macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-06
Speaker: STEVE COHEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

for joining me in introducing this legislation. The gentleman from Tennessee was the person from whom I inherited the hallowed halls of Longworth 1004. Our staff shared duties. including each others phone duties when meetings were being held in our offices. It was a great partnership and a wonderful bipartisan relationship that I have enjoyed ever since coming to Congress. I deeply thank the gentleman from Tennessee for his friendship. He was instrumental in securing bipartisan support for passage of H.R. 2919 through the Judiciary Committee. H.R. 2919 reinstates the tracking and reporting of attorneys fees paid out by the Federal Government under the Equal Access to Justice Act. also known as EAJA. EAJA was first enacted in 1980. with the goal of protecting small businesses and other citizens facing unreasonable government action. It was meant to address the David and Goliath situation that exists when a citizen has to go to court against the Federal Governments vast financial and legal resources. Consistent with this theme. EAJA was amended in 1985 to facilitate its application to Social Security claims. It was again amended in 1992 to include claims before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. EAJA has been subject to numerous reviews and revisions over the years to keep it up to date. Its requirement for agencies to track and report on attorneys fees helped inform Congress in its past efforts to improve the law. This transparency was also a safeguard for the Federal taxpayers who finance the law. Prior to 1995. EAJA payments trickled out at a rate of about $3 million annually. But since tracking and reporting requirements were eliminated in 1995. EAJA has operated in the dark. As a Government Accountability Office report made clear. most agencies do not track paymentsand wontunless Congress gives them direction to do so. Madam Speaker. that is why we are here today. As the gentleman from Ohio . mentioned. we only have anecdotal evidence as to how much we are spending on attorney fees. which agencies pay out the fees. and for what types of claims. We need transparency to better monitor this law moving forward. H.R. 2919 both reinstates transparency and improves it by requiring the information be posted online in a searchable database. We owe this to the small businesses. veterans. Social Security claimants. and others who rely on EAJA for their onceinalifetime court battles with the Federal Government. And we owe it to the hardworking taxpayers who are financing this law.
Date: 2014-05-06
Speaker: ALAN LOWENTHAL (democrat)
Chamber: H

another one of my distinguished colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee and a fellow firstterm Member whom I had the honor of traveling to Israel with our freshman class.
Date: 2014-05-06
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support and recognition of the sixtysixth anniversary of Israels independence and to honor a country that has made huge strides since its independence in 1948. As the only true democracy in the Middle East. America and Israel share so much. We both celebrate democracy and freedom. We feel an obligation to make the world a better place for all people. The United States has considered the existence of Israel a profound moral and spiritual imperative and was the first Nation to recognize the State of Israel. Israels security is of paramount importance. and our support for that security is unbreakable. We should take this occasion to reinforce our bond and renew our commitment to end tyranny and protect democracy. On the anniversary of its independence. the United States commends the nation of Israel as it pursues peace and security for its people.
Date: 2014-05-06
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

H.R. 4585. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I. Section 8. Clause 4 and Amendment I. Clause 3 of the Constitution.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I raise a point of order against H. Res. 569 because the resolution violates section 426(a) of the Congressional Budget Act. The resolution contains a waiver of all points of order against consideration of the bill. which includes a waiver of section 425 of the Congressional Budget Act. which causes a violation of section 426(a).
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Madam Speaker. this bill. as we all know. if you read it. will not cost taxpayers one single dime. It will not cost taxpayers one single cent. It didnt cost it in the past. it doesnt today. and it will not in the future use any Federal funding. It is written into the legislation. And the commission is not at all about determining the content of the museum. That part would come much later if the recommendations were approved by this body. The content would be determined in the future by professional curators that would chronicle the history of this great country and the great women that are a part of it. The commission would have 18 months to prepare and submit their recommendations to Congress. and then Congress. this body. would have the final say. So if Congress decides favorably. then. and only then. would a second bill be needed to support the museum and move forward. So to vote "no" on this bill would basically be voting "no" on a costfree. nostringsattached conversation by a bipartisan panel on the important contributions of women to this country. I now yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished gentlewoman from the District of Columbia. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON. and I thank her for her extraordinary leadership on this issue and so many. many other issues.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Madam Speaker. I want to underscore that no taxpayer money will be used now or in the future. In fact. there is a National Womens History Museum organization with a 501(c)(3) that is headed by Joan Wages. and they have already raised well over $10 million privately to support the commission and the commissions work. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Madam Speaker. I want to thank the gentlewoman from the great State of Tennessee for her statement on the floor today and her hard work in passing this bill. My good friend. Mrs. BACHMANN. said there were 20 other womens museums. Well. there is not one comprehensive womens museum that chronicles the achievements and the contributions of women. There are many niche museums. There is a museum in Seneca Falls that pays tribute to the founding mothers of the first womens rights convention. the abolitionist movement. and the right for women to gain the right to vote. There are museums in the Capital for women artists. There is part of the Smithsonian that focuses on the first ladies and the gowns that they wore in their inaugural. There are niche museums out West for the pioneering great women who led the effort in the West. But there is not one comprehensive museum. and I find it astonishing in the United States that chronicles the many outstanding women contributions. If you Google all the women that have won the Nobel. it is astonishing. but there is no place that displays this. So. I think it is long overdue to have a national womens history museum. Quite frankly. I cant even find one in the entire world that chronicles womens contributions. I would now like to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from the great State of New York. Congresswoman MENG. my distinguished colleague. which she has requested. but she can have more if she wants it.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Madam Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from the great State of Maryland. DONNA EDWARDS. the distinguished leader who is also the chair of the bipartisan Womens Caucus here in Congress.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Madam Speaker. I would like to just point out and build on what my good friend and colleague. MARSHA BLACKBURN. said. It was Seneca Falls in New York that was the birthplace of the suffrage movement to grant women the right to vote. In 1920. when the 19th Amendment granting that right to vote was at last in the process of being ratified by the States. it was the State of Tennessee that put that effort over the top. Now Tennessee and New York have come together again. and we are working very hard to create a womens museum that will talk about this great achievement and many others in all fields that have empowered this country and moved this country forwardnot only achievements by individual women. but I would say collective achievements by women and their hard work. such as the effort by women to create pasteurization of milk. the immunization of children. increased health care. improved health care. and improved education. These are all efforts that collectively women have worked together on. So I ask my colleagues today to vote "yes" on this bill and to vote for allowing an idea to be examined and to come forward before this committee again. and lets see how it can work. A "yes" vote will cost this country nothing. and it could mean everything to our young people. to our girls and our boys and our children and their children to be able to come to their Nations Capital and to learn many things. including the many important contributions of half the population. women. I would like to remind my colleagues that this is Mothers Day week. and I cannot think of a better present to our mothers than to recognize the contributions that they have made to the American family and to this country. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 863. the National Womens History Museum Commission Act. Legislation to establish such a museum passed by voice vote in the 113th Congress but the privatelyfunded museum lacks a home. While womens accomplishments have helped to build this country. historical contributions are missing from museums. textbooks. and memorials. This legislation would allow for a commission to study the creation and make proposals for the building of the National Womens History Museum. At no cost to the taxpayer and without using any federal funds. the museum would help to tell the inspiring stories of the important women that came before us. Celebrating and recognizing women in history is necessary at a time when roughly ten percent of historical references are related to women. The legislation on the floor is not only bipartisan. it has the support of many male and female Members of Congress. Please join me in supporting H.R. 863. the National Womens History Museum Commission Act by passing the legislation today.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I think all of us agree that one of the responsibilities of our committee is to investigate and try to make sure that the laws are carried out the way we intended and to try and make sure that the money is being spent the way we intended for it to be spent. It seems to me that we have spent $14 million. up to this point. investigating this one issue. and while I think the investigations are designed to tell us something we dont know. we have not learned anything new. We have not learned of any kind of conspiracy. We have not learned of any kind of underhandedness. The only thing that we know is that we have said to a United States citizen that you cannot invoke the Fifth and say: I have a right not to answer questions if I think it is going to damage me. I would much rather see us spend the $14 million creating jobs. providing educational opportunities for those who need it. doing something that will change the direction and the flavor of the economics of our country. rather than wasting $14 million more on continuous investigations. I vote "no."
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it is my pleasure to yield 11/ minutes to the gentlelady from New Mexico. Congresswoman MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM. a former official of the New Mexico State Government.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Thank you to my colleague. Mr. Speaker. Federal law clearly states that taxexempt social welfare groups must exclusively promote social welfare. and yet the IRS continues to allow these groups to engage in partisan political activity. instead of in their social welfare missions. This has allowed social welfare nonprofits to spend over a quarter of a billion dollars on partisan political activities while keeping their donors secret. Congress has known about this issue for years. and it has done absolutely nothing. Mr. Speaker. I came to Congress to solve problems on behalf of the American people. and this resolution does absolutely nothing to solve the underlying problem that we have identified at the IRS. As long as Congress continues to ignore the fact that social welfare organizations are actively engaged in political activity. social welfare groups will continue spending hundreds of millions of dollars on partisan political campaign activities in direct contradiction to current Federal law and congressional intent. So I urge my colleagues to vote against this very partisan resolution. as it doesnt solve any underlying problems. and. instead. pass legislation that enforces Federal law and that prohibits taxexempt social welfare groups from engaging in partisan political activity.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think it is important to state that one of the provisions that is not in the regulation for establishing a special counsel is that it is a "get you" procedure. It is not a "got you" procedure. It follows an orderly process of which the Department of Justice is engaged. I would like to introduce into the RECORD a letter dated February 3. 2014. that indicates that the Justice Departments lawyer who has been charged with leading the investigation is not leading the investigation. He is part of a team.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida . a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just say very quickly that the entire premise of the gentlemans comments have been proven absolutely wrong. Thirtynine witnesses never said one moment that the Presidential election of 2012 was in any way involved in this particular issue. In addition. this is a bipartisan investigation because we have the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration appointed by a Republican and who is a Republican working with the Department of Justice. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan . the distinguished ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee. who has had a detailed investigation and oversight from his committee on this issue.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I am sure my kind friend from Virginia will yield me some additional time. but I will use what I have. Let me try to bring us together. Mr. Speaker. Yesterday. in the Rules Committee. there was a collegial moment when we said. Lets clarify the law. If there is anything the Democrats and Republicans agree with. it is that ineptness. wrongness. misdirection was obviously evident in the equal targeting of all groupsgroups that had the name "progressive." Occupy." and others. As Members of Congress. none of us want the citizens of the United States to be in any way intimidated by a government that is here to help them. And I stand here saying we can come together to ensure that all of our government agencies work well. The President made the point in May of 2013 that if in fact the IRS personnel engaged in the kind of practices that have been reported on and were intentionally targeting conservative groupsand it has been noted by the witnesses in the Oversight Committee that they were targeting other groups as wellOccupy. progressivethen that is outrageous. and there is no place for it. There is no conflict in this. What we are now debating is a fallacy of the appointment of a special counsel and the $14 million and the 700.000 pages of unredacted documents. more than 250 people who have been responding to congressional inquiries. I will include in the RECORD an April 23. 2014. letter to Congressman SANDER LEVIN that talks about the litany of requests that the IRS has been requested to do.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I also will include in the RECORD a May 7. 2014. letter that emphasizes that this is a bipartisan investigation. The inspector general of the Tax Administration. appointed by George Bush. is working with the U.S. Department of Justice. It negates very visibly any suggestion of conflict of interest or that this is a biased investigation.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

In addition. I think it is very important to note that we are the Congress and the administration. But I take great issue in suggesting the lack of integrity of our employees in the Federal Government and that they would do anything to undermine an official investigation. The letter that we received on February 23. 2014. debunks any personal relationship of this single attorney in a single office with any one political candidate from a personal perspective. A donation. yes. But are you suggesting that that individual has no private right to enterprise their free speech? There is no close identification with an elected official. no relationship with families and children. And so. Mr. Speaker. I ask my colleagues to vote against this resolution that is not grounded in any substance. does not meet the standard of 600.1. 600.2. and finds no conflict. This is no investigation that is over. There is no suggestion that they are not. in essence. investigating all parties. and that there will not be a conclusion that will ultimately make a decision that is unbiased as to whether or not persons will be criminally prosecuted. And so this resolution does not meet the standard. It is. again. taking up space on the floor. I would like to see unemployment insurance and immigration reform here. I would like to help the American people and help job legislation to make a difference here in the United States Congress. I have other documents I will add into the RECORD. Mr. Speaker. These letters are experts saying there is no conflict of interest.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Oppose this present resolution and lets move on to come together and effectively work on behalf of the American people. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2014-05-07
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Ms. BROWN of Florida. Messrs. THOMPSON of Mississippi. GRIJALVA. FARR. and BARBER changed their vote from "nay" to "yea." So the motion to refer was rejected. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded. Stated against:
Date: 2014-05-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I think we all understand and believe that our children are our most precious resource. Over the last couple of weeks. hearts and minds of many around the world have been captured by a heinous thug by the name of Abubakar Shekau. the leader of the Boko Haram. who has been a vile. disgraceful. violent. and uncaring terrorist thug. Yet we do not know where these girls are. As women of the United States Congress. yesterday. myself. BARBARA LEE. MARCIA FUDGE. KAREN BASS. and JANICE HAHN went to the Nigerian Embassy to stand and reject the $12 that Shekau wants to sell these girls for. We ask that we have a concerted effort on this. We should also establish a victims fund. In the meeting. as we spoke to those from Nigeria. we asked President Jonathan to stand up to say they will find these girls and they will bring this terrorist to justice. We ask that today because no one knows where these girls might be. I close by calling two names: Aisha Ezekial and Nguba Buba. I will be calling these girls names throughout this week to remind us they must be found now.
Date: 2014-05-08
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. the whole world is watching Nigeria. and the whole world is outraged at the recent kidnappings of over 200 girls from a Nigerian school. Make no mistake. this is human trafficking. They say they are selling them into marriage. They are selling them into sex slavery. rape. and human bondage. As cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Human Trafficking. I hope the world will respond to this horrendous human tragedy with the same sense of urgency and compassion and the same level of assistance that was offered in the search for the missing Malaysian aircraft. The U.S. Africa Command. Departments of Justice and State. and the FBI are offering assistance to the Nigerian Government. and we. as a Congress. should support sanctions against Boko Haram. Decisive and swift action is needed to bring these young girls home and to prevent future mass kidnappings.
Date: 2014-05-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished gentlewoman. the ranking member on the Rules Committee. and my friend. the distinguished gentleman from Texas. for the hard work that the Rules Committee engages in. I think the first comment that I would like to make is what we have been making. Ms. SLAUGHTER. throughout this process. is our deep and abiding sympathy for the Americans who lost their lives in the name and in the duty to this country. I dont think there is a divide on that issue. I would take a different perspective from a cold case. This is a hot and ongoing case that has been investigated and has evidenced individuals whom I would believe that. in any other instance. my friends on the side of the aisle would hold to the integrity of their representation. One hundred years of military experience testified on the question of Benghazi. I believe. in the Committee on Armed Services. We have heard over and over from those in the State Department. We have had conclusions on the question of coverup. and we have seen nothing pointed to the administration to do so. I think the issue today is a question of fairness. That is what Democrats have always stood for. I have watched my leaders through the endless investigations. starting from Waco and the impeachment process. and I can almost saymaybe I should even say that I come from a district where the Honorable Barbara Jordan served. She was on the Watergate Committee and the impeachment process as a member of the Judiciary Committee. I remember her posture on that committee and holding up the Constitution. As a Texan. as a Democrat. we admired that. That is the premise upon which I believe we should be looking at this process. As I read this resolution. I am troubled. Mr. Speaker. because if we are going to do fairness and if we are going to reach a level of ethical respect. then there is a concern. We need an amendment. because this follows the rules of the House. which means that the chairman is solely given and ceded the authoritythat means he or she couldof subpoena power. That does not rise to the level of fairness. Now. someone refuted our leaderships request for a bipartisan. evennumbered committee and cited that the only committee that is evennumbered is the Committee on Ethics. and they are right. Mr. Speaker. We want this to be an ethical. fair. responsibly. constitutionally grounded committee investigation report. because the committee is unending. It will end only 30 days after the completion of its work. therefore. it can go on and on and on. The question is will the American people see fairness.