macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2002-04-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. let me just again thank the ranking member. the gentleman from California . for the inclusion of his thoughts in this. We will continue to debate this issue. but I think it has been very educational for all of us. As we identify problems. we are trying to reach an agreement on some of these. Some we may just have to vote up or down. The gentleman has identified some issues that I think are making this bill a stronger bill. Mr. Chairman. let me express my appreciation to the gentleman from Texas . my ranking member on the subcommittee. I appreciate his efforts. as well. in bringing this to floor. I just note once again that we have worked very closely with Dr. Kelman at Harvard. the Clinton administrations procurement- czar over at OMB. This is a bipartisan piece that has been crafted and thought out through the years. I appreciate everyones efforts to try and better this.
Date: 2002-04-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. the managers amendment accomplishes four things: First. it clarifies a misconception that the Tech Corps does not require employees on exchange to gain real training opportunities. In participating. in the Tech Corps. employees will receive stateoftheart training in how to manage complex information technology projects. This kind of project management is not something that one can learn from a degree program or a few hours in a study hall or continuing education classes. That is why the leading business schools in the country all require students to undertake intensive. onthejob experience in the summer between their first and second years. Tech Corps provides workers with a chance to hone their skills and learn how other work cultures achieve their mission goals. But to make it absolutely clear that exchanges are for training purposes. the amendment requires agencies to consider how assignments can best be used to help meet the training needs of the employees. I hope this meets some of the concerns that have been raised by some of the opponents of this legislation. The second thing the managers amendment accomplishes is that it requires agencies to ensure that small business concerns have full participation in the Tech Corps. I know an additional amendment is going to be offered later on that I think we are prepared to accept. but this amendment recognizes the Tech Corps. as viewed by OPM. the Office of Personnel Management. as a means to inject flexibility into how agencies meet their information technology training and skills needs. Small businesses fill some amazing niches in technology. and we want them to participate in the Tech Corps where it makes sense for them. Third. the managers amendment prohibits charging of costs associated with the Tech Corps to contracts that companies receive from the government. Fourth. the amendment directs the Office of Personnel Management to report to Congress on the adequacy of existing IT training programs for government employees. Tech Corps is one Way to improve training opportunities. but we are also spending a lot of money on information technology degree programs and continuing education courses in agencies. We should evaluate these programs and look for ways that they can be improved. This report will help the Subcommittee on Technology and Procurement Policy and the Committee on Government Reform to begin a reasoned look at proposals for reform. including the ranking member of the subcommittee. my good friend. the gentleman from Texas legislation. Mr. Chairman. I urge Members to support this amendment.
Date: 2002-04-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. before rushing to create a new program that may be duplicative of what Mrs. Barnes said are the good training programs already available. we have to investigate what is available now. We should evaluate these programs as to whether degreebased training is effective. For example. we have spent a lot of money for a CIO University and for the National Security Administrations IT training consortiums. They have programs covering IT training for many agencies. We should be asking whether they work and how they can be improved. The managers amendment to this legislation addresses these needs. and in my judgment. Mr. Chairman. this amendment ought to be rejected.
Date: 2002-04-10
Speaker: TQM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for his remarks. and once again I believe that the part of this amendment that speaks to training has a lot of merit. and I hope that we can take it up under the appropriate committee jurisdictions and move in this session of the Congress. Let me just address a couple of remarks made by my good friend from New York about Mr. Ron Medford. the employee of the Consumer Products Safety Commission on the Federal payroll lobby. He could not have done any of these things under this legislation that is proposed today. The interesting thing is we have put more safeguards in there. He would have violated. in our opinion. 18 U.S.C. 201. which is incorporated as Federal bribery statutes. lobbying statute 18 U.S.C.. section 205. financial conflicts of interests. section 18 U.S.C. 208. perhaps even 18 U.S. Code 606. intimidation of your office to be able to advance things as well. These are all prohibitions of our law that were not under the detail act that Mr. Medford operated under. We have tried to address these. Raising these specters I think is helpful because it shows what we do not want this act to become. But I think we have gone out of our way to put more restrictions on detailees under this legislation than we have under any legislation in national history. including the current IPA program which has been very successful and which has never been prosecuted by the Justice Department or found any wrongdoing to have come forward. So we have gone out of our way to try to address these. while at the same time recognizing that while you are bringing these employees into the IT areas. there is a lot of confidential information. a lot of proprietary information that they are going to have to work with. To eliminate that. as this amendments does. basically guts the legisla tion because it does not allow our Federal employees to come in and get the training at the highest and best areas where they can learn the most and be trained the most on the job. Those are my comments. I appreciate and thank the gentleman.
Date: 2002-04-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Let me thank my friend from New York for offering this amendment. and although I always have some trepidation to accepting outright percentages in terms of a new program and how it is going to progress. I think she has worked hard on this and she has worked with our staff. She has been a strong proponent of small business. and I think that this in a way may be able to enhance the program. I intend to accept this amendment and vote for this amendment and advocate for it. and I just appreciate the effort she has put into this and the effort she has done working with our staff.
Date: 2002-04-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. that is certainly my understanding. I would say to my friend from California. as this moves through and to conference. I would be happy to work with her to further clarify that if we get the opportunity to do so but that is clearly the intention of this legislation. I appreciate the gentlewoman calling it to our attention.
Date: 2002-04-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. on the Digital Tech Corps Act. I would like to thank members of the staff of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight who helped to make this bill a reality: George Rogers. Victoria Proctor. John Brosnan. Teddy Kidd. Charles "Chip" Nottingham. Melissa Wojciak. and Howard Dennis. and Kevin Binger of the full committee. and also special thanks to Professor Steve Kelman of the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University for his thoughts and input into the legislation.
Date: 2002-04-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill to designate the United States Post Office building Platts Price (NC) Rahall Rangel Reyes Rivers Rodriguez Roemer Ross Rothman Roukema RoybalAllard Rush Sabo Sanchez Sanders Sandlin Sawyer Saxton Schakowsky Schiff Scott Serrano Shays Sherman Simmons Skelton Slaughter Smith (NJ) Smith (WA) Snyder Solis Spratt Stark Stenholm Strickland Stupak Tanner Tauscher Taylor (MS) Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Thune Thurman Tierney Towns Turner Udall (CO) Udall (NM) Velazquez Visclosky Walsh Waters Watson (CA) Watt (NC) Waxman Weiner Weldon (PA) Wexler Woolsey Wu Wynn located at 3101 West Sunflower Avenue in Santa Ana. California. as the "Hector G. Godinez Post Office Building." and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 2002-04-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 1366. introduced by the distinguished gentlewoman from California . designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3101 West Sunflower Avenue in Santa Ana. California as the "Hector G. Godinez Post Office Building." The bill is cosponsored by the entire House delegation from California. Mr. Speaker. Hector Godinez had a distinguished 48year career in the Postal Service. He climbed the postal ranks from mail carrier to southern California district manager. Prior to joining the Postal Service. he served with distinction as a tank commander in the U.S. Army under General George Patton. 0l 1315 He earned a Bronze Star for bravery under fire in World War II and a Purple Heart for wounds received in battle. He also served as the national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens from 1960 to 1961. I would urge the House to adopt H.R. 1366.
Date: 2002-04-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3925.
Date: 2002-04-11
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of King William County in Virginias First Congressional District. Nestled between the beautifully extraordinary waters of the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Rivers lies the 286 square miles of rolling farmland and scenic timberland that embodies King William County. This unique county enjoys many notable attributes that distinguish King William within Virginia. Home to the only native American Indian reservations in the Commonwealth. to the oldest courthouse in continuous use in the United States. and to Carter Braxton. signer of the Declaration of Independence. King William County is deeply rooted with historical significance. An April 11 birthday ceremony inaugurates King William Countys Tricentennial Celebration that continues with numerous activities throughout 2002. Marking the countys 300 year milestone. this celebratioil is an important commemoration of the countys dual heritage of colonial and Native American roots. I am proud to recognize the rich treasure of King Williams past and much prosperity in the future.
Date: 2002-04-11
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I hate to tell everybody this. but there is independent advice authorized in this bill. and it is for everybody. not just the bottom. but the top and the bottom. I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. The Pension Security Act contains some important provisions that will modernize pension legislation. The gentleman from California . the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. also included in this bill a very important pensionrelated provision that will overturn a new IRS position on employee stock purchase plans. I have received a number of calls. letters. and emails from constituents regarding the new IRS position that is overturning 30 years of tax policy. that was. the employee stock purchase plans are not subject to payroll tax. The IRS overturned that 1971 policy just recently. Imposing payroll taxes for Social Security and unemployment on employee stock purchase plans is just wrong. just as imposing payroll taxes on contributions to 401(k) plans -would be wrong. At least the IRS did not go that far. I hope the IRS sees we are serious about this matter and they do the right thing and simply make this issue go away. This IRS ruling penalizes hardworking people and is just wrong. Again. I want to thank the gentleman from California for his dedication to this issue and for making sure that Americas pension plans are safe and secure.
Date: 2002-04-16
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3719 Highway 4 in Jay. Florida. as the "Joseph W. Westmoreland Post Office Building".
Date: 2002-04-16
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3960. the bill under consideration.
Date: 2002-04-16
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 3960. introduced by the gentleman from Florida designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3719 Highway 4 in Jay. Florida. as the Joseph W. Westmoreland Post Office Building. Mr. Speaker. Joseph Westmoreland was appointed as postmaster at the Jay. Florida. post office in 1948. where he served for 41 years until his retirement in September 1989. Prior to this appointment. Mr. Westmoreland also served in our Nations military during World War II as a member of the Army Air Corps. Throughout his life. Mr. Westmoreland distinguished himself as a community leader. constantly working -for what was best for northwest Florida. Mr. Speaker. I urge adoption of H.R. 3960. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2002-04-16
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida . the distinguished sponsor of the bill.
Date: 2002-04-16
Speaker: JEFF MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. it is a great privilege to rise today as the House considers H.R. 3960. a bill to designate the United States Postal Service Facility located in Jay. Florida. as the Joseph W. Westmoreland Post Office Building. Mr. Speaker. earlier this year I introduced this measure to provide a fitting tribute to the service and life of the man who did so much for that area of the State in northwest Florida. Mr. Joseph Westmoreland was born to humble beginnings in South Carolina before serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Upon leaving service in 1946. Joe married Evelyn. whom he had met while stationed at Hurlburt Field. The couple moved to Jay. where Evelyns father owned a small grocery store. and where they would share 55 years of marriage. Joe was appointed postmaster by Congress in 1948. a position he would serve in for 41 years until his retirement. Time and time again. Joe proved himself not only an exemplary postmaster. but a strong community leader until his death January 28 of last year. While living in Jay. he became a charter member of the Jay Lions Club.and served in many positions in the Jay United Methodist Church. from teaching adult Sunday school classes to chair of the finance committee. Joe was an example to all of us that a civil servant is forever indebted to the people he serves. His faith taught him that there is no greater act than service to fellow man. and his life was a testament to these beliefs. Although Joe is not with us today. his legacy of service and dedication to community serves as a shining example to those in northwest Florida. Mr. Speaker. I thank Joes wife. Evelyn. and his sons. Lofton and Dale. for sharing their husband and father with the communities for so many years. I would like to thank the Committee on Government Reform. the gentleman from Indiana . and the gentleman from California for their assistance in getting this bill to the floor. and urge my colleagues to support this measure to recognize a man who dedicated over 4 decades of his life to the people of Jay. Florida. E 1415
Date: 2002-04-16
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I urge the adoption of this measure honoring an exemplary civil servant. Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time. and I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2002-04-16
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 600 Calumet Street in Lake Linden. Michigan. as the "Philip E. Ruppe Post Office Building".
Date: 2002-04-16
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.
Date: 2002-04-16
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1374. introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Michigan . designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 600 Calumet Street in Lake Linden. Michigan. as the Philip E. Ruppe Post Office Building. Mr. Speaker. Philip Ruppe was first elected to the United States House of Representatives from Michigans Upper Peninsula in 1966 and served with distinction until 1979. Prior to his congressional service. Mr. Ruppe served in the United States Navy during the Korean War. Mr. Ruppe. with his long family history in Michigan. has contributed to his community as an active civic leader and respected businessman. He brought this leadership and concern from northern Michigan to the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee and the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee where he served as the ranking member. Mr. Speaker. I urge adoption of H.R. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2002-04-16
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I urge adoption ofthis worthy measure honoring one of our former colleagues. . Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2002-04-17
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to celebrate a major milestone in the history of American business. This past Sunday. on April 14. J.C. Penney Company. whose Plano headquarters is located in my district. celebrated 100 years of serving American consumers. J.C. Penney is a name that Americans know well. and most of us have shopped in a J.C. Penney store at some point. We have learned by experience to expect their sdperior value for our money. And a century of delivering on that promise has made J.C. Penney a trusted name among American retail institutions and hardworking Americans. When James Cash Penney opened his first store on the Wyoming frontier 100 years ago. he had but one passion: to serve his customers to their complete satisfaction. That passion has been the enduring reason for his companys growth. survival and success. and also why J.C. Penney has helped millions of Americans raise the quality of their lives. Trends may come and go. businesses like J.C. Penney. built on timeless values. endure. I want to extend my sincere congratulations to the company for 100 years of performance.
Date: 2002-04-17
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the Child Custody Protection Act. a commonsense piece of legislation that would prohibit unscrupulous third parties from taking minors across State lines for abortions to circumvent parental consent and parent notification laws. Mothers have previously testified before State legislatures and Congress about the horror of finding out that their young daughters had obtained secret abortions and of having to pick up the pieces of the emotional and physical consequences. As a mother of two. it is very disconcerting to me to know that the parentchild relationship could be undermined in such a manner. As pointed out earlier. studies have shown that most schoolage mothers are impregnated by adult men. with the median age of the father being 22 years old. Thus. many of the third parties taking minors across State lines are older boyfriends who obviously have a very personal interest in the young girl obtaining an abortion and in keeping it secret from her parents. Congress must ensure that State laws designed to protect the integrity and sanctity of the parentchild relationship are not undermined. I consequently urge my colleagues to support passage of this legislation.
Date: 2002-04-18
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr... Speaker.. on April 4.. the postal. service transmitted its "Transformation Plan" to Congress. I read through some of the report and was surprised that there was no mention of the fact that the postal service spent $55 million on general advertising in The report did. however. stress that the postal service needs more "flexibility" and cited "increasing cost burdens" and "significant fixed costs" as part of the problem. Now. why on earth is an organization who whines about "burdens" and "fixed costs" spending $55 million on brand promotion? Remember. this money was spent during the same year it lost more than $1 billion. Mr. Speaker. the $55 million the postal service spent on advertising for product lines which typically lose money could clearly have been spent more efficiently. For example. $55 million would have just about covered all of the postal services tax liability on leased facilities last year. Even better. $55 million would have paid for more than twothirds of the postal service employee wages in my district. Mr. Speaker. an agency which spends $55 million on a losing advertising campaign does not need "flexibility." No. Mr. Speaker. What the postal service needs is some old fashioned "accountability."
Date: 2002-04-18
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. it is morally irresponsible not to pass this. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman from California