macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-12-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his leadership. and I likewise thank the chairman for his leadership. The discourse in debate on the floor of the House is not evidencing the unity. the unanimity that members of the House Judiciary Committee and. I venture to say. of this body have with respect to innovation and competition and the idea of protecting our small inventors. And so I would offer myself and many others as a champion for this concept that we are greatest when we are protecting and coddling and growing the inventive mind of America and our small inventors. The Innovation Act has a wonderful name. and I congratulate Chairman GOODLATTE for his interest and commitment to this process. We have always worked in a collaborative and bipartisan manner on the Judiciary Committee as it relates to intellectual property and competition. Today. however. our disagreement. if you will. is not on the underlying concept but on a very crucial process that is not in keeping with the mindset of the Founding Fathers. I imagine that patent law got intimately engaged in the constitutional process because of a young man by the name of Benjamin Franklin. an inventor. He foresaw a great America and the need to be able to encourage those in garages and maybe by candlelight looking to change the landscape of the lives of those who live in that country and now have lived and do live in the greatest Nation in the world. And so the question is. on H.R. 3309. for all of our friends that are making their decisions. whether or not this is a bill before its time and whether or not this question that we have before us. this bill. truly stops the trolls. as this advertisement that was not placed by me but put in the newspaper to suggest that the trolls may not be the ugly beast. but it may be the way this bill. H.R. 3309. is written. Because. in fact. the small guy does pay. In fact. the small inventor is not protected. In fact. the pleadings are difficult. In fact. the early days of Madame C.J. Walker. who invented hair lotion for black women. or Frederick McKinley Jones. who invented the automatic refrigeration system for longhaul trucks. or Lewis Latimer. who invented less expensive and more efficient. longlasting light bulbs. or maybe even the early days of giant companies that are now known to live in places like Silicon Valley. from Yahoo to Google. that started in the earliest moments of their beginning. small. maybe in a Harvard dorm room. or someone elses dorm room. I think the question becomes: Are these individuals protected? According to the research that we have done. small investors are not protected. I would just say. Madam Chair. that I would ask for more time. and if we want to do some work. lets pass H.R. 15. comprehensive immigration reform. because that is ready to pass.
Date: 2013-12-05
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 3309. the Innovation Act. I would like to applaud my colleagues for bringing this important issue to the floor today. Throughout my tenure in Congress. I have long supported the principles for reforming patent litigation to prevent troll litigation. As Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science. Space and Technology I have long supported policy in order to prioritize investments that will advance our knowledge. create new industries and jobs. and give our children the grounding in science and technology they will need to succeed in a competitive world economy. During this time of economic need. I support H.R. 3309 which is integral to curbing frivolous and costly patent litigation that currently hinders our ability to innovate. create jobs and economic growth. Many companies. from both the technology and nontechnology sectors. have been the target of numerous. meritless lawsuits from patent trolls. Since 2005. the number of defendants sued by patent trolls has quadrupled. activity that is estimated to have cost the U.S. economy $80 billion in 2011. And. whats even more startling is that in 2012 patent trolls sued more nontech companies than tech companies. I am supportive of the Innovation Act of 2013 which takes a multifaceted approach to end this abuse. While I recognize there may be no single solution that addresses all complexities surrounding our nations patent process. H.R. 3309 is a good faith bipartisan first step towards addressing patent trolling. I am pleased that the Administration is also supportive of H.R. 3309. Moving forward. I would like to work with all sides on this issue to curb patent trolling. I would like to think that all of us in Congress agree that we must work to address the problem of patent trolls.
Date: 2013-12-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 24. strike lines 7 through 10 and insert the following: "(1) COVERED CUSTOMER. The term covered customer means a party that "(A) is accused of infringing a patent or patents in dispute based on a covered product or process. and "(B) is a small business concern as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) that has an annual revenue of $25.000.000 or less.". The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 429. the gentlewoman from Texas and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
Date: 2013-12-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. what is the remaining time? The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Texas has 21/2 minutes remaining. and the gentleman from Virginia has 33/4 minutes remaining.
Date: 2013-12-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I think quite the contrary to my good friend from Pennsylvania. my legislation responds to the very individuals whom we are proclaiming we are interested inthe small inventors and businesses. I would offer to say that the opposition to this whole scheme of this bill comes from the Association of American Universities. the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. and the Innovation Alliance. These are groups that understand there is a problem. These are typically smaller groups. I would suggest that in the Federalist Papers No. 18 it says that we shall not tip the scales of justice to the big and the wealthy. but protect the weak. This particular amendment provides for protecting those making $25 million. not having them in the crosshairs of the pleading scheme that is in this bill. in the crosshairs of loser pays that is in this bill. I would ask my colleagues to recognize that David Kappas has not retrenched from his position that this liability posture is too dangerous. As my good friend Mr. MASSIE indicated. he is striking the whole section. I am finding a balance. With that. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-12-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 46. after line 22. insert the following:
Date: 2013-12-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. again. my hope is that we have the opportunity to continue to work to get where all of us would like to be. My amendment is very simple. It requires the PTO director in consultation with other relevant agencies and interested parties to conduct a study to examine the economic impact of the litigation reform contained in the bill. sections 3. 4. and 5 of this act. on the ability of individuals and small businesses owned by women. veterans. and minorities to assert. secure. and vindicate the constitutionally guaranteed exclusive right to inventions and discoveries. In essence. I think it brings all of us together to be able to ensure that we promote this body politic of inventors. the people who built America. This is. in essence. to follow in the constitutional mandate to promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing for limited times to authors and inventors an exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries. In my earlier discussions I said the wise persons of the constitutional construct recognize the importance of inventiveness. I have with me a chart that recognizes some of our great African American inventors: Madame C.J. Walker from Granville Woods invented a device that allowed for messages to be sent from moving trains and railway stations. Patricia Bath invented a method for removing eye cataracts. Great women inventors: Mary Anderson invented the windshield wipers. And our famous Hispanic inventors and others from other backgrounds: Pedro Flores. the first woman to manufacture the yoyo. Our veterans are included in that. Many. many others throughout the Nation are included in this body of inventors. With that. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. and I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-12-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. let me thank both the chairman of the committee and the ranking member for their kind support of this amendment. May I ask the Chair the amount of time remaining. please. The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Texas has 3 minutes remaining. The gentleman from Virginia has 33/4 minutes remaining.
Date: 2013-12-10
Speaker: NEGRETE MCLEOD (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 1402 that extends VA housing programs for homeless veterans. The California district which I represent is home to over 20.000 veterans. Like the Nation. homelessness among veterans is a serious problem in my district. It will take continued coordination between VA and local organizations to ensure that veterans are able to take advantage of housing assistance programs. As a member of the House VA Subcommittee on Health. in August of this year I hosted a town hall with the VA and local organizations. Over 200 veterans attended and signed up for VA veterans benefits for the very first time. This is a great example of better coordination in helping our veterans.
Date: 2013-12-11
Speaker: BEN RAY LUJAN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Speaker. to kick off this years annual Computer Science Education Week taking place from December 9 to December 15. I had the pleasure of visiting with students at Capital High School in Santa Fe. New Mexico. We took part in the global Hour of Code campaign organized by Computing in the Core and code.org that offers introductory coding activities and tutorials. I also engaged with students about the importance of computer science by hosting a panel of industry professionals to highlight how diverse and exciting a career in computer science can truly be. It is conversations like these that can be useful in helping young people navigate toward careers in computer science and STEM. In todays world. a degree in computer science translates into highpaying. indemand jobs. At a time when people are struggling to find work in our recovering economy. the computer science industry is growing. and New Mexico is predicted to add 15.360 computing jobs by 2018. It has become increasingly essential for students to learn the language of code. the same way that they learn reading. writing. and mathematics. If we are to remain economically competitive and have a highly skilled workforce. access to computer science curricula and coding instruction must be a priority. However. nationwide. only one in 10 schools offers computer science. and there is a great lack of diversity in those that do. Just 4 percent of students enrolled are female and 3 percent are students of color. In New Mexico. only 57 students took the computer science AP exam in 2012. This is a result. in part. of the fact that New Mexico does not offer computer science teacher certifications for middle and high school teachers and is one of the 36 States that does not count computer science courses toward high school graduation requirements for math and science. Computer science provides students with the 21stcentury skills necessary for innovation by teaching design. logical reasoning. and problemsolving. Yet. too few students have access to this rigorous coursework. That is why I cosponsored H.R. 2536. the Computer Science Education Act. that will help ensure that more students have access to computer science education by making it a core academic subject and including computer science teachers in professional development. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of the Computer Science Education Week and Computer Science Education Act. It is critically important that every student have the opportunity to learn computer science at an early age. When we show them that they have the power to create the next great app. not just use it. I believe we will capture their hearts and minds and foster the next generation of innovators.
Date: 2013-12-11
Speaker: NEGRETE MCLEOD (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. the Affordable Care Act is moving in the right direction and delivering what the law was intended to do: delivering a wider range of medical services to all Americans. including improved access to mental health services. The administration announced that $100 million of additional funding would be made available to expand and improve the way Americans receive mental health services. According to the California HealthCare Foundation. nearly one in six Californian adults has a mental health need and approximately one in 20 suffers from a serious mental illness that makes it difficult to carry out major life activities. The rate among children is higher where one in 13 suffers from a mental illness that limits participation in daily activities. While most mental illnesses are treatable. those with mental illness often struggle to get needed treatment if they do not have health insurance that covers mental health services. Starting next year. insurers would not be able to deny coverage or charge an individual more due to preexisting health conditions. including mental illnesses. The health care law would also require most health plans to cover recommended preventive services like depression screening for adults and behavior assessment for children.
Date: 2013-12-11
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2019. The Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act. This bill completely bypassed procedure in the House. skipping any committee action prior to a full House vote and leaving no opportunity for discussion as to what could be the best way to fund pediatric research. While my colleagues and I fully support increased funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and pediatric research. the "Kids First Research Act" would not provide any additional funds to the NIH for this purpose. The bill merely authorizes that the Presidential Election Campaign Fund be available to a certain extent. These funds would still be subject to the Budget Control Act caps and the normal Appropriations Committee process. H.R. 2019 is merely a messaging tactic for House Republicans to appear to be supportive of biomedical research funding. House Republicans attempted to cut $1.6 billion from NIH funding in 2011. This year. sequestration cut the NIH budget by $1.55 billion and took an additional $255 million from the cancer institute and $66 million from the child health institute within the NIH. If House Republicans intend to increase funding for NIH research. they should do so by replacing sequestration with a more balanced approach. This bill not only restricts funding for the NIH. it represents Congressional micromanagement of research. Overall. HR. 2019 does nothing to advance the goals of biomedical research. I urge my colleagues to support the work of our scientists and researchers and oppose the Kids First Research Act.
Date: 2014-01-07
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. on rollcall No. 1. I was at a Steering and Policy Committee meeting with Leader PELOSI. Had I been present. I would have voted "present."
Date: 2014-01-08
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker and House Republicans. happy new year. You look great. but we have failed to address the issues of the people who are unemployed. I call upon all of us today to remember that many people. as we sit here. are facing fiscal devastation. The social safety net is used to purchase very basic necessities. such as food and rent. and many Americans are treading now. just staying above the water. There were 1.3 million Americans who were without unemployment insurance as of December 28. In another few weeks. 1.9 million more will join them. and 174.000 of them are from Texas. I know that we have not really thought about this seriously. I know that so much time was spent in attempting to overturn the Affordable Care Act that we forgot that there are people we have failed to provide jobs for who are now unemployed and whom we cannot forget. This is not just their problem. This is our problem. Please join me in making sure that we restore their safety net.
Date: 2014-01-08
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. today is the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnsons historic war on poverty. but lately it seems more like a war on the poor. Earlier today. at a meeting organized by Congresswoman LEE. President Johnsons daughter. Lynda Johnson Robb. said that she accompanied her father on his historic tour of Appalachia. She said: When Daddy came to this town and was sworn in as President. the poverty level of our country was at 20 percent. When Daddy left this town. it was at 12 percent of the population. He made a big difference working with this body in a bipartisan wayand we can do it again. Mr. Speaker. lets pass a jobs plan. raise the minimum wage. restore nutrition assistance and affordable housing assistance. and extend unemployment benefits to help those families get by while they are looking for work. As Lyndon Johnson did five decades ago. let us again declare an "allout war on human poverty and unemployment in these United States."
Date: 2014-01-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I would like to acknowledge the leadership of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. represented by his wonderful family: his late wife. Luci Baines Johnson. and our dear friend here in Washington. the former first lady of Virginia. Lynda Johnson Robb. They understand the words that our President gave us. Unfortunately. many Americans live on the outskirts of hope. and some on the outskirts of health. I join my colleague. Congresswoman BARBARA LEE. to say to you that the war on poverty is not over. As we look at the red on this paper. every single State has someone living in poverty. Those individuals are represented in 16 million children. and 20.000 military veterans are also included in those 1.3 million Americans who are not getting unemployment benefits. So as we look at those who need Head Start. a program that was a generational result of President Johnsons effort. we must fight to extend unemployment insurance. and we must ensure the war on poverty remains our cause. our hope. It is important to give hope to Americans.
Date: 2014-01-08
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise to recognize the success and legacy of the war on poverty. The war on poverty. proposed 50 years ago today in this Chamber by thenPresident and fellow Texan. Lyndon Johnson. paved the way towards the enactment of many of our Nations most popular and significant Federal programs. including Medicare. Medicaid. food stamps. Head Start. These programs. along with Social Security. unemployment insurance. and now the Affordable Care Act. form Americas social safety net. which has protected millions of our Nations children. working adults and elderly from falling into poverty. Less than 2 weeks ago. through the inaction of this House. 1.3 million Americans. including 65.000 Texans. saw their unemployment insurance disappear. This number will grow to over 3 million in the coming months if action is not taken. This vital lifeline is essential for millions of our fellow Americans who are out of work and struggling to make ends meet. The 50th anniversary of President Johnsons speech is the perfect opportunity for Congress to show its support for those less fortunate. and I call on this Chamber to bring the legislation to renew Emergency Unemployment today.
Date: 2014-01-08
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I certainly want to thank the outstanding gentlewoman from California for yielding. I am pleased to join with my colleagues to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the war on poverty declared by President Lyndon Johnson. a historic moment in our Nations history when he affirmed a national priority to support those in need. One of the reasons that I got involved and ran for public office was because of the war on poverty and the programs it created. The war on poverty called for citizen involvement and participation to strengthen America. As I got more involved and more engaged. the more aware I became of the difficulties faced by individuals. families. and communities. Ultimately. I decided I would run for public office. The war on poverty has improved the lives of millions of lowincome Americans through the creation of critical safety net programs such as the ESE Act assistance. Medicare. Medicaid. increased Social Security benefits. Head Start. legal assistance. investment in K12 education. Federal college aid and loans. a permanent food stamp program. expanded housing assistance for lowincome people. community health centers. mental health programs. and we could go on and on to talk about the programs. But the real reality is that we still have not fulfilled the dream of seriously reducing and eradicating poverty. So we must not only remember. we must not only talk. but we must act. And one of the best ways to start is to provide right nowright nowresources for individuals who are unemployed. I thank the gentlewoman.
Date: 2014-01-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I want to thank the gentlelady from California for her leadership. Mr. Speaker. simply. we can begin to attack poverty in 2014 by extending the unemployment benefits for 1.3 million Americans. Thank you. President Johnson. as we honor the fight against the poverty that has encompassed so many Americans. The war on poverty is a war to be won. We thank you for VISTA. the Child Nutrition. the National School Lunch. the Food Stamp program. the Community Action Programs. the Indian Reservation Programs. and Legal Services. I served on the board of the Gulfcoast Legal Services. and we say to our colleagues: if you would look at the red that is on these sheets. you will know that poverty does not belong to any one Member. It belongs to all Members. All States have individuals who are living below the poverty line. It is time to continue the fight against poverty through unemployment insurance. through job training. through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. through child care. and Head Starta vital. vital. vital transition of opportunity for poor children. It is time to continue that fight. It is our pledge and our commitment. along with legislation that I intend to introduce. to give enhanced training to those who are chronically unemployed. to keep the dream of President Johnsons alive and to extinguish poverty as we know it in the United States of America. President Lyndon Johnson: "... we have the power to strike away the barriers to full participation in our society. Having the power. we have the duty." It has been 50 years since President Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty. an initiative to endure the ideals and principles of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. with hopes to rid our nation of the plague and disparity of poverty. Social programs established by the War on Poverty provide invaluable aid to the elderly. the seriously disabled. members of working households. and children and spouses of deceased workers.