macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-12-08
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. you know. I hate references to what we are doing today to this. Bipartisan congressional efforts established the costofliving adjustment or COLA formula beginning in 1975 to make sure that Social Security benefits retain their purchasing power for our Nations seniors. The COLA formula is designed to achieve a simple goal. Increases in consumer prices trigger an increase in Social Security benefits. In 2009. seniors received the largest COLA since 1982. 5.8 percent. because of a temporary spike in energy prices. Since then. energy prices fell. and even though the inflation rate used to determine the COLA was negative between 2008 and 2009. benefits were not reduced in 2010. Instead. they remained constant. That is because the law prevents benefits from being reduced when prices decline. and that helps seniors in these tough economic times. Since prices have remained short of the peak they reached back in 2008. the Social Security Administration announced there will not be a COLA in 2011 either. Though seniors are understandably disappointed. the COLA formula is working as intended. The good news is that most seniors do not face an increase in their Medicare part B premium when there is no COLA due to hold harmless protections in current law. Also. last year seniors received a $250 economic recovery payment through the stimulus. While many seniors are hurting. so too are American working families. Doing an endrun around a current bipartisan COLA formula without even one hearing to examine whether it is working or the many options for change our colleagues have offered is wrong. Sending out $250 checks to people like Ross Perot or Warren Buffett. or to the Members of this House who may be eligible for them. as this bill does. is wrong. Sending $250 checks to prisoners or dead people. as Social Security has done in the past. is wrong. Increasing our Nations crushing deficit on the backs of our children by an additional $14 billion is wrong. Unfortunately. our side is unable to right these wrongs as we are prohibited from offering any amendments to this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote "no." I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-12-08
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. we are getting calls from our constituents telling us that they dont want the COLA to continue just giving money away. What they are interested in are tax decreases. I would say that this is illadvised at this time. and we should not just throw more money at a problem that we can solve and have solved already. so I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-12-08
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I concur with all thats been said so far. You know. Americans worry about the security of their personal information. including their Social Security number. and I dont blame them. Even though Social Security numbers were created to track wages for determining Social Security benefits. these numbers are widely used as personal identifiers. In fact. in their April. 2007 report. the Presidents Identity Task Force identified the Social Security number as the "most valuable commodity for an identity thief." And these thieves are working overtime. Identity theft is the fastest growing fraud in Americalast year there were over 11 million victims. The Federal Trade Commission says identity theft costs consumers about $50 billion per year. Today. we are taking a step forwardalbeit a small stepto protect Social Security numbers by preventing prisoner access to these numbers and prohibiting Social Security numbers from appearing on government checks. Believe it or not. the Social Security Inspector General found that eight States currently allow prisoners to work on jobs that give them access to Social Security numbers. With todays vote we will be one step closer to putting an end to that practice. I am glad to report that over the years the Ways and Means Committee has been working on a bipartisan basis to stem the tide of identity theft through restricting the sale. use. and public display of Social Security numbers. and I thank my colleague for that. Most recently. these provisions are part of the Social Security Number Privacy and Identify Theft Prevention Act introduced in this Congress by then Subcommittee Chairman JOHN TANNER and myself. I was also pleased to join Chairman POMEROY when he introduced H.R. 5854. the No Prisoner Access to Social Security Numbers Act of 2010. This is a great bill. I urge my colleagues to support this important first step by voting "yes." Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-12-08
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. we are digressing from the business at hand to something that has already happened. He needs to know that the people out there do understand the costofliving adjustment. It is fixed under Social Security rules. and they dont need it this year. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. It is good for America. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-12-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

I thank my friend. I think its unfortunate the way that the majority leadership has treated this issue when. Mr. Speaker. you see that after bringing the stimulus and the capandtrade and the health care legislation and all of the political capital that the President and this majority leadership had has been exhausted. and after receiving that defeat at the polls. after all that they bring this legislation to the floor. I think the process is most unfortunate. And the way in which they have handled this legislation. Mr. Speaker. shows the lack of interest that they have had in it. That doesnt negate. however. the fact that the legislation is extremely important. If there is anything that distinguishes the United States of AmericaI think in an appropriate and in an admirable wayit is that we are a meritocracy. You stand or you fall in the United States of America based on your own decisions. not the decisions of your parents or your grandparents or their grandparents. Your decisions determine your reputation in the United States of America. So what we are dealing with in this legislation is who we are dealing with. number one. the kind of immigration that we work day in and day out to try to attract and retain in the United States. collegeeducated people who have become so after extraordinary hard work. Secondly. Mr. Speaker. after thinking about what we are trying to do. it all boils down to the decisions. I referred previously to the fact that the United States is distinguished by the fact that the American people stand or fall based on our own decisions. What are the decisions that those students who were dealing with in this legislation have made in their lives? They didnt make the decision to come to the United States out of status. The only decisions that they have made in their lives have been to work hard. to study hard. to make our communities proud. This legislation seeks to give them an opportunity to make their situation regular. normal so that they can contribute even more to the greatness of this Nation. At the end of the day. despite the unfortunate process. we cannot stop thinking about who we are dealing with in this legislation. That is why I have been. for a decade. a sponsor or cosponsor of this legislation. and that is why I am proud to support it this evening. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
Date: 2010-12-08
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Madam Speaker. for 4 years. the Democratic majority has promised to fix our broken immigration system. The President promised to pass immigration reform in the first 12 months of his administration. Just another broken promise. Instead of passing meaningful legislation to secure our boarders. to protect our national security and to address the millions of people who are here undocumented living among us. this Congress has refused to do so. Madam Speaker. and now. in the final hours of their majority. they now bring up this bill. Just another example of why the American people overwhelmingly rejected this majority. Now. on the merits. those who stand to benefit from this bill include thousands of young adults who were raised in our country and really know no other country but America. They simply wish to pursue the American Dream and have the opportunity to study. to work hard. to serve in our Armed Forces. They are exactly the type of people that we want in this United States of America. I. therefore. urge my colleagues to support this legislation today.
Date: 2010-12-08
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I dont think I was wrong in 1984 when I stood on this floor in this position and led the Republican effort to work with my Democratic friends to pass immigration reform. I dont think I was wrong in 1986 when I was the Republican floor manager of SimpsonMazzoli in an attempt to try and bring some semblance of law to the issue of immigration. both legal and illegal. But I must say that in 1986. when we did pass that law. we thought that that was going to resolve many of these issues. and it was going to take care of them. And even though we spent weeks on the floor over those 2 yearsweeks on the floor. allowing 200andsome amendments to be put in the RECORD. over 100 amendments offered on the floor so that Members had the opportunity to have their ideas heardI dont think we were wrong. I do think we are wrong now to bring this at the last hour. to deny anybody an opportunity for a single amendment on this important issue. and to bring it in a parliamentary inquiry fashion that stuffs this bill into a Senate bill. which does what? Disallows the minority an opportunity to bring a motion to recommit. Now. why do I say that thats important? Because we passed legislation in 86 that we thought was going to solve the problem. In some cases it solved the problem. and in some cases it exacerbated the problem. I was concerned at that time that we passed the SAW and RAW provisionsseasonal agricultural workers and replenishment agricultural workersbecause I was afraid that that would be full of fraud. And guess what? It has been. Since that time we have added to the numbers of people who are illegally in the United States. Now. some people dont want to talk about that as if it has no importance. We have. as a principle in our law. the concept of a worldwide quota. What does that mean? That means everyone should have an equal opportunity to come to the United States. whether youre the poorest child in Africa. whether youre in the Philippines. whether youre in Asia. And when you have rampant illegal immigration. particularly from this hemisphere. you are in essence discriminating against those equally poor. some even in worse poor situations around the world for their chance to come here to the United States. Thats why when you deal with an issue like this. you have to look at the whole picture. and we are denied the opportunity to look at the whole picture here. There are those that say. well. we are here to assist only those children who. by no fault of their own. came to the United States. those up to the age of 16 who came here in one fashion or another. If that be true. why not allow an amendment which would say that those who benefit from this will not have the opportunity to bring those who may have brought them here illegally-
Date: 2010-12-08
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Why not say they will not have the right to bring those who did break the law into the United States? But right now. under this bill. if you qualify under this bill. you have the right to begin chain migration. You have the right to bring your parents in. your adult siblings in. others in. At least give us the chance to have the opportunity for amendment. Thats all Im saying. We know that this isnt the way to deal with this issue. We know we should have a chance. We had the opportunity for months to bring something to this floor. So all I would say is this is an issue that many of us on this side of the aisle will work with you on. but this is just not the night and this is not the way to do it.
Date: 2010-12-14
Speaker: SAM BROWNBACK (republican)
Chamber: H

on September 22. 2010. The Senate passed the resolution by unanimous consent on September 29. 2010. Notably. an identical measure. House Concurrent Resolution 320. was introduced by the gentleman from Texas. Representative JOE BARTON. on September 28. 2010. and was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Suggested by the then president of the Carnegie Corporation. President Lyndon Johnson established the Presidents Commission on White House Fellowships on October 3. 1964. President Johnson stated that the programs mission was to give highly promising young citizens "firsthand. highlevel experience with the workings of the Federal Government and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs." The nonpartisan program selects between 11 and 19 outstanding applicants per year to take a fulltime. paid fellowship position working with senior White House staff. Cabinet Secretaries and other top government officials. This type of participation at the highest levels of our governments leadership develops experience vital to a continued career serving the public. The hundreds of former White House Fellows have gone on to serve the public in many critical roles. They have been appointed judges. U.S. Attorneys. ambassadors. and Cabinet officers. They have been elected to local. State. and national office. including here in the House of Representatives and in the Senate. Mr. Speaker. let us now recognize the legacy of leadership that the White House Fellows Program has provided to our country for the last 45 years through the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 72. recognizing the program on its 45th anniversary. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-12-14
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me add my words to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia. This bill would direct the GSA to transfer property in Houston to the Military Museum. as the gentlewoman just said. I want to thank the gentlewoman from Texas. SHEILA JACKSON LEE. for bringing up this bill. This would. as well as what the chairwoman just talked about. also solve an issue that is really an unfortunate symptom of poor management of real Federal property. In 2004. the museum leased this property. as we just heard. in good faith from the State of Texas. which had used the property since 1972. and the State had actually even made improvements on it. Now. at the time GSA didnt even know that it owned this property. So it was only after due diligence from the folks at the museum when they started researching the property and the tax records. that is when it was discovered that GSA actually owned or. let me say. likely owned the property. GSA didnt even have a record of its ownership interest. but subsequently confirmed its interest in the property. Now. the chairwoman and Ranking Member JOHN MICA of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and I have been working to cut wasteful management of Federal real estate property and to save taxpayers money. Unfortunately. this is yet another example. Mr. Speaker. of the type of poor management that has plagued Federal real property. This case raises serious questions as to whether Federal agencies frankly even have accurate data about which properties they even own. the taxpayer even owns. let alone how to manage those properties. But now we are where we are. That is why I thank the gentlewoman from Texas. The Military Museum of Texas. which is a nonprofit organization founded in 1992 by military veterans. operates with a voluntary staff and displays military vehicles. as we have heard. and they draw a significant amount of visitors each year. So the GSA. after finally realizing that they did own the property. that the taxpayers own the property. has determined that there is no Federal use for this property. So this bill would provide an opportunity. I think a very good opportunity. for the Military Museum of Texas to continue using the property as a museum. and it will ensure that the taxpayers will be compensated appropriately. I am pleased to be a cosponsor with the gentlewoman from Texas. I want to thank her again for her leadership on this issue. I clearly support the bill. I just wanted to make sure that everybody understood the issue that we are dealing with here at the Federal level. When you have an agency that doesnt even know that it owns a piece of property. it tells you that we have issues up here that we need to deal with. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-12-14
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. let me once again thank the gentlelady from Texas for bringing up this bill. As I mentioned before. not only is it going to help solve a problem where you have a Federal agency that didnt even know it had a piece of property that it owned. but as she eloquently stated. it is solving that problem and replacing it with a very meritorious thing. which is a museum for our fighting men and women who have kept us free for over 200 years. She very generously mentioned lots of names that she thanked. but I would be remiss if I didnt thank the gentlewoman from Texas for her leadership on this issue. It may have been a frustrating issue at times. but she has brought it to the finish line here in the House. Also. I want to thank the chairwoman of the subcommittee I have had the privilege of being the ranking member of for 2 years. first for working so closely with me and for. once again. bringing this bill. and also just for being a great partner for the last 2 years. working together on a number of issues. always with great generosity and a spirit of cooperation with me. And that is something I will never forget. This may or may not be the last time I am on the floor as a member of this committee because I am moving on to the Appropriations Committee. but I wanted to thank the chairwoman for her many courtesies to me. I have really enjoyed. and it has been a privilege. working with you. Madam Chairwoman. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-12-14
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. tonight. I rise to honor my good friend from Minnesota. Chairman JIM OBERSTAR. Over the years we have developed a strong friendship as we have worked together on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Chairman OBERSTAR leaves the House of Representatives as a legend in his own right. He has helped create decades of transportation policy which not only leaves behind a legacy here in the Capitol. but also around the Nation. Chairman OBERSTAR is a great man that will continue to influence transportation policy in the future through his knowledge of the past. His presence on the Committee will truly be missed. but his influence will continue on through the decades. Over the years. Chairman OBERSTAR has demonstrated his pragmatic approach to policy. He has always been willing to listen to both sides of an argument before carefully proceeding forward with a position. I. along with others. always knew where Chairman OBERSTAR stood on an issue and he was always willing to take the time to respectfully explain the reasoning behind his position. I have always admired his ability to find common ground and subsequently move forward in the name of sound policy. While I will miss my good friend from Minnesota. he will continue to be a leader in the world of transportation and water policy. My friend. I wish you the best as you embark on this next adventure in your life.
Date: 2010-12-15
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. with regard to this point of process. which I think is important. I think it is appropriate to point out the facts. The majority is bringing this legislation to the floor by using another bill as a shell. The other bill is the Small Business Innovation Research Reauthorization bill. which has extraordinary bipartisan support. So the rule before us now strikes that legislation. which is job growth legislationagain. supported overwhelmingly in a bipartisan fashion in this House. It strikes that. and it inserts into that shell this legislation. the repeal of Dont Ask. Dont Tell. The Dont Ask. Dont Tell legislation is not germane to the underlying legislation. so it is anything but regular order. The House Armed Services Committee has absolutely no jurisdiction over that Small Business bill which the majority is using as a shell to move this legislation out of regular order in order to prohibit transparency. even a motion to recommit. The majority has demonstrated time and time again its willingness to eliminate transparency. to void regular order and to take steps totally out of regular order as it is doing again today. So I think this is important to put on the record because this legislation. which by the way is important. as I said before. I think deserves to be treated with respect. consideration. and the membership of this House I think deserves to be listened to. to be heard on legislation. especially legislation which evidently is important. like the one we are discussing today. I wanted to put that on the record. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-12-15
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Madam Speaker. in closing. I thank my friend from Maine for her courtesy and all who have come to the floor to debate this rule. and I reiterate. I think its an important piece of legislation. Im sorry that it was brought forth in an unnecessarily closed manner. I think the legislation deserves more respect. and I think especially the membership of this House deserves more respect. I have. again. gratitude for all of my colleagues. and I thank them for having participated in this debate. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-12-15
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that I may redact a statement from my remarks in debate made earlier today that I believe might reflect a misapprehension of fact.
Date: 2010-12-15
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of House Resolution 1757. As mentioned by the gentleman from American Samoa. it provides for the approval of final regulations issued by the Office of Compliance to implement the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act of 1998 and apply that act to the House of Representatives and employees of the House. In 1998. Congress passed the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act. and that gave veterans improved access to Federal job opportunities. It also established a redress system for preferenceeligible veterans in the event that their preference rights were violated. These new regulations finally fulfill that law and ensure that the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 applies fully. not just to the executive branch and other Federal employees. but also to the legislative branch and our employees as well. I support this bill. I thank my colleague Mr. BRADY for his authorship of this resolution. Getting to this point has been a long process. I appreciate his support and the efforts of his staff. I urge my colleagues to support our veterans by passing House Resolution I yield back the balance of my time.