart Holden. have been selected for the U.S. Mens National Team roster that will face Team Mexico at Reliant Stadium tonight in Houston. This is the most players of any. club represented on our national team. and it includes the Houston native. Stuart Holden. who played his high school soccer in Houston. The U.S.-Mexico soccer rivalry is one of the biggest matches the team plays and always draws enormous crowds and a large television following. We wish the players luck tonight in their match and congratulate the Dynamos on their past success and look forward to their continued success in Again. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution congratulating the Houston Dynamos on their 2007 Major League Soccer Cup victory.
Date: 2008-02-06
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 4848. This legislation is an extension of the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996. This bill requires that annual and lifetime dollar limits for mental health treatment under group health plans offering mental health coverage be no less than that for physical illnesses. Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for individuals between the ages of 1544. In fact. 54 million Americans currently suffer from mental illness. Unfortunately. the stigma of mental illness prevents millions of Americans from receiving the health care they need. Arbitrary limits on insurance benefits also serve as a significant barrier to many Americans seeking help. The original Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 was an important first step toward mental health parity and mandated that annual and lifetime limits in mental health coverage be equal to those applied to medical and surgical benefits. While I support this bill. I strongly believe that we must pass H.R. 1424. the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2007. The scientific community has long told us that mental illness and substance abuse are biologicallyt:iased. and the Surgeon General recognized that fact in the 1999 Surgeon Generals report. The sad reality. however. is that the health insurance market still does not provide true parity to mental health and substance abuse coverage. Individuals who struggle with mental illness or substance abuse have no guarantee theyll get the treatment they needeven if they have health insurance. Mental illness and substance abuse are serious issues for many Americans who too often do not receive the appropriate treatment. Twentysix million Americans struggle with substance abuse addictions. I hope that we will recognize the struggles that individuals with substance abuse addictions face in seeking. treatment. I strongly support H.R. 4848 and hope that we will build on this piece of legislation by considering H.R. 1424. the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 sometime this session.
Date: 2008-02-07
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire . a member of the committee.