macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 2820. the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act. would continue the highly successfully Be The Match Registry for bone marrow and umbilical cord blood transplantation. This program provides hope to people in need of lifesaving transplants. Each year about 20.000 patients receive blood marrow transplants. Seventy percent of those patients do not find a match within their family and instead rely on the Be The Match Registry to find a nonrelative bone marrow donor. That is why continued Federal support for the Be The Match Registry and its nearly 12.5 million registered bone marrow donors and collection of more than 209.000 cord blood units is so important. I am glad that we have come together on a bipartisan basis in our committee and in the House and the Senate to support this lifesaving program. I want to thank Congresswoman MATSUI for her leadership in this area. I urge my colleagues to vote "yes" to concur with Senate H.R. 2820. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman and really appreciate that. I. certainly. want to thank Chairman ROYCE for his very kind remarks that he gave to me concerning our work. Ladies and gentlemen of the House and ladies and gentlemen of America. we have before us. perhaps. the most singular. significant bill and thing that we can do right now to send a bold. powerful message to the world that we are going to finally begin that really intricate process. with determination. to dismantle one of the single most horrific terrorist groups on this EarthHezbollah. Now. why do I say that? I dont say that just to get up and say a few words. I have spent 12 years on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. and I have served as chairman of the Science. Space. and Technology Committee. For 3 hard years. we did the research. and we wrote the report specifically on getting the real truth out about Irans nuclear weapons program. In the process of doing that. we discovered the intricals. the tunnels and all of the different things that gave support to Hezbollah by Iran. This is why this is so important. Let me just tell you that almost the single. solitary. main purpose for Hezbollah is to destroy Israel. Make no mistake about it. Right now. they have already got hundreds of missiles pointed toward Israel. How can we do something right now to address this? It is with this bill. You always follow the money. and the money trails are so complex. You have corporations. you have dummy companies. you also have individuals and third and fourth parties that our work found out that Iran works through. The language in this bill clearly points to and gives the President of the United States the authority. As a matter of fact. it is almost like a very strong demand and request from us in the Congress. It is the executive branch that has investigative power. The CIA. Special Ops. and the entire military are at its disposal. including the FBI. We are the single most powerful nation in the world. and it is about time we stood up and showed the world that we are no longer going to tolerate Hezbollah and that we are no longer going to tolerate Irans working through these third parties to make the people of Israel suffer and live under the conditions under which they are living. Let me get to the other crux of this matter. It is as I said on CNN. in my commentary. that I was fighting very strongly againstand I talked with the Presidentand fighting as to how weak the position the Iranian agreement has put us in. Sure. they are going to get a nuclear weapon. probably within the next 9 years. That worries us.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

But the real Achilles heel in this Iranian agreement is where we simultaneously lift up the sanctions on their economyand they are thriving nowand also unleash $150 billion right awaycash. At the same time. we know that. with this cash. already both Russia and China have signed agreements to get the most sophisticated weapons there are. This bill will help us because. in section 201. it very clearly states that the President shall identify any country that is helping to finance the terrorism coming out of Hezbollah. We will be able to track this. We are sending a powerful message with this. Once Iran has this cash. there is no boundary as to what they can use it for. I guarantee you. because Hezbollah is an arma very terroristic armof Iran. they will channel money there. and that will help us.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Finally. in my few minutes. ladies and gentlemen. we cant stop there. because Israel. as I said. is a target. and we have got to put forth a new memorandum of understanding. We need to do this. Members of the House. and we need to do it right away. The President and the executive branch need to go to work and start identifying these people who are providing this support. There is another step we have got to go through right away. We support Israel with a memorandum of understanding in the form of military aid. Right now. it is at $3.1 billion annually. but. ladies and gentlemen. given the circumstances. we need to increase that to $5 billion annually. Now. why do I say that? I hope that my previous remarks will give support to that. At no time has Israel needed our help as they need it now. This was. in my humble opinion. a weak Iranian agreement. A lot was made out of it as to the United States and Israel. We need to send a powerful. strong message that there is no light between the United States and Israel and that we are going to send $5 billion.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

The other point is that our current appropriations for Israel end in 2017. I want to repeat that because I dont think the people of America know the aid they will get. Where would Israel be? It could have been blown away if they hadnt had the Iron Dome. but it is because we had an understandinga memorandumand because we are giving them $3.1 billion. With all of this upsurge of terrorism all around the world nowright here in California just last week. in Paris. and all overwe may not think we are going to war. ladies and gentlemen. but war has been declared on the United States. on Israel. and on Europe. By George. it is time we declared war back on them. That is why we need to increase this memorandum of understanding to that $5 billion mark for that year. and that will send a powerful message as to how strong Israel and the United States relationship is.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this measure. Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank Chairman ROYCE. Ranking Member ENGEL. my colleague and friend from California . and my fellow Foreign Affairs Committee colleagues for their unanimous support in helping our first responders answer the call to service when a natural disaster strikes abroad. Every year. Americans bravely go abroad to help victims of natural disasters in foreign lands. such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. the 2008 cyclone in Yemen. and 2015 Hurricane Patricia in Mexico. just to name a few. Earlier this year. the world was shocked by the images of Nepals 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed over 8.600 and injured over 16.800. The United States was one of the largest donors to the relief and rebuilding effort in the wake of this catastrophe through charitable donations. DOD donations. and search and rescue operations and efforts. The United States search and rescue teams searched for survivors trapped in debris. These first responders continuously put their lives on the line at home and abroad. Mr. Speaker. this is an example of American leadership. Their bravery and efforts do not go unnoticed. We should all do what we can to make their endeavors easier. Unfortunately. American contractors and volunteers. despite being coordinated by USAID. are subject to passport fees at their own expense when attempting to travel abroad in response to these disasters. To alleviate this obstacle. H.R. 3750. the First Responders Passport Act. would allow the Secretary of State to grant their passports free of charge. I am proud to have introduced this commonsense bill with the gentleman from California because contractors and volunteers deserve the same treatment as government employees when they are being sent abroad to offer their service on behalf of our Nation. Cultural diplomacy. like the services these brave men and women provide in the face of international disasters. is critical to our international image and international relations. I ask that my colleagues support this bipartisan. commonsense legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. I would just say. briefly. that we are reminded each and every day that American leadership abroad is needed now more than ever. Yes. this has a military component. it has an international relations and diplomacy component. and it also has this soft power component. Mr. Speaker. this is a part of the soft power of the United States. harnessing the idealism and volunteerism of our people to do good for others around the world when they are most in need. This is a rather simple step that we can take to help those who are helping others. I am proud to support it. and I ask that all Members support our legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I have had both the sobering and serious responsibility of serving on the Homeland Security Committee since the heinous acts of 9/11. I rise today to give comfort to and to thank the Los Angeles Consolidated School District for its swift response. I know that the reports of its actions received conflicting commentary. but it had the responsibility for over 600.000 children. I believe. when administrators act seriously. competently. and thoughtfully. they need to know that we appreciate it. We live in very difficult and challenging times. It is a horrific person who sends false threats and who frightens the general public. but it is a wise leader who takes it seriously to protect his constituents. In this instance. the Los Angeles Consolidated School District. its superintendent. and all of those involved in making the decision to protect those children did the right thing. We live in very difficult times. and we here in the United States are continuing to try and define and refine our alert system and to do the kind of intelligence work to provide our local authorities with the right information. but. as a parent. I congratulate them for standing up for the children and making sure that those children and teachers and others were safe. God help us that we will purge out the horrificness and horribleness of terroristic acts.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor the accomplishments and the contributions of Reverend Sam Craig. Jr.. and to offer my condolences to his family. Reverend Craig passed away peacefully on the 29th of November this year. He was 91 years old. and he is survived by his wife. Catherine Caldwell. Reverend Craig was the assistant pastor at First Baptist Church in Santa Ana. where he was a member for over 42 years. Reverend Craig enlisted in the Marines Corps in 1947. and he served with honor for 22 years. He served in World War II. in the Korean war. and in Vietnam. and eventually retired in 1969 as a warrant officer. After retiring from the military. he taught for 17 years in our local Santa Ana Unified School District as both an elementary and a junior high school teacher. Reverend Craig was committed to his church. and he had a passion. He had a passion for teaching Bible study and for leading the Mission Society. Reverend Craigs dedication to education. to community service. and to his faith is highly commendable. The people of Californias 46th Congressional District will miss him.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Absolutely. That is why I am very pleased and proud that the University of California system became the first. and currently the only. university to be a part of Bill Gates breakthrough energy fund. We are taking some great steps in California to mitigate carbon pollution. As you know. California passed the Global Warming Solutions Act last decade. and it is one of the strongest laws in the world. One of the first bills I authored seeks to replicate Californias laws nationwide. It is an important issue for millennials because it is going to directly affect you in the coming decades. It is going to affect our children and grandchildren. So we need to make sure that we mitigate carbon pollution. All of us are busy. We all deal with a thousand issues. but carbon pollution is the one issue that can kill humanity as a species if we dont do anything about it.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. First. I just want to commend the gentleman Mr. SWALWELL for his excellent leadership when it comes to this issue of utmost importance to our generation. but also to all the other issues that face our generation. especially the student loan debt issue that he and I have spoken about a number of times here on this House floor. With respect to climate change. this should not be a partisan issue. Indeed. in Europe. for decades. centreright parties acknowledged and still to this day acknowledge the existence of global climate change and work to address it. Here in the United States. however. it has. unfortunately. become a partisan issue. Yet. what is so interesting is that. when I go about my district in Philadelphia and in suburban Philadelphia and Montgomery County. Pennsylvania. and I speak specifically to smallbusiness owners. smallbusiness owners. by the way. at least half of whom are probably Republican. each and every one of them is talking to me about ways and investments that they are making to ensure that they can get more bang for their buck when it comes to energy and things that they are doing. investments that they are making to ensure that we do better as far as the environment. yet at the same time also reduce costs. I did a tour back in the spring of a major company in my district that has made a massive investment in terms of solar panels on the roofs. This is a major facility. a familyowned business. This is not an insignificant amount of money they have spent in terms of this investment. They would not be doing so if they thought this was a hoax. They would not be doing so if they thought. by transitioning to renewables. they are able to bring down their energy costs and pour more money back into their business. We need to end. especially in this House. this false dichotomy between doing what is right for our economy and doing what is right for our climate and for the next generation. The fact is. if we are smart and show the best of American ingenuity. we can do both.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

When California passed our landmark Global Warming Solutions Act. we had huge investments in green energy actually come into the State. California has now been a leader in green technology in terms of solar. in terms of biofuels and other technologies. If you want to do that. people do come to California. It really has helped to jumpstart parts of our community. I agree with Representative BOYLE. It is a false choice between the economy and climate mitigation. You can do both. I also do want to note that it is not just young people who realize this. You have also now organizations that you traditionally would not call progressive coming on board. saying that carbon pollution is a problem. You have got the Catholic Church saying that we need to address climate change now. You have got the U.S. military. One of the great things about our military is it is exceptional. it is amazing. because it actually deals with facts. The U.S. military takes the world as it is. not as they think it should be or in some fantasyland. When the U.S. military looked at the science and the facts. they said that this is a national security problem. We are having more severe weather events. We are going to have food shortages in other parts of the world causing migrations. causing conflicts. In terms of the U.S. militarys own fuel use. it is very difficult to transport a lot of fuel over long distances. They are actually looking at renewables. at solar. at other renewable sources. Lastly. let me just say. as we stand here today. one of the worlds largest oil companies. ExxonMobil. believes in climate change. They believe it is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. and they support a price on carbon. Now. we wish it didnt take them over three decades to come to this position. but that is their position today. Since they dont say it very loudly. I am going to say it very loudly. ExxonMobil believes in climate change. For those who dont. you may want to think what does that oil company know that you dont.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Well. the first thing is the fact that 194. 195 nations or so from all around the world could come together and agree on one document as ambitious as this one is is truly inspiring not just on the issue of climate change. but. indeed. as we look at all the other immense challenges that we face as a human race. I think that it is great specifically for this issue. but it also shows what we can do together if our hearts are in the right place and we are dedicated toward saving this planet. I also just want to follow up on something that Mr. LIEU said. which is a great point in terms of talking about the broader coalition of people who want action on this incredibly important issue. I would add one more to his extensive list. and that is the insurance companies. Insurance companies. especially on the East Coast. especially in south Florida and the entire Florida peninsula. have a great deal of exposure at stake. They understand that right nownot 20 years from now. not 100 years from nowas we speak. there are parts of Florida. there are parts of Virginia Beach. that are flooding when it is not even raining. These are real consequences that we have to deal with. For those of us in the Philadelphia area. in New York. New Jersey. I never imagined we would be riding out a hurricane and having to deal with the aftereffects3 years later still dealing with those aftereffects. by the wayand the price tag for that for insurance companies was absolutely enormous. One thing that we all need to considerand this is a really shocking statistic. but sadly truelast month. November of 2015. was the warmest month in recorded history. Those records have gone back since 1880. We know that this is not a 1month phenomenon. that indeed it is just a continuation of the trend that we have been dealing with. I would really urge those who want to make this a partisan issue and part of the usual food fight that too often goes on around here. this issue is going to face Democrats. Republicans. Independents. every single person in our country. every single person on Earth. The sooner that we take politics out of this and that we come together on a comprehensive solution that balances. yes. our economic needs with. also. our needs to tackle this issue. the better off all Americans will be.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Representative SWALWELL. that is a great point you make. Whether you call it science. facts. or measurements. you can measure climate change. So we know that last year was the hottest year in recorded history. only to be outdone by the first 6 months of this year. only to be outdone again. as Representative BOYLE mentioned. by Novemberlast month. We know that ocean levels have risen 8 inches in about the last century. and just since 1992. they have risen about 3 inches. I love my district. which stretches from Malibu. south through Santa Monica. Manhattan Beach. Palos Verdes. and along the coast. and I dont want my constituents all moving to Representative GALLEGOs district because they are getting flooded. It is important that we look at this. The projections show that by 2050. large parts of American coastal areas will be at risk of floodingand that is a huge problem. So we have to not only pay attention to that as a national security interest. but just for people to live their normal lives. And Mother Nature does not discriminate.
Date: 2015-12-16
Speaker: TED LIEU (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I am very honored to have Los Angeles Air Force Base in my district. It was the first base to actually go green in terms of its vehicles. So all the vehicles the L.A. Air Force Base uses on the government side are energyefficient electric vehicles. They are the first large institution to develop a vehicletogrid program where you actually plug in the vehicle and it gives electricity back to the grid when the grid needs it. If you can get that widespread. that would be a game changer across America. So the military is very focused on this issue. Again. what makes America an exceptional countryone of the best in the worldis we actually rely on facts and science and measurements. Ninetyseven percent of scientists looking at this issue have said that climate change is real. it is largely caused by humans. and we need to do something about it or else we are going to be in a great world of hurt. If 9 out of 10 doctors said your child shows the symptoms of diabetes. would you keep feeding your child Snickers bars? You would be crazy if you do that. You would actually go and seek treatment. It makes no sense for folks to believe in doctors and science and math and technology and then. on this one narrow issue of carbon pollution. simply for ideological reasons. say we are not going to trust any science or facts or measurements.