macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-09-22
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. pursuant to clause 1. rule I. I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speakers approval of the Journal.
Date: 2005-09-22
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in recognition of Mr. Manuel Esqueda. a retired banker .who over his lifetime helped send nearly 2.000 Latino students to college. many of whom were the first in their families to go. Manuels dedication to his community and education came from his deepseated connection to the Delhi neighborhood of Santa Ana. California. where he grew up and where. his family was able to buy a home when other Mexican Americans were unable to do so. He was active in the development of the Delhi Community Center. which is now a centerpiece of that neighborhood. In honor of his community service. the Manuel Esqueda Elementary School was dedicated on September 8. 2005. to honor a man who never wanted recognition for himself but whose dedication tp his community and to the Latino people of Santa Ana. California garnered him prestige and love. Manuel was honored to have a school named for him. and from his hospital bed he tried to hold on so he could be there for the first 4ay of school. Unfortunately. Manuel passed away 2 days before he was able to witness the opdning of this school with his name. He will be remembered fondly and his spirit will go on in all those young people who enter the doors of the Esqueda Elementary School in Santa Ana. fl 1015
Date: 2005-09-22
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I strongly supported this bill as it came out of the committee. I was proud of the product the committee passed out. I was pleased to join with many of my colleagues on the other side in offering amendments that were supported on a bipartisan basis that I think strengthen the Head Start program. I am very sorry that that bipartisan consensus may be shattered. and it will be shattered if we later adopt the Boustany amendment because. make no mistake about it. the Boustany amendment is. in fact. an attack on religious liberty in this country. It takes us down a very dangerous road of .taxpayerfinanced religious bigotry. It is important to understand what the Boustany amendment does and does not do. This is not a debate about whether or not faithbased instititions play a valuable role. Of course they do. We have seen it in response to Hurricane Katrina. We have seen it elsewhere. Nor is it about whether faithbased Head Start programs should receive Federal funds. They are receiving those today. The issue is very simple. The question is whether we should eliminate the protections in current law against discrimination based upon religion or whether we should preserve those protections. The Boustany amendment would give a green light to religious discrimination. Just imagine if you are a highly qualified early education teacher. who is applying for a Head Start program that is expanding to take care of children who are victims of Hurricane Katrina. You go down and they say. I am sorry. you are the wrong religion. Only Catholics need apply. only Jews need apply. only Baptists need apply. That is a terrible message to be sending to our children. And does. it not violate someones religious liberty to take someones tax dollars. give them to an organization and then say to that person. you cannot have a job with this organization? In all of the hearings that we have held in our committee on this issue. no faithbased organization has ever come up and said. gee. we could do a better job of teaching children if only we were allowed to discriminate in hiring teachers. I must say. one of the puzzling things. they concede that you cannot proselytize. yet they say you can discriminate.
Date: 2005-09-22
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the Head Start program and the great opportunities that it provides to children. parents. and families in America. I am a Head Start kid. I experienced firsthand the valuable and comprehensive education program that Head Start provides for lowincome families. Head Start opened up a new world. not only for me. but also for the rest of my family. As I received an education and health services. my mother learned valuable lessons on how to become a more active and involved parent in Americas public school system. I am glad to see that H.R. 2123 preserves the valuable Federaltolocal design that gives parents and local communities the right and the responsibility to be active in their Head Start program. For this is really the key to the Head Start program. the fact that parents and families are also involved with their children. To maintain the integrity of Head Start. I would urge my colleagues to pay special attention to two key votes. My colleague from Indiana . will be offering an amendment to restore the joint governance structure of Head Start and to allow policy councils made up of parents and community members to approve or disapprove program plans and operation activities. along with the board of directors. I urge my colleagues to support that important amendment. On the other hand. I urge the House to oppose the amendment that would allow faithbased Head Start programs to use Federal tax dollars to discriminate against teachers and employees solely on the basis of their religion. We need to keep Head Start strong and to open it up for everyone so that it can remain the great program that it was for me and so that it can continue to be so for so many Americans.
Date: 2005-09-22
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. in solidarity with the National Head Start Association. the Childrens Defense Fund and countless other lifelong advocates of the Head Start program. it is with a heavy heart that I must oppose this final. amended version of the Head Start reauthorization on the floor today. It did not have to be this way. I sit on the Education and Workforce Committee. which reported a genuinely bipartisan Head Start bill to this House. It wasnt perfect. and it did not reflect in every respect the Head Start reauthorization I would havewritten. For example. an amendment I offered to fully fund the program so that every eligible child could reap its benefitd was defeated on a party line vote. Moreover. a second amendment I proposed to offset the significant costs faced by Head Start grantees working to comply with the Department of Health and Human Services transportation safety requirements so that program dollars werent diverted from serving kids was similarly not included. But. unlike failed initiatives in the recent past. the committee reported bill did not walk down the misguided path of block granting the Head Start program. Additionally. it took very positive steps towards establishing high standards forteacher quality and strengthening accountability for underperforming programs. It even included an amendment I offered on a bipartisan basis with Representatives PLATTS and BIGGERT to provide grantees newflexibility to serve additional needy children when program slots became available. That is why I am so disappointed to vote against this bill today. With the inclusion of the Boustany amendment. this bill for the first time seeks to legitimize publicly funded religious discrimination in the. Head Start program. It takes money from taxpayers and then turns around and tells those same taxpayers they can be excluded from federally funded jobs in a Head Start center solely on the basis of their religious beliefs. In effect. it is a green light for religious bigotry. It has no place in the Head Start program. and it is precisely the wrong message to be sending to our nations children. I will continue to support Head Start. But I must forcefully oppose this legislation.
Date: 2005-09-22
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to express my support for the Head Start Reauthorization Bill that was sent to this Chamber by the Committee. Head Start is one of the best programs we offer our youngest students. A recent- report on Head Start released by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that Head Start helps close the achievement gap between students of differing socioeconomic. status. Since Head Start was. created in 1965. it has proven to be our most valuable school readiness program in the history of this country. Time after time. we have seen reports that prove students who attend Head Start perform better than those wh o dont. Its important that this body reauthorize this program in a manner that shows bipartisan support for educating our children. I agree with many of the provisions in this bill. such as safeguarding financial abuse and improving disclosure rules. Fraud and abuse of providers of Head Start Programs is indefensible. The money allocated to Head Start programs should be used to educate children. Not for any other purpose. This bill cracks down on those programs engaging in fraud. Also. this legislation keeps current health and nutrition services. which are essential for ensuring children can learn. Young children have a difficult time learning if their basic needs arent met. Providing health care is an essential part of this program. The "best practices" provision of this bill will help improve the curricula of our Head Start Program. I urge my colleagues to support this bill as it was reported from Committee. Thousands of children in my district benefit from Head Start and its essential that we reauthorize this program with a bipartisan plan that will help this Program serve more children effectively.
Date: 2005-09-22
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. and I rise in opposition to this amendment. What we tried to do in the committee bill is to make sure that there was a clear line of accountability on some of these fiscal matters. We struggled long and hard on this committee with the question of fiscal management and mismanagement of a number of these programs. While the vast majority of Head Start programs are wellrun programs that provide excellent services. the services that we have come to expect from those programs on behalf of these children in Head Start. we have had some problems. This is not about reducing the parents role. It is about increasing the accountability. increasing the accountability of this board. so they will understand the gravity of the situation. which they have. We have also strengthened the parent policy council to be involved in all aspects of program authorization. and we require that the board act on those priorities. Whether they agree or disagree. they must act on it. The fact of the matter is. I think -many. many people involved in Head Start believe that this is a very substantial improvement that will avoid the kinds of problems that we have seen in the past that have drained resources from this agency. taken away from the services provided to these children. Parents have been an integral part of this program from the beginning. they continue to be. and. in fact. their position is strengthened in this legislation. But we must deal in a forthright manner with this question of fiscal accountability. and we are making those boards more accountable in this legislation. and I hope that we would reject the Souder amendment.
Date: 2005-09-22
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. and I rise in opposition to this amendment. I think it is a bad amendment. The fact of the matter is. if there are these kinds of savings to be had. either the grant is not right or the money should be put back into the services. When we have a program here that is failing to meet the demand for Head Start. it would seem to me if this is a highquality program and it has the difference between 13 percent and 13.5 percent and 15 percent. which cofld be a couple hundred thousand dollars on a $10 million grant. which is not that unusual. that ought to be plowed into the program to extend the opportunity of this highquality program to these children. This program does not exist to create a profit. That does not mean that people cannot bring profitmaking ideals and principles to these programs for efficiencies. but we ought to plow it into the unserved population or to improve quality programs. When we look at the lok pay and the profitmaking in the nonprofit sector of Head Start. you would think that we would put that into quality to try to raise the pay so we can attract teachers with more education and child development experience and all of the rest of those issues. This is what we have been arguing and discussing and trying to improve. To now suggest. be-
Date: 2005-09-22
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to show my opposition to the Boustany Amendment. Head Start has been one of the most successful education programs in our Nations history. It is successful because it brings public. private and faith based organizations together to provide a common good. Head Start helps disadvantaged youth get a firm foundation on which they can build a strong education.
Date: 2005-09-22
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. due to Hurricane Rita approaching the Texas Gulf Coast and the Houston area. I have been excused from todays proceedings. I would like my positions regarding votes taken on H.R. 2123. the School Readiness Act. and amendments to this Act entered into reflect I would have voted the following way: Rolicall No. 486-"yes". rollcall. No. 487"yes". rollcall No. 488-"yes". rollcall No. 489-"yes". rollcall No. 490-"yes". rollcall No. 491-"no". and rolicall No. 492no." I would also vote for final passage of H.R.
Date: 2005-09-27
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to any further potential cuts to Federal assistance programs. The Census states that 13 percent of Americans live in poverty and we have seen the face of poverty more glaring recently. In Dallas. my hometown. 23 percent live in poverty. almost double the national average. Americas economy is weak. It is strong for the wealthy but it is weak for the poor. Gas prices are outrageous. the cost of this war is crippling. and continuing conflict is an embarrassment. Tax cuts to the rich .are putting down the poor. Since the current administration took over. there are 5.4 million more people in poverty. 6 million more without health insurance. Americans need jobs. a decent minimum wage and affordable health care. Mr. Speaker. people living in poverty need help. We must strengthen Medicaid. Medicare. Social Security and temporary assistance programs. not cut them.
Date: 2005-09-27
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I am honored that our leadership has chosen to bring this concurrent resolution. House Concurrent Resolution 209. before this august body. This concurrent resolution highlights the need to focus on and end domestic violence. First. Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia
Date: 2005-09-28
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. today the House will vote on H.R. 3402. the Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act. I rise today to thank the gentleman from Michigan and the gentleman from Wisconsin for their leadership on this bill and to urge my colleagues to support it. H.R. 3402 contains language from my bill. H.R. 283. the Bullying and Gang Prevention For School Safety and Crime Reduction Act of 2005. By adding this important provision. schools will be able to use Federal dollars to establish gang and bullying prevention programs in their schools and to teach kids not to use email. instant messaging. or cell phones to make threats and insults. a disturbing new behavior known as "cyberbullying." Studies show that 31 percent of junior high and high school students in urban areas and 21 percent of all students reported that street gangs were present t their schools and more than 3.2 million children are the victims of repeated bullying every year. That is one in every six students. Bullying and gangs can be eliminated from our schools and H.R. 3402 is a tremendous step in the right direction. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for the bill.
Date: 2005-09-28
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The Violence Against Women Act has been instrumental in protecting women from domestic violence. sexual assault. dating violence. and stalking. Domestic violence often has devastating consequences for women. their families and soc-. ety as a whole. The Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization provides essential grants including educational programs for the prevention of domestic violence in schools. battered womens shelters. a national domestic violence hotline. grants to improve law enforcement and prosecution of violent crimes against women. among others. It also provides much needed services for the protection of children from maltreatment. sexual assault. and domestic violence. I believe it is important to provide preventative domestic violence programs as well as help those who have been affected by domestic violence with programs that can help them recover and protect them in the future. Many of the domestic violence programs that we have today would not be able to continue without the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. I urge all my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation and allow these much needed programs and services to continue so that we may continue to work to stop domestic violence.
Date: 2005-09-28
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of several important programs that will be reauthorized in H.R. 3402. The Department of Justice Authorization Act. The two programs that Id like to highlight are the Commu nity Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program and the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP). Both COPS and SCAAP provide critical resources that help local law enforcement do their job.
Date: 2005-09-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise today in objection to the Managers Amendment. which would weaken the Violence Against Women Act. After months of bipartisan negations. H.R. 3402 came out of committee as a balanced bill that sought to help ALL women who are victims of violence. With the removal of racial and ethnic minorities from the STOP grants section. we will be denying the significant problem of violence in ourminority communities. Unfortunately. domestic violence in our minority population is a substantial problem that is vastly underreported. If we wish to eradicate violence in our communities we must proceed with policies that address cultural and language barriers. Our governments commitment to minorities is being questioned by many. Passing this amendment sends a clear message that this Congress. does not care about sexual assault and domestic violence in our communities of color. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote "no" on this amendment.
Date: 2005-09-28
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to thank my colleague. Chris Cox. for his service to this House. and to Orange County California. a region we both had the privilege and the responsibility to represent. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish now Commissioner Cox good luck in his new position at the Securities Exchange Commission. SEC. As a former constituent. a member of the in-. vestment banking community. I know how important Mr. Coxs new job is to the health and security to our Nations economy. The job of the SEC is to maintain investor confidence in our financial markets. I would urge my friend to invest more resources in maintaining that confidence. That would include going after insidertrading cases. and preventing scandals. like Enron and WorldCom. that undermine our system. We shouldnt forget that its the small investors. and workers depending on their pensions. that get hit the hardest by these scandals. I would also urge the Commissioner also to think about the future and to help reform the New York Stock Exchange. and other exchanges. to bring them into the 21st Century. Instant trading is a fact in the market. It needs to be brought to the floor of the NYSE. In closing. I would like to thank Chris Cox again for his service and wish him all the best at the SEC. I look forward to working with him and helping to make our nations future. safe. fair and secure.
Date: 2005-09-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of reauthorizing the Ryan White CARE Act. Signed into law on August 18. 1990. the act was designed to improve the quality and availability of care for persons with HIV/AIDS and their families. The Ryan White CARE Act awards critical grants to metropolitan areas with particularly high rates of HIV. These grants help pay for outpatient services including case management. home health. hospice care. housing. transportation and nutrition. The Ryan White CARE Act also provides noney to States for pharmacy support through the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. This act enables the Federal Government to assist States so they provide lifesaving antiviral drugs for people who are HIVpositive. This legislation lets States choose how to spend the money. This act allows States to dedicate Federal dollars for home and communitybased health care and pharmaceuticals. States have formed. local consortia to assess communities needs and organize regional plans for delivery of HIV/AIDS services. as well as medical care. In addition to supporting the States and major metropolitan areas. the Ryan White CARE Act also provides funds to primary care providers. This comprehensive law reaches local health departments. homeless shelters. community health centers. hemophilia centers and family planning centers. Mr. Speaker. I have not heard one negative thing about the Ryan White CARE Act. Why. then. are we allowing this critical legislation to expire without doing anything about it? Colleagues. allow me to call your attention to the five States with the highest numbers of HIVinfected individuals in the country: New York. California. Florida. Texas. and Georgia. In my own State of Texas. more than 18.000 people are infected with HIV. HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects AfricanAmericans. Sixtytwo thousand AIDS cases have been reported in Texas through December 2003and thats not even counting HIV. Half a million people in this country and nearly 35.000 Texans have died of AIDS. Mr. Speaker. on Friday. September 30. the current Ryan White CARE Act will expire. Reauthorizing legislation must be approved. Without it. States. communities and individuals will no longer be able to access the critical funds they need to prevent. diagnose and treat HIV and AIDS. Because of its critical roIQ in affording access to care among AfricanAmericans living with HIV/AIDS. the Congressional Black Caucus is deeply concerned about the future of the Ryan White CARE Act. As a nurse. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of reauthorizing the Ryan White CARE Act.