macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank. the gentleman from Michigan. I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1293. a bill commemorating the lives of three civil rights activists who were murdered outside Philadelphia. Mississippi by the Ku Klux Klan in June of 1964. In 1964. Mississippi had the lowest percentage of registered African American voters in the country. Rampant fear and intimidation. along with literacy tests and poll taxes. had kept more than 90 percent of the African Americans in Mississippi from registering to vote. In June of 1964. thousands of young people volunteered to go to Mississippi in order to register African American voters and fight educational disparities. What would come to be known as "Freedom Summer" ignited- backlash and violence against these volunteers and civilrights activists. Many homes and black churches were firebombed or burned down that summer. and more than 1.000 volunteers were arrested. Among these Freedom Summer volunteers were James Chaney. Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner. who went to Mississippi to investigate the firebombing of the Mount Zion Methodist Church. On June 21. these three men were arrested and held for several hours on alleged traffic violations. but later that evening they were taken from the jail and turned over to the Ku Klux Klan. where they were beaten. shot and killed. These men gave their *lives in the name of freedom and justice. The media coverage surrounding their deaths sparked outrage amongst Americans. millions of them all over the country. Their deaths and the activities of Freedom Summer helped set the stage for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I would like very much to thank C6ngressman LEVIS for introducing this resolution. who himself has a closer experience than most of us in this body. and as a matter of fact paved the way for many of us to be here today. I thank you. Congressman LEWIS. for the many sacrifices you have made. And it is an honor to serve alongside Congressman LEWIS. who coordinated the Student NonViolence Coordinating Committees efforts to organize voter registration drives and community action programs during Freedom Summer. I strongly support this resolution to honor the sacrifices of James Chaney. Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner. and all of the volunteers of the Mississippi Freedofi Summer who helped to pave the way of voting rights for all Americans.
Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to ensure that sewage treatment plants monitor for and report discharges of raw sewage. and for other purposes. as amended.
Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R.
Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I have no further requests for time. and I ask for support of this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to amend the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 to clarify the authority of the Secretary of the Army to provide reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by members of the Committee on Levee Safety.
Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 6040.
Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I have no further requests for time. and I yield back and ask for support for this measure.
Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I first of all want to thank Congressman TOWNS for hosting this energy information transportation session today. -And I was very excited last weekend that I was in your district. and I was able to ride the train from Union Station to downtown New York. That distance. I was able to do it in 2V2 hours. and the goal of our Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is to be able to do it in less time.
Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

That is right. And we want to do it in 2 hours. But the key is we were able to do that. and I was able to take that train ride and read and contemplate what weve got to do. Weve passed the Amtrak bill. Weve got to move this country forward. and I want to thank you for your leadership on this issue. Weve had our heads in the sand long enough on the issues of global warming. and Im glad that the House Leadership is making this issue a top priority. You only need to look at the constantly rising gas prices to understand why we need to focus on -energy independence. My home State of Florida is particularly vulnerable to weather pattern changes brought about by climate change. Florida on average sits just 98 feet above sea level and each year battles hurricanes with increased frequency and intensity. Fortunately. the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is taking the bull by the homs and looking at ways that we can decrease the negative effectour transportation system has on the worids ecosystem. One simple way to do this is increasing the use of passenger and freight rail. Freight railroads have made major gains in fuel efficiency through training and improved locomotive technology. A single intermodal train can take up to 280 trucks off our highways. Today. one gallon of diesel fuel can move a ton of freight an average of 414 miles. a 76 percent improvement since 1980. And General Electric will soon unveil the worlds first hybrid locomotive. Passenger rails ability to reduce congestion is well known. with ridership numbers increasing steadily each year. One full passenger train can take 250350 cars off the roads. Passenger rail also consumes less energy than automobiles and commercial airiines. But we need to get people to wake up and start making passenger rail a priority in this country. Unfortunately. this also brings up the bigger issue of capacity and what we are able to accomplish with the limited rail capacity that currently exists in the United States. We need to find a dedicated source for increasing rail capacity and we need to do it now to prepare for the future. This may not be an easy task. but it is the right thing to do for future generations.
Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise to urge Congress to enact legislation to lower gas prices and invest in alternative energy. In Texas. the price of a gallon of gasoline has risen more than $1.05 in the past year. No one drives more than Texans do. With thousands of miles of highways and cities located far from one another. efficient transportation is frequently on our minds. Nationwide. gas prices have risen from $2.20 per gallon in December 2005 to $4.10 per gallon on June 19. 2008. according tothe Energy Information Administration. the entity that collects official energy statistics for the United States Govemment. Gas prices are hurting our local families. Citizens must make tough economic choices because of the crippling effect that high gas prices is having on their lives. Congress must show leadership and take action to address this problem of high gas prices. Congress should work toward the goals of longterm energy solutions that promote economic and environment stability. We should invest in research to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Wind-. solar-. hydrogen-. nuclear-. and geothermal energy sources are all viable options that should be considered. We should mandate stricter fuel economy standards on all automobiles. We should utilize alternative fuels that are environmentally sustainable. -We should incentivize the use of public transportation and improve our transportation infrastructure. We should conduct stronger oversight to determine if gas prices are b~ing artificially inflated. My years on the Transportation and on the Science Committees have heightened my sensitivity to this subject of rising gas prices. I have worked to help these committees pass legislation that: Funds research for environmentallyfriendly highway materials. Secures dollars for our local transportation infrastructure. and Supports research on alternative fuels. plugin hybrid cars. hydrogen. ethanol. and other energy sources. In Texas. we spend a lot of time in our cars. High gas prices are particularly impactful to our economy. There is no simple or quick solution to this problem of gas prices. but Congress must show leadership and take action to address it. Mr. Speaker. I am concerned about my constituents. They are asking for relief from escalating gas prices. and I want to be proactive. The time to act upon this issue is today.
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. a player dunked in a Sunday night basketball game. Most Americans might not think thats news. but when you tell them the player was the WNBAs Candace Parker. only the second woman to dunk in WNBA history. you get a different reaction. Parkers slam dunk is just one more sign that title IX is a slam dunk. At its core. title IX is a onesentence law that bans sex discrimination in Federally funded education programs. Title IX tore down the quotas in law and medical schools that would often limit the enrollment of women to 15 per year. Today. more women than men are attending college. And in law schools. women are now the majority. In 1970. only one out of 27 high school girls played varsity sports. Today that figure is two in five. and these girls are reaping the benefits that come from sports: lower rates of substance abuse. unintended pregnancies. breast cancer. and osteoporosis. Title IX has made it possible for women to pursue any career they want. I am excited to see what todays girls and young women will do with the opportunities title IX will provide for their futures.
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 6331. the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of Most importantly. this legislation prevents the impending 10 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians for the remainder of 2008 and provides a 1.1 percent update in physician payments for 2009. The uncertainty of Medicare payments makes it difficult for physicians and their practices to plan for the expenses that they will incur as they serve Medicare beneficiaries. And in turn. beneficiaries will face increasing difficulties accessing physicians who accept Medicare. What we need to do is address this issue in the long term by reforming the flawed reimbursement formulas. By addressing this issue in the short term through 2009. we will provide Congress with the needed time to study and develop a long term solution to this problem. Not only would we prevent cuts in Medicare physician reimbursements. the bill will make important and necessary improvements to the Medicare program by enhancing Medicare preventative and mental health beriefits. improving assistance for lowincome Medicare beneficiaries. and extending expiring provisions for rural and other providers. And this legislation is fully. paid for. It reduces Medicare Advantage Indirect Medical Education IME. overpayments. which are being paid twice: once to the teaching facility itself. and again to Medicare Advantage plans. with no requirement that plans pass the IME payment along to the teaching facility. H.R. 6331 will eliminate the needless double payment by still reimbursing the teaching facility directly for the higher cost of care. but ceasing IME payments to Medicare Advantage plans. I am pleased that this legislation contains a provision that makes a technical correction to ensure that all physicians. including podiatrists. are permitted to perform required facetoface examinations so that they are able to prescribe Medicarecovered durable medical equipment. prosthetics. orthotics and supplies. DMEPOS. This provision corrects a drafting error in the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act that pointed to the wrong definition of physi_ cian in the Social Security Act when requiring facetoface examination in order to prescribe DMEPOS items. I am also pleased that the bill includes a twoyear reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Programs for Type 1 Diabetes and the Special Diabetes Programs for Native Americans at current funding levels. It is vital that this successful program be reauthorized on a multiyear basis so that the National Institutes of Health. NIH. can invest in new research. Without this reauthorization. NIH would have to begin to shut down research projects that are currently underway. Mr. Speaker. we owe it to provide and beneficiaries to make these modest improvements to the Medicare program now. This bill will protect our seniors. The clock is ticking. I urge my colleagues to support this muchneeded legislation.
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. because I was chairing a hearing today on whether OSHA is failing to adequately enforce construction safety rules. I was unable to vote on the Medicare ImproveStearns Stupak Sullivan Sutton Tanner Tauscher Taylor Terry Thompson (CA) Tiahrt Tiberi Tierney Towns Tsongas Turner Udall (CO) Udall (NM) Upton Van Hollen Velu suez Visclosky Walberg Walden (OR) Walsh (NY) NAYS59 Doolittle Duncan Flake Franks (AZ) Frelinghuysen Garrett (NJ) Granger Hensarling Herger Hulshof Johnson. Sam Jordan King (IA) Lamborn Lewis (KY) Linder Lungren. Daniel E. Marchant McCrery Walz (MN) Wamp Wasserman Schultz Waters Watson Watt Waxman Weiner Welch (VT) Weldon (FL) Weller Wexler Whitfield (KY) Wilson (NM) Wilson (OH) Wilson (SC) Wittman (VA) Wolf Woolsey WU Yarmuth Young (AK) Young (FL) McHenry Mica Neugebauer Paul Pitts Radanovich Renzi Rogers (MI) Roskam Royce Ryan (WI) Sali Scalise Sensenbrenner Sessions Shadegg Shimkus Smith (NE) Thornberry Westmoreland ments for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. H.R. 6331. I strongly support the legislation. and I would have voted in favor of H.R. 6331 hadI been present during the vote.
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Sir. I understand what youre saying. but I dont know that it was any different when the Republicans were in charge. The appropriations bills. they are going through the process. they are going through the different hearings and the discussion. But today we have an opportunity to honor the veterans.
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Last week. just last week we passed the Amtrak bill. which is an opportunity that we can take people out of their cars and move them forward. I went from downtown Brussels to downtown Paris." 200 miles. lihour and 15 minutes. That is the future of this country. We are moving forward. And I know you votedfor my Amtrak bill. That is a great step forward.
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 5876 into the RECORD.
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Chairman. I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York whos been very. very involved in the drafting of this legislation and also in other matters before our committee to keep children safe in whatever setting theyre in.
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I want to thank the -gentleman from California for all of his assistance. for his remarks. and we all recognize that this is a bill that is a -work in progress. I think certainly at this stage we have it about right. but we will continue those discussions. Again. I thank him for his assistance.
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Page 18. line 9. strike "8" and ixlsert "7". Madam Chairman. I have an amend- Page 19. line 25. insert "or" after the semiment at the desk. the managers" colon. amendment. Page 20. beginning line 1. strike "or group
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chairman. on rollcall No. 444. I was delayed due to trafficfundraising for DCCC. Had I been present. I would have voted "aye."
Date: 2008-06-24
Speaker: DONALD PAYNE (democrat)
Chamber: S
State: Newark

New Jersey. Mr. Howard Dodgon of New York. New York. Ms. Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham of Cambridge. Massachusetts. At 6:21 p.m.. a message from the House of Representatives. delivered by Ms. Niland. one of its reading clerks. announced that the House has passed the following bill. in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: H.R. 6327. An act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. and for other purposes. The message also announced that the House has agreed to the following concurrent resolution. in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: H. Con. Res. 379. Concurrent resolution providing for a conditional adjournment of the House of Representatives and a conditional recess or adjournment of the Senate.
Date: 2008-06-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. pursuant to H. Res. 1299. I call up the bill to restore the intent and protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. and ask for its immediate consideration.
Date: 2008-06-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent for all Members to have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3195.
Date: 2008-06-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank the gentleman for yielding. and certainly thank him for all his leadership on this bill. But I want to thank him on behalf of the Chairs and the ranking members of the two committees. you and Mr. SENSENBRENNER. for the leadership that you both provided throughout these difficult and visionary negotiations to restore this act to the place that it should be. I just want to publicly. on behalf. I think. of everybody in the Congress. thank you and
Date: 2008-06-25
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 3195. the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. which would restore the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA. The ADA has transformed this country since its enactment in 1990. helping millions of Americans with disabilities succeed in the workplace. and making essential services such as transportation. housing. buildings. and other daily needs more accessible to individuals with disabilities. It has been one of the most defining and effective civil rights laws passed by Congress. Unfortunately. the Federal cou.rts in recent years have slowly chipped away at the broad protections of the ADA which has created a new set of barriers for many Americans with disabilities. The court rulings have narrowed the interpretation of disability by excluding people with serious conditions such as epilepsy. diabetes. muscular dystrophy. cancer. and cerebral palsy from the protections of the ADA. The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 will reestablish these protections and make it absolutely clear that the ADA is intended to provide broad coverage to protect anyone who faces discrimination on the basis of disability. Madam Speaker. this bill is an important step towards restoring the original intent of the ADA and helps ensure that all Americans with disabilities live as independent. selfsufficient members of our society. I urge my colleagues to support this muchneeded legislation.
Date: 2008-06-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Date: 2008-06-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I rise in support of S. 3180. a bill to temporarily extend programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965. At the beginning of February. the House took steps to reauthorize the Higher Education Act in passing H.R. 4137. the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. We now find ourselves in the near final phase of completing the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act as we work -toward a compromise bill with the Senate to ensure that the doors of college are truly open to all qualified students. It is our goal to ensure that a final bill encompasses the major issues addressed in H.R. 4137. including skyrocketing college prices. a needlessly complicated student aid application process. and predatory tactics by student lenders. The bill under consideration today. S. 3180. will extend the programs under the Higher Education Act until July 31. 2008. to allow sufficient time for final deliberations on the two bills reported out of the respective Chambers. It has been nearly 10 years since th6 Higher Education Act was last reauthorized. and I believe the Members on both sides of the- aisle and in both Chambers are anxious to complete the work on this .bill in this Congress. We believe it can happen. I look forward to joining my colleagues on the committees in both the House and the Senate in completing our work on behalf of this Nations hardworking families and students. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-06-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to require certain standards and enforcement provisions to prevent child abuse and neglect in residential programs. and for other purposes.
Date: 2008-06-26
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. Members of the House. as American families struggle with the rising cost of energy. as it makes their commute to work even more expensive. as they think about buying home heating oil for this winter. think how it c6uld have been. Think how their lives would have been different if. for the last 7 years. instead of defending the subsidies for big oil companies. the tax breaks for big oil companies and the royalty holidays for big oil companies. the Bush administration and the Cheney administration had put their heads together and had thought about the future as opposed to the past. But when you have two oil men together in the Oval Office in the White House. they think about the past. and that is protecting the oil companies. it is not about the future. Think if President Bush had come out for any increase in the mileage standards 7 years ago where we would have been. instead- of defending for 32 years the right of the automobile companies to keep us away from more efficient automobiles. But that would have been the future. The BushCheney administration has never thought about the future. they have only thought about the past. and that has turned out to be terribly. terribly costly to the American consumer.