macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-06-25
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

Mr. Speaker. yesterday. Secretary Sebelius spoke in the Energy and Commerce Committee and said that one of the concerns with health care was in Kansas there were not many choices. Indeed that is the concern across the Nation. But as we look at solutions for the health insurance crisis. establishing Uncle Sams. Health Insurance Company may not be the answer. Under those circumstances. you get to buy insurance from any State. no matter where you live. You get to bypass State mandates. and you get to bargain for better prices and better quality as a group. But private plans you still have to buy only within your State. You have to stick within your State mandates. which add to the costs. and you dont get to join bigger groups and bargain for better price and quality. � As we work on health care. lets continue to work together and find solutions. We ran do this. We can drive. down price and improve quality. But lets make sure that all the choices are fair and that we have competition.
Date: 2009-06-25
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. as a fighter pilot who flew 62 combat missions in Korea against aggression in the fifties. Americans need to know that just as North Korea prepares to launch a missile aimed. at American citizens in Hawaii. the Democrats slashed 19 missile interceptors from the Defense Department budget that we are voting on today. .The Presidents failure to sternly address North Koreas provocative threat is extremely troubling. Added to the fact that the Democrats are cutting missile interceptors. Im very. very concerned for the future of this country. the safety of our Nation. and the security of our homeland. The President comes -across as lacking resolve. The Democrats in Congress look weak. and that is not a good place for America to be in. Wake up. America.
Date: 2009-06-25
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of my amendment to the National Defense Authorization funding. which is included in en bloc 1. I thank Chairman SKELTON and also R anking Member MCKEON for allowing this amendment to be included. In 2005 the Department of Army authorized the creation of the Combat Action Badge to provide special recognition to soldiers who personally engage the enemy during combat operations. This is a very honorable distinction. However. the award limits eligibility for this badge to those soldiers that served after September 18. 2001. overlooking the thousands of veterans who have made similar sacrifices in previous wars. My amendment corrects this error by expanding eligibility to include those soldiers who have served since December 7. 1941. In accordance with the wishes of those veterans who may be eligible for this badge. the costs of it would be borne by the individuals. not the military. Therefore. not only does this award recognize veterans who engage the enemy in combat. but it does so at no additional cost to the Army. The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Date: 2009-06-26
Speaker: TIM MURPHY (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsylvania

A headline in yesterdays Pittsburgh paper said "More Pa. Residents Suffering in Ftecession. Poll Shows." And this is the time to give people in Pennsylvania. and throughout the Nation. -hope. Pennsylvania and thl Pittsburgh area is the area that was built upon energy. We had abundant supplies of coal. natural gas and water. That is why steel was there. We invested in the National Energy Technology labs. and we still have hundreds of years of coal. Folks. this is a time when we need to improve the efficiency of wind and solar so we can have them as energy resources. But lets not abandon steel because you cant make it without coal. Lets not abandon coal. And lets make sure we invest in clean coal. This is a time when we say to kids that right now we get about 35 percent of our energy out of a lump of coal. And it does pollute. What we have to do is clean it up. invest in that and build cleancoal plants. Whoever figures out how to do that. that is Nobel Prize material. It is the scientific.- technological. and educational challenge of our generation. And whats more. you cant have lights on without doing that. Lets do all of the things we need to do. But this bill is not the way to do it. We can solve these problems. But we cant rush into it the way we are doing it now.
Date: 2009-06-26
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr.. Speaker. as a cleanenergy advocate. I believe we should be good stewards of the Earth and its resources. Were in the midst of a long recession. Yet the Democrats want to impose a massive new energy tax on American families and businesses. costing every American family heavily. Americans are sick and tired of Democrats .spending too much. taxing. too much. and borrowing too much. With the price at the pump rising 65 percent this year. the Democrats Would create a 70centpergallon tax hike. With unemployment close to 10 percent. the Democrats would kill 22 million jobs per year. My district alone would lose 3.000 jobs per year. Democrat Congressman JOHN DINGELL said it best. Nobody in this country realizes that cAp -andtrade is a tax. and its a great.big one. This is America. Lets dont sell it down the river.
Date: 2009-07-15
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. as we debate the best way to reform our health care system and ensure that all Americans have access to quality health care. some Members of Congress insist that a governmentrun option must be included. Yet. in one proposal. Members of Congress are curiously exempt from the public plan. For those who are convinced that governmentrun health care wont sacrifice quality and wont lead to rationing. I back a resolution saying that if a Member of Congress votes to support the public option. then that Member must be automatically enrolled in it. If Members are convinced that the governmentrun public option will deliver the same quality of care as their congressional health plans. then they ought to be the first in line to enroll. Members of Congress should stop asking the American people to make sacrifices they are not willing to make themselves.
Date: 2009-07-15
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my good friend. Mrs. MATSUI. once again for her courtesy. and I want to thank all of my distinguished colleagues who have participated in this debate on the rule bringing forward to the floor the appropriations bill. the Energy and Water appropriations bill. I was particularly impressed by the arguments brought forth by LEE TERRY who explainedand I wasnt aware of ithow. in the authorizing committee. and. quite frankly. then the Appropriations Committee. there have been systematic attempts to limit. close down debate. really. on developing. encouraging in a serious. comprehensive way nuclear power for the Nation. It reminded me of what I consider an unfortunate aspect of the dogma of the left of the United States. Curious is their opposition to nuclear power. Not necessarily is that the case with the left everywhere. In France. for example. where about 80 percent of electricity is generated from nuclear power. governments of the left and the right. President Mitterand was a strong supporter of nuclear power. as obviously was President Giscard. and then President Chirac. and now President Sarkozy. Left and right in France have seen the critical importance of developing nuclear power and the importance of reprocessing. which was what LEE TERRY was talking about. that ever since the Carter years here we have limited. we have excluded. in effect. that option. So were at a point now where we spend so muchwe use so much imported oil in this country to generate electricity. Thats insane when there is a clean option. nuclear power. which requires reprocessing in order to be really effective. as demonstrated in France. And yet the dogma of the American left on that issue curiously does not make that option possible. Let me ask. how much time do I have remaining. Mr. Speaker?
Date: 2009-07-15
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

I yield myself the remainder of my time. It is a pillar of thought of the American lefts opposition to nuclear power. I think its evident. And the American left controls the leadership of this Congress. and its unfortunate. as Mr. WAMP pointed out. because. and as I tried to point out earlier. in other countries left and right agree on the importance of nuclear power. Its clean energy that is available. readily available. and safe to reduce dependence on oil immediately. Alternative sources are being developed. and theyre important. But in terms of the significant substitution of oil with new sources. clean and reliable sources of energy. there is nothing thats available that can be more impacted or more effective than nuclear power. So its a curiosity. As a student. I studied comparative politics. comparative law. As a student of the left and the right in many countries. I find it curious as to why it is. because it is evidently a pillar of thought of the American leftopposition to nuclear powerbut its a fact. I will be asking for a "no" on the previous question. Mr. Speaker. so we can amend this rule so we can allow an open process. There is no question that the rules the majority bring forth today will help to cement the dangerous precedent that it set last month. It will further damage bipartisanship and comity in this body. I urge my colleagues to vote "no" on the previous question so we can uphold our tradition of allowing free and open debate on appropriations bills. If we do not do so. I believe the majority will come to regret their decision to close down the deliberative process of the House on appropriations bills. Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment and extraneous materials immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
Date: 2009-09-17
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. since being sworn in. the President has appointed 34 czarsthe health czar. the car czar. an urban czar. a Great Lakes czar. These are just to name a few. In 300 years. czarist Russia just had 18 czars. Why do we need 34? We have an energy czar and a Secretary of Energy. We have a health czar and a Secretary of Health. Worse. 27 of the 34 czars have not even been confirmed by the Senate despite a constitutional requirement. These czars make $172.000 yearly. and that doesnt include expensive. unchecked staff with zero accountability. I backed legislation that would withhold funding from any czar not confirmed by the Senate. Americans want. need and deserve transparency and accountability. Lets rein in the czars.
Date: 2009-09-24
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Id like to thank my friend. the gentlewoman from California for the time. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Resolution 766 provides that it will be in order at any time on the legislative day of today to consider H.R. 3631. the Medicare Premium Fairness Act. That underlying legislation would freeze the Medicare part B premium for 2010 at the 2009 rate for beneficiaries who. under current law. will see a premium increase. along with an expected freeze in the Social Security costofliving adjustment. COLA. for 2010 and 2011. Both of those combined would leave seniors with less income next year if Congress does not act. So I support underlying legislation. Although I support the underlying legislation that is being brought to the floor under this rule. I have reservations with the process the majority is proposing today. And Im not the only one who has reservations with that process. In the past. a senior member of the current majority on the Rules Committee referred to this process as "outside the normal parameters of the way the House should conduct its business. It effectively curtails our rights and responsibilities as serious legislators." The reason members of the majority previously opposed rules such as this is because they block Members from offering amendments and the minority from offering a motion to recommit. That. as you know. Mr. Speaker. is a very important procedural vehicle. Yet today. the majority considers this process to be completely legitimate. So its interesting how they thought it was wrong when they were in the minority. but once in the majority. its a fine process. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2009-09-24
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in reluctant support of this bill because I do believe it is a promise that we must keep to our seniors. It is not fair for our seniors to shoulder the burden of this Congress because of the policies passed by the Democrat majority. However. wouldnt it have been a whole lot better to pay for it from the unused stimulus money? This savings to seniors will be especially and critically important to Medicare recipients. CBO Director Elmendorf just announced yesterday that seniors can expect to see a reduction in their Medicare benefits if H.R. 3200 is passed. That will mean that some of our poorest citizens will be asked to pay even more for their outofpocket medical costs. This is not change that they can afford. The President and the majority in this House and in the Senate owe our seniors an honest explanation. AARP also owes an explanation to its members for misleading them about the Medicare cuts contained in H.R. 3200. According to the CBO Director. 2.7 million seniors will lose their current Medicare Advantage plans under the policies of the House health care bill. When I said the President was flat wrong about cuts to Medicare benefits. this is exactly what I meant. I am. however. pleased that this bill does work to protect some of our seniors from future financial hardships. but the correct approach would be to scrap H.R. 3200. to fix Medicare first and to pursue a real bipartisan approach that delivers honest reform that the American people actually want.
Date: 2009-09-24
Speaker: PHIL GINGREY (republican)
Chamber: H

who we are just so proud of for his courage. He offered an amendment in his committee that would keep illegal aliens from having access to taxpayersubsidized health care. President Obama told America that illegal aliens will not receive taxpayersubsidized health care. That was after the Democrats in this body rejected Dr. GINGREYS amendment that would have denied taxpayer subsidized coverage to illegal aliens. We have a lot we can talk about. I want to now turn over to my colleague. Dr. JOHN FLEMING.
Date: 2009-09-30
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

As a former prisoner of war in Vietnam. I learned a lot about how not to fight a war. Specifically. you cannot run a war from the White House and win. General McChrystal declared that more troops are needed in Afghanistan. Meanwhile. this administration has backpedaled on its pledge to the region and now is dragging its heels on the generals request. What must our young men and women in uniform think? How must their loved ones back home feel? The administrations waiting game torpedoes troop morale and begs mission failure. Congress needs to hear directly from General McChrystal to ensure political motivations in Washington dont override the needs of our commanders and our troops. For America. ignoring the top generals request for more troops is not the way to run and win a war.
Date: 2009-09-30
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker. to accept the statue of Helen Keller presented by the people of the great State of Alabama. I come here today not to honor a mere statue of marble or stone. but to honor a woman of extraordinary courage. compassion and determination. Helen Keller was born June 27. 1880. in Tuscumbia. Alabama. During only the 19th month of her young life. Helen lost not only her sight but also her hearing during an apparent bout of meningitis. As many of us have seen in the awardwinning play and the movie "The Miracle Worker." at age 7. with the help of her gifted teacher. Anne Sullivan. Helen ascertained the ability to communicate. During her young life. she worked strenuously and tirelessly to overcome her sensory impediments and help others do the same. She attended the Perkins School for the Blind for 4 years. the Cambridge School for Young Ladies for 1. and Radcliffe College. a sister school to Harvard University. for 4 years. There she earned a bachelor of arts degree and graduated cum laude as our Nations first deaf and blind college graduate. Helen Keller worked tirelessly on behalf of her fellow men and women in this country and around the world: the blind. the deaf. the disabled. those seeking the right to vote. workers. and many others. A prolific author. one of her autobiographies. "The Story of My Life." has been translated into over 50 languages. She provided vital support to organizations such as the American Foundation for the Blind. and was justly given honorary degrees from Temple University. the University of Glasgow. the University of Delhi. the University of Berlin. and the University of Johannesburg. In 1964. President Lyndon Johnson awarded her the highest possible civilian award. the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was also honored with Brazils Order of the Southern Cross. the Philippines Golden Heart. and Japans Sacred Treasure. In 1991. she was named by LIFE magazine as one of the 100 most important Americans of the 20th century. Helen Keller will be the first person with disabilities enshrined here in our Nations Capitol. This honor is long overdue. She was and is an inspiration to all of us regardless of our age. status. ethnicity. or background. To marvel at the dignity and beauty inherent in all human beings. to use the gifts and attributes that each of us possess to their full potential. to help our fellow citizens and human beings meet and overcome whatever fears. challenges and adversity they may face. these are the legacies of Helen Keller that will be so richly preserved by this statue in her honor. During this time of important challenges in our country and at all times in which human beings embark and journey on the road of life. Helen Keller reminds us that "Although the world is full of suffering. it is full also of the overcoming of it" and "No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land. or opened a new doorway for the human spirit." Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2009-09-30
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I now yield to the distinguished gentleman from Alabama. Congressman BACHUS. such time as he may consume.
Date: 2009-09-30
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I have no other speakers who are here. so let me just say that I rise in support of this resolution. Helen Keller is not only a tremendous symbol of the State of Alabama and the United States. but its not just her history that we reflect on today. it is her inspiration for those of us who are alive today. There are some in our societyI remember Professor Peter Singerwho have suggested that some infants are not worthy of our support as human beings because they are less than the rest of us. Ive often wondered if it is our failure to be able to unlock that vault in which some children find themselves where theyre unable to communicate to us. And if we reflect back on Helen Kellers life. Helen Keller had that greatness within her at all times. It was the inability of the outside world to be able to communicate with her as much as it was her inability to communicate with the outside world. That should be a lesson for all of us that no child is unworthy in our society and that sometimes when we do not understand their worth. it may be our loss rather than theirs. Think what would have happened if that great teacher of Helen Keller hadnt taken the time to be able to unlock that vault and be able to begin to communicate with that young girl. Not only how differently would Helen Kellers life had turned out. but how differently the plight of the disabled in this country and around the world would have been. So let us not just think of Helen Keller as a historic figure for which we give her homage today and for which we will honor her with this statue. but lets think of her as a living memorial of the challenge to all of us to reach beyond that which is easy to find out the greatness that lies within every individual. So I thank you. Mr. Speaker. I thank Chairman BRADY and the delegation of Alabama for taking up this resolution. I urge my colleagues to join me in support. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2009-09-30
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. today we live in a interconnected world where United States law enforcement agencies routinely help foreign law enforcement as they pursue criminal conduct outside their borders within the United States. I might add that U.S. law enforcement has an identical need for cooperation from their foreign counterparts. This cooperation is essential as we work together to build cases against international organized crime organizations. drug cartels. purveyors of child pornography on the Internet. and other criminal threats from outside our borders. On a regular basis the United States receives requests for assistance in gathering evidence within our borders. For example. when French authorities collect relevant domestic evidence they may discover the likelihood of critical evidence within the United States. In such a case they would submit a request to us for financial records. Internet records. and various other kinds of evidence which they have determined to be relevant to making their case. U.S. Attorneys review the requests and then seek warrants for the evidence as appropriate. When the evidence is collected. the United States transmits it to French authorities. leading to prosecution in French courts. Unfortunately. what should be a simple process is compounded by bureaucratic rules with unintended consequences. This is because under the existing rules. any foreign evidence request must be split up and sent to each district where the evidence exists. So take the French example I just gave. and imagine that the financial records sought are in banks in six different federal judicial districts. that the Internet records are in another five federal judicial districts. and that other documentary evidence is spread over another five districts. Under existing law. sixteen different U.S. Attorneys Offices would have to work on the evidence request. The Foreign Evidence Request Efficiency Act would address this problem by allowing such foreign evidence requests to be handled centrally. by a single or more limited number of U.S. Attorneys offices as appropriate. Rather than sixteen U.S. Attorneys offices being involved the entire operation would be coordinated by one United States Attorneys office. S. 1289 would not alter the type of evidence which may be sought and would therefore have no adverse impact on civil liberties. This legislation would merely eliminate an entirely unnecessary paperwork burden currently imposed on United States Attorneys. Finally. I would suggest that our ability to better assist foreign law enforcement agencies will serve the interests of reciprosity when we ask for their assistance. We need to establish standards of evidence collection here in the United States as an example of what we ourselves expect in our own requests for cooperation of foreign agencies in our criminal investigations which involve foreign jurisdictions. I ask for your support of this important bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker. I urge passage of the bill and yield back the balance of my time.