macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-18
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. today we are going to move one step closer to banning lateterm abortions by supporting H.R. 1797. called the PainCapable Unborn Child Protection Act. Lateterm abortion isnt rare. I was dismayed and disheartened to hear of the horrors from the Kermit Gosnell trial. Worse. this past month. in my home State of Texas. former employees of the abortionist Douglas Karpen alleged he killed babies born alive. These acts are inexcusable. immoral and unjustifiable. Its time we got rid of this gruesome and barbaric procedure to prevent future cases like Gosnells and Karpens once and for all. The procedure is not only unethical but unessential. Theres extensive evidence that unborn babies aborted in this manner are alive until the end of the procedure and fully experience the pain associated with the procedure. Weve got to do the right thing. We must ban lateterm abortion. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1797 and protect the value of life. women and unborn babies.
Date: 2013-06-18
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Madam Chairman. I rise today in support of this FARRM Bill. I. along with many others in this room. have worked on drafting a farm bill that meets the needs of our agricultural producers and consumers. Weve taken part in audit hearings and met with producers. grocers. and consumers. Weve debated agricultural policy through two midnighthour markups on a bill that should pass every 5 years. Through all of this. I have gained knowledge of many unnecessary programs and the fraud and abuse that plagues these programs. I also have a newfound appreciation for the FARRM Bill and its value to American citizens. My granddad always said the farm bill is for when times are bad. not when they are good. Several of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have reasons to vote against the bill. Some say it cuts too much. For others. it doesnt cut enough. Let me be clear. This bill is a good step in the right direction. It will reduce Federal spending. It reduces the fraud. abuse. and waste in many of the government programs that are in the government today. I would like to share a few facts with you. If we dont pass this bill: $40 billion is the amount of money that will be spent on outdated commodity programs that we have cut out of this bill. 11 million is the number of additional acres in conservation programs that would receive a government program that we have cut out of this bill. We have also reduced SNAP payments for about 2 million people who should not qualify for them anyway. Some of the reforms to the nutrition title include: Restrictions in the use of the LIHEAP program. Eliminating lottery winners from qualifying for SNAP benefits. And eliminating State performance bonuses and advertising for the program. As my friend from Texas has asked: "Is this a legislative moment or a theater moment?" Madam Chair. I submit that this is a true legislative moment. During this time. we need to act on the facts. Farmers and families need the certainty of longterm agricultural policies so they can continue to be the cornerstone of our Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Date: 2013-06-18
Speaker: HERRERA BEUTLER (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to bring attention to the issue of dredging our Nations small ports. a critical issue for hardworking folks in Washington State. southwest Washington. in particular. in Wahkiakum County. Chinook. Ilwaco and other parts of my district. This is a job issue in my region and for those along waterways throughout our Nation. The issue is this: ports are lifelines to several towns and communities across the Columbia River and the Pacific Coast in my district. and they are literally being choked off by lack of maintenance dredging. One of my local newspapers. the Chinook Observer. commented. if a farmer were unable to ship his wheat because a road became impassable within our Federal highway system. the Federal Government would rightly fix this issue immediately. It is no different for the dire circumstances facing our Nations navigable waterways. We need to address this issue as soon as possible. As a member of the Appropriations Committee. Ive taken action in search of a swift solution. And thankfully. the committee included $1 billion out of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for dredging and maintenance of waterways in our Energy and Water Development appropriations bill. We must maintain our Nations maritime ports.
Date: 2013-06-19
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

I thank the gentleman from Texas. I will say that my home town has no "s." its Taylorville. But. hey. Mr. SESSIONS has been there. So thank you very much for your time spent in that community and thank you very much for the time today. I rise today in steadfast support of H.R. 1947. the FARRM Bill. Thanks to the leadership of Chairman LUCAS and Ranking Member PETERSON. we have crafted a farm bill that provides 5 years of certainty. cuts $40 billion. closes loopholes in the SNAP program. and preserves crop insurance as the key risk management tool for our producers. Ag has been a bright spot for this economy. For every $1 billion in agricultural exports. it supports nearly 8.000 American jobs. The district I represent is home to ADM. the University of Illinois. the Farm Progress Show. GSI. and Kraft Foods. From the farm to the classroom to the table. agriculture is a crucial economic driver in the 13th District of Illinois. Id also like to quickly highlight two amendments I authored. which were included in the FARRM Bill. The first one would provide the agricultural community with a place at the table when the EPA considers regulations impacting agriculture. This is how we stop regulations from coming to the table that want to regulate milk spills like oil spills from the Exxon Valdez. They dont make sense. and the Department of Agriculture deserves a seat at the table to tell them that. I also had a bipartisan seed amendment that removes duplicative layers of EPA regulations at our ports to ensure that we dont face shortages of seeds in the Midwest. Lastly. I want to talk about another vital title to this bill. The area that I represent has the University of Illinois. And those of us who are fortunate enough to represent land grant universities know that they are the bedrock of agricultural research. With this FARRM Bill. we are reauthorizing university research and continuing the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative within the National Institute for Food and Agriculture. Research through AFRI benefits the entire world. and Im proud of the research that the U of I has conducted through this program. Their cuttingedge research is aimed at improving food security. achieving more efficient crop production. and promoting animal health through livestock genome sequencing. We have an opportunity to move the FARRM Bill forward this week and avoid the uncertainty of yearlong extensions that reform nothing and spend more money. This FARRM Bill is well thought out. contains critical reforms. and benefits all Americans. Vote "yes" on this FARRM Bill.
Date: 2013-06-19
Speaker: HERRERA BEUTLER (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of subtitle C of title XII. add the following:
Date: 2013-06-19
Speaker: HERRERA BEUTLER (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. Im here today to join in the effort to promote this farm bill and request that my amendment be added to it. Im here to protect millions of jobs across the country. millions110.000 in my home State of Washington aloneby doing something we dont hear much of in this Chamber. particularly on this side of the aisle. Im here to say that I agree with the EPA. With respect to treating forest roads. the EPA has it right and has had it right now for nearly 40 years. This bipartisan amendment that Im very proud to offer with my colleague. KURT SCHRADER. simply codifies the EPAs silviculture rule that says mud and rock runoff from forest roads should not be categorized the same as industrial parking lots or factories. It makes no changes to the Clean Water Act. nor does it restrict the EPA from enforcing current law. In a recent Ninth Circuit Court decision. a judgenot the EPAdecided this rule needed to be changed and directed the EPA to require NPDES permits for all forest roads on public or private land. This ruling would have cost private. Federal. and State and tribal landowners billions of dollars. and it would have helped kill thousands of jobs across the country. Fortunately. the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately overturned this outrageous ruling and also believes the EPA treatment of forest roads is the correct approach. However. extremist lawsuits continue to roll in. and all of them are threatening the viability of forests by potentially costing private and public landowners millions in unnecessary. unscientifically proven expenses. Mr. Chairman. unless Congress acts. our forests will remain under the attack of baseless lawsuits that simply serve no purpose in protecting our rivers. streams. and waterways but are highly effective in killing real jobs. Were talking about jobs in wood product manufacturing: pulp. paper. forest harvesting. forest management. and the list goes on. This provision enjoys a wide range of bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. I urge my colleagues to stand with private landowners. job creators. Republicans and Democrats in Congress. the administration. and the Supreme Court in supporting this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-06-19
Speaker: HERRERA BEUTLER (republican)
Chamber: H

With that. I urge my colleagues to join in this bipartisan. bicameral effort to protect jobs and protect our forest health. I urge adoption of the amendment. and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. HER-
Date: 2013-06-19
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this amendment as well. While we all share the desire to get rid of the fraud. waste and abuse. I think weve reached a delicate balance in the committee with the language that weve done here. This is a competitive grant process. It will improve direct producertoconsumer market opportunities. I think its very valuable for our small farmers and our small communities.
Date: 2013-06-19
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition of this amendment. This current farm bill. the olive oil provision. will simply require that both domestic and imported olive oil will be subject to the same labeling requirements. Let me restate that: the same labeling requirements for domestic and imported olive oil. Americans deserve to know that the product that is advertised on the label is the product that they are buying when they are pulling it off the shelf. As the gentleman from New York stated. it is spotchecked right now. Less than 5 percent of the 98 percent of the oil sold in this country is actually checked as to whether or not it is labeled accurately. U.S. growers and ethical importers have a strong interest in developing this program of costeffective solutions since you are saving highquality standards for the consumer.
Date: 2013-06-19
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Date: 2013-06-19
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

The underlying language of the farm bill simply provides this industry the same opportunity that many other industries have been provided through the checkoff. I share a similar concern with the gentleman who has the amendment. Commerce or the Interior might have been an appropriate place to put this. other than they simply dont have the infrastructure to handle such a program. The infrastructure is already there at the USDA. There are other examples of products outside of agriculture that have been handled there. It simply gives the U.S. stone industry the opportunity to come together with a voluntary payment to support a marketing program to help their industry. Again. it is voluntary. A "tax." by definition. is an involuntary payment to support the government. This is a voluntary payment to support an industry. With that. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-06-19
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Again. Mr. Chairman. I would be happy to put it in the Departments of Commerce or the Interior. but the infrastructure is already there to put it in the USDA. With that. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Alabama .
Date: 2013-06-19
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. the industry has simply asked for chance to participate in a nocost to- the- taxpayer. voluntary program in which they can use that to help promote their product. I as a conservative think that this is good for some of our small business owners. and I respectfully ask that we oppose the amendment. With that. I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Michigan .
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to designate the new Interstate Route 70 bridge over the Mississippi River connecting St. Louis. Missouri. and southwestern Illinois as the "Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge".
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

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 materials on H.R. 2383.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 2383. to name the new 170 bridge that connects St. Louis and southwestern Illinois as the "Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge." I introduced this legislation. along with my colleague BILL ENYART. as well as ANN WAGNER. JOHN SHIMKUS.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. Id like to thank my colleague. Mrs. WAGNER. for her comments and support for this bill. Id also like to thank my colleague. Mr. ENYART. for his support. and also for his service to our country. Thank you. sir. At this time. Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri .
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. again. I would like to thank my colleague. Mr. LUETKEMEYER. and my colleague. Mr. CLAY. Thank you for your service. Thank you for the stories about Stan Musial being "the man" when it came to a difficult time in Major League history. I would also like to thank you for your fathers service too.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

In closing. I would like to thank Congresswoman BUSTOS for managing this bill with me today. It has been an honor. I would also like to thank Congressman ENYART. Congresswoman WAGNER. Congressman SHIMKUS. Congressman CLAY. and Congressman LUETKEMEYER for coming to the floor today in support of H.R. 2383. I would also be remiss not to thank former Congressman Jerry Costello for his vision to turn this bridge from an idea into a reality. and I would like to honor him today. too. for his service to our country as a Member of Congress. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation so that we can honor our veteransand Stan the Man Musial. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to designate the air route traffic control center located in Nashua. New Hampshire. as the "Patricia Clark Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center".
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

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 materials on H.R. 1092.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill honors the work and commitment of Mrs. Patricia Clark for her 60 years of Federal service. Mrs. Clark began working at Boston Center in Nashua. New Hampshire. in 1963 when it first opened. and has worked there ever since. In her years at Boston Center. Mrs. Clark has never taken annual or sick leave. According to her colleagues. Mrs. Clarks dedication to her job is as impressive as her length of service to the FAA. To recognize her dedication. Mrs. Clarks colleagues decided that it was appropriate to celebrate Boston Centers 50th anniversary by renaming it in her honor. The dedication and hard work of Federal employees like Mrs. Clark should not be overlooked. I voice my support and encourage my colleagues to support this bill. which recognizes the work of an exemplary Federal employee. I want to clarify that. while honoring Mrs. Clark. this bill does not require any funding for the renaming of the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center. With that. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize and thank my colleague. the gentlewoman from New Hampshire . for introducing this piece of legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I would like to personally thank Mrs. Clark for all her years of dedicated service. This is truly an honorbenefiting a Federal employee of her high caliber. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to rename section 219(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as the Kay Bailey Hutchison Spousal IRA.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of the bill under consideration.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today we are considering legislation to rename the Spousal IRA the "Kay Bailey Hutchison Spousal IRA." and I want to thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for cosponsoring this bill. Mr. Speaker. a fellow Texan. an extraordinary woman and the first Texas female United States Senator. Kay Bailey Hutchison established during her time in the Senate a long and distinguished record of service to the great people of Texas and to Americans across our Nation. A fitting example of the Senators service is her successful effort to help families save for retirement. Back in 1993. Senator Hutchison first led the effort to change an unfair tax rule that limited the ability of homemakers to fully contribute to their own personal retirement accounts known as IRAs. At that time. homemakers could only put aside $250 in an IRA as opposed to $2.000. the maximum allowed for the working spouse. In response. Senator Hutchison introduced legislation allowing homemakers to fully contribute to their own accounts. In 1996. Congress passed legislation that included the Senators proposal to do just that. As a result. homemakers are no longer penalized for undertaking the important work of raising a family when it comes to saving for retirement. As the Senator said back in 1996: There is no question in my mind that the work done inside the home is as much a part of the American family. if not more important to the American family. than the work done outside the home. I cant think of a better way to recognize the now former Senators efforts to make it easier for families to achieve retirement security than by renaming the Spousal IRA the "Kay Bailey Hutchison Spousal IRA." Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. and I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas . a member of the Ways and Means Committee and chairman of the Subcommittee on Health.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas . a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Date: 2013-06-25
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I want to thank my colleague. Mr. DOGGETT. for his words. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this bill in honor of Senator Hutchisons commonsense effort to make it easier for families to save for retirement. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-06-26
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 1864. This legislation addresses a serious problem in our militarysexual assault. Todays legislation is absolutely critical for creating an environment where victims feel comfortable enough to report crimes of sexual violence. Im proud to be a cosponsor of this important piece of legislation. With reports of 26.000 instances of unwanted sexual contact. we must continue to address this unacceptable culture within our military. The lack of reporting in instances of sexual assault is alarming to say the least. The Department of Defense estimates that only 14 percent of victims of sexual abuse actually report assaults. Today I am voting to end this culture. Im voting to encourage a reporting of sexual assault in an environment where our soldiers will not fear for loss of their job. My good friend and my colleague Congresswoman WALORSKIs bill provides protections against retaliation for those that report instances of sexual abuse. Because of her bill. an investigation must be launched in response to any retaliatory action taken against someone that reports an instance of sexual abuse. As a Nation. we have made great strides with women in the military. We need to build upon our efforts to ensure that these women are in an environment where they can feel safe. I have a daughter who is 2 years away from being eligible to serve our country in the military. I would like to know if she chose to serve our country that she would not be entering the type of culture that currently exists. I support this bill for all of the fathers like me and mothers and wives and kids who send their loved ones to serve in our great military in this great Nation. We owe those men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much for this country a culture of respect and security. I know I will be thinking of those victims as I vote today. and for all those that felt their career would be hurt if they were to actually report an instance of sexual assault. I want to thank again my friend. my colleague. Congresswoman WALORSKI. for allowing me the time to speak and for her leadership on this very important issue. I strongly support this bill and urge my colleagues to vote "yes" on H.R. 1864. providing protections to those who report sexual assault in the military.