macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I want to thank my colleague from California and the Rules Committee for reporting this rule that will allow us for the first time to have Federal guidelines for the protection of children while they are in school. It is important that we strive to keep all children safe while they are in school. I am honored to have worked with and thank her so much for her cooperation. Congresswoman CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS. who was so instrumental in bringing this bill together and bringing all various parts of the discussion on this legislation together to help us draft the legislation. Not everybody agrees with it. but we have had wonderful cooperation and support from many parts of the educational community. recognizing the danger for the actions to continue that have put so many children in danger and have harmed so many children. without having an accurate reporting system. without having the proper training of teachers. Teachers are very often put in a very. very difficult position with respect to what to do. but we cannot have children being taped to their chairs. children having duct tape put around their mouth. children being locked into dark closets or even smaller spaces for multiple hours of the day. for multiple days of the week. so they can establish the comfort in the classroom. That is not the right treatment of that child. And if you are doing it over and over and over again and you are not changing the behavior. you are not getting the outcomes. you might want to rethink that policy. But. tragically. that is not happening in too many areas. Yes. there are some State regulations in this area. but they are very incomplete. They are spotty. Some only address one school population. one particular disability maybe. or a particular age group. but not others. But we cannot have. and as the GAO tragically made so graphic to our committee. you cannot have very young children treated in this way. We were presented with the most graphic case of students who died while they were placed in seclusion. while they were placed in improper uses of restraint.
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

We met with the parents and the caregivers of those children. And here is the final touch. that in many instances. these children were treated this way over and over and over again. and their parents. guardians were never notified. In many instances. the first time they realized what was going on is when the child. in a very traumatic way. refused to go back to school. was frightened to go back to school. Some of these children never have really been able to return to a regular school setting. They have lost trust in people in those settings. Or a teacher might venture out and quietly tell a parent that something is wrong in your childs classroom or the way your child is being behaviored. That is not the kind of notification that parents are entitled to. and it is not the kind of notification that people believe gives them the authority to engage in this abusive behavior. Also. we know that in a number of instances. medications were used without the involvement of a doctor. without the okay of the parent. without checking with the authorities prior to that. We do recognize that in particular cases a child may be a threat to himor herself. may be a threat to another student or to a teacher or to other school personnel. and we do allow them to take actions in that particular case. But the idea that this ad hoc theory of locking kids in closets while they soil themselves. while they are denied food. while they are denied water. lets look at what this bill does. It says you cant deny water. you cant deny food. you cant deny them access to bathroom facilities. That is kind of basic. isnt it. in the treatment of a child? And think of what happens to a child when that is done. We are not always talking somehow about a worldly teenager here. We are talking about. in many instances. very young children. children in many. many instances with disabilities who may not be able to communicate clearly. We cannot allow us to proceed against those children without a policy being in place that protects the children and notifies the parents. Again. I want to thank the gentleman and the Rules Committee for reporting this rule.
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. pursuant to House Resolution 1126. I call up the bill to prevent and reduce the use of physical restraint and seclusion in schools. and for other purposes. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 4247.
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 10 seconds. I thank the gentlewoman from Washington. I dont believe she was in the Chamber at that time. but I want to again thank her. while she is here. for all of her work and all of her effort to bring this bill to the floor. I enjoyed working with her. At this time I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey .
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

If I might just yield to myself to respond to the inquiry. We have Mr. LANGEVIN who is waiting to speak. and I think Mrs. MCCARTHY is on her way.
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 2 minutes. The managers amendment makes minor technical corrections and clarifications. It renames the bill Keeping All Students Safe Act. The amendment adds clarifying language to the definition of "chemical restraint" to exclude medications prescribed and administered by qualified health professionals acting under State law. It fixes the definition of "school" to include all schools and programs under the jurisdiction of the local educational agency. It clarifies language describing "Stateapproved crisis intervention training program." and the amendment requires States to consult with private school officials on determining that a sufficient number of personnel are trained to meet the needs of the student population. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise to claim the time in opposition to the gentlemans amendment. although I do not oppose the amendment.
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I support this amendment. Obviously. I am a very strong believer in this legislation and the terrible situation that we are trying to rectify. and I would hope and I think with the gentlemans language we can hopefully be assured that these grants would be based upon a healthy competition and would be based upon the request of the States for technical assistance and for other assistance in dealing with this legislation. So I support the amendment by the gentleman from Arizona. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2010-03-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to join my colleagues from the California congressional delegation today to recognize the 50th anniversary of the California State University system. The states individual State Colleges were incorporated into what is today known as the California State University system by the Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960. designed as part of the California Master Plan for Higher Education to meet the future needs of a growing state. That bill was authored by my father. George Miller. Jr.. who served in the State Senate for many years. Today. the campuses of the Cal State system can be found throughout California. and they make up the countrys largest and most diverse university system. In my districts backyard. CSU East Bay is providing opportunities for young people from around the Bay Area. preparing them for the future. I am pleased to recognize the 50th anniversary of the California State University system. and I look forward to working with the CSU system and others in California and across the country to make college more affordable and accessible for students today and for generations to come.
Date: 2010-03-04
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the distinguished gentlelady from California. and I rise to thank the Rules Committee. This is a tough business. They had to do their work in the backdrop of Senator BUNNING. who didnt care about the unemployed. thousands upon thousands and millions. and held up this bill and the negotiations for this bill for as long as he thought it was relevant. And so here we stand trying to address this question. I would offer to say. there are some good things: the fact that employers have a $1.000 income tax credit for every new employee that continues to work for 52 weeks. the fact that there is an incentive to hire new employees and to keep them hired. the fact that there is an extension of the small business expensing to allow small businesses. the backbone of America. to be able to write off certain capital expenditures so they can hire new people.
Date: 2010-03-04
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise in support of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment. HIRE. Act as an important part of the ongoing jobs agenda Congress will continue to prioritize in the months ahead. Simply put. we will not stop until every American who wants a job can find one. and we have launched a new era of broadly shared American prosperity. To boost near term employment while tackling our nations infrastructure backlog. the HIRE Act extends the current surface transportation law through the end of 2010 and provides $77 billion to get our nations highways. roads and public transit systems back into shape. A new direct payment option for states and localities that issue tax credit bonds for school construction. energy conservation and renewable energy will further support job creation in these vital sectors. I am pleased that this legislation continues support for our jobgenerating small businesses by extending the enhanced expensing begun in the Recovery Act. Under this provision. small businesses will be able to immediately write off up to $250.000 for qualified capital expenditures incurred in 2010. Finally. as a signature initiative. this bill will encourage businesses to hire new workers by providing a payroll tax holiday equal to the employers share of social security taxes for every new hire made between February 3. 2010 and January 1. 2011. An additional $1000 tax credit is provided for every employee kept on for a full calendar year. Madam Speaker. the HIRE Act will put more Americans back to work providing for their families and participating in our ongoing economic recovery. It is fully paid for and deserves my colleagues support.
Date: 2010-03-04
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. this is a question of jobs. and I dont want tomorrows numbers. if they happen to be showing that we have not reached the goals that we want to reach. to in any way distract from the work the Democrats are doing and that we should be doing together. I have concerns about what we just passed as it relates to jobs. although I support the infrastructure part of the bill. I think that. if we focus on jobs. weve got to save NASA. and weve got to ensure that we continue human spaceflight. Then weve got to go into neighborhoods and areas where there are the chronically unemployed. We have to put up recruitment offices so that we can provide real opportunities for jobs to build Americas infrastructure. We have to go to the public housing projects and make sure that those who live there can work on the rehabilitation of those projects. Those who are chronically unemployed need to have a job in hand. They need to be able to be trained and then work. Those who are unemployed need to be able to be trained for new jobs and not lose their unemployment. Weve got to put a job in the hand of the chronically unemployed. Thats what I will continue to fight for. Thats the legislation that I will support.
Date: 2010-03-09
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise before you today in support of H.R. 4621. the "Prevent Deceptive Census Look Alike Mailings Act." I would like to thank Representative MALONEY for introducing this important piece of legislation. It is extremely important that we protect the integrity of the constitutionally mandated United States census and prohibit deceptive mail practices that attempt to exploit the decennial census. This legislation is vital because it will set requirements for mail bearing the term "census" on the envelope or outside cover or wrapper. Protecting the integrity of the Census from fraudulent activity will ensure that the U.S. Census Bureau is able to gather more accurate data. Hopefully. this legislation will ease the fears of those afraid to be scammed and therefore do not respond to the Census. It is important that the American people are aware that the questions in the Census survey are used only to produce statistics. and never identify an individual. The Census Bureau never asks for a full social security number. money or a donation. requests on behalf of a political party or requests PIN codes. passwords or similar access information for credit cards. banks or other financial accounts. The official U.S. Census is described in Article I. Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States. It calls for an actual enumeration of the people every ten years. to be used for apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives among the states. Besides providing the basis for congressional redistricting. Census data are used in many other ways. Since 1975. the Census Bureau has had responsibility to produce smallarea population data needed to redraw state legislative and congressional districts. Other important uses of Census data include the distribution of funds for government programs such as Medicaid. planning the right locations for schools. roads. and other public facilities. helping real estate agents and potential residents learn about a neighborhood and identifying trends over time that can help predict future needs. According to the PriceWaterHouse report on the 2000 Census. the Census Bureau has estimated that the Census 2000 undercounted the actual U.S. population by a net of over three million individuals. representing an undercount rate of 1.18 percent. I am particularly concerned about correcting undercounting problems because Harris County. Texas. which is situated in my district. ranked fourth of the fifty U.S. counties with the highest number of people living in hardtocount areas. In fact. 80.5 percent of the population in Harris County lives in hardtocount areas. Even more astonishing. Harris County. Texas is one of eight counties estimated to lose over $100 million each in federal funds from undercounting in the 2000 Census. according to the aforementioned Price Waterhouse report. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and protect the integrity of the constitutionally mandated United States census and prohibit deceptive mail practices that attempt to exploit the decennial census.
Date: 2010-03-09
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1091. which expresses support for designation of the week of February 28 through March 7. 2010. as "School Social Work Week". Mr. Speaker. there is a mounting need for local educational institutions to provide the mental health services social workers offer when working with students emotional. physical. and environmental needs. When students are coupled with sincere and understanding social worker. they are more likely to succeed and achieve behavioral and academic success. This legislation will affirm that social workers are life lines to children. schools. families and communities and those we fully are committed to any and all initiatives that promote the need for such crucial workers. Mr. Speaker. 1 in 5 of the 17.500.000 children in need of mental health services actually receive these services. and research indicates that school mental health programs improve educational outcomes by decreasing absences. decreasing discipline referrals. and improving academic achievement. It is imperative that more social workers are properly trained and deployed into these various school systems to assist students in reaching their most favorable level of potential and achievement. especially children with serious emotional barriers. The observation of School Social Work Week during the week of February 28 through March 7. 2010. calls attention to the fundamental role school social workers play in the lives of students in the United States. As many may know during the first years in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. the Houston school system. mainly Houston Independent School District. was flooded with children from the affected area school systems. After being through such a horrific ordeal. students were expected to continue with their studies as normal. It took the dedicated work of school social workers which assessed what was already in place to help the students. conclude what was missing and formulate a plan to build the students aptitude to bounce back from adversity. Now many of these students have gone on to succeed academically and socially. So in conclusion. I support H. Res. 1091 and I encourage my colleagues to join me. In these uncertain times. where natural and unnatural disasters are on every hand and have caused traumatic experiences for this nation. let us not forget our youth.
Date: 2010-03-09
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased tonight to acknowledge that there is a lot of energy behind the engine of NASA and the Constellation Program. There is a lot of interest across America. not so much for the individual States that are impacted but for the research engine of the international space station and the importance of human space exploration. Today. I will introduce. along with 16 cosponsors. H. Res. 1150. which declares NASA a national security interest and asset. It emphasizes the importance of the work of NASA. As well. it indicates that the elimination of the Constellation Program will. in fact. create a national security risk to the United States and will diminish the Nations efforts to advance scientific research in space. In addition. we are asking and indicating that there should be partnerships between universities and that NASA centers should be established to provide research opportunities to conduct research on behalf of the United States at the international space station. In addition. this legislation will ask for the full funding of the Constellation Program. We must save NASA. We must save jobs. This is an American imperative.
Date: 2010-03-10
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize National Womens History Month and to honor a small business owner from Orange County. Silvia Ichar. publisher of Para Todos magazine. Silvia exemplifies the principles of this month through her magazine. which showcases the women of the arts. business. community service. and politics. As a small business advocate and entrepreneur. she has demonstrated leadership in communicating the importance of womenowned and minorityowned businesses. in particular in the growing Hispanic business sector. She has received numerous business awards. including the Small Business Administrations award of 2009 for Small Business Journalist of the Year. She has also served as a board member for various Hispanic business organizations. including the California and the Orange County Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. the Latin Business Association. and the National Latina Business Women Association. I am very proud of Silvias achievement and her small business advocacy.
Date: 2010-03-10
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 249 to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the role that it played in ensuring the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As we commemorate this day. I am reminded of the pain and hardships that the AfricanAmerican community faced prior to the enactment of the Voting Rights Act. The use of intimidation. literacy tests. and poll taxes throughout the South ensured the disenfranchisement of most blacks. and while we have a difficult time fathoming these realities today. these practices were very common in the period before this historic legislation became law. It is often regarded that the marches from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 were key in bringing about the Voting Rights Act. and perhaps the first march. which took place on March 7. 1965. or Bloody Sunday. was the most important of these. On that day. roughly 600 people led by Hosea Williams and JOHN LEWIS were beaten and bombarded with tear gas at the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the Alabama River. From this. two subsequent marches took place that culminated with the gathering of roughly 25.000 people on March 25. 1965 on the steps of the Alabama capitol. A few short months later. on August 6. 1965. the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson to outlaw discriminatory voting practices. Mr. Speaker. I would also like to mention briefly how privileged I am to work with an American Hero and civil rights leader. Congressman JOHN LEWIS. His dedication to civil rights is unfaltering. and I am so fortunate to consider him a dear friend. Mr. Speaker. Bloody Sunday and the march on Selma will continue to be infamous subjects in American history. and it is important for us to reflect on these events with solemn hearts. However. we have never been a nation to forget the future either. and as we continue to look towards tomorrow. we must not disregard our hope for that which is to come. For this reason. I ask my fellow colleagues to join me in commemorating the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday so that we can honor the civil rights leaders of yesterday and encourage the generation of tomorrow to continue to work towards a more democratic America.
Date: 2010-03-10
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1115. which honors the profound dedication and public service of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena on the 25th anniversary of his untimely death. Mr. Camarena led an exemplary life of service to his community and his nation. As a member of the Marine Corps. fire fighter. police officer. and DEA special agent. he demonstrated an extreme passion for fighting crime and eliminating drugs to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities. He led a commendable 11year career at the Drug Enforcement Administration earning him the distinguished Administrators Award of Honor. In February 1985. Mr. Camarena lost his life in the line of duty. I had the opportunity to attend a memorial for Mr. Camarena and witness the impact his sacrifice made and hear from some of the many lives he touched. I am glad that twentyfive years after this tragedy. his passion and spirit still live on. His commitment to fighting drugs inspired millions of people around the world to live drugfree lives. We must continue to honor this legacy by promoting drugfree communities and supporting healthy drugfree lifestyles. Again. I would like to express my appreciation for the outstanding service Mr. Camarena provided for this nation and offer my support and deepest condolences to his wife. children. and to the entire family. friends. and former colleagues at the Drug Enforcement Administration.