macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1989-09-29
Speaker: LAWRENCE J. SISKIND (democrat)
Chamber: S

Special Counsel. Office of the Special Counsel. U.S. Department of Justice. Washinglon. DC Dear MEssRs. NELSON AND SISKINn: The purpose of this letter is to urge the Government both to expand its education and enforcement efforts with respect to IRCAs discrimination prohibitions and to focus those efforts where recent studies show that education Is most needed. It is a critical first step in this regard that potential job applicants understand their rights and obligations. We therefore continue to believe that a presence by the Of fce of Special Counsel around the country it. essential to that end. (In saying this. we do not mean to Imply that new and separate offices must be established in every instance or to preclude taking advantage of current Justice Department and INS facilities.) We would be pleased to work with you and your staff preople in designing the least expensive ways of achieving this end. Equally to the point the Government has an urgent obligation to begin a major education effort targeted at those parts of the employer community where the evidence suggests it Is most needed. This means both geographical targeting and a focus upon smaller employers. This is not the occasion to detail our thoughts on how such a program might operate. suffice it to say that. again.we are willing and anxious to work you and your staff people.
Date: 1989-10-02
Speaker: BAL ENGER (democrat)
Chamber: H

If the gentleman will continue to yield. one more thing I would like to add. and the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] mentioned it earlier. about the fact that the television stations are owned and operated by the government there. and that at the convention where the Sandinistas nominated Daniel Ortega. they had 12 hours of continuous coverage on television in that country. The UNO operation is allowed 20 minutes a week. That shows the difficulty they are facing in the future. I would like to say I hope all Members will get together and somehow support this whole situation.
Date: 1989-10-11
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I hope that many of the Members saw Ted Kopples ABC "Nightline" last night. It was thL first balanced report on what Hugo has done in the Caribbean that we have seen on U.S. television. and it is the first compassionate one. I would like to share with the Members an article that appeared on the oped pages of the New York Times of October 6. 1989. written by Michael D. DeLorenzo. who has lived in the Virgin Islands off and on for 17 years and is a mainland financier. This is what he wrote: Hugo. the fiercest hurricane in the history of the Caribbean. struck St. Croix on Sept. 17. I flew into St. Croix six days later to check on the safety of my many friends and the condition of my home. The devastation was unbelievable. More than 95 percent of the homes sustained serious damage. Sixty percent are totally destroyed. leaving 40.000 people homeless. To attempt to put the lo(.ting and other stories about St. Croix into proper perspective. try to imagine the total devzriation of Long Island. Sixty percent of the population is homeless. All businesses are destroyed or closed. No jobs. No money. Checks and credit cards are of no value. The banks are closed. No electricity and no estimate of how many months until it is restored. No telephone service. The only communication with the rest of the country is by shortwave radios. No running water. No toilet facilities. No schools. No garbage disposal. No hospitals. Scarcely a leaf or flower on the island. This is what has happened and is going on now in St. Croix. Do the media report this devastation. mass tragedy and suffering of the 65.000 good people? No. They report on the looting and violence caused by a relative few. They depict St. Croix as a fearful and dangerous place full of roving bands of criminals. This could not be further from the truth. Yes. there was looting. just as there was looting in New York City during the blackout of 1965 and looting in Charleston. S.C.. after Hugo hit. I am fairly sure that there would be looting on Long Island if the St. Croix scenario came true. I hope that the 65.000 good people on St. Croix Will receive the disaster aid and compassion for their suffering that they deserve.
Date: 1989-10-17
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it is now more than 1 month since Hurricane Hugo hit my home. the Virgin Islands. and particularly devastated t.ae island of St. Croix. Now that the mainland press has moved on from its sensational reporting. I Just wanted to share with the Members a little bit about where the people of St. Croix are one month afterwards. despite Herculean efforts by FEMA and by the Department of Defense and depite the full support of our President and a number of his Cabinet officers. Nevertheless. as night falls. let me tell the Members that on St. Croix only 12 percent of electric power has been restored despite incredible efforts. That means that 83 percent of the people on St. Croix have no power. On St. Croix only 15 percent of the people have telephones. But worse than that. as night fails on St. Croix. despite the best efforts. 2.000 people have no homes. Their homes were totally destroyed. Right now 2.717 have no roofs on their homes. They have no temporary roofs. There is a program to put plastic roofE. on the roofs to give them some kind of shelter. but so far only 283 have that plastic roof. and that is what they are living with in this U.S. territory. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank all my colleagues for their offers of assistance.
Date: 1989-10-18
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I want to extend my heartfelt sympathies and the sympathies of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands to the people of the San Francisco Bay Area and northern California. who were struck by a major earthquake last night. We in the Virgin Islands. of course. are going through our own disaster caused by Hurricane Hugo. So we know first hand the sense of loss and fear that strikes when nature shows her power to take human life and to sweep aside the electrical power. phone and communication systems that bind our communities together. The people of the Virgin Islands extend their sympathies and encouragement as the people of northern California mourn their losses and gather strength to rebuild. I want to extend our concern to all my colleagues. the Members of Congress from northern California. who are doing their utmost to help their communities affected by the earthquake. This includes our special concern for the work of Representatives
Date: 1989-10-23
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. after the television has passed over the disasters of Hugo and even the disaster of California. the recovery still goes on. and also the anguish. On St. Croix. the U.S. Virgin Islands. 85 percent of the people are still without electrical power. Our friends from Alabama. Georgia. and Florida have come to help us rebuild our entire power system. Our friends from Guam. our sister territory halfway around the world. also have come to help. Gov. Joe Ada made a beautiful gesture by sending 17 of Guams linesmen. who have valuable experience in working with power distribution systems during disasters caused by typhoons. This is dangerous work. And tragedy occurred this past Thursday at 5 p.m. when a young Guamanian. Pedro "Pete" Cepeda. just 23 years old. fell to his death. He was cut down in the prime of his life as he worked with the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to restore power to Hugodevasted St. Croix. I would like to include the full text of this excellent editorial in the Virgin Islands Daily News. entitled "Mourning a Loss." which pays tribute to Pete Cepeda. On behalf of the Virgin Islands. I would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy and gratitude to the family and friends of Pete Cepeda. as well as to all the people of Guam. who extended their help in this time of disaster. [From the (VI) Daily News. Oct. 23. 1989]
Date: 1989-10-23
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed from the list of cosponsors of House Joint Resolution 350. It was put there by mistake.
Date: 1989-10-31
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to praise two outstanding professionals who have served this House so loyally and so effectively for so many years. Richard J. Sullivan. the chief counsel of the Public Works Committee for 33 years. and Dorothy A. Beam. his trusted lieutenant and right hand who has served 31 years with the committee and who has a total of 48 years with the House of Representatives. Dick literally helped to invent the Interstate System. His contributions to the development of the Infrastructure of the United States are legendary. and I personally will always be grateful to him for all his assistance with the insular areas. The foresighted pieces of legislation that swept out of the Public Works Committee and literally transformed our great country owed much to Dicks vision and dedication and to the unfailing support of his ally. Dotty. To Dick and Dotty. I salute you and say to you both. in the words of the old Irish prayer: May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. the rains fall soft upon your fields. and until we meet again. may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Date: 1989-11-02
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I wish to express my ifratltude to the distinguished Chairman of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries for his cooperation with the Committee on Energy and Commerce in accommodating our concerns with several provisions of H.R. 1465 which affected matters within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Briefly. I would like to identify these changes to the Oil Pollution Act of The preemption language of section 1018 as originally reported would have seriously impaired the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA] and the States ability to carry out and enforce the underground storage tank program established by the Solid Waste Disposal Act. This program authorizes EPA and the states to require corrective action with respect to releases of petroleum from underground storage tanks. Section 1018 now addresses this problem by excuding the Solid Waste Disposal Act from actions preempted. The amendment to be offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts also addresses this problem and we are grateful to him for his cooperation. Under the Federal removal authority of title IV. when the President retains or directs a cleanup contractor to engage in the removal of a discharge of oil. such petron is only liable for gross negligence or willful misconduct. Originally this provision was broader and covered hazardous substances as well as oil. In doing so. it conflicted with the contractor liability standard established by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986. Under that act. which relates to releases of hazardous substances. a negligence standard was provided for cleanup contractors. H.R. 1465 has addressed this conflict by limiting the liability exclusion in section 4201 only to removal of discharges of oil. Further. the prohibitions imposed In section 4202(4)(c) relating to vessel or facilty contingency plans are restricted to the handling. storing. or transporting of oil and do not cover hazardous substances. We also appreciate the committees willingness to add section 4303 to ensure that the provisions of title IV do not affect or modify the obligations or liabilities of any person under other Federal or State law. including common law. with respect to the discharge or release of hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants as those terms are defined by the Comprehensive Environmental Response. Compensation. and Liability Act. The Committee on Energy and Commerce has Jurisdiction over response or removal actions pertaining to hazardous substances pursuant to its jurisdiction over the Comprehensive Environmental Response. Compensation. and Liability Act.
Date: 1989-11-09
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentleman yielding. Mr. Speaker. this Is a bill that was passed by the Senate that has two or three items related to basically technical corrections on agricultural programs. We have added on the House side several technical corrections. also including one that would extend the disaster legislation that we passed to include earthquake. for California. I might add for my colleagues that the total of the bill. with one of the items that we have in there. will allow us a saving of $420 million. If there is any cost. it would be less than 6. I would appreciate my colleagues supporting the motion. and I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Date: 1989-11-09
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

(during the readIng). Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as read and printed in the RECORD.
Date: 1989-11-09
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and Include therein extraneous material on the Senate bill Just passed.
Date: 1989-11-13
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to provide for the establishment of the National Commission on Natural Resources Disasters. to provide for increased planning and cooperation with local firefighting forces in the event of forest fires. and for other purposes. as amended.
Date: 1989-11-13
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass tie bill . to amend the Disaster Assistance Act of 1989 to provide assistance to agricultural producers suffering from earthquakes. as amended.
Date: 1989-11-13
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 3589. to amend the Disaster Assistance Act of 1989 to provide assistance to agricultural producers suffering from earthquakes. H.R. 3589 is intended to provide emergency assistance to agricultural producers and related businesses that were impacted by the Loma Prieta earthquake on October 17. 1989. The bill would extend the same benefits to victims of the earthquake as were provided farmers and agricultural businesses that were affected by drought and damaging weather earlier this year. H.R. 3589 would amend the Disaster Assistance Act of 1989 to redefine damaging weather to include earthquakes. In this way. producers of program and nonprogram crops who suffered production losses in excess of specific thresholds would receive payments to cover a portion of their losses. Benefits would also extend to orchardists who lost trees due to the earthquake and to tree farmers. in the form of reimbursement for the cost of replanting tree seedlings lost due to the earthquake. H.R. 3589 would also clarify that the definition of "nonprogram crops" for the purpose of qualifying for benefits under this bill. includes ."ornamentals affected by earthquake." Growers of roses and cut flowers. especially those produced in greenhouses. suffered considerable damage due to the earthquake and would thus qualify for dis aster benefits under H.R. 3589. In addition. to help farmers and related businesses rebuild. those who suffered damage due to the earthquake would qualify for loans under the business and industry loan program administered by the Farmers Home Administration. H.R. 35.15 would provide an additional $100 million in loan guarantees to support this program which would support loans for cleanup and salvage operations. repair of equipment and buildings. damage to inventory. and losses resulting from business interruptions that were associated with the earthquake. Mr. Speaker. Ht.R. 3589 can provide needed assistance to agricultural producers and related businesses that suffered damage and losses due to the earthquake. This assistance is timely and important to help rebuild a critical part of American agriculture. I urge our colleagues to support passage of H.R. 3589.
Date: 1989-11-13
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to our distinguished colleague. the author of the legislation. the gentleman from California .
Date: 1989-11-13
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to authorize the distribution of wholesome meat ior human consumption that has been condemned under that act to charity and public agencies. as amended.
Date: 1989-11-13
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 2134. as amended. a bill to authorize the distribution of wholesome meat and poultry products for human consumption that has otherwise been condemned. to charitable private organization and public agencies for feeding the hungry. For far too many years. this Congress has fought to keep up with the needs of the hungry in America. Yet. despite our efforts. many Americans continue go to bed hungry every night. The problem of hunger in America has been exacerbated by the growth in recent years of the number of Americans whose incomes place them below the poverty level. Nearly 33 million Americans lives in poverty in 1987. Including one out of every four children. H.R. 2134. as amended. is intended to provide one more tool to aid those who seek to stem the increasing tide of hunger in America. This bill would permit the courts to donate certain meat and poultry products which are confiscated by the Government to private. charitable organizations and Government entitles for the purpose of distribution to the hungry. In accordance with the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Insepetion Act. meat and poultry products that are mislablelled or otherwise not in compliance with those acts must be confiscated and condemned by USDA Inspectors. Should the owner of the product challenge the seizure in the courts and lose or agree to settle such matters in a manner which leaves the meat or poultry products In the Governments possession. the court is responsible for its disposal. Currently. the court has only two options for disposing of this product. It can either destroy It or. in cases in which the product is wholesome. it can sell It. H.R. 2134. as amended . would provide the courts with a third option for disposing of wholesome. confiscated meat and poultry products by permitting the courts to donate them for feeding the hungry. In order to do so. the product must be deemed wholesome for human consumption by USDA inspectors and must be clearly marked "not for sale." In those instances In which the court chooses to donate this product to private. nonprofit charitable organizations or Federal. State. or local entities engaged in the distribution of food to the hungry. H.R. 2134. as amended. would also protect the United States and the person from whom the prod. uct was seized and condemned from legal responsibility for the product if it is wholesome and properly marked. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 2134. as amended. provides one more means of aiding the poor and the hungry. It offers a commonsense approach for using meat and poultry products that are fit for human consumption. but. due to mislabelling or other violation of law. must be condemned and disposed of by the Government. I complement the gentleman from Florida for introducing this legislation and urge our colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 2134. as amended.
Date: 1989-11-13
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the author of this legislation. the gentleman from Florida .
Date: 1989-11-13
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the three bills previously approved. H.R. 1011. H.R. 3589 and H.R.
Date: 1989-11-14
Speaker: DR LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to provide disaster assistance to private timber producers for the reestablishment of timber stands necessitated by Hurricane Hugo. as amended.
Date: 1989-11-14
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri . a distinguished chairman of the subcommittee.
Date: 1989-11-14
Speaker: DE L GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina . the author of the legislation we are considering.
Date: 1989-11-14
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 3620 makes a technical correction to the law regarding the limitation on payments under the Federal farm programs. The purpose of Ht.R. 3620 is to protect Innocent landlords from being penalized for the acts or omissions of their tenants. The effect of the Deparmtent of Agricultures current intcrpretation of the law is to combine. for payment limitation purposes. a landlord with his or her tenant If the tenant is held to be out of compliance with the payment limitation regulations. This would punish the landlord for the acts or omissions of the tenant. The current application of the law could work a special hardship on Indian tribes who participate in Federal farm programs. If a tenant who rents land from an Indian tribe is found to be out of compliance with the payment limitation regulations. the tenant would be combined with the tribal venture as one person. and the tribal venture could lose its payment limitation exemption and be restricted to only one $50.000 payment. This could be harmful to Indian tribes who depend on income from the tribal larm to fund the tribal government and enhance the tribal economy.
Date: 1989-11-15
Speaker: RATORY BIRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

CONSERVATION FUND. "Notwithstanding any other provision of law. only those personnel and administrative costs directly related to acquisition of real property shall be levied against the Migratory Bird Conservation Account.