macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Speaker. I certainly want to recognize and appreciate the gentlewoman from Manhattan for the excellent leadership job that she is doing on this. Mr. Speaker. this bill. TRIA. is so important. It is very important to note that it hasnt cost the taxpayers anything. and it has been very successful where needed. but. Mr. Speaker this bill contains another very important piece: we affectionately call it NARAB. which is the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokersjust think if TRIA and the NARAB portion of this bill had been in place in 1999. before we had the terrorism risk. before we had the terrorist strikes of 9111. and other terrorist attacks. But in the middle of all of that. even with the downturn of the economic calamity. standing in the middle of this storm were our insurance agents. the lifeline of the American people. What NARAB is doing here is making sure that we streamline the process and make sure that our insurance agents are able to operate across State lines. Mr. Speaker. we all realize that insurance is a Statelicensed. Stateauthorized operation. NARAB does not interfere with that. As a matter of fact. all 50 of the insurance agents of our States have all agreed with NARAB. This is an important bill because our insurance agents. our small businesses. are the lifeline in tragedy and distress. We live in a highly mobile society now. It is very important for our agents to be able to go across State lines with one licensing procedure that is held to the highest standard while at the same time being licensed in their own State. We have had great cooperation from all of our insurance agents. including the insurance agents association. Our financial advisers and our brokers all agree. The other thing. Mr. Speaker. is that many of us on the Financial Services Committee have been working on this measure for 10 years. For 10 years. we have been toiling in the vineyards on this and so have others in the Senate. Now is the time to give our insurance agents the respect and the nobility of purpose of their very fine profession and at the same time reach our primary goal. which is to give the American insurance consumers the choice. the competition. and the benefits that they need.
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. I do want to comment that it has been reported in the press that the Senate has announced they will bring up this bill next week. which is very. very important to move it forward. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Massachusetts
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Maryland . the distinguished minority leader.
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. I yield 21/2 minutes to my good friend from the great State of New York . who is the ranking member on the Small Business Committee.
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. we had other speakers scheduled from New York. but they are not on the floor now. so I would just like to say. in closing. that this is critically important legislation. I can speak from personal experience. having represented New York during and after 9111. that after 9111 you could not even build a hot dog stand. All construction stopped. No one could get any insurance. The only insurance available was from Lloyds of London. and it was incredibly expensive and people could not afford it. We lost thousands and thousands of jobs. And it happened also. when we came together and started to rebuild not only in New York but the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. I would say. of all the programs that this body put forwardand there were many. and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their supportI truly believe that this particular one was certainly the most important in helping New York rebuild and rebound. I want to add that it did not cost our taxpayers one single dime. It is an innovative way to get building and construction happening across this country. So it is tremendously important to the economy. It is an important bill. and I am so pleased that it has been a bipartisan effort. This body passed the bill. It stalled in the Senate. but we do need to reauthorize it as swiftly and as quickly as possible. I hope it is an example of how this body can work together on legislation that is critical to this country to rebuild and expand the jobs and our economy and to help strengthen our country in other ways. So again I thank the leadership on both sides of the aisle for moving so swiftly to bring it to the floor and. really. to Mr. NEUGEBAUER. who was the point person in many ways in the compromise legislation that moved forward. I urge my colleagues to vote for it. It is the right thing to do for America. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. my colleague. the Honorable TED POE. will recognize this name. The Honorable Lee Duggan. a district court judge in Houston. Texas. reminded young lawyers that we live in a world where it is not enough for things to be right. they must also look right. and this bill doesnt look right. It doesnt look right when you combine 11 bills into one overnight and then present that to the floor without any amendments being available to the bill. We should not allow a poisonpill process to develop at the genesis of this Congress. If we do it now. we will continue to do it. I think we have to concern ourselves not only with these 11 bills. but with the many other bills that are to follow. We can never allow this to start the new Congress. We should prevent it. I would also add this. I am all for doing a lot of things with a hurryup process. I would like to see us do something about minimum wage. we are not doing anything about minimum wage at all thus far. I would like to see us do something about comprehensive immigration reform. that will be a piecemeal deal if it ever becomes a bill. Mr. Speaker. I stand with those who believe that the process ought to be fair. It ought to favor the openness that allows for amendments. I say to you that this is not right. and it doesnt even look right.
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 23. legislation that would reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Programor NWIRP. The last few years have been devastating years for natural disasters across the country. There were massive tornadoes across the Midwest that resulted in loss of life and significant economic damages. In addition. Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012 caused widespread destruction and death along the Eastern seaboard. H.R. 23 directs NIST. NSF. NOAA. and FEMA to support activities to improve the understanding of windstorms and their impacts. We can use that knowledge to reduce the vulnerability of our communities to natural disasters. The NWIRP program helps our federal agencies and communities across the nation develop and implement many measures that help minimize the loss of life and property during windstorms and to rebuild effectively and safely after such storms. I was pleased that when this bill was considered by the House Science. Space. and Technology Committee last Congress. we worked in a bipartisan manner and made several improvements to the bill. We worked together to increase the authorization for FEMA. the agency tasked with implementing the research conducted by the other NWIRP agencies. Additionally. we added several social sciencerelated provisions to the bill. We cannot design effective disaster preparation strategies without understanding how people make decisions and respond to disaster warnings. This is a compromise bill and so it doesnt contain as much as I think should be done. In particular. I wish this bill included authorization increases for the NWIRP agenciesincreases that are justified by the important activities those agencies carry out. However. it is still a good bill and an important bill for us to act on. I want to thank my fellow TexansChairman SMITH and Mr. NEUGEBAUERfor working across the aisle on this bill and for bringing it to the floor today. And I want to thank Ms. WILSON for her efforts on this legislation. It was good to see Members of the Committee coming together. working out their differences. compromising. and ending up with a bill with bipartisan support. I support the bill and urge my colleagues to support this important bill.
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 34. the "Tsunami Warning. Education. and Research Act of 2015". First. I want to thank the Ranking Member of the Environment Subcommittee. Ms. BONAMICI. for her work on this legislation and her commitment to maintaining the health and vitality of the Nations oceans and coastal communities. I would also like to thank Mr. ROHRABACHER for joining her in this bipartisan effort. and Mr. SMITH. the Chairman of the Science Committee. for starting the 114th Congress with a good bipartisan bill. Over 120 million Americans call the United States coastline their home. These coastal communitiesfrom major cities to small townsplay a vital role in sustaining the American economy. In fact. approximately onethird of the U.S. gross domestic product has its origins in coastal areas. That is why the bill we are considering today is so important. It would allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to continue to protect Americans and our coastal economies from the threat of tsunamis. This legislation is a perfect example of a familiar saying: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Our tsunami warning program has increased in effectiveness over the last decade. but we must remain vigilant in our preparedness and continue to invest in the research and development. and education and outreach. necessary to improve the resiliency of our coastal communities to these destructive waves. We were reminded in 2004 in Sumatra. and again in 2011 in Japan. of the devastation that can be caused by a tsunami. Billions and billions of dollars in economic damages and countless lives are at risk if we do not maintain. and improve. our tsunami detection and forecasting capabilities. Todays legislation advances NOAAs research efforts to do just that and may ultimately add minutes of critical response time to tsunami warnings. The bill also recognizes that the results of NOAAs research must be translated into outreach and education activities at the state and local level. The effective and timely communication of threats is critical in mitigating the impacts of a natural disaster. In addition. increased warning times are only effective if people know how to respond. I am pleased that this legislation emphasizes and supports local community preparedness. Resiliency to natural disasters is an important part of strengthening the nations economic security. I want to ensure that our coastal communities have the resources and tools they need to minimize the loss of life and property caused by a tsunami. Reauthorizing NOAAs tsunami activities is a key step in helping our communities continue to make progress. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. in the last couple of days. we have seen tragic incidents occurring against innocent people. today in particular. the tragic killing of journalists and police officers in Paris. France. terrorist acts against innocent persons and persons who we know in the United States have the right to the First Amendment and freedom of expression that is the very core of the principles of this Nation of which we value and which our soldiers have gone to faraway wars to fight for. At the same time. Boko Haram. a terrorist group that has plagued the African continent. mainly in Nigeria. Chad. Cameroon. and around the areas of Niger. have taken a city near Lake Chad. They have seized that city. They have taken over the military base. They are continuing to kill thousands and causing 1.5 million to be displaced. Again. we have to fight terrorism in a universal manner. both in terms of our attitudes and values. but more importantly. in the organizing of African nations to stand up against these heinous terrorists. who have stolen children. 300 girls and boys. and taken them from their families and lives. Boko Haram cannot be in control. We must. in a united way. stand against them and provide for the peace and tranquility of the people of the continent where they are.
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlelady very much. I rise in support of President Obamas recent announcement that updates our diplomatic policy approach to Cuba. I am very pleased to see that our outdated approach to U.S.-Cuban relations will end and we will begin to normalize our relationship with Cuba. Not only does the Obama administrations announcement reestablish positive diplomatic ties with Cuba. it also helps to empower the Cuban people by updating travel restrictions. remittance policies. and quality of life. One of the most positive outcomes of the updated policy announcement is the lifting of many trade restrictions between the United States and Cuba. In my home State of Texas. the Texas Farm Bureau has long supported improved trade policies with Cuba because of the potential to export Texas farm products. This provision not only serves the U.S. economy positively. but it is also very meaningful to the Cuban policy. which has struggled tremendously in the past. While trade provisions and helping to improve the livelihood of Cuban people by allowing the Cuban economy to build are constructive measures. we must focus on additional viable resources Cuba could provide to the United States. For instance. with the opening of diplomatic ties. I sincerely hope that our State medical boards in the United States will consider the educational value that Cuban medical schools provide to future health professionals who wish to practice medicine in the United States. I have had students from my district attend medical school in Cuba. I am aware that Cuba has offered nurses and physicians around the world in needy countries where needed. The aforementioned examples are only a few of the many ways that opening our diplomatic relations with Cuba will be positive for our country. and I urge my colleagues to support the Obama administrations decision to update our relationship with our neighbor and future ally.
Date: 2015-01-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Having written a letter to join with other colleagues for the release of Alan Gross. I want to make sure the record said Alan Gross and not Alan Grossman. Best to his wife and him at this time.
Date: 2015-01-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. there are a number of issues that are confronting this Congress as it returns to serve the American people here in the United States Capital. What a wonderful place of democracy and freedom. It gives me a sense of ownership on these values on behalf of my constituents in celebration that we live in a nation that admires and respects and finds a way to disagree without being disagreeable but. more importantly. that we understand that violence against one another is not the solution. Tragically. I stand to mourn with the people of France as they have experienced a heinous terrorist act. the first. I believe. in a decade that follows the tragedies in Canada and Australia. So we have to define ourselves in somewhat of a different way. The commentary indicated. How would we know? As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee. I challenge all of us to say we have to know. We must find a way to balance our civil liberties and the respect for our Constitution with protecting the American people. and in a tworoad process. try to hinder those who would come to do this violent harm on our soil. But more importantly. we have to begin in a societal confrontation through diplomacy on stopping the radicalization of young people using sources such as the Internet. It is real and we must address it. I look forward as a member of the Homeland Security Committee to begin looking legislatively and pointedly at how we address this question to protect the American people. I want to step aside for a moment and just speak on two local issues.
Date: 2015-01-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. Riverside Hospital. Houston. quite different from my earlier comments. is a local hospital in my community founded by the family of a deceased World War I veteran. It has a special place in the hearts of African Americans because it was the only hospital where Negroes could go in the 20th century. It has fallen on difficult challenges. And so my question and my inquiry is to the new. incoming Governor for the State of Texas. Governor Abbott. to find value in this medical facility because of its historic relationship. It once housed the only outside posttraumatic stress disorder center in Houston outside of the veterans hospital system. It was well attended by veterans who loved the idea of a center that was away from the massive hospital system. It serves people who are poor in the neighborhood and seniors. It has helped those who suffer from substance abuse. and I believe that it needs and desires and deserves a new start. I will be working with a variety of agencies to do that. and will not be ashamed that unfortunately tragic or. let me say. misbehavior of some caused this unfortunate turn in this hospital. Its history is worth saving. I thank the Cullinan family. whose son died in World War II. for providing the initial funds for us to be able to have this Negro hospital.
Date: 2015-01-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. then I want to salute Wheatley High School and those who have attended it. It was named after Phillis Wheatley. It was an African American high school in the great city of Houston in the fifth ward. Two of its many graduates were the late Congressman Mickey Leland and late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. and obviously many other great Americans who went to that high school. Unfortunately. the original Wheatley High Schoolover the valiant efforts of Wheatley graduates because "everything new" seems to be the direction we want to gowas torn down. But I believe there is a way to find common ground. and I am going to encourage HISD to meet with these valiant former alumni to find a common path of preserving that history in the new school and bringing the community together. We look forward to meetings forthcoming. for HISD to lend a hand out to people who want to preserve history. to tell the story of a school that was built in 1927 out of a material that in fact actually lasted. And when African Americans could not go to any other school. when those who went off to World War II and Vietnam couldnt go elsewhere. they had the Wheatley High School that sits proudly in the fifth ward. There is a Wheatley High School that was modernized. but the original building of terracotta materialso beautiful if you had seen itcould have been restored. I would like to stand here and say dont condemn those who wanted to hold that piece of history alongside of educating children today and give them the kind of technology they needed. We can do this together. I want to salute those who fought hard. and we can find a common path by working together.
Date: 2015-01-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. as I come to the floorI had been on the floor earlier todayI offer again my deepest sympathy to the people of France and mourn with them for the heinous tragedy yesterday. and I know all Americans also do so. I come. however. to talk about an issue that will draw bipartisan recognition of the importance of ensuring the support in the lack of reductions of SSI benefits. There are 300millionplus Americans in this country. Madam Speaker. 5.81 million Americans receive SSI. 4.6 million of them are disabled. and 1.3 million are children. My office is in the Federal building in Houston. Texas. I watch individuals come to our Social Security office. They dont look rich. They dont look fraudulent. They dont look like they are trying to take advantage of the system of help that America is giving them. I am sending out an SOS alert to all the families who have loved ones on SSI or the children who are receiving death benefits because their parents are dead. I am asking that we commit to ensuring and providing the support for the SSI account. not reducing it. not reducing benefits. because these are the neediest Americans who I would be in utter shame to point out that they are fraudulent. We will be having a teachin in my district. We will ask them to come and tell their stories because I am insisting and refusing to allow their benefits to be cut.
Date: 2015-01-08
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise today to express my opposition both to the rule and also to the underlying legislation. Save American Workers Act of 2015. To paraphrase President Reagan: There you go again. This bill is another effort to undermine the Affordable Care Act. and. even worse. this significantly makes the problem worse. Raising the threshold for fulltime employees from 30 hours a week to 40 hours a week would result in lost work hours for 6.5 million people. This essentially guts the employer responsibility requirement at the direct expense of the hardworking employees and of the taxpayers who end up subsidizing these employees health care coverage. According to the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation. the misnamed Save American Workers Act will cause 1 million people to lose their employerbased health insurance coverage. increase the number of uninsured Americans by 500.000. and add $74 billion to the deficit over the next 10 years.
Date: 2015-01-08
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

It will make shifts toward parttime employment more likely rather than less. Starting the 114th Congress with the 54th attempt to undermine or repeal the Affordable Care Act is disappointing. and the American people deserve better.