macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-03-02
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today along with my colleagues. Congressman DONALD PAYNE. JR. and Congresswoman ROBIN KELLY. in support of the CBC Special Order Hour entitled: "Bridging The Divide: Observations on Race and Justice in America." And as I reflect on some of the issues affecting the intersection of race and justice that still plague this country. I am deeply saddened. Just on the other side of the Capitol. the Republicanled Senate has delayed the confirmation of Loretta Lynch as our next Attorney. General. forcing her to wait for a vote longer than any other attorney general nominee in the last three decades. Despite this long delay. the Senate was able to quickly confirm the nomination of our new Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. Critics in the Senate have called into question Ms. Lynchs qualifications. dismissing her as "just another Eric Holder." choosing to ignore her exceptional academic record and impressive career accomplishments. In the past few months. this nation has been rocked by the deaths of black men at the hands of police. and the fiery nationwide protests in response. The lost lives of Tamir Rice. Eric Garnet. Mike Brown. and so many others have only contributed to the painful perception that black life is devalued in America. Many pundits have observed these tragedies and the various responses to them as proof that race relations in this country have regressed. There are currently more black men behind bars in 2015 than there were enslaved in 1850. and these sentencing disparities have far reaching consequences. Among democratic nations. the United States enforces some of the worlds most restrictive disenfranchisement laws for felons. keeping millions of men and women from ever being able to fulfill their civic duty. We ask them to pay their debt to society. we require them to reenter society as productive adults. yet we strip them of such a basic democratic freedom. Without question. these laws disproportionately affect African Americans. and Mr. Speaker. it is time for a change. While the picture I have briefly painted may seem bleak. I remain encouraged by the resolve of so many Americans around the country Nationwide protests by people of all backgrounds have forced local lawmakers to confront their policies and make sure that they reflect the communities they govern. But as we all know. there is a long road ahead. And as the conscious of the Congress. it is the responsibility of the Congressional Black Caucus. to ensure that this august chamber addresses these issues essential to the quality of life for all Americans.
Date: 2015-03-04
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the significant benefits and services that our local radio stations provide to our communities. I cannot say enough about the benefits local radio provides constituents in our district in Houston and Harris County. Texas. Local radio provides AMBER Alerts. local news. weather. and critical emergency alerts. which we all know too well along the gulf coast we need. In addition to the public service. radio provides entertainment and music free to the public. For nearly 90 years. Congress has recognized this fact and has not imposed performance fees on local radio stations. That is why I am pleased to reintroduce. along with my fellow Texan. Congressman MIKE CONAWAY. the Local Radio Freedom Act. H. Con. Res. 17. Our simple resolution simply states that Congress should not impose any performance taxes or fees for playing overtheair music and keep local radio free. Last weeks introduction with 93 cosponsors. over 20 percent of the full House. shows the strong commitment Congress has to protect local radio and all the benefits it provides our communities. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank all the original cosponsors of this resolution and thank local radio for serving our communities.
Date: 2015-03-04
Speaker: BRENDAN F. BOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Speaker. today is the funeral for one of the most influential figures in higher education. the Catholic Church. and domestic and international affairs: Father Theodore Hesburgh. He served as president of the University of Notre Dame for 35 years. in that time taking a small Catholic college and transforming it into a world renowned institution. During his career he was granted 150 honorary degrees. more than any other person. This Congress awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal in the year 2000. becoming the first figure from higher education to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. He was also appointed by both Democratic and Republican Presidents to 16 Presidential commissions. ranging from atomic weapons policy to immigration. to civil rights. Mr. Speaker. I am very proud to be a graduate of the Hesburgh Program in Public Service and hope to be able to live up to that awesome example he set.
Date: 2015-03-04
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. Houston has lost a firefighter in the line of duty. the State of Texas has lost a first responder. but America has lost a hero. Mr. Speaker. today I pause to honor a hero. Captain Dwight Bazile. 57 years of age. firefighter for 37 years. promoted to captain in 2008. father to Dwight Bazile II. son of Charlotte Fielder. husband to Pamela Bazile. died in the line of duty February 21. I ask that we have a moment of silence for a hero who died in the line of duty.
Date: 2015-03-04
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. as a member of the Homeland Security Committee and one who was in a security briefing this morning. I cannot celebrate more to the brave men and women of the Department of Homeland Security that many of us stood up collectively together as Americans and provided for full funding. Let me thank them for their service. Let me move on. Yesterday. another very provocative and important action was done. The Department of Justice report came out regarding the city of Ferguson. where it found that Blacks account for 85 percent of traffic stops. 90 percent of tickets issued. and 93 percent of arrests. Mr. Speaker. this is not about Ferguson. though many are trying to healand we offer sympathy again to Michael Browns familybut it is about America. I call upon my Republican friends and Democratic friends. We act on facts. These are facts that are probably implicated across America. I have introduced the Build TRUST bill. I hope we can come together to find a way. both in terms of our law enforcement and making sure that they go home to their families. but also have a just and fair pattern. if you will. of treating the citizens of every hamlet and town and city and State in this Nation. We owe that to our beliefs in the Constitution. Mr. Speaker. I encourage a bipartisan effort to look at how we can address these questions across America. We deserve that as Americans.
Date: 2015-03-04
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order today.
Date: 2015-03-04
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. we have spent the last week and a half debating funding for the Department of Homeland Security. a debate that started because my colleagues on the other side of the aisle didnt like the Presidents executive actions on immigration. House Republicans finally did do what they ought to have done all along: joining with Democrats to pass the bipartisan funds for DHS through Fiscal Year 2015. That legislation has restored certainty for thousands of employees at the Department of Homeland Security. and. even more importantly. it ensures the safety and security of our entire Nation. Mr. Speaker. while we settled the funding for DHS. we havent addressed the issues that led us to the impasse in the first place. Republicans in both the House and the Senate wanted to hinder the Presidents legal authority to better manage our broken immigration system. They have called it illegal amnesty. and many of their conservative counterparts have gone as far as calling the President a tyrant. but they have not offered any plan of their own. Today. during this Special Order hour. I would like to take the opportunity. on behalf of our Progressive Caucus. to join with my colleague. the Congressman from Arizona. to express our concerns from the Progressive Caucus perspective on our plans for the future as it relates to immigration. To that extent. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Arizona
Date: 2015-03-16
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 639. the Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act. This legislation was introduced by the chair of our Health Subcommittee. JOE PITTS of Pennsylvania. the ranking member of the full committee. FRANK PALLONE of New Jersey. and myself to provide a solution to delays experienced by patients in need. Currently. new drugs and substances that previously have not been marketed in the United States and that have abuse potential must be scheduled by the Drug Enforcement Administration prior to being marketed. The amount of time the DEA has taken before acting on FDA recommendations has significantly lengthened in recent years. which delays the availability of new therapies. This legislation will improve patient access by bringing clarity and transparency to the process of scheduling a new FDAapproved therapy. I was pleased to join the gentleman from Pennsylvania and the gentleman from New Jersey in supporting this legislation to continue the great work they started last Congress. I thank them and their staff for working on this important access issue. I want to acknowledge the leadership of Chairman UPTON and the work of the committees minority and majority staff in advancing this bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee. I support this bipartisan bill and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-16
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 647. the Access to LifeSaving Trauma Care for All Americans Act. My colleague and fellow Texan. Dr. MIKE BURGESS. and I have introduced this legislation. I thank him for his leadership and partnership on this issue. The bill would reauthorize vital programs to prevent more trauma center closures and improve access to trauma care. The trauma center care grants were created to prevent trauma center closures by supporting their core missions. covering a portion of the losses from uncompensated care. and providing emergency awards to centers at risk of closing. The trauma service availability grants are awarded through the States to address shortfalls in trauma services and improve access and availability of trauma care in underserved areas. Despite our best prevention efforts. trauma injury will continue to occur. Unfortunately. access to trauma care is threatened by losses associated with the high cost of treating severely injured patients. including those unable to pay for their care. and a growing shortage of traumarelated physicians. The public expects that appropriate trauma care will always be available to them wherever they reside or travel. yet this is not a reality. Profound challenges face our Nations trauma centers. trauma systems. and the physicians who treat the most vulnerable patients. Thus. I urge swift passage of this important legislation. Again. I want to thank Representative BURGESS for championing this effort with me. and his staff. J.P. Paluskiewicz. for their hard work. I also want to acknowledge the leadership of Chairman UPTON. Chairman PITTS. Ranking Member PALLONE and the work of the committees staff in advancing this bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee. I support this bipartisan bill. I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-16
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 648. the Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act. I am proud to be the lead sponsor of this bill. along with my colleague. Dr. BURGESS. and I want to thank him for his leadership and commitment to this issue. The bill reauthorizes the programs that provide grants to States for planning. implementing. and developing trauma care systems and establishing pilot projects to design innovative models of emergency care systems. Ideally. trauma and emergency care systems respond quickly and efficiently to ensure that seriously injured individuals receive the care they need within the golden hour. the time period in which medical intervention is most effective at saving lives. However. unintentional injury remains the leading cause of death for Americans ages 44 years and younger. and access to trauma centers is inconsistent throughout the country. In fact. 45 million Americans lack access to a trauma center within the first hour after injury. Emergency departments and trauma centers are overcrowded. The emergency care system is splintered. and surgical specialists are often unavailable to patients when they need them. This legislation helps establish a system that saves lives and improves the functioning of our trauma care systems. Again. I want to thank Representative BURGESS for championing this effort with me and his staff for their efforts. I also want to acknowledge the leadership of Chairman UPTON. Chairman PITTS. Ranking Member PALLONE. and the work of the committees staff in advancing this bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee. Mr. Speaker. I support this bipartisan bill. I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker. I have no further speakers. and I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-16
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I know that this legislation has been in the works by Representatives TIBERI and my good friend Mr. LARSON from the State of Connecticut. Unfortunately. he could not be here to speak on his own bill due to unforeseen circumstances. so I am but a poor fillin for Mr. LARSON. The bill is a commonsense bill that will save a lot of money. The durable medical equipment Competitive Bidding Program has reduced welldocumented overpayments to DME providers. It is estimated that it would result in $42 billion in savings over a 10year period. with $26 billion in savings for the Federal Government and more than $17 billion in outofpocket savings for beneficiaries themselves. This legislation. as I mentioned. was introduced in the Ways and Means Committee by Representatives TIBERI and LARSON. What they are essentially trying to get at is the issue of lowball bidders. and what this legislation would do is require bonds for companies who wish to participate in the program. The Ways and Means Committee did pass this bill out of the committee on a unanimous voice vote. and I. as well. support its passage. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 284 as a commonsense solution that will save money in the long run. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-16
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I am heartened that my Republican colleagues are acting on legislation to improve the Affordable Care Act. rather than to simply repeal it. Technical corrections have long been part of the legislative process for such fundamental pieces of legislation. and this bill does the same. Volunteer first responders are absolutely critical to the safety and security of communities across the country. Seventy percent of all firefighters across the country are volunteers. For the communities aided by volunteer first responders. the services donated annually by these volunteers are estimated to be worth more than $140 billion. This legislation allows communities to continue to benefit for the time and commitment of our firefighters and other first responders. Treasury has responded to the concerns that Mr. BARLETTA and many other Members raised through their final regulations. But this legislation makes permanent the reasonable solution that the administration put forward. Mr. Speaker. I will insert into the RECORD a letter from the Department of the Treasury specifically outlining the regulations that address those concerns. This bill is bipartisan. and it is noncontroversial. It. as I said. codifies a regulation that has already been issued by the administration. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. and I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-16
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. just a few weeks ago. maybe even a few months ago. I had the privilege of listening partly to the testimony of Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch. a brilliant expression of a seasoned and competent. qualified and wise attorney that has served this Nation for many. many years. Formerly. as the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn. New York. she has been one who has received accolades from all over the Nation. Now. unfortunately. the Senate. the other body. chooses to create a constitutional crisis. As she lingers waiting for a confirmation vote. already approved by the Judiciary Committee with a bipartisan vote. it begs the question: Why we are having this kind of treatment of the appointees of President Obama? So I ask the other body if they would do what is right for the American people as we look for law enforcement leadership. as we continue to look for direction on antitrust issues. voting rights issues. womens rights issues. human rights issues. and many issues dealing with terrorism that fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice. It is time. and now. for this confirmation to be done and approved and for this former U.S. attorney to be sworn in as the United States Attorney General in the Department of Justice.
Date: 2015-03-18
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. while Congress was away last week. we had another strong jobs report. You might even say. as former President Reagan used to say. "Its morning in America." in his famous ad. In February. the economy added another 295.000 private sector jobs. and the unemployment rate edged down to 5.5 percent. That means that there have been 12 straight uninterrupted months of private sector job growth of over 200.000 jobs a month. That is the first time that has happened since 1977. Inflation remains tame. gas prices are low. the dollar is strong. and by many measures. the economys performance under the Obama administration has been stronger than the economy under former President Reagan. Though I suspect that some may find it unusual to compare President Obama and President Reagan. their efforts are good news for the economy and good news for America.
Date: 2015-03-18
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Before closing. I would simply note that the Congressional Budget Office has scored this bill. To quote the CBO: The CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1030 would cost about $250 million a year for the next few years. As we prepare to debate the budget resolution and fiscal policy next week. I cannot fathom why socalled fiscal conservatives could support a bill that will increase bureaucracy at the EPA at a cost of a quarterbillion dollars a year. For a whole host of reasons. this is a bad bill. and I strongly oppose this legislation. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-03-18
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from the State of Oregon . who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Environment.
Date: 2015-03-18
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chair. I want to thank the gentlelady. and I fully support her amendment. EPA normally relies upon approximately 50.000 scientific studies each year to support these actions. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that if EPA were to cut the amount of studies they considered in half. it would still cost the Agency roughly $250 million annually to comply with this legislation. This bill will effectively require EPA to pay more in order to do less. yet my colleagues are only providing EPA with $1 million annually to comply with the provisions of this bill. This forces EPA into a loselose situation. Either drastically limit the amount of science used to protect the public health and the environment or spend hundreds of millions of dollars per year ensuring that the job is done right. I think this legislation is seriously misguided.
Date: 2015-03-18
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mrs. TORRES. and Messrs. ISRAEL and PASCRELL changed their vote from "no" to "aye." So the amendment was rejected. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded. Stated against:
Date: 2015-03-18
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. on March 18. 2015. I was unavoidably detained and missed one vote. Had I been present. I would have voted "no" on rollcall No. 125.
Date: 2015-03-18
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. today. I have introduced the addressing the wealth gap resolution which calls on Congress to recognize the wealth gap and the racial wealth gap as national economic crises and focus its efforts on their elimination. This country is facing the widest wealth gap since 1983. The statistics are alarming. Wealthy families make nearly seven times as much as middle class families and 70 times as much as lower class families. African Americans have 13 times and Latinos have 10 times less wealth than White households. White households have $100.000 more in retirement savings than African Americans and Latinos. The cause of the recordlevel wealth gap stems from a structural crisis that started well before the Great Recession. The recession hit. and the housing market collapsed and made everything worse. In the aftermath. middleincome families and people of color have had to endure income inequality. slow wage growth. skyrocketing student loans. and continued unequal access to quality education and barriers to the housing market. These are problems that widened the gap and require Congress to implement pragmatic solutions. We cannot sit idly by and expect things to change. This is why I am introducing the addressing the wealth gap resolution. The first step to resolving this problem is acknowledging that it exists. and I encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join and focus on the goal of rebuilding wealth in America.
Date: 2015-03-18
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to respond to that question. Congressman. As a State legislator. I spent many years in appropriations and on the budget committee. and I came to realize that there is no other document that represents the values and the priorities of the governing entity than the budget statement. So where we put our money is where we think our interests lie. where we put our money represents our priorities. where we put our money represents our values. And that is one of the major reasons that I am just so proud to be associated with the peoples budget as crafted by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Thank you for giving me that opportunity.