macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-02-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of the Omnibus Appropriations Act. The legislation before us today invests in key priorities for our country from energy to education. and will help address critical needs that were ignored under the previous Administration. In addition to the other important work that this Omnibus Appfoprations Act will do alongside the Recovery Act to make our economy stronger. I want to call special attention to the work this legislation will do to respond to the serious drought that we face in Califomia. The bill before us today provides significant funding for the federal water reclamation and reuse program administered by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. That program. known as Title XVI. helps local water managers to treat wastewater and use the clean water that results for commercial irrigation and industrial processes. Under Title XVI. the federal investment in water recycling is matched many times over by monies from state and local agencies. so its not only environmentally sustainable. its costeffective. The Title XVI funding in todays bill builds on the historic investment in the program that was contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. I am hopeful that this important program will continue to thrive under President Obama and Secretary Salazar. In the San Francisco Bay Area. including in Pittsburg in my congressional district. water managers have put together a regional planning effort to invest in water recycling infrastructure. This bill bolsters that regional cooperative effort by providing $8 million for the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program. On behalf of my constituents and the communities around our region. I w.nt to sincerely thank Chairman OBEY. Chairman VISCLOSKY. Ranking Members LEWIS and FRELINGHUYSEN. and especially the Committee staff. for their support for this important funding. The funds will quickly create and sustain jobs. and will provide a reliable water supply for local planners and residents. I look forward to working with the Bureau of Reclamation to ensure that they expeditiously enter into individual agreements with the local implementing agencies so that the Bay Area projects are quickly funded through the Bay Area Clean Water Agencies or its successor. I also know that some of the local water agencies in the Bay Area had to begin their projects before this bill was completed so that they did not lose their state and local funding matches. It is my understanding that the authorized federal funding may be used for reimbursement of construction costs already underway and carried out. As the Bureau works with the local agencies to disburse the funding in this bill. those agreements should provide for reimbursement of the projects construction costs as necessary. I strongly support the FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Date: 2009-02-26
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on this rule. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this bill but with some reservations because I know that its not a perfect bill. but its a perfect beginning. I also have held numerous meetings in my district concerning foreclosure. and. you know. we need to assist people to avoid the foreclosure process. We have over 1.000 foreclosures a month* in my district of Florida. and we need to include legal aid and other community organizations like Wealth Watchers and those that are helping families to avoid losing their homes in foreclosure.
Date: 2009-02-26
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

I met with the credit unions who have been working very hard and doing a real good job. but they are not included. They cant get any of the TARP money. so they are limited with their amount of participation. We are having a hard time getting banks to get them to do what we intended them to do. What is the possibility that we c~n also discuss how we can include credit unions in getting additional resources to help our constituents? Mr. HASTINGS.of Florida. If the gentlelady would yield. Id have you to know that this wont be the last vehicle in straightening out financial services. But you cite to the credit unions correctly. I. too. have had meetings with them. Theyre very concerned about the cramdown provisions allowing that it may very well cause increases. and they have been extremely responsible in our respective communities.
Date: 2009-02-26
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. we are facing a crisis of historic proportions in the housing market. Every 13 seconds. a new house in America goes into foreclosure. What this has caused is a dramatic decline in the value of housing all over the United States. For example. in Contra Costa County. across the bay from my home. housing values in one year have declined 53 percent. So those values. the collapsing housing market. is something we need to interrupt. This bill is part of that effort to interrupt the collapse of the housing markets by doing something that we should have done long ago to restore fairness to the bankruptcy system. Now. bankruptcy has been part of the Constitution since the very beginning of the United States. and what it allows is for people who are insolvent. who cannot pay their bills. to go into bankruptcy court and reorganize. The unfortunate thing isand the unfair thingis that people who are bankrupt. who are insolvent. who are in bankruptcy court. can get reorganization for their yacht. for their investment property. for their vacation homes. for their cars. for their credit cards. for their jet airplane. but not for the mortgage on their principal residence. Thats not fair. Thats not reasonable. This bill changes that. And in doing so. it restores some fairness to the chapter 13 process. The voluntary modification system has not worked so well. According to Business Week last week. only 35 percent of the voluntary modifications have actually resulted in lower monthly payments. In fact. in 47 percent of the cases. theyve resulted in increased mortgage payments. So its small wonder that most of those voluntary reorganizations end up with a redefault in 6 months.
Date: 2009-02-26
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I would just like to note not anyone can go into bankruptcy court. You have to be insolvent. We made it very tough in 2005 to get in there. But we do believe that banks and lenders will come to the table with the Stick that homeowners could. in fact. go into the bankruptcy court for relief. Its important to note what this is not. This wont cost the taxpayers one dime. This is about lenders eating part of the cost for the collapse of the housing market. Its not a bailout from the taxpayers. It makes lenders take some responsibility for what has happened. I think its about time that the banks stood up to their own responsibility and participated in part of this solution. which they have not done to date. This bill has been narrowed. Its only for retroactive loans. Weve made many other adjustments. but its sound policy. Its something we should do as soon as possible. Its going to help millions of people. and its going to help stop the collapse of the housing market and the collapse of prices.
Date: 2009-02-26
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 1106. the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act. Mortgage foreclosures lay at the very heart of our financial crisis. Until we stop this bleeding. we cannot hope to stabilize the housing market and truly rescue our economy. This legislation is about more than just shoring up our economy. its about helping hardworking Americans hold on to the American Dream. Foreclosures uproot families and decimate communities. Vacant homes blight our neighborhoods and depress all of our property values. Foreclosure rates are now approaching heights not seen since the Great Depression. In my own home State of Florida. we have the second highest foreclosure rate in the Nation. Since January. more than 4.200 Florida families have lost their homes. Another 1.2 million Florida homeowners are "under water." that is. they owe more than their homes are worth. Mr. Chairman. my constituents. our constituents need a lifeline. and we must throw it to them. Voluntary modification is just not working. and our current bankruptcy laws fail our families. Unlike every other secured debt. including debts secured by second homes. investment properties. luxury yachts and private jets. the mortgage for a primary residence cannot be modified in bankruptcy. That is simply not fair. The Bankruptcy Code should be a safety net of last resort for families in distress. In this recession. excluding the family home makes no sense and fans the flames of foreclosure. This bill allows families to remain in their homes and avoid foreclosure. It will also lead to a financial recovery for the lender that would be as good or better than they could get at a foreclosure sale. This is a winwin. I know some wellmeaning opponents believe families will rush headlong into filing for bankruptcy. We all know. however. that the grave consequences of filing for bankruptcy means it will always be a last resort. Thank you. Chairman CONYERS and Chairman FRANK. for your leadership on this issue.
Date: 2009-02-26
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. there has been a lot discussed here on the floor today that this is a problem that is limited to just a few parts of our countryCalifornia. Nevada. Florida. I just think this is important: I went and got the records for year to year on the rate of foreclosure. In Alabama. there was nearly a 73 percent increase. in Arkansas. a 127 percent increase. in Hawaii. a 139 percent increase. in Kentucky. a nearly 60 percent increase. in Maine. a 104 percent increase. in Missouri. a nearly 60 percent increase. in Nebraska. a 165 percent increase. in New Hampshire. a 356 percent increase. in New Mexico. a 270 percent increase. in North Carolina. a 126 percent increase. in North Dakota. a 150 percent increase. This is happening all over the United States. and Ill tell you: when foreclosures hit a neighborhood. when half of the block is up for sale in a bank sale. the value of your home declines dramatically. and when the meth dealers move into those naked homes. Ill tell you that it does nothing to increase the value of the homes of the remaining homeowners. It is essential that we interrupt this foreclosure wave. Now. this very modest bankruptcy piece is a small part of the picture. Its important to note that. contrary to some of the comments. this provision only relates to mortgages entered into before the effective date of this bill. It is not prospective. It is retroactive only. We have further narrowed the provision in the managers amendment. which will be discussed later. but I think its worth noting that the bad faith on the part of a debtor throws the whole thing out. Weve made tremendous improvements. Its essential that we act soon.
Date: 2009-02-26
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act. The mortgage meltdown affects everyone. No one is immune from the widespread effects of home foreclosures. It hurts the families who are forced out of their homes. of course. but it also hurts their neighbors. who see a drastic drop in property values and communities that have to cut back services due to losses in property values. For too many. the American dream of owning a home has quickly eroded into a nightmare. The bills mortgage bankruptcy and loan modification provisions will provide direct help to real American families. As the former chairwoman of the Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee. I held many hearings on the mortgage foreclosure crisis and its impact on families. I know that this bill fixes an inequity in the bankruptcy code by ensuring that. under limited conditions. homeowners and bankruptcy proceedings will have access to the full range of financial support and options available. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support homeowners and neighborhoods by supporting this vital piece of legislation.
Date: 2009-02-26
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that it may be in order at any time on Wednesday. March 4. 2009. for the Speaker to declare a recess. subject to the call of the Chair. for the purpose of receiving in joint meeting the Right Honorable Gordon Brown. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Date: 2009-02-26
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today. it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday next for morninghour debate.
Date: 2009-03-03
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise today to mark two important occasions. One hundred seventythree years ago yesterday. March. 2. 1836. Texas declared its independence from Mexico. We celebrate this declaration of freedom from tyranny knowing that during the same time in 1836 the Alamo was under attack by the Army of Mexicos dictator. Santa Anna. and would fall after 13 days of resistance. As Texans and Americans. we honor freedom and those who protect it. I also want to celebrate the birth of a new Texan. our fourth grandchild. Tristan Michael Green. born February 11. 2009 to our son and our daughterinlaw. Chris and Brandy Green. Tristan was born at 10:37 a.m. at 18 inches and weighing 6 pounds. 4 ounces. He is healthy and eating constantly. * We welcome another Texan to join his big brother. Dylan. God bless Texas and the United States of America.
Date: 2009-03-03
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I submit for publication the attached copy o the Rules of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct the U.S. House of Representatives for the 111th Congress. The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct adopted these rules pursuant to House Rule Xl. clause2(a)(1) on February 10. 2009. I am submitting these rules for publication in compliance with House Rule Xl. clause 2(a)(2). The Committee is reviewing its rules and will make revisions to conform with House rules pertaining to the Office of Congressional Ethics. The revised rules will be submitted for publication after they are adopted by the Committee. FOREWORD The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is unique in the House of Representatives. Consistent with the duty to carry out its advisory and enforcement responsibilities in an impartial manner. the Committee is the only standing committee of the House of Representatives the membership of which is divided evenly by party. These rules are intended to provide a fair procedural framework for the conduct of the Committees activities and to help ensure that the Committee serves well the people of the United States. the House of Representatives. and the Members. officers. and employees of the House of Representatives.
Date: 2009-03-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 45) raising awareness and promoting education on the criminal justice system by establishing March as "National Criminal Justice Month".
Date: 2009-03-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
Date: 2009-03-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would like to commend Congressman TED POE of Texas for introducing this legislation. Establishing March 2009 as National Criminal Justice Month will help increase awareness of the harmful effects of crime. not only on the immediate victims. but on our society as a whole. It will also help bring public focus on the need to make our criminal justice system as effective as possible. not only in responding to crime. but in helping to reduce its incidence. Millions of Americans have been victimized by crime. Millions more are on parole. on probation. or incarcerated. And our Nation spends billions of dollars each year on efforts to address crime. And yet too many Americans say they have little confidence in the criminal justice system. There are a number of steps we can take to address this lack of confidence. For one. we could invest more resources in education. Educated Americans not only have more opportunities. they also have a greater appreciation of the effects they have on the world around them. and they certainly have a much dramatically lower incidence of criminal behavior. By failing to invest in education. we have allowed a cradletoprison pipeline to develop. What we should be building is a cradletocollege pipeline instead. And we see the unfortunate results on any given day. over 2/2 million incarcerated in our prisons. almost all of them poor. almost twothirds of them African American or Latino. Theres another thing we need to do. and thats to focus beyond the step of incarceration and to think about rehabilitation. keeping firsttime offenders from becoming repeat offenders. That requires investing meaningfully in vocational training. education. counseling and other skills development that prisoners need in order to reenter society and become productive citizens. Congress took an important step in that direction last year when it passed the Second Chance Act. Now we need to follow through with adequate funding to make its promises take hold. Third. I think its time we acknowledge the failure of the socalled War on Drugs as our government has fought it over the last few decades. Increasingly stiffer and stiffer sentences for nonviolent drug offenses hasnt worked. not to significantly reduce illegal drug use or the criminal enterprise that has grown up to feed it. Its worked only to swell the prison population. Its time that we brought more of the focus on intervention. treatment and yes. factbased education to come to grips with the drug problem. The Drug Courts program has been more successful in curtailing recidivism because of its focus on treatment. Studies show that those sent to Drug Court have a 1year recidivism rate. only onesixth as high as those sent to prison for a similar offense. I believe making this month National Criminal Justice Month can help the many in our communities who are dedicating themselves to reducing crime bring greater awareness to their efforts. I encourage my colleagues to support H. Res. 45 as well. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2009-03-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I once again commend the gentleman for introducing this legislation. I urge its passage. I share his enthusiasm for our system of justice. that preserves the rights of the defendant but also elevates the needs of the victims for justice. We honor those who work in our system. be they judges. prosecutors. defense counsel. police officers. and I would say. yes. also drug treatment people who are trying to prevent crime from recurring. So this month celebrates those in our community who serve in the criminal justice system. They deserve our thanks. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2009-03-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
Date: 2009-03-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 1127 extends two immigration programs. one for religious workers and one for doctors who serve in medically underserved areas. through the end of this fiscal year. If we do not extend these programs. they will sunset on March 6. 2009. just 3 days from today. These programs are too important to let expire. The Special Immigrant NonMinister Religious Worker Program allows religious workers to enter the United States to do important work. The 5.000 religious workers eligible for these visas each year are called to a vocation or are in traditional religious occupations with bona fide nonprofit religious organizations. They are missionaries. counselors. instructors. and pastoral care providers. Considering the current economic crisis we are experiencing and the degree to which Americans are turning to religious organizations for help. these religious workers are needed now more than ever. The other program is the socalled Conrad "J Waiver." a critically important immigration program that helps medically underserved communities attract highly skilled physicians. This program is crucial to the States as it helps them attract doctors who have received their medical training in the United States to work in areas that desperately need doctors. Its importance was demonstrated again a year and a half ago when a tornado utterly destroyed the town of Greensburg. Kansas. Without this program. that town would not have had any doctors. They were of tremendous help in keeping casualties to a minimum. We need to keep this program going so that States can attract medical talent and can keep the doors of small town clinics open. Both of these programs have strong bipartisan support. and this bill would extend the programs through the end of the fiscal year when the issue can be revisited. hopefully. in a much broader context. I commend committee Ranking Member LAMAR SMITH for his work in making this a bipartisan measure. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2009-03-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. we have no additional speakers. If the gentleman has additional speakers. I would reserve and allow him to proceed.
Date: 2009-03-04
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I would just urge. again. support for this measure. I would also like to include in the RECORD a letter dated today signed by a number of religious groups. including the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. the Mennonites. the National Association of Evangelicals. the U.S. Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops and others outlaying the need for religious workers in this country and urging support of the bill. DEAR REPRESENTATIVE: We write to strongly urge the House of Representatives to pass
Date: 2009-03-05
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. and to the Republic for which it stands. one nation under God. indivisible. with liberty and justice for all.