macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-12-19
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

I thank my distinguished ranking member. In 2007. there have been 61 toy recalls. which translates to about 25 million toys. This number is up significantly from the 40 recalls of 5 million toys we had last year. And this is what we caught. This bill will help protect consumers. The real culprits remain. however. the trading partners who refuse to abide by international standards. countries like China and others who have lax oversight. who happen to be the leading countries that are involved with these appalling rates. Thats why this bill is so important. because it is up to us to set sound and safe standards and enforce them. In addition. I am pleased the committee will be looking at further research to look at the issue of pet toys. pet toys that may themselves have lead and other toxic metals that are unregulated. Not only is this a concern in exposure for the family pet. but also because many of these toys themselves are inviting to children. Young children themselves may pick them up. put them in their -mouth. and get these toxic substances on their hands. As people do their shopping this holiday season. perhaps what we should be doing as a Nation. before this bill is signed by the President and goes into effect. instead of judging products by cheap prices. we should all be looking for quality and safety that comes from buying American products. With that. I thank the committee.
Date: 2007-12-19
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. on rolicall No. 1185. I. inserted my card to vote but did not check it. Apparently it did not register my vote. Had my card worked. I would have voted "yea."
Date: 2007-12-19
Speaker: TRENT LOTT (republican)
Chamber: S

leaves behind a legacy in the U.S. Senate. the fruits of which we will reap for. years to come. In 1996. TRENT joined with colleagues to enact an historic welfare reform bill. He pushed for reform again when he supported President Bushs tax cut package early on in the administration. TRENT has never been afraid to step forward in faith toward what he knows is right. A champion for a strong national defense. TRENT supported the Presidents military action in Iraq as well as increased defense spending. As a defender himself. TRENT understands the importance of a strong military and the value of rewarding those who valiantly serve this country. In 1998. he urged Congress to raise the pay for our military men and women. an act that hadnt occurred in a decade. As the first man to serve as the whip in both the House and the Senate. TRENT could not have accomplished any of the aforementioned achievements and many others without his innate ability to lead. Leadership is not easy. The weight of good leadership is often a difficult load to bear. but TRENT LOTT upheld his roles as senator. majority leader and whip with an admirable level of dignity and integrity throughout his tenure. As a new Senator. I have been touched by TRENTS candor. patience. unique charm. and by observing the tremendous relationship he has with his wife Tricia. Professionally. I have benefited greatly from his knowledge and experience about how to effectively make a difference in the U.S. Senate. He is a gifted negotiator. and his strong leadership will be greatly missed. For more than three decades. Senator LOTT has been a great public servant to the people of Mississippi in Congress. I extend my best wishes to TRENT and Tricia as they begin the next phase of their lives together.
Date: 2008-01-17
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Madam Speaker. congratulations to Coach Ray Reitz and the Jeannette Jayhawks football team. who are the Class AA football champions. beating every team they played this year by more than 20 points. Senior quarterback Terrell Pryor. who is also USA Todays Offensive Player of the Year. scored five of the seven touchdowns in their 4921 win. He is the first player in State history to eclipse both 4.000 yards rushing and 4.000 yards passing. But Jeannette is champions in the classroom as well. with McKee Elementary being a Blue Ribbon school. and all their schools receiving the Keystone Achievement Recognition this year. and the school district getting the bronze medal. Great accomplishment for a small school district. Congrats to the Jayhawks for excellence in the classroom and on the field.
Date: 2008-01-17
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. on Thursday. January 17. 2008. I was unavoidably detained and thus I missed rollcall votes No. 12 through 13. Had I been present. I would have voted in the following manner: On rollcall vote No. 12. the Waters Amendment to H.R. 3524. the HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2007. I would have voted "aye." On rollcall vote No. 13. the Neugebauer Amendment to H.R. 3524. the HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2007. I would have voted "aye."
Date: 2008-01-22
Speaker: DAVID DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. FRANKS. thank. youfor your leadership on this very important issue. To many of us across this great land of America. life is an emotional issue. To many of us. it is a Biblical issue. The Bible actually tells us that we are knit together in our mothers womb. Lets go back and just think about a day that we lost a lot of Americans. Lets go back to September l1th. 2001. If you are listening across this great land. just think back how you felt on September llth when you learned that 3.000 Americans had been killed. Do you remember where you were? Do you remember how you felt? It was 3.000 Americans killed that day. I know exactly where I was and I know how I felt. Now. where were you on September 12th. September the 13th. September the 14th. September the 15th? Those days. almost 4.000 Americans were killed. and every day subsequent. We are losing Americans to the tune of almost 4.O00.Americans a day. Ronald Reagan once said "abortion is only advocated. by persons who have themselves been born." His prolife position was not limited to the beginning of life issues. but extended all the way to natural death. It is clear that Reagan would have stood against proassisted suicide and euthanasia laws. In 1988. he declared "The right to life belongs. equally. to babies in the womb. babies born handicapped and the elderly and the infirm." In the years since our Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade and declared abortion a constitutional right. the assault Mother Theresa rightly called the "war against the child" has claimed nearly 50 million Americans. 1.2 million every year. and. yes. almost 4.000 babies every day. Prolife policies such as parental consent and waiting periods enjoy tremendous public support. 82 percent and 74 percent respectively. Washington. this Congress. should deny hundreds of millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood and abortion centers that promote and perform abortions here and abroad. The unborn child has the right to life. and that right should not be taken away. Roe v. Wade was poorly conceived and morally wrong. This decision should be overturned. Life begins at conception. An unborn baby should share the birthright of all Americans. the right to life. liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I yield back to the gentleman.
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Madam Speaker. while Congress and the President are talking about an economic stimulus package. remember that the high costs of energy are costing us our economy. Oil and gas prices continue to climb. Our President asked Saudi leaders to produce more oil to bring prices down. Well. something is wrong here. OPEC controls the price. OPEC funds the process. and we end up funding both sides of the war on terror. The trade imbalance grew in November to record levels. primarily from the high cost of imported oil. But Congress votes to block drilling for U.S. oil on the Atlantic Coast. the Gulf Coast. the Pacific Coast. the Western States and Alaska. Something is wrong here. We have hundreds of years of American coal to make electricity. We should fund research to clean up the coal. not ignore it. In the meantime. energy costs go up. food costs go up. manufacturing jobs go down. the economy goes down. Something is wrong here. If we are serious .about helping the economy. lets bring down the cost of energy. The best economic stimulus package is a job.
Date: 2008-01-23
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker. I rise today to speak as one of the original members of the group of Republican House Members who tried very hard to come up with a bipartisan compromise to extend health care insurance to more low- and moderateincome children. Our group met many times with Democrat leaders in both the House and. the Senate with the basic goal to give health insurance to more low- and moderateincome children. without breaking the bank and also without giving coverage to illegal immigrants or childless adults. I agree with many of the speakers today here that SCHIP should be extended for more lowincome children who dont have health insurance. But the measure before us today does not target taxpayer funds to those lowincome children. Instead. it sends billions to illegal immigrants. childless adults. and spends too much on middleand upperincome families. not the lowincome children originally intended. When we stand here and we try to override the Presidents veto of bill when we all know that the SCHIP program has been continued. its no wonder that the American public has such disregard for Congress.
Date: 2008-02-06
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. you all know the Marine CorpsHymn. It starts. "From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli. we fight our countrys battles in the air. on land. and sea."
Date: 2008-02-06
Speaker: BONO MACK (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. this weekend millions of Americans will view the Grammy Awards Gala and I rise today to recognize a most important milestone for the organization responsible for this program. I would first like to take this opportunity to thank the Majority Leader and his staff for working together with my office on this concurrent resolution. Additionally. I would like to thank him for his steadfast commitment to the Recording Arts and Sciences Caucus of which we both serve as cochairs. Today I am joined by over 60 of my colleagueson both sides of the aisleas I put forth this concurrent resolution which recognizes the contributions the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has made to our country over the last half century. It is indeed an honor to celebrate this anniversary as we acknowledge that is has been 50 years since the Recording Academy was formed. Throughout that time the Recording Academy has expanded its mission beyond a peer music award to include professional development. cultural enrichment. advocacy. education. and human services programs. These programs are helping develop and nurture the music industry and most importantly the musicians who make up that industry. The impact this has had on music and the arts in the United States cannot be overstated. At its core. the Recording Academys support for the individual recording professional has been and is essential to the creative life of our Nation. The Recording Academys constant p~sh for the advancement of the rights of musicians. songwriters. singers. producers. and other recording professionals is essential to the future health and sustainability of the music community. Thankfully. the Recording Academy is there everyday. championing these worthy Causes and educating all of us about their importance. As such. I am proud to have authored House Concurrent Resolution 273 which recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Thank you. Mr. Speaker. and I ask for the support of Members from both sides of the aisle for H. Con. Res. 273. legislation Im proud to have authored.
Date: 2008-02-06
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Madam Speaker. I appreciate the compassion and passion of my friend from Rhode Island who has been such a leader in mental health parity. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey . another great leader whose heart goes out to those in need of mental healthissues.
Date: 2008-02-06
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. many important things have been said by several Members. and passionately. on this bill. What we also have to remember. as we wrap this up. is somewhere in America there are people who are suffering in silence. there are children who are facing abuse. angry spouses who are attacking one another. anxious -mothers struggling to care for their children. and. of course. throughout the workplace. as has been so carefully documented here. so many problems. It is important that we not only pass this bill strongly but also continue to work together. I commend my colleague. Chairman PALLONE. and the work that he does and to continue the work that he does in leading this. Myself and many Members from our side of the aisle continue to stand ready to make sure we work out any issues with regard to expanding issues of mental health parity. We know that all of us care deeply about those in need and all of us remain committed to helping those in need from our side of the aisle.
Date: 2008-02-07
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Mr. Speaker. on Friday. December 14. 2007. the varsity football team from Thomas Jefferson High School in Jefferson Hills. Pennsylvania. won the Class AAA State football championship in Hershey. clinching the Jaguars second title in 4 years. With a final score of 283. the Jaguars finished a perfect season. Zach Decicco. Thomas Jeffersons quarterback. threw for 137 yards and two scores. ran for 11 yards and a score. and picked off a pass on defense. Coach Bill Cherpak became just the third head coach in western Pennsylvania history to achieve a perfect win record in more than one appearance at the State championship game in Hershey. Thomas Jefferson High School and the West Jefferson Hills School District also excel in academics. ranking in the top 20 of Pennsylvanias 501 school districts. Congratulations to coach Bill Cherpak and the Thomas Jefferson High School Jaguars for being champions on the field and champions in the classroom.
Date: 2008-02-07
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

I thank the gentleman for yielding. And I would also like to thank Chairman MILLER and Ranking Member McKEON for assistance in putting a very important part into this bill. Universities have no trouble finding parents when it comes time to ask for the tuition check. And. sadly. schools can find parents when tragedies occur. such as Virginia Tech. when it comes time to call a parent to give them bad news on what happened to their student. But one of the greatest fears parents have is their students safety while they are at the university or college. And a while ago. when a gunman killed 32 people and wounded others. it was just one of the tragedies that occurs on campus. There are many other stories as well. In my district in Pennsylvania. Charles and Debi Mahoney lost their son. Chuck. to suicide. And as he suff6red from depression. his fraternity brothers. his exgirlfriend. and college therapist. et cetera. all knew he was in danger and warned the college. But a legal barrier under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. known as FERPA. prevented the school from notifying Chucks parents. who could have gotten him the help he needed. Unfortunately. Chucks story is not unusual. Each day an average of three college students commit suicide. While in college. 11 percent of men and 9 percent of women consider suicide. While they may. not all act on their thoughts. we need to ensure schools are able to contact parents to get them the help they need not only for the safety of the child but also of others on campus. Parents may be in the best position to help students suffering from significant mental illness by providing emotional support. medical history. coordinating care with various mental health and medical professionals. and longterm followup. Parents will be around long after the school is gone. Today we are breaking down the legal barrier preventing schools from communicating with parents. Section 865 of the bill before us today is modeled after the Mental Health Security for Americas Families in Education Act. H.R. 2220. which I duthored. It will prevent future campus tragedies by reqdiring the Secretary of Education to clarify FERPA so schools can contact parents when a student is at risk of suicide. homicide. or physical assault. It will also protect schools acting in good faith from liability. This is a good bill that will make college campuses safer. It will give families peace of mind.
Date: 2008-02-12
Speaker: DAVID DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is with great sorrow and profound gratitude that I rise to support this resolution to honor the life and service of senior Border Patrol guard Luis Aguilar. who was tragically killed in the line of duty on January 19. 2008. He died after being struck by a vehicle driven by a suspected smuggler in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area of California. The work of a Border Patrol agent is inherently dangerous. In the normal course of their work. they run the risk of heat exhaustion. frostbite. and other challenges from the outdoor environment. Of even greater concern is the threat from smugglers and criminals seeking to illegally cross our borders who engage in violence against our Border Patrol agents. As more agents. assets. and infrastructure are placed along the border. criminal activity is prevented from continuing with impunity. The unfortunate result of gaining operational control of our borders is an increase in violence targeted at agents. And We have seen a significant spike in the past several years. with nearly 1.000 assaults on agents last year. ranging from rock throwing to sniper attacks and to murder. Agent Aguilars death serves as a stark reminder of the risk our law enforcement agents face every day as they seek to secure our Nations borders. These despicable criminal acts will only strengthen our resolve to secure our borders with additional agents. fencing. vehicle barriers. and technology. The Border Patrol plays a vital role in protecting America. and the sacrifices of its agents will not be forgotten. I recently conducted an overnight visit on the Southwest border and saw firsthand the challenges and the dangers that these agents face. I returned with the clear resolve to support all the tools. resources. infrastructure. and policies necessary to gain operational control of our borders. I would like to recognize the excellent work of U.S. law enforcement personnel and the Government of Mexico for tracking down and arresting the primary suspect in the murder of Agent Aguilar on January 22. For the sake of the Aguilar family. the Border Patrol and the justice for Agent Aguilar. I ask the Government of Mexicos continued cooperation and support to extradite this individual to the United States for trial. The men and women of the Border Patrol face challenges and threats every day with vigilance. dedication to service. and integrity as they work to strengthen our national security and to protect America and its citizens. I would like to once again extend my condolences to the Aguilar family and sincerely thank Agent Aguilar for his service to our Nation. I would also like to extend my condolences for the recent passing of Agent Aguilars mother. Cecilia. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-02-12
Speaker: DAVID DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Speaker. I yield as much time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from California. my good friend. Mr. ROYCE.
Date: 2008-02-12
Speaker: DAVID DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

I have another speaker. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. I yield 5 minutes to my good friend. Mr. BILBRAY. from California.
Date: 2008-02-12
Speaker: DAVID DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Speaker. as I prepare to close. I wan to again thank the Aguilar family and pass on the American peoples condolences to the Aguilar family. I want to thank his fellow Border Patrol agents who are willing to protect our freedoms each and every day. and I would like to urge my colleagues in support of this resolution this afternoon. With that. I yield back the remainder of my time.
Date: 2008-02-13
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise to oppose this rule. Lets think about what we are talking about. The majority is asking us to extend for 21 days a bill that they dont support. a bill that they overwhelmingly voted against. a bill that they said harmed the American people. a bill that they said somehow doesnt protect civil liberties. Now. why do they .want to extend it for 21 days if it is terrible? Perhaps there is some mischief in the air. Perhaps what they really want to do is to continue to kick this can down the road so that finally in the war of 4ttrition we will give up and say. you know. those people who helped us. those companies referred to by Mr. HOEKSTRA that responded to a request by the United States Government to help us in our time of need. that is immediately after 9/11. we are not going to help them. Remember what the greatest criticism of the 9/11 Commission was of government in all of its aspects. it was that we fail to connect the dots. What does that mean? We failed to put together intelligence information or to gather that intelligence information and put it together in a way that made sense that would give us a forewarning of what was about to take place. And they said it is not good enough to rely on the criminal justice system to gather evidence after the fact to prosecute somebody. No. in a war on terror what you want to do is to prevent the terrorist act in the first place. So what we have here is a difference on that side of the aisle and this side of the aisle in which we believe a Good Samaritan law makes sense. a Good Samaritan law much like what we do to allow people to respond to an accident without having to fear that they will be sued for medical malpractice. And in some circumstances. does that mean that maybe one out of 1.000 times there might be medical malpractice for which you cant be sued? Yes. But we do it because the overall good of the country is enhanced by giving incentives to people to help their neighbor. That is what happened here. We have either an incentive or a disincentive for companies and individuals to respond to their country and act in good faith. That is what is at stake here. whether or not we are going to be safer or whether or not we are going to play these political games to support a bill that you all voted against.