macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-29
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Madam Chair. I. along with my colleague from Arizona . am offering an amendment to cut all funding from the Legal Services Corporation and to allocate that money to the Spending Reduction Account. Legal Services Corporation was established 40 years ago. and I have no doubt that it was for the right reasons. but it hasnt been reauthorized since 1980. At no point in the last 34 years has either party in Congress felt that this agency was so important that it needed to be reauthorized. In fact. in 2012. it was estimated that over 94 percent of the services that Legal Services was set up to provide were provided by State and local governments. bar associations. and pro bono work by attorneys. This means that taxpayers are footing the bill of a million dollars a day for this service. yet this organization handles less than 6 percent of all indigent cases. The purpose of this bill. Madam Chair. is to provide law enforcement to the American people. With $350 million. we could employ thousands of FBI agents. U.S. Marshals. and others to protect Americans from domestic threats every day. Instead. this bill proposes to provide significant funding to an entity that is plagued by abuse. Allow me to provide a few examples. Madam Chair. from the recent LSC inspector generals report published April 30. The report found continued systemic deficiencies in the Legal Service Corporation grant program. The Inspector Generals Office opened 12 new investigations. including criminal cases that involved fraudulent activity and financial irregularities by grantee employees. The investigation also discovered unauthorized outside practice of law. as well as time and attendance abuse. We are spending millions simply on the inspector generals investigations of Legal Services Corporation. Additionally. cases arising from the Office of Inspector General resulted in the restitution of client trust fund moneys that had been converted to personal use. As one example. these investigations resulted in the recovery of more than $21.000 in Legal Services funds for time spent by a grantees attorney in unauthorized outside practices. At a time of record deficits and climbing debt. we should eliminate the funding of this program. which has not been reauthorized by Congress. including this one. in 34 years. Lets take the Legal Services Corporation off the taxpayers payroll. With that. Madam Chair. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2014-05-29
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Madam Chair. if only Legal Services were limited to the things that the gentlelady and the gentleman have discussed. like helping our veterans with foreclosures and other things. but in my part of the country. in the rural areas that I come from. Legal Services Corporation has hired plaintiffs that are pursuing our farmers and. quite honestly. attempting to put farmers out of business in Georgia. That is unacceptable and taxpayer funds should not be used for that. With that. Madam Chair. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Georgia .
Date: 2014-05-29
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Madam Chair. I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII. further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Georgia will be postponed. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will read.
Date: 2014-05-29
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida for his work on this issue and his leadership on it. and I would like to thank the Democrats for allowing us to have this. I want to just tell you. as a father who spends time in the Gulf of Mexico. in 2007. we were allowed to fish. as a family. 194 days out of the year. For 194 days. I could go out with my son and we could catch snapper. and we could catch up to four fish apiece. Today. we have now been reduced to 9 days. We have lost 95 percent. Mr. Chairman. 95 percent of the time that a family could spend on the water fishing together has been taken from us as sportsmen in the Gulf of Mexico with regard to red snapper. So I want to thank the gentleman from Florida for his work on this. I want to thank the other Members of the House for understanding us and how important this issue is to those of us who are the recreational anglers.
Date: 2014-06-10
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. for the first time in 19 years. I was unable to wake up and wish my wife. Shannon. a happy anniversary in person. so. Mr. Speaker. I stand here on the floor of the House today to do just that. Shannon. you are not only my best friend. my rock. and my biggest supporter. you are the reason why I have this privilege of standing here in this great institution to serve the 13th District of Illinois. It is what you have shown us as not only a nurse. a mother. and as my best friend. it is a strength that only comes from being you. Fifteen years ago. you stared at a battlefield of colon cancer in front of you. You stared down that battlefield. and you beat it. What you may not know is that strength that you showed at that time is a strength that is an inspiration to not only me. but to our three children and to so many of us that know you. Shannon. today. on our 19th anniversary. I stand here today to wish you the happiest of happy anniversaries. and I hope to be home soon this weekend to celebrate in person with you. Mr. Speaker. I would be remiss if I didnt say. "I love you. Shannon." before I yielded back.
Date: 2014-06-10
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Speaker

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Date: 2014-06-11
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Chair. I would like to thank my colleague from Alabama for his leadership on this issue. This is an issue where I think we all agree. We want children in this country to eat healthier. We all want to fight childhood obesity. But I come up to this podium in opposition to this amendment because I am a parent. I have three kids in public schools. I coach youth football. I coach Little League. I talk to children. I have talked to superintendents and principals in central Illinois about this problem. And it is not just a problem that Washington can solve. but it is a problem that Washington created that we need to fix. There is a lot of plate waste. You look at a recent Los Angeles Times article. upwards of $20 million per year the Los Angeles. California. school district is losing to plate waste. 1.2 million less children in this country are participating in the school lunch program. the school nutrition program. In my district. schools like Monticello. Illinois. have pulled out of the school nutrition program because they were losing upwards of $100.000 a year to comply with regulations that were thought of in a concrete building in Washington. D.C.. rather than rural America. Now. what have we done? We have asked Secretary Vilsack to offer some flexibility to schools like Monticello so that more kids will participate and that school district doesnt have to choose between following the rules and regulations set forth in Washington. D.C.. and choosing to hire two teachers. We have asked the White House and the USDA to voluntarily comply with the same rules and regulations that every school nutrition program. every school cafeteria in this country has to comply with. No answer. We have offered for Secretary Vilsack to come visit the school districts that have talked to me about this being a burden and a problem financially for them. Still no answer. Giving schools flexibility does not mean that I want kids to eat unhealthy. It means parents and local schools districts know better how to feed our children rather than bureaucrats in Washington. D.C. I am going to continue to advocate for more flexibility for these regulations so that we dont lose more than the 1.2 million children that should be participating in the school lunch program. What I want to know is why this administration and why the USDA fails to recognize that there is a problem in rural America and a problem in our urban schools when it comes to money that could be better spent educating our children in this great country. Support this legislation. Do not support this amendment.
Date: 2014-06-11
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Chairman. this is an issue that. unfortunately. I think is misunderstood. In school districts like Monticello. Illinois. that had to make the tough decision to pull out of the program. they dont get the Federal dollars anymore. They dont get the reimbursement. But they had to make the costbenefit decision of whether or not to still feed those who qualify for free and reduced lunch out of their own pocket so they wouldnt lose the $100.000 a year. When the Los Angeles school district is losing upwards of $20 million a year. it is a big deal because school districts are having to choose between teachers and complying with Federal rules and regulations. I believe that the decision on how to feed children is best left to parents and our local school districts. Do you know what? The kids that are hurt the worst by this. that is why we are asking for this waiver. We are asking for the USDA to approve a waiver. That is it. nothing more. nothing less.
Date: 2014-06-11
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

And the kids that are hurt the worst are the poorest kids who dont have the ability to go out to the convenience store when they are hungry afterwards. like many of the children of ours. and feed themselves. That is the only meal they may get that day. and we cant have Washington determining what that meal is.
Date: 2014-06-17
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize and congratulate Dr. Ed Hightower on his upcoming retirement. Many of you may know Dr. Hightower from his time as a college basketball referee. working 12 NCAA Final Fours and countless games for the Big Ten and the Big East. He was also named the Mens College Basketball Official of the Year in 1992. and he was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in Off the court. Dr. Hightower is a true community leader and a public servant. Ed Hightower has been an educator for 40 years. serving as a teacher. a principal. and an administrator. He has received three degrees from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a doctorate from St. Louis University. In 1996. he was hired as the first African American superintendent in Edwardsville school district history. a job that he is wrapping up at the end of the 20142015 school year. On Dr. Hightowers watch. the Edwardsville school district saw incredible growth. doubling in population. requiring a new high school. a second middle school and other buildings. and weathered the same economic crisis that challenged all local school districts. Thank you for your decades of service to our students. Dr. Hightower. Thank you for your leadership and your ability to always put the education of our children first in all of your decisions. Enjoy your final year as superintendent. and good luck in your retirement.
Date: 2014-06-17
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague from North Carolina and also my colleague from Vermont for their support of this piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor James R. Burgess Jr. My bill. H.R. 1707. will designate the post office located at 302 East Green Street in Champaign. Illinois. as the James R. Burgess Jr. Post Office Building. Mr. Burgess served more than 20 years in the Army. playing a critical role in a largely unknown part of American military history. He was a leader of the 761st Tank Battalion. which was the first African American armored unit to enter battle in World War II. At the age of 29. Mr. Burgess was a first lieutenant in command of one of the six companies who served under General George Patton in Europe. and upon his retirement from the U.S. Army. Mr. Burgess had reached the rank of major. After leaving the service in 1962. Mr. Burgess moved his wife and two sons to Champaign. Illinois. so he could attend law school at the University of Illinois. where he graduated 3 years later as the only African American in his class. Mr. Burgess was elected Champaign County States attorney in 1972 and is still the only African American to be elected to a countywide office in Champaign County. Later. he was appointed as a U.S. attorney for a large section of downstate Illinois. Since Mr. Burgess passing in 1997. many of my constituents in the 13th District. and especially his son Steve have been looking for a way to commemorate the achievements of his life. Two years ago. Steve approached me seeking my help to honor the life and legacy of his father. It has taken a lot of time and a lot of work. While I am proud that we are finally to this point. Mr. Speaker. I also have a heavy heart. Last November. Steve Burgess passed away suddenly. Steve worked tirelessly over the years to get this project to the finish line. and it is truly heartbreaking that he wont be able to see it completed. Naming this building after Mr. James R. Burgess is but a small token of our gratitude for his service and an honor for his son. my friend. Steve Burgess.
Date: 2014-06-18
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of this amendment to preserve the A10 Warthog. as well. This is the most effective. costefficient aircraft that we have for the missions that we are engaged in right now. Our men and women who are out there in harms way deserve to have this aircraft flying above them and protecting them. Our enemies run in fear from it. and. quite honestly. I think it is the best money we can spend in protecting our troops while they are on the ground. The A10 Warthog is the most effective aircraft for close air support. We need it for the missions we are in now. and we are going to need it for the missions tomorrow.
Date: 2014-06-19
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. you know. we have heard the horror stories of our veterans experiencing long wait times. subpar care. or worse. no care at all at VAs across the country. While we cant fix a broken VA system overnight. we can do something now to help our brave men and women in uniform. That is why I am introducing the Helping Veterans Save for Health Care Act that would allow veterans who receive care through the VA to contribute to a health savings account. Such savings could then be used by the veteran or their family. Veterans want. need. and deserve more choices when it comes to saving for health care. particularly when our VA is failing to provide the care they earned. We must continue to put our veterans first. and we can start by making it easier for them to save through an HSA for quality care. I ask my colleagues to join me in this effort. It is the right thing to do.
Date: 2014-06-20
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate Command Sergeant Major Mark A. Mathis on his retirement after 30 years of service to our Nation in the U.S. Army. Command Sergeant Major Mathis was born in Alton in 1963 and grew up in the small town of Dorchester in Macoupin County in central Illinois. He entered the Army in September of 1984 and is currently serving as the command sergeant major for the 902nd Military Intelligence Group in Fort Meade. Maryland. He has had a multitude of assignments throughout his 30year military career. including his deployment to Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division. Command Sergeant Major Mathis awards and badges include the Bronze Star Medal. the Iraq Campaign Medal. the Meritorious Service Medal. the Army Commendation Medal. and many others. Mr. Speaker. Command Sergeant Major Mark A. Mathis represents the best our country has to offer. His experience and leadership will be greatly missed. Command Sergeant Major Mathis. thank you for your service to our country. and congratulations on your wellearned retirement.
Date: 2014-06-23
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. I also rise today in support of H.R. 4413. the Customer Protection and End User Relief Act. This legislation clarifies congressional intent concerning end users under the DoddFrank law by providing a clear exemption for nonfinancial end users who qualify for the clearing exception under title 7 of the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Across the country. consumers and businesses alike are confronted with financial risks associated with their daytoday operations. To manage these risks. they use overthecounter derivatives to provide price certainty. Consumers. in turn. benefit from these risk management practices through greater stability in the daytoday prices of the goods that we purchase. By passing this legislation. Congress provides an exemption from clearing and margin requirements and. therefore. reduces the costs for businesses and individuals who are not financial institutions. With this exemption. less than 10 percent of the capital involved in the derivatives market is relieved of burdensome regulations. This balance protects the consumer while providing a progrowth environment for businesses. and we passed very similar legislation in the 112th Congress 37024. For this reason. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 4413. so that we can provide businesses and individuals the tools necessary to manage daytoday operational risk. while providing muchneeded certainty to the American people.
Date: 2014-06-23
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of H.R. 4413. and I would like to thank my colleagues. especially Chairman LUCAS. for his leadership on this very important issue. Ranking Member PETERSON for his leadership. and also the subcommittee chairman. Mr. CONAWAY. I am supportive of this bill because it provides relief to consumers. especially to our farmers and manufacturers. This bill also includes language that I developed that addresses regulations that could directly increase prices for consumers back home in Illinois and throughout this great country. In crafting rules to implement DoddFrank. the CFTC imposed a realtime reporting requirement on all swaps markets. This has had a negative and unintended consequence on end users. This realtime reporting requirement has made it easier for market participants in certain sparsely traded markets to be exposed. And when these participants are exposed. it allows for others to take advantage of their positions and increase their costs of doing business for future trades. These rarely traded swaps are used by only a handful of companies with excellent credit ratings to provide longterm protection against price fluctuations for commodities such as oil and jet fuel. The CFTC has long recognized the danger of disclosing counterparty identities in thinly traded markets. This bipartisan. commonsense language is needed to help reinforce that longstanding policy. As a member of the Agriculture Committee. I am pleased that we are reauthorizing this bill because it will provide relief to end users like farmers and manufacturers. and keep costs low for anyone wanting to travel by air. and all consumers. I support this legislation.
Date: 2014-06-24
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. you know. the surge of illegal immigration on the southern border of Texas is one of the largest security and social issues facing our Nation today. Thousands of illegals crossing into the United States directly impact our schools. our hospitals. government budgets. employment. crime. and all parts of American life. Sadly. this surge is no coincidence. instead. it is a direct response to President Obamas failed policies. News reports stated: White House officials acknowledged some of the thousands of children seeking refuge are coming. in part. because they think they will be allowed to stay in the United States because of President Obamas policies. This is totally unacceptable. We are a Nation of laws. The President has a duty to fully enforce our laws and protect our borders. Texans and all Americans want. need. and deserve a secure border. period.
Date: 2014-06-24
Speaker: CORY GARDNER (republican)
Chamber: H

for his efforts on this important bipartisan bill. Last October. we held a forum that consisted of nearly a dozen representatives of foreign governments. as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. all of whom expressed their strong interest in buying LNG from the U.S. Three of themHungary. the Czech Republic. and Lithuaniaare Eastern European allies that are currently dependent on Russia for natural gas. They described in great detail how Russia wields natural gas as a weapon against them. threatening to raise prices or to even cut off supplies as a means of exerting political pressure. We need to respond. as we are seeing their warnings playing out with the ongoing crisis. obviously. today in Ukraine. If Putin is not deterred. he will likely use the same tactics on other Eastern European countries in the years ahead. Russias aggression is real. and American LNG can provide a muchneeded lifeline away from Putins grip as an alternative supply source. The Energy Information Administrations estimated reserves of natural gas continue to be revised upward. ensuring that we can continue to provide American manufacturers with lowcost supplies. while having enough for export markets. and the Department of Energy has even concluded that natural gas exports will be a net benefit to our economy. Early in our efforts. the DOE insisted that its process for approving LNG export facilities wasnt broken. but over the last year. there have been very few approvals. and most applications continue to languishsome for even more than a yearand the line continues to grow. The DOEs most recent changes to the process. while a slight improvement from the existing queue. are still very disappointing. They do nothing to address the core problem of openended delays. Congress needs to act. Throughout our efforts on this topic. there has been bipartisan interest in LNG exports. Since the bill was first introduced. the bipartisanship has only grown. and for that. I commend the bills author. CORY GARDNER. for working with GENE GREEN and others on an amendment adapting the bills language to address a number of concerns. I know that we have reached the point where the passage of this bill. H.R. 6. will be seen as a bipartisan success story. as it should. and the Senate should follow our lead. stand up for jobs. as well as our allies. and quickly send this bill to the Presidents desk.
Date: 2014-07-09
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

H.J. Res. 117 Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article 1. Section 8. Clause 17. giving Congress exclusive jurisdiction over the District of Columbia. That clause was cited as the authority for the governments ability to accept the original Smithson donation and the creation of the Smithsonian Institution via the Act of August 10. 1846. Article 1. Section 8. Clause 18. the Necessary and Proper clause. which provides the power to enact legislation necessary to effectuate one of the earlier enumerated powers. such as the authority granted in Clause 17 above.