macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-02-27
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of this comprehensive and bipartisan effort to end violence against women. The Violence Against Women Act recently passed by the Senate properly updates this crucial legislation for the 21st century by providing necessary resources and support to all victims of domestic violence regardless of their race. ethnicity. or sexual orientation. An overwhelming 78 Senators. including 23 Republicans. recognize the need for these protections. and Im thrilled that were finally moving to recognize the same. Id like to express my gratitude to the champions of this bill in the House. including the gentlelady from New York. Several of my colleagues and I. along with hundreds of groups and thousands of concerned citizens all across the country. have worked tirelessly these past few weeks to make sure that the voices of survivors and advocates could be heard over partisan debate. That is why the bill we consider today reflects the needs of vulnerable populations that have been ignored in the past. It will give Native American tribes the tools to hold abusers accountable. LGBT survivors the protection they need to access services. and immigrant survivors the independence necessary to escape violence. Im proud to vote in favor of a comprehensive Violence Against Women Act for my constituents. for my children. my daughters. and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.
Date: 2013-02-27
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Time is short. Mr. Speaker. March 1 is just a few hours away. and the Republicans refuse to bring forward a balanced plan to replace the meatax approach to governing known as sequestration. My constituents have been clear with me: We should stop the blame game. and we must stop this sequester from happening. New Mexicans are worried. They know what happens if we dont stop the sequester: More than 750.000 jobs are at risk just this year. Almost 10.000 New Mexicans wont be able to get the help and skills they need to find a job. Small businesses. the backbone of our economy. wont be able to get the loans that they need to expand and grow. Just in New Mexico. almost 7.000 civilian furloughs from the Defense Department. resulting in $42 million less in gross pay for those employees. forcing middle class families to deal with losses equal to one mortgage payment or more. Lastly. one of my States and districts largest employers. Sandia National Laboratories. has implemented a hiring freeze. This move will stunt economic growth and be devastating to New Mexicos economy. I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 699. a balanced bill to replace the sequester with spending cuts and revenue.
Date: 2013-02-28
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Many of my constituents ask the question of what work are we doing for them. Im very glad this morning that we will finally end the long journey for the Violence Against Women Act and finally vote on a recognized compromise that the Senate has proposed. But I also say that Im not here to talk about process and blame when it comes to this pending sequester. which most Americans do not understand. But Im ready to work. and I believe we should stay and work. We should follow the Senate plan that follows the Buffett rule and provides for modest reductions in defense and does not provide for these devastating cuts until We can get this done. but we cannot have any compromise when one side refuses to acknowledge that it takes revenue to run this government to be able to ensure that people have the resources that they need when theres a natural disaster or that our military has the resources that they need. Or. for example. in Texas. for my colleagues who refuted the idea that I stand for children. where were losing some 4.000 spots in Head Start. we can do something. Madam Speaker. We simply need to stay and work and follow the Senate plan.
Date: 2013-02-28
Speaker: BEN RAY LUJAN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Madam Speaker. last Congress it was with great disappointment that. for the first time since the Violence Against Women Act was signed into law in 1994. House Republicans failed to give us a vote and Congress failed to reauthorize this important legislation that has reduced domestic abuse and provided victims of violence with vital resources. 1l 1000 The effort to reauthorize VAWA failed. despite overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate. because House Republicans stripped the bill of critical provisions to help women. especially Native American women. Sadly. we are seeing this effort repeated on the floor today. Once again. House Republicans are trying to weaken a bill that passed by a vote of 7822 in the Senate in order to deny Native American women important protections. Sovereignty is not a bargaining chip. The Republican substitute is an attack on Native American women and does not respect sovereignty. Studies have found that three out of five American Indian women will experience domestic violence. yet the Republican substitute makes it harder to prosecute abusers and is full of loopholes. I urge my Republican colleagues to drop their opposition to the Senate bill and pass legislation that gives all women. including Native American women. vital protections against abuse.
Date: 2013-02-28
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of this comprehensive Violence Against Women Act reauthorization that passed the Senate by an overwhelming 7822 bipartisan majority. Today is a victory for Americas womenand for the possibility of bipartisanship on important matters before the U.S. Congress. This reauthorization strengthens the Violence Against Women Act by protecting all victims of domestic violence. sexual assault. stalking. and human trafficking. It authorizes vital funding for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute these abuses. and it includes provisions to make college campuses safer and to reduce the current rape kit backlog. Madam Speaker. the Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act is endorsed by over 1300 organizations nationwide and was supported by every Democrat. every woman senator. and a majority of Senate Republicans. We should enact it without any further delay. I urge a "yes" vote.
Date: 2013-02-28
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has historically provided a vast network of support for victims of domestic violence. dating violence. sexual assault. and stalking since its initial passage in 1994. As the House considers the reauthorization of these critical protections. Members of Congress will have to choose between two vastly disparate futures for the women of our Nation. In one future. the House extends these important protections for all Americans by approving the Senatepassed reauthorization of VAWA. S. 47. This bipartisan bill not only extends the protections afforded to women under previous reauthorizations. but also expands those protections to LGBT individuals. Native Americans. and immigrants. In this future. abusive partners and perpetrators of violence are swiftly brought to justice as Congress builds upon the successes of VAWA. and incorporates new and innovative approaches to combating violence against women. However. in a harshly dissimilar future that could be realized through the passage of the House substitute bill. only select groups of battered and abused women are protected from violence or sexual assault. In this dismal scenario. college students. Native Americans. LGBT individuals. and others are left to fend for themselves against their attackers. In this future. perpetrators may remain confident that the strain on limited law enforcement resources will prevent them from being prosecuted for these gross violations of the law. This is not the future that I would want to envision for these victims of violence. Madam Speaker. the Senatepassed version of the VAWA reauthorization is the result of extensive deliberation and consultation with real victims of violence. law enforcement personnel. and outside organizations that specialize in combating domestic violence and abuse. This Congress must vote to pass S. 47 immediately if we are to stand behind the women of this Nation. and send a strong message that these acts will not be tolerated. Every victim of domestic violence in America deserves equal protection under the law. and the House substitute to VAWA does not acknowledge the pervasiveness and severity of the violence that women must face each and every day.
Date: 2013-02-28
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Madam Speaker. I rise in support of the Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act. According to the US Department of Justice. in 2007 intimate partners committed 14 percent of all the homicides in the United States. In 2007. of all the deaths caused by Intimate Partner Violence. 70 percent were females and 30% were males. In 2008. females age 12 or older experienced about 552.000 nonfatal violent victimizations by an intimate partner. From 1994 to 2010. about 4 in 5 victims of intimate partner violence were female. All those numbers are all real. And so are the tragedies behind them. The body count is indisputable. The painthe sufferingthe lossare hard to bear even in our imaginings. And the damaging effect on the children that witnessed such acts of violencelingers into future generationsspreading its toxic effects. Grim facts like these are why the Violence Against Women Act was originally passed: Women were dyingdisproportionatelyfrom intimate partner violence. Women were the ones being beaten. Women were the ones being raped. And the ordinary efforts of law enforcement at the timewere simply not able to keep them safe. More needed to be done to stop the plague of violence. And that is why the Violence Against Women Act was passed with strong bipartisan support. And was reauthorizedagainwith strong bipartisan support. And yet somehowin this sad new world of partisan politics and endless rancorthe simple reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act has become a political football. A waynot to save livesor keep women and children safebut to score pointsto win a game. But this is not about politicsthis is about the single most fundamental task that we require of our governmentkeep its citizens safe from violent assault. That is what the Violence Against Women Act is aboutkeeping people safepeople who are at clearly demonstrable risk. And in Americawe have long stood by the principle that the protections of the law are not meant just for somenot just for those who may be in greater favor or hold greater sway. But the law should be there to keep all people safe. Period. And yetour Republican colleagues have seen fit to weaken the Violence Against Women Act and strip from the Senate version of the billnew protections for populations that we know beyond dispute have been victimized by intimate partner violenceand are in need of protection. We know that long standing prejudices put these populations at risk. We know that without the specific protection of the lawthey will continue to suffer. And yet these protections have been stripped. And we know beyond questionthere are estimates that hundreds of thousands of rape kits are sitting on shelves untestedand that each and everyone of those rape kits may hold the information that will solve a violent crimeand bring some closure to a traumatized victim. And yet our Republican colleagues weakened the bill and ripped from the VAWA a provision which I sponsored. that would help state and local governments conduct audits of those rape kits with no new spending.
Date: 2013-02-28
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

the ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee. has asked three times. Mr. Leader. to bring an amendment to this floor to provide an alternative to sequester. It seems strange that when both of us agree that sequester is wrong. irrational. will have adverse effects. and Ben Bernanke says it will substantially hurt the economy. that we dont provide alternatives. and all we talk about is something that we yesterdayactually. 3 or 4 months agothat is dead and gone. We need to do something now. and we need to come together on a bipartisan basis. I might say to the leader. weve had four major bills signed into law in this Congress by the President. Every one of those bills was passed in a bipartisan basis with an average of 168 Democrats voting for it. and an average of 124 Republicans voting for it. We saw a perfect example. Mr. Leader. on the floor today of making very good policy. How did we do it? We did it in a bipartisan vote. I suggest to my friend. the majority leader. that we could do that as it relates to the sequester if we would bring something to the floor. have a vote on it. and in my view in a bipartisan fashion. we could in fact set aside this irrational. negative sequester. and move on to a rational fiscal policy. I would be glad to yield to my friend if he wants to make a comment on it.
Date: 2013-02-28
Speaker: NEGRETE MCLEOD (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to bring awareness to the automatic trigger cutsknown as sequestrationand the impact they will have on domestic programs in California. I thank my colleagues who voted today for a commonsense piece of legislation known as the Violence Against Women Act. This landmark legislation comes on the eve of looming budget cuts that will have devastating impacts on domestic violence preventive programs throughout California. which already operate on tight budgets. The Obama administration estimates almost $1 million of funds that provide services to victims of domestic violence in California will be cut. resulting in 3.000 fewer victims being served. Although we have made significant strides towards safeguarding all women by passing this important bill. we must ensure that we continue to strengthen these programs by avoiding this sequester.
Date: 2013-02-28
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. I rise to really applaud the House for renewing today the Violence Against Women Act. This will protect our citizens. Its important legislation. I had the privilege of helping to author the original one in 1994 with Patricia Schroeder. LOUISE SLAUGHTER. and JOE BIDEN. and we reauthorized it twice. Im pleased that it passed today. I was very pleased that the bill included two bills that I had authored. one the SAFER Act with Congressman POE. in a bipartisan way. that would process the DNA rape kits that are sitting on shelves across this country gathering dust and hopefully put rapists behind bars and protect women from future assaults from these particular rapists. and also the Campus Security Act. which would require campuses to keep statistics on violence on the campus and steps that theyre taking to protect their citizens. also the AntiTrafficking in Persons Act to crack down on sex trafficking. Its an important bill. I applaud my colleagues for passing it.
Date: 2013-03-04
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the Pandemic and AllHazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act which will reauthorize certain provisions of the Project Bioshield Act of 2004 and Pandemic and AllHazards Preparedness Act of 2006. This legislation was initially passed by Congress to help the U.S. develop medical countermeasures against chemical. biological. radiological. and nuclear terrorism agents and to provide a mechanism for federal acquisition of those newly developed countermeasures. Since the first part of the last session of Congress. we have been working with Senators to perfect the language. We have passed it several times in the House and after many months. the Senate has sent it back for our approval. I am pleased that we finally have a bill that can be sent to the President and I am proud to support it. This bill is important because our nation remains vulnerable to these threats because many of the vaccines and medicines that are needed to protect our citizens do not exist. Developing and stockpiling these medical countermeasures requires time. resources. and research. All of which will be provided under the legislation before us today. I am pleased that language I supported during the committee process aimed at increasing emphasis on regionalized trauma care systems was included in this final version. This bill is also very important to me because the University of Texas Medical Branchs Galveston National Laboratory is in my backyard. The Galveston National Lab is the only BSL4 lab located on a university campus. At the lab. scientists conduct research to develop therapies. vaccines. and diagnostic tests for naturally occurring emerging diseases such as SARS and avian influenzaas well as for microbes that might be employed by terrorists. This is exactly the type of research we hope to encourage under the Pandemic and AllHazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act. As an original cosponsor of this bill with Mr. ROGERS. I am very pleased at how quickly we have moved this rare bipartisan piece of legislation. I want to thank Mr. ROGERS. Chairman UPTON. Ranking Member WAXMAN. Ranking Member PALLONE. Ms. Myrick. Ms. ESHOO. and Mr. MARKEY for their work on this important legislation. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote "yes" on this legislation.
Date: 2013-03-04
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the Pandemic and AllHazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013. as amended by the Senate. This legislation will reauthorize programs first established in the 2002 Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act. the 2004 Project Bioshield Act. and the 2006 Pandemic and AllHazards Preparedness Act. These programs are crucial to ensuring that our Nation is prepared to respond to public health emergencies. including those caused by natural disasters. disease outbreaks. and bioterrorism. The Pandemic and AllHazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013 will reauthorize programs such as the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement. which provides grants to state and local health departments. the National Disaster Medical System. which helps manage the governments medical response in emergencies. and biosurveillance programs. which help states coordinate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track and detect disease outbreaks. The legislation also allows the Food and Drug Administration to collect and analyze data about the safety and efficacy of products used in emergencies. Mr. Speaker. in our changing world. public health emergencies can be created by sources as various as disasters due to climate change. global epidemics from an increasingly interconnected planet. and terrorists who target us. As we face these threats. it is our responsibility to remain vigilant and prepared for the sake of our children and our communities. The programs covered under the Pandemic and AllHazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013 serve as essential tools in our endeavor to protect the health of all Americans.
Date: 2013-03-04
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Madam Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership in hosting this event. It is so good to see young and talented individuals come to the Congress. building upon the experiences that theyve had in their city. State. and local governments. and its a pleasure to be here. You know. Ive been told that you can measure the humaneness of a society by how well it treats its old. how well it treats its young. and how well it treats those who have difficulty caring for themselves. I was just thinking that should the sequestration deal hold through the end of the fiscal year. between 600.000 and 750.000 lowincome women. infants. and children will be turned away. This would be not only unfortunate. but it would be a tremendous change in what precedence has been because traditionally. dating back to 1997. both parties have made it a point of trying to make sure that this population group did in fact have an opportunity to participate in the Women. Infants. and Children program and that lowincome pregnant women. infants. and children. the most vulnerable members of our society. would be able to have the basic necessities of life. And it was amazing to me this weekend. as I watched a little bit of television on Sunday morning. on the traditional Sunday talk shows. and how different Representatives were characterizing this action as: not as bad as some people thought it was going to be. its not going to affect as many people as it seems. our country has not fallen into Lake Michigan. Well. I can tell you. if you are a young. pregnant mother with no money. no place to go. and you rely upon the Women. Infants. and Children program to try to make sure that you produce a healthy baby who just comes into the world with a chance to make it and who. without these services. may come into life already disadvantaged. already behind. And so I dont know how we can actually do this with a good conscience. But. also. I cant imagine what it is that were thinking. How do you cut. cut. cut jobs and opportunities for people to work and expect to raise a recessed economy? Ive always been led to believe that youve got to have the exchange of goods and services. Youve got to keep money flowing in an economy. in a society. to move it beyond the bottom up towards the top. And so. in the recessed state that were in. we need to be producing jobs. creating work opportunity. not furloughing. laying people off. having them wonder what theyre going to be able to do. I think its the wrong approach. I think its not a good way to manage our resources. and I think its not a good message that were sending to the American people. So. sir. I want to thank you. again. for the opportunity to participate with you and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus as we raise awareness that. with this sequestration deal. our country is headed in the wrong direction.
Date: 2013-03-04
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. when the Congress adjourned last week. it did so without addressing the drastic spending cuts known as sequester. Now the March 1st deadline has passed. still with no action. Without the attention of Congress. these cuts will wreak havoc on our fragile economy and jeopardize the safety and security of families in this country. House and Senate Democrats have both offered reasonable. balanced plans to avert these damaging cuts. but the GOP has refused to work towards a bipartisan plan to reduce the deficit. We have had more than a year to reach a bipartisan agreement. and without an agreement these cuts will be balanced on the backs on our most vulnerable citizens. I am specifically concerned about the effects of sequestration on the 30th District. and the state of Texas as a whole. Texas will lose approximately $67.8 million for primary and secondary education. putting educators at risk and compromising our childrens education. In Texas alone. approximately 52.000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed. reducing gross pay by around $274.8 million in total. These are not just numbers. Madam Speaker. These are mothers and fathers trying to provide for their families. Under sequestration. 9.730 fewer children in Texas will receive vaccines. and our state will lose approximately $3.557.000 to help provide meals for seniors. Texas will also lose approximately $2.402.000 to help respond to public health threats including infectious diseases and natural disasters. Madam Speaker. we must confront our federal debt and deficit. but we must do so in a balanced approach that does not further harm our weakened economy. Deficit reduction must be comprised by both decreased spending and enhanced revenue measures. I implore the House leadership and the Republican Members of Congress to come back to the table and get back to work.