macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-01-07
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. last year. nearly 2 million Americans lost their jobs. Almost half of those job losses came in October and November. after the financial collapse of Wall Street. The December jobs numbers will be out in a couple of days. but it is not likely to be good news. All month long retailers were saying that they had to lay off seasonal help because Americans simply were not spending their money. And thats not surprising. considering that many of our constituents are justifiably concerned about their job security. Even those that are confident that they will hold on to their jobs are feeling financially squeezed because they are being paid less than they were 10 years ago. As the 111th Congress begins this week. we are committed to getting Americans back to work and preventing further job cuts from happening later this year. We also want to provide middle class Americans with tax relief so they can better afford their monthly bills. Madam Speaker. as change comes to Washington. we should work in a bipartisan manner to pass an economic recovery package quickly. We cannot afford to wait.
Date: 2009-01-07
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. today. the House considers a bill that amends the Presidential Records Act. This important piece of bipartisan legislation will help preserve open government. by reversing an executive order issued in the early days of the Bush administration that cut off access to Presidential records for historians and the American public. Under that executive order. former Presidents and their heirs were given unprecedented authority to withhold or. indefinitely delay. access to documents from the public. And. for the first time. the order extended the authority to assert "executive privilege" to former Vice Presidents. This legislation reverses that order by stating clearly that only current and former Presidents may assert "executive privilege." The bill also grants current Presidents discretion over whether to support a former Presidents assertion of privilege and places strict time limits for the current and former President to review records before they are released.
Date: 2009-01-07
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. today. the House considers the Presidential Libraries Donation Reform Act. I was a cosponsor of this bill when it was originally introduced in 2007 and I am proud to stand in support of it today. Under current law. a sitting president can accept private donations in unlimited amounts for the purpose of building a presidential library. There is no requirement that the donors identity or the amount of the donation be disclosed. The potential for abuse here is obvious. � This bill requires presidential libraries fundraising organizations to disclose to Congress information about the donors and their donations during and immediately following the presidents term in office. The bill originally passed the House on suspension in March 2007. and returns to the House floor today after receiving strong support in the Senate. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of -bipartisan legislation.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this essential Resolution. recognizing Israels right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza. reaffirming the United States strong support for Israel. and supporting the IsraeliPalestinian peace process. As Israel faces intense international criticism for exercising its legitimate right to selfdefense. southern Israel is being repeatedly and consistently showered with Hamas rockets and northern Israel has been hit by rockets from Lebanon. Like all sovereign nations. Israel has not only a right. but moreover. an obligation. to ensure the safety and security of her citizens. Let me be very clear. Israels response. her defense of her people. is in reaction to the hundreds of Hamas missiles that were targeted at Israeli citizens throughout the flimsy ceasefire of 2008. Hamass leaders. choosing terror against Israel over the welfare of the Palestinian people. have chosen violence over peace. And while Hamas has been going out of its way to kill innocent Israelis. Israel has been going above and beyondeven putting itself at riskto protect innocent Palestinians. Specifically. Israel drops leaflets and makes phone calls to targeted Palestinian areas to warn citizens they are in danger. even if this means losing the element of surprise and putting the lives of its own soldiers at risk. In contrast. Hamas deliberately attacks Israeli civilians and uses its own people as human shields. In addition. Israel has been facilitating the transfer of significant amounts of humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip. delivering 15.000 tons of aid over the past week and a half. Hamas. on the other hand. has stolen some of those humanitarian medical supplies from civilians to give to their gunmen. Undeniably. the suffering is great in Israel and Gaza. Now is the time for us all to stand together in support of Israel and peace. I urge my colleagues to support this critical resolution. and pray that Hamas stops firing rockets into Israel. and starts working towards peace instead of terror.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I rise today to express my concerns regarding H. Res. 34. I do not think that this resolution provides a complete picture of the conflict in Gaza and as a result. I will be voting present on this resolution. I am particulariy concerned that this resolution does not address the core cause of the crisis. and I am not confident that this resolution will be beneficial to improving the situation in Gaza. I have grave concerns about Hamass alarming history of violence. However. in order to resolve this crisis it is imperative that we encourage both Israel and Hamas to pursue a peaceful resolution and come to a sustainable ceasefire. Today marks the 14th day of the Gaza war. Over 700 people have been killed by both Israeli and Hamas military actions. International aid workers are reporting that they are unable to access the Gaza civilians and the United Nations has suspended its aid operations following the death of a U.N. official. I believe that a bipartisan resolution should have more fully addressed these challenges and stressed the need for both parties to cease all fire and fulfill their obligations under the Road Map peace plans. This weekend I will be meeting with a number of relevant organizations and community leaders from my district to discuss the current crisis in Gaza. Through these meetings I hope to continue to learn more about the status of the ongoing situation and consider the ways in which the United States can develop a proactive plan that will both end this current conflict and bring longterm peace and stability to the region.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res. 34. the Gaza Conflict Resolution. We must end the current violence and bloodshed among both Palestinians and Israelis. This resolution reaffirms our support for Israel but additionally reaffirms our commitment toward a continuing peace process. With this resolution. we call for an end to the rocket and missile attacks from Hamas and ask that they recognize previous cease fire agreements between Israel and Palestine. In response to the attacks. however. Israel. as a sovereign nation. does maintain the right to defend its borders and citizens from aggression. This basic right to protect our people is not one that we should undermine. Our country knows too well that a response must be made when we are attacked and our way of life disrupted. However. there must be humaniarlan considerations in any conflict. and there must be steps taken to protect civilians and prevent attacks on innocent school children. In both countries. as a result of the attacks and subsequent response. civilians are being killed. injured and witnesses to horrific tragedy. Humanitarian aid has only recently been allowed into Palestine and there is no doubt that there is terrible human suffering on all sides. It is my hope that this resolution will help offer a roadmap to a peaceful solution. and that there.will soon be an end to the violence. We cannot forget that beneath the politics. there is great human tragedy. I will support this resolution. but believe that we must focus on ending this continuing violence and search for a peaceful solution for all parties involved.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Res. 34. This important resolution recognizes Israels right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza. while at the same time supporting the IsraeliPalestinian peace process and recognizing that the humanitarian needs in Gaza should be promptly addressed. For fourteen days. now. Israel has launched airstrikes and now. a ground invasion in response to thousands of Hamassanctioned rocket attacks on Israeli towns from the Gaza Strip. The strikes began less than a week after the expiration of a sixmonthlong ceasefire deal with Hamas--dudng which time. Hamas continually violated the ceasefire and shot rockets into southern Israel. Israel has a right to defend itself from these attacks and when Hamas announced that it was ending its "period of calm." Israel began to do just that. I have visited Israel on several occasions. and have seen the struggles Israelis face daily. I have even been to Sderot. Israel and have seen how close these attacks are and how they affect the families that live there. During these visits. I have seen the Israelis perseverance and determination to create a peaceful and prosperous state despite Hamas continued refusal to work towards a peaceful resolution. Hamas must end this violence and commit itself to a real truce. Without this. I believe that there is little chance for peace in the region. Israel and the United States have been close friends and allies for the past sixty years. Our relations have evolved from an initial American policy of sympathy and support for the creation of a Jewish homeland in 1948 to a key partnership based on common economic interests. common security interests. and most of all common values. We must continue to cultivate this relationship and encourage peace in the region.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. pursuant to section 5(a) of House Resolution 5. I call up the bill to amend title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. and to modify the operation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. to clarify that a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice that is unlawful under such Acts occurs each time compensation is paid pursuant to the discriminatory compensation decision or other practice. and for other purposes. and ask for -its immediate consideration.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey . a subcommittee Chair of the Education and Labor Committee.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I met Lilly Ledbetter during a Judiciary Committee hearing in 2007. She told us then how it was only after 20 years of working at Goodyear that she learned of the longstanding pay discrimination against her. Immediately upon learning this. Lilly took her case to court. But instead of following longstanding precedent that each new unfair paycheck represented a new cause of action. the Supreme Court denied Lilly Ledbetter justice. In the real world. discrimination is subtle and takes years to become evident. However. Justice Alito ruled that victims have only 180 days after the start of a discriminatory action to file suit. even if that employee has no way of knowing about it. This standard is impossible to meet. The Ledbetter Fair. Pay Act rights this wrong. It clarifies that an employee is discriminated against each and every time she receives an unfair paycheck. I thank Chairman MILLER and Congresswoman DELAURO for their outstanding leadership on this issue. and for my two beautiful daughters and the daughters of America. urge my colleagues to support fair pay in the workplace.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. today. I am pleased to speak about two bills that will go a long way towards establishing gender equity in American workplaces. The Paycheck Fairness Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will help close the legal loopholes and restore the initial intent of our civil rights laws. It has been 45 years since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act of 1963. and while pay disparities have narrowed. a strong wage disparity still exists. In fact. according to the U.S. Census Bureau women still make only 78 cents on the dollar to their male counterparts. We cannot deny that this gender disparity exists. and it is essential that we close the loopholes that allow it to continue. The Paycheck Fairness Act increases enforcement and accountability in cases of discrimination. and provides relief for women who face retaliation for standing up for equal pay. It also requires the Department of Labor to increase their efforts to end pay disparities. Last year. the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a longstanding prior law making it increasingly difficult for workers to pursue legal remedies for pay discrimination. Today we will work to restore the intent of the Civil Rights Act through passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. We will no longer unfairly turn back to the clock on discrimination claims. An incident.of pay discrimination occurs each time a worker receives a lesser paycheck because of their gender. and we must treat it as such. We can no longer distort the intent of the law to protect those who seek to discriminate. These bills are not only for women. but for children and families. For the millions of working mothers in Americamany of whom are heads of households--it offers financial stability. This wage disparity is costing women between $400.000 and $2 million over a lifetime. Lower wages factor into longterm financial planning. Retirement and Social Security are based on income. Retirement aged women today are far less likely to receive a pension. and rely on Social Security benefits to survive. The wage discrimination women are facing today will continue to follow them well into retirement. We cannot continue to simply accept this disparity. and the Paycheck Faimess Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act are strong statements that this type of discrimination will not be tolerated. I would like to thank Congresswoman DELAURO and Chairman MILLER for offering these important pieces of legisla- tion. and commend the Democratic leadership for bringing these bills to the floor.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. pursuant to section 5(b) of House Resolution 5. I call up the bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex. and for other purposes. and ask for its immediate consideration.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 30 seconds here just to say that I am about to recognize. to speak on this legislation. Congresswoman ROSA DELAURO of Connecticut. I think all of us in the House. whether we agree or disagree with this legislation. recognize the incredible advocacy that she has brought to this issue of equal pay for equal work. of paycheck fairness. of womens rights at work. and the protection of lowincome American families throughout her entire career in the Congress. As I had mentioned earlier in this debate. she introduced this legislation* some 12 years ago and has been unable to get a hearing on the legislation. We provided that hearing. and I think it was compelling to almost all of the members of the committee that this wage disparity and these actions could not continue and deny women their full opportunity to participate in the American economy on equal footing. So its with a lot of pride and a great sense of honor just to recognize her to speak on behalf of this legislation which she has introduced and she is the primary author of. I recognize the gentlewoman from Connecticut for 6 minutes.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. in 1963. President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in order to address the nations wage gap. And yet. 46 years later women still make on average only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men for the same work. But thanks to Lilly Ledbetter. we are going to right. that wrong today on the House floor. In 2007. I had the opportunity to meet Lilly. She told me how she had no proof of pay discrimination until someone anonymously slipped payroll records into her mailbox. Anonymously because Goodyears payroll records were secret. This bill lifts the cloak of secrecy that allows these kinds of unfair pay practices to -festerwhich is exactly why the House proudly passed this bill last Congress. I urge my colleagues today to once again support fair pay practices. and see that this important legislation becomes law. What you dont know. can hurt you. I thank Chairman MILLER and Representative DELAURO for their leadership on this issue. The Paycheck Fairness Act is a bold step forward in righting the wrong of pay discrimination.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House. this motion is a little bit unbelievable in the sense that it suggests that we should be setting the attorneys fees. even though the amount that the gentleman is asking us to set far exceeds what would be ordinary hourly wages fees in these kinds of cases across the Nation. At the same time. it makes no differentiation for geography. complication of cases. number of attorneys necessary in a case or even the number of firms that may be. We dont know if this applies to all of the attorneys in the case with multiple plaintiffs. whether this applies across the firm if multiple attorneys in a firm are on a single case if its a complicated case and. in many cases. these are very complicated cases because they go in to business practices that are disguised in terms of trying to justify unequal pay in the name of equal pay. I find it rather interesting that the supporters of this amendment across the aisle all stood up and talked about how they support the idea of equal pay. how they want their daughters and their granddaughters to be treated equally. how they want to make sure that theyre treated fairly in the workplace and they really support the concept. they just dont support this bill which would make thatthe law. But then what did they decide to do? They decided when those granddaughters arent treated fairly in the workplace. they will discriminate against them in an ability to have an attorney. They will discriminate against them because they will say that their attorneys fees are going to be capped according to this law. as opposed to letting the judge and the
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I ask my colleagues to reject this amendment. to keep the purpose and the intent and the constitutionality of the underlying legislation. and that we should now pass. after many. many years of waiting. the Paycheck Fairness Act. And I ask a "no" vote on this. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: HERSETH SANDLIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I regret that I was unable to participate in three votes on the floor of the House of Representatives today. The first vote was H.R. 12. the Paycheck Fairness Act. Had I been present. I would have voted "aye" on that question. The second vote was H.R. 11. the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Had I been present. I would have voted "yea" on that question. The third vote was H. Res. 34. recognizing Israels right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza. reaffirming the United States strong support for Israel. and supporting the IsraeliPalestinian peace process. Had I been present. I would have voted "yea" on that question.
Date: 2009-01-09
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam 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 H.R. 11 and H.R. 12.
Date: 2009-01-13
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to Claiborne Pell. the great former Senator from Rhode Island. Senator Pells life was defined by service. from the Coast Guard. to the Foreign Service. to 36 years in the United States Senate. He was a model statesman. willing to listen and compromise but never straying from his commitment to fairness and equality. Senator Pell has left a long list of achievements. but his greatest legacy is the Pell grant. which has opened the doors to college for over 50 million students. He also introduced legislation to create the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was an ardent environmentalist. working to protect oceans from nuclear testing. Those are just a few of Senator Pells many accomplishments. I would like to turn for a moment to some personal observations. I had the great privilege of working for Senator Pell when I was a member of the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1987 to 1989. He was a man of both grace and principle. He rarely spoke a word in anger. but he didnt retreat from tough issues. He was a gentle soul with a kind word for most. But it would be a grave mistake for anyone to interpret his gentle disposition as a sign of weakness. He was passionate about the issues he cared about and relentless in pursuing them. He was insistent that the United States play a leading role in the world. He believed strongly in attempting to resolve international conflicts through negotiation and diplomacy before resorting to the use of force. His approach may have fallen out of political fashion for a time. but the passage of time has shown the wisdom of his counsel. We have entered an age that is often dominated by 20second sound bites and partisan political combat. Senator Pell would not have felt as comfortable in this new political environment. nor should he. Rather. we would do better to return to the more. deliberate and gentle ways he brought to the Senate. We have a lot to learn from his example. I will miss him. but our Nation is certainly stronger and better as a result of the life he lived and the legacy he left behind.