macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-07-28
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 4692. the "National Manufacturing Strategy Act of 2010". This legislation provides a pragmatic and forwardlooking means to enhance. develop. and secure our nations manufacturing industry for the future. Its contributions to our economy and the sheer size of this industry make it imperative that we take the necessary steps to ensure its continued growth and success. I commend my colleague. Representative DANIEL LIPINSKI. for introducing this legislation to do just that. Mr. Speaker. as you may know. the manufacturing industry generates 2/3 of U.S. exports. employs over 11 million American workers. and serves as an industrial base to assure that our national defense remains strong and to sustain infrastructure. This bill addresses the growing importance of the manufacturing sector to our nations health and economy. It directs the President. every four years. to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the nations manufacturing sector and to submit to Congress a National Manufacturing Strategy. It also requires the President. in developing each strategy. to convene a Manufacturing Strategy Task Force to make recommendations regarding specified matters for incorporation into the Strategy. including short- and longterm goals for the manufacturing sector. Furthermore. the bill directs the National Academy of Sciences to conduct quadrennial studies concerning U.S. manufacturing and to report each studys results to Congress and the President. Finally. the bill requires the President. in preparing each annual budget. to include information regarding that budgets consistency with the goals and recommendations included in the latest Strategy. The enactment of this bill would express that it is the view of Congress that policies should be promoted to support and secure the growing manufacturing industry. We should support efforts that seek to create sustainable economic growth. increase employment. productivity. exports. and global competitiveness. and that improve our national and homeland security. As other countries. including the United Kingdom. Canada. India. and China. have already engaged in similar strategic development plans for manufacturing. it is only fitting that the worlds largest manufacturing nation do the same. I have supported for a long time America moving back to making products and creating jobs. It is long overdue. Furthermore. as this bill does not call for mandatory action. its benefit is purely inherent in the positive effects of information and preemptive planning. Therefore. the door remains open for governmental action that may need to be taken in order to promote growth and provide efficient outcomes in the manufacturing industry. I strongly believe that more information and strategic planning in the immense manufacturing sector can only put the nations economy in a better position for the future. For these reasons I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4692.
Date: 2010-07-28
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 5156. the "Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010". This legislation. which provides for the establishment of a Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Fund. will go a long way to ensure that American clean energy technology firms possess the information and assistance required to become and remain competitive in the world markets. The bill will also focus our priorities in the energy sector to reduce production costs. encourage innovation. and promote investment and productivity. Mr. Speaker it is imperative that the U.S. remain a leader in global exports of innovative technology. particularly clean energy. It is no secret that our dependence on foreign oil and other fossil fuel energy sources is too great. The Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010 will assist us in our efforts to move away from this problematic energy paradigm. It will provide our domestic clean energy firms the means to keep the U.S. ahead of the curve. This bill directs the Secretary to provide information. tools. and other assistance to U.S. businesses to promote clean energy technology manufacturing and facilitate the export of clean energy technology products and services. It also promotes the implementation of a national clean energy technology export strategy. Mr. Speaker. this bill is a practical means to assist our direction in clean energy technology. For these reasons I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5156.
Date: 2010-07-28
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for being a champion of this issue of eliminating the disparities that have so long plagued so many communities. I thank the chairman. JOHN CONYERS. for being persistent over the years on the criminal justice issueseven coming to Houston. Texas. and listening to a teeming room of individuals who came to tell him how they had been discriminated against by this overwhelming inequitable law dealing with crack cocaine. Thank you. Today were doing something that is not going to be soft on crime. But let me see if you understand this. It takes 500 grams of powder cocaine to trigger the 5year mandatory minimum. It just takes 5 grams of crack cocaine. Similarly it takes 5 kilograms of powder cocaine to trigger the 10year mandatory minimum but 50 grams of crack cocaine. And so it is important that this 1to18 be put in place in response to the 1980s when we thought this devastating act of using drugs was the underpinnings of crime. But what we have seen and what the U.S. Sentencing Commission has seen is that were creating crime by throwing these individuals in jail instead of rehabilitation and by keeping this oppressive sentencing structure. So for the first time. were eliminating the 5year mandatory minimum prison term for firsttime possession of crack cocaine and it encourages the U.S. Sentencing Commission to amend the sentencing guidelines. In addition. however. theres more to go. Passing the Promise Bill to detour young people away from crime. H.R. 265. the bill I introduced. which was the underpinnings of the S. 1789. had a number of other provisions that would be dealing with rehabilitation and drug courts. So theres more work to be done. Mr. Speaker. But I believe this is a first step and all goodthinking Americans who understand justice will appreciate the fact that we are eliminating these disparities. And in particular. I will say to you that this fell heavily on the poor African American and Hispanic communities.
Date: 2010-07-28
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. I rise in support of the Military Construction Appropriations Act of 2011. This measure provides $141.1 billion for military construction of all kinds from military family housing. to construction of operational facilities in the U.S. and abroad. This funding will be used to construct schools. hospitals and other facilities for veterans healthcare. The Veterans Health Administration has estimated that it will treat over 6.1 million patients next year. This number includes more than 439.000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. This measure provides $48.8 billion for health programs within the Veterans Health Administration. Additionally. the bill provides $53 billion for serviceconnected compensation. pensions and benefits for the estimated 4 million veterans and their families. This measure provides $2.4 billion to further implement base closures and realignments outlined in the 2005 BRAC. including support for the restationing of troops and their families from overseas to the United States. The bill provides $1.3 billion to support our troops in Afghanistan and $259 million for U.S. construction funding obligations as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program in that country. For military families living on base. the measure appropriates $1.8 billion for housing as well as for operation and maintenance costs. These funds are used for everything from repairs. to furnishings. management. utilities. and even for mortgage insurance. To address the growing housing backlog for unmarried troops and trainees. the bill provides $190 million for Army trainee housing facilities. And finally. to ensure accountability. the measure provides funding to the Defense Department inspector general to audit these and other military construction projects. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.
Date: 2010-07-28
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. reported that that Committee. having had under consideration the bill making appropriations for military construction. the Department of Veterans Affairs. and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30. 2011. and for other purposes. and pursuant to House Resolution 1559. reported the bill back to the House with sundry amendments adopted in the Committee of the Whole.
Date: 2010-07-28
Speaker: PATRICK J. MURPHY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Penn

sylvania. Mr. Speaker. I thank Chairman MOLLOHAN. I appreciate your leadership on this issue and allowing me to partner with you on this important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker. we need to continue to get our economy back on the right track. and this bill is about boosting American technology and innovation. Its about making things in America again. Right now. at an office building outside of Washington. D.C.. over 1 million patent applications sit gathering dust. Hundreds of thousands have yet to be looked at for the first time. Those applications could be the next iPhone. the next Netbook. or the next Google. But the agency tasked with reviewing those applications just cant keep up. So they sit and they sit. often for years. In fact. the average time that it takes a patent to be approved is about 30 months. but when you consider that today technologies often become obsolete within 18 months or less. it is clear that a process that takes 212 years is simply too long. and it hurts our competitiveness. Those applications at the U.S. Patent and Trade Office. or USPTO. represent the greatest this country has to offer in terms of new ideas and new technologies. They contain any number of breakthroughs that could help to propel our economy out of the recession. expand small businesses. and create new jobs. And they could be the key to helping our Nation maintain its technological edge globally. Patent activity among our biggest competitors like China. India. and South Korea have shown exponential growth. but this bill is one step in providing the USPTO the resources necessary to keep pace with the flow of innovation and ensure American businesses and workers can compete globally. And it is fully offset with a reduction in spending for the U.S. Census Bureau. We need to make sure that the USPTO can hire the necessary patent examiners. install uptodate information technology. and make other operational changes necessary to get at this backlog. This is an issue thats of critical importance for our economy and the job market. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this commonsense and paidfor legislation. I know the manufacturers in Bucks County. Pennsylvania. and across our country care about it. I want to thank. again. the leadership of Chairman MOLLOHAN.
Date: 2010-07-29
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

But I can tell you that if anybody is scratching their head at the kitchen table as to how I am going to make next months payment or tomorrows payment. if anyone is confused. theyre not confused about a procedure that is going to allow this bill to move forward to give them help and not a hand out. They are going to be ready to take advantage of these constructive. financial. and fiscally sound. paidfor vehicles which they can utilize to rebuild their local communities. both rural and urban. Thats what America is all about. Thats what this debate will be about today. And in conclusion. I would say adding to a grand and great TransportationHUD bill. one of the greatest ones that will provide for massive mobility and housing in this Nation. thats what Americans are looking for. for us to stand up and be counted and move this Nation forward. I thank the gentleman for the time. I ask that you vote for the rule and this bill.
Date: 2010-07-29
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chair. I rise today in support of H.R. 5850Transportation. Housing and Urban Development. and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. 2011. In particular. I am supportive of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation. Housing and Urban Developments inclusion of federal funding for the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County for four projects in the City of Houston as well as funding much needed improvements to the Lynchburg Ferry Landings in our area. The Subcommittees inclusion of $150 million for the North and Southeast corridor light rail projects will be tremendously helpful for the Houston area. These projects involve a combined 11.8 miles of light rail transit. and will benefit the city by increasing citizen mobility. improving the citys air quality. and promoting economic development and job creation. The funding will be used for the final design and construction of these two corridors. which are part of an overall system of interrelated projects that make up the Advanced Transit Program and Metro Solutions Plan. The success of these light rail projects will facilitate Houstons economic recovery and help the city further develop and improve its infrastructure. Additionally. H.R. 5850 includes $700.000 for the North and South Lynchburg Ferry Landings in Harris County. Precinct Two. These landings havent been refurbished or updated in years and these funds will provide better connectivity between the historical and recreational sites to increase the number of visitors and provide an economic stimulus for Ship Channel communities. I would like to thank the Subcommittee on Transportation. Housing and Urban Development for recognizing the importance of this assistance to the Houston area and including them in this bill.
Date: 2010-07-29
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. I rise in strong support of the Department of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act for FY2011. This is a jobs bill and it is an economic development bill. It is about rebuilding our infrastructure and revitalizing our communities. The transportation construction industry has been hard hit with this recession. as states tighten their belts and delay major projects. While we need a longterm surface transportation reauthorization. todays legislation makes vital investments to put people to work rebuilding communities. It includes $45.2 billion for roads and highways. and $11.3 billion for public transportation to bring our infrastructure back to a state of good repair and give Americans transportation options. It invests in Amtrak and highspeed rail to move people around the country. These programs create jobs in our communities. Todays bill also invests in programs like the Public Housing Capital Fund and the Community Development Block Grant. which allow communities to make vital improvements to public housing and spur business expansion and job creation. The bill includes funding for foreclosure mitigation and rental assistance to stabilize neighborhoods by keeping people in their homes. And it supports housing for vulnerable populations. including homeless veterans. the elderly. and persons with disabilities. Finally. this bill contains a vital investment for my constituents and the entire D.C. metropolitan region-$150 million for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). This funding. authorized by the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act. is part of a 10year plan to help WMATA make needed safety improvements and address its capital maintenance backlog. I thank Chairman OLVER and the Committee for its continued support of WMATA. which serves so many federal employees and tourists in the District of Columbia. Mr. Chair. the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act is a jobs bill. It puts Americans to work to repair aging infrastructure. create new transportation options. and revitalize communities. I urge my colleagues to join me to support these vital investments.
Date: 2010-07-29
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the chairman for yielding. You would think. listening to our colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle. that the great recession began after President Obama was sworn in. not recognizing the fact that the day President Bush lost office this country was losing jobs at the rate of 700.000 jobs a month. And in fact. during the entire 8 years of the Bush administration we ended up losing over 600.000 privatesector jobs. We have been working very hard to dig ourselves out of that hole for a long period of time since then. The last 6 months we have seen privatesector job growth in consecutive months. Not as much as anybody would like to see. but positive growth. And its interesting to listen to my colleagues. many of whom are showing up to ribboncutting ceremonies and groundbreaking ceremonies. taking credit for jobs that have been created by investments made that would never have happened if they had their way. if their votes had been the ones that carried the day. Now. this legislation is an effort to change a perverse tax policy. We do two things in this legislation. Number one. we make important investments in the Build America Bonds program. an investment in infrastructure and jobs here at home. And we pay for it by cutting down. eliminating these perverse loopholes. Yes. there are lots of corporations out there that dont like this legislation. You know why? Because they will no longer be rewarded by American taxpayers for shipping American jobs overseas. Because thats what this bill does. Right now our tax code penalizes American taxpayers and creates these incentives for certain corporations to ship American jobsnot American goods. but ship American jobsoverseas. And I think most taxpayers would be outraged if they knew that in addition to paying their own taxes. they would be required to pay the taxes that U.S. multinationals owe to foreign countries for income those corporations generated overseas. Thats whats going on. Through a process called credit splitting. U.S. multinationals are able to use their foreign tax credits to reduce their tax liability here at home even though they may not have repatriated that income back to the United States. Thats what this particular loophole does. You can talk about reforming our international tax code. and you are right. there are lots of complicated issues. But this issue is not complicated. This issue is very simple. Do you want to reward American corporations who are shipping American jobs overseas? And those that are opposing these provisions understandably are benefiting from it. because right now American taxpayers are paying the tab for the taxes that those corporations are paying overseas. Thats not fair. and it creates an inducement to ship those jobs overseas. Lets stop this loophole and use those funds to invest in jobs here in America.
Date: 2010-07-29
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

I encourage my colleagues to oppose this terrible amendment. Rail in America is experiencing a renaissance that we havent seen in 50 years. All forms of passenger rail. including Amtrak. are seeing increased ridership numbers. In fact. in 2009 Amtrak welcomed aboard over 27 million passengers. the second largest annual total in Amtrak history. An average of more than 74.000 passengers ride more than 300 Amtrak trains per day. And with gridlocked roadways and ever increasing prices in gas. ridership will only increase. Amtrak provides a majority of all intercity passenger rail in the United States. with more States and localities across America turning to passenger rail to meet the transportation needs of their citizens. Amtrak reduces congestion and improves our energy independence. One full passenger train can take 250 to 350 cars off the road. Passenger rail also consumes less energy than both automobiles and commercial airlines. Moreover. Amtrak plays a vital role in emergency preparedness and recovery during Hurricane Katrina. In fact. Amtrak was the only entity that could get into New Orleans to evacuate victims and deliver food. water. and supplies. Amtrak has made significant improvements in its system over the last several years. has steadily increased ridership numbers. plays a vital role in disaster recovery. and has an ambitious agenda for future growth. Indeed. it was Congresswoman BACHMANN and her Republican colleagues that put this country in this terrible debt and financial situation that were in right now by rubberstamping the Bush tax cut for the rich year after year. what I call "reverse Robin Hood." Were robbing from the poor and working people to give tax breaks to the rich. I encourage my colleagues to support your constituents. support Amtrak. and vote "no" on this terrible amendment. I have a letter that I want to submit for the RECORD from the chairman of Amtrak. Joe Boardman. And I just want to give one statement. The lack of capital funds would deny intercity passenger rail service to 29 million people in over 500 communities in 46 States. And remember. folks. if its FLAKE. its no."
Date: 2010-07-29
Speaker: MARY LANDRIEU (democrat)
Chamber: S

So Moon is very happy. I am sure. with her legislative skills. as he should be. and as her mom is. So anyway. thank you very much. I see my friend. the chairman of the Small Business Committee. is here. I would ask that the Record be pretty clear that there be an hour from now until the cloture vote. So I ask unanimous consent that be the case.
Date: 2010-07-30
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of the Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2010. and I commend my colleagues Representative SCOTT MURPHY and Representative BILL OWENS for bringing it to the floor today. Simply put. this bill does two things: It provides information reporting relief to small businessesand it closes loopholes in current law that encourage U.S. multinationals to invest overseas. The question members must ask themselves is this: Do we want jobs in America. or do we want a tax code that rewards companies for shipping jobs overseas? For every small business seeking to expand and create jobs. and for every American looking for work. I urge a yes vote.
Date: 2010-07-30
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. pursuant to House Resolution 1574. I call up the bill to provide whistleblower protections to certain workers in the offshore oil and gas industry. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 2010-07-30
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material for the RECORD.
Date: 2010-07-30
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . a coauthor of this legislation and the author of the whistleblower protection provisions of the Energy and Commerce bill.
Date: 2010-07-30
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I know how hard you worked to try to get the accurate figures of what the blowout meant in terms of volume of oil going into the gulf. I just wonder. if we had had whistleblower protections and one of the employees at BP who knew what the real volume was as opposed to what the executives were telling the American people and the rest of the world. we might have had information sooner which would have allowed us to respond in a different fashion than we did when we had bad information because of the concealment of the accuracy of which we found when you finally got the cameras turned on.