macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1998-09-28
Speaker: LEE H. HAMILTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

In my 16 years in the House of Representatives I have come to know and admire LEE for the wisdom and seriousness which he brings to consideration of the peoples business. The Hoosiers of the Ninth District lose a great congressman with LEEs retirement. In 34 years few can challenge his record for thoughtful integrity in the face of strong political pressure. While confronting some of the nations most serious foreign policy challenges. he always approached every issue with intellectual depth. He led the Congress in defending the President when under partisan attack. but he worked hard to ensure that the administration did not make foreign policy decisions without full consideration of every option and insisted that action be taken only after the administration had developed a rationale for its policy which would have the support of the American people. His reputation for probity and judicious reflection have made him the leader of choice when the Congress faced difficult foreign policy issues. whether as chairman of the Select Committee on IranContra or more recently of the Select Subcommittee on Iran Arms Transfers to Bosnia. I have had the honor of serving with -Mr. HAMILTON on one of those select committees and seen first hand how the nation has been well assisted by his probing intellect. I have also been proud to serve with Mr. HAMILTON when he was chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. In his years as chairman. he demonstrated again and again the ability to forge the type of bipartisan political coalition essential to making government work for the people. LEE had a instinctive understanding that democracy was more important than politics and that he was elected to serve all the people. rather than a narrow agenda agreeable to the few. The Ninth District has lost a great Representative in the retirement of Mr. HAMILTON. We honor more than Mr. HAMILTON today. we honor the principles which he has stood for against so many pressures for so long. I wish I could say that in losing Mr. HAMILTON. some are gaining more but I am afraid that his retirement is the countrys loss. I thank you for your service to the Congress and the American people. I salute you. I will miss you on the committee but I know you will not have gone far and we will continue to benefit from your expertise on foreign policy at the Wilson Center.
Date: 1998-10-08
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak against this rule. Members heard the arguments on LIHEAP and they have heard the arguments on the elimination of summer jobs. But I also want to point out one other area. and that is the Presidents education initiatives that have been eliminated by $2 billion. We sit here and talk about tax breaks and we have passed a bill to remove the cap to increase persons coming in. immigrants. for jobs because we do not have them prepared. but yet we are gutting the part of this budget that would prepare our young people for the future. We have gutted Goals 2000 which brings our parents much more involved into the education planning for our students. The technology literacy challenge fund has been eliminated. the Eisenhower professional development grants being eliminated. title I grants and safe and drugfree schools. We have heard arguments all year long about the increase of drug usage of our students. Yet we are eliminating those dollars that can help eliminate the drug use to educate and treat young people who have gotten involved in drugs. I do not understand the logic of why we are making tax breaks and immigration more of a priority than preparing our own young people for the future. It does not make sense. I ask my colleagues to.vote against this rule.
Date: 1998-10-08
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak on H.R. 578. and I commend my colleague the honorable gentleman from Michigan
Date: 1998-10-08
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Let me close my remarks by expressing my appreciation and respect for both the gentleman from Wisconsin
Date: 1998-10-09
Speaker: ADAM SMITH (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Washington

Mr. Speaker. I would like to- take this opportunity to express my strong support for making changes to the home health care interim payment system (IPS). As part of the $16.2 billion in savings from home health over five years. the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 created an interim payment system to serve as a bridge until the prospective payment system could be implemented. While the interim payment system was designed to cut costs and reduce fraud. it has unfairly punished the efficient home health agencies throughout the country. including those of Washington state. In the 1980s. the federal government promoted home care as a way to improve the health care situation in the United States. Using home care services reduces hospitalization. cuts the demand for expensive nursing homes. eases the burden on family caregivers and is proven to help sick people get better faster. Increased use of these services has helped make the health care system more efficient and better for consumers. While home health services have improved health care for many individuals. Congress could not ignore the increased costs and fraud in the home health system in recent years. and we acknowledged changes need to be made. Unfortunately. Congress did not make the correct changes in the process. My primary concern with t1e changes in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 relating to home health care payments is that in interim payment system disproportionately punishes areas of the country where home health patients are served efficiently. Washington state has been especially effective in their use of home health care. The states home health care systems is one of the most efficient in the country. The typical home health patient in Washington state uses only about 34 visits per year. which is less than half of the national average. Efficient agencies should be rewarded. not punished. under the new system and I believe Congress must fix the changes they made as part of the BBA to assure we do not unfairly punish those who have done their job well. I strongly support this bill because I believe it is a good step in the right direction for addressing the problems in the home health interim payment system. I feet we must continue to address this issue in the future to assure we are not punishing the home health agencies that provide services efficiently.
Date: 1998-10-09
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my support for H.R. 4567. the Medicare Home Health Care and Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 1998 and to congratulate the bills sponsors for moving this important legislation forward before Congress adjourns this year. While the bill is not perfect. it does promise to help the historically lowcost agencies that have been penalized by the interim payment system (IMPS) implemented in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 for their past efficiencies in delivering high quality home care. I also applaud the sponsors of the bill for increasing the per visit reimbursement limit. While I support the bill. I have some reservations. Texas is a big State with large rural areas. lain concerned that reimbursement to new health agencies in rural areas that must travel long distances to serve their patients is too low under the Interim Payment System. H.R. 4567 -does little to help these new agencies. Furthermore. the bill does nothing to postpone the 15% cut scheduled for next fall when HCFA fails to implement the Prospective Payment System by the October 1. 1999 deadline. I hope to see these issues addressed during conference with the Senate. In addition. I can only hope that a more appropriate funding mechanism can be found in conference that does not create a tax loophole for the highest earners which raises money in the short run and costs us billions in the long run.
Date: 1998-10-13
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. I rise to offer support for this bill and speak on its behalf. and I want to express my appreciation to the leaders of both committees on both sides of the aisle. The Nurse Education Act was last reauthorized. of course. in 1992. and Congress has worked very hard since 1994 to get it reauthorized. So I am delighted that we have come to this point. This bill has a very noble goal. to expand access to health care in rural and underserved areas. while increasing the number of minorities who are trained as primary health care professionals. I have had dental school as well as medical school representatives come into my office expressing dismay that we do not have as many minorities going into the health care professions as we did in the past. and it is causing. especially in my home state. a great lack of health care professionals in the neediest areas. especially in our border areas where we are heavily populated with Hispanic persons. and we are trying -very hard to attract persons that are bilingual in order to service this population. I am also pleased that the bill restructures Title 8 of the Health Professionals Training Act to allow for more efficient. flexible and comprehensive Federal financial support for nursing workforce development. Under the current authorization. there were so many different categories. and this bill simply consolidates them into three areas of authority. the advanced practice nursing education and training programs. programs to increase nursing workforce diversity. and projects to strengthen the capacity of basic nursing education. I. too. express my appreciation for the managers amendment to this bill. which contains a hold harmless provision that assures current funding levels for the current authorizations until such time that HHS has developed the methodology for a new streamlined financing process. Mr. Speaker. I support the bill.
Date: 1998-10-20
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. notwithstanding the important and needed transportation funding included in the measure. I stand in firm opposition to certain provisions included in the omnibus appropriations bill. H.R. 4328. In particular. I am opposed to the provision that would effectively allow states to veto projects specifically provided for by TEA21 and included in this appropriations bill. When I and my fellow colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastruoture Committee drafted TEA21. it was our intent that all monies devoted to "highpriority" projects would have to be spent on those projects or states would lose the allocations. There were many discussions and much testimony about this issue. In hearing after hearing. state governments consistently argued that they should be allowed to reallocate obligation limits for TEA21 highpriority projects to other projects that they deem more important. The full Transportation Committee felt differently. and that is precisely why we drafted TEA21 to mandate specific spending on specific highpriority projects. For instance. southern Dallas. which comprises a large part of my district. is badly in need of road and infrastructure improvements. However. this area has been largely ignored by the Texas Department of Transportation in favor of other projects in more affluent areas of the state. The opinions of city and county elected officials as to the needs of their constituents have consistently been overridden by the Republican appointed and partisan Commissioners of the Texas Transportation Commission. In TEA21. I was able to secure funding for this area long awaiting revitalization efforts with the understanding that. for once. the money would have to go there. I am not alone in this struggle. Many of my colleagues have been in similar situations during which their districts were consistently passed over by their state governments when allocating road and infrastructure improvement dollars. TEA21 was designed to change this diversion of resources and to finally bring improvements to underserved areas. TEA21 represented a bipartisan attempt to improve the nations transportation infrastructure. in large part by identifying projects that need to be completed and allocating money to be spent only on those projects. While it is my understanding that the provision will be removed from the bill in the 106th Congress. I am troubled that the provision exists in the bill at all. It is an irresponsible contradiction of the intent and spirit of TEA21 and the compromises reached by the members of the Transportation Committee. Southern Dallas. and other areas across the country like it. need and deserve the consideration that TEA21. provides. not more of the same old treatment. I urge the Republican leadership to remove this provision so that these areas can finally receive that consideration.
Date: 1998-12-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

wasand remains--the most appropriate means of condemning the Presidents misconduct while sparing the nation the further turmoil and uncertainty of a lengthy Senate trial. Contrary to the continuing claims of some that censure would be unconstitutional. a score of constitutional experts called as witnesses by both Republicans and Democrats on the Committee agreed in writingby a margin of almost 4 to 1that the Constitution does not prohibit censure. And it would be a breathtaking departure from the democratic principles which are the soul of the Constitution to deny the full House an opportunity to vote on an alternative to impeachment. As we stand on the brink of an impeachment vote for only the second time in our history. we can only hope that the democracy that has survived so many storms will weather this crisis as well. and that the irresponsible actions of this Committee will not do lasting damage to the country that we all so dearly love.
Date: 1998-12-18
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise against the articles of impeachment. Mr. Speaker. the articles of impeachment referred to the House by the Committee on the Judiciary Republicans are the product of a partisan hearing process. a very unfair process. The majority party is obsessed with destroying this President. I think it is because he represents the American peoples view. not the elitist view. but the peoples view. We have called this House the Peoples House. and. time after time after time. I have seen these Republicans stand and ignore the people. It is unfortunate that we have come to this time. because it is clear. I have listened all day. and all I have heard are excuses trying to back up why they want to destroy this President. We have spent $40 million of the taxpayers money for the Republicans to be able to say "gotcha."
Date: 1991-01-11
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. the world watches and waits as the members of this body debate the resolutions offered on the Persian Gulf: Whether to authorize the President to use military force against Iraq as proposed by Mr. SOLARZ and Mr. MICHEL. to continue to enforce economic sanctions and to defend Saudi Arabia from Iraq as proposed by
Date: 1991-01-12
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. my colleagues. arriving at this point in the discussion of this issue has been very difficult and painful. I would like to respectfully share with you my views at this time. I support the President. I support the troops in Operation Desert Shield. but I am- deeply disturbed at the events and the persons who have led us to this point in our history. I have and will continue to support our troops and will support all efforts to give them the necessary tools to fulfill their mission. Having said that. the most important support we can give them is to do our utmost to keep them from having to use those tools. I am not prepared at this time to accept the fact that all of the resources of the free world through the United Nations have failed in this instance and the only recourse is warwhat a shame. how sad if this is true. that in 1991 the world admits failure for a peaceful. diplomatic resolution of the Kuwait affair. I support the United Nations resolutions. thats no problem. but do you know what they say? Get the Iraqi troops out of Kuwait. thats all they say. I now ask. is the Emir of Kuwait worth dying for? No. Is the Emir of Kuwait worth one American life? No. I condemn the actions of Mr. Saddam Hussein. and I agree he is a menace to that area of the world and possibly beyond. I think that what he has done should not be the order of the day. but under the U.N. resolutions we drive him out of Kuwait. thats all they say. what then. what have we gained? They do not speak of chemical weapons or nuclear weapons. all they say is hes a bad guy and should be driven out of Kuwait. Having done that. what have we gained. I respectfully ask? The HamiltonGephardt resolution does not prohibit the President from acting. All it says is. should all fail. then Mr. President. you tell us thats the case and we will act together. thats all it says. let us do it together. Mr. President. as the elected representatives of the people. is that too much to ask? I support you. Mr. President. but my conscience and my district demand that we give peace a chance first. should that not be humanly possible and war is the ultimate need. I will be with you. and pray that it be achieved with the least loss of life possible. for it will be our young people in great part that will bear the burden. God bless and protect them. With all my mind. body and soul. I pray that what we do here today be worthy of our service as representatives of the people of the United States. our troops abroad and our own conscience. Thank you.
Date: 1991-01-18
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I would like to share something with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle here today. Like many other Members. I have just returned from my district. It is a small district. My population is about 1.20.000 people. From my district. the Virgin Islands. we have .over 200 brave men and women over in the gulf. I want to share with the Members my thoughts last Saturday when that resolution was voted on. I have served in this. House for more than 16 years. and -never have I regretted not having a vote as much as I did then. because the men and the women who are citizens of the U.S. insular areas. Guam. American Samoa. the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. the Nothern Marianas. and others. all of whom are serving in Operation Desert Storm. have no vote on the critical question of war and. peace. Not only that. but they do not even have a vote on who shall be their President or the man or woman who shall be their Commander in Chief. Mr. Speaker. I hope Members will help me to rectify this problem. a problem that is indefensible. It is an embarrassment to this great democracy. the greatest democracy in the history of the world. Let us correct this injustice.
Date: 1991-01-18
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I quote from the first paragraph of the resolution: The Congress unequivocally supports the men. and women of our Armed Forces who are carrying out their missions with professional excellence. dedicated patriotism and exemplary bravery. My personal link to this endeavor is Lt. Cmdr. Jorge de Ia Garza. USN. and Lt. Michael de la Garza. USN. Mike was in the Mediterranean -Sea and took part in the Libya bperatioh a.few years ago. Jorge served as a: base surgeon in Guantanamo Bay. .Cuba. and is now a surgeon with the Marines at the front in Saudi Arabia. My provincial link is all the men and women in the Reserves who have been called into the service. and the 141st Infantry Texas National Guard that is now on active duty at Fort Hood. TX. My collective interest is all our men and women. many of whom I have seen personally while in the Middle East. and all who support their mission here and abroad. Therefore. I say to them that we are proud of you. We are so very proud of you. We support you. Our prayers are with you. For that reason. I will support strongly this resolution. and urge all my colleagues. to do likewise regardless of their previous stance. This is what we say to those who are in the front lines in our behalf.
Date: 1991-01-23
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. although unable to vote for our Commander in Chief or cast a ballot in these Chambers whether or not our Nation should go to war. the people of the Virgin Islands stand proudly beside their fellow citizens from the 50 States and the other offshore territories as they. too. wear the uniform of the American armed services and place their lives in harms way when this great Nation calls them. Even before the battle was joined by U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf on January 16. three Virgin Islanders had already paid the ultimate price. sacrificing their lives in the line of duty. in Desert Shield now Desert Storm. Navy Fireman Wilton L. Huyghue. Jr. and PO2c. Philip Livingston Wilkinson lost their lives in a tragic accident at sea when the ferry boat in which they and 19 other sailors from the U.S.S. Saratoga were riding capsized at Haifa. Israel. Just a few days later. PO2c Troy Josiah perished in a helicopter crash near Guam during training exercises as the military prepared for war in the Persian Gulf. To the families and friends of these brave men we offer our heartfelt condolences for their supreme sacrifice on behalf of their nation. Words cannot express the sympathy our entire community feels at their passing. They served their country well and take their rightful places among the heroes of this war and of this Nation. May they rest in peace.
Date: 1991-01-29
Speaker: SONNY MONTGOMERY (democrat)
Chamber: H

and the ranking minority member. Mr. BOB STUMP. for their ability to reach consensus between the Members of Congress and the organizations on the issue of agent orange. I also want to Pay particular thanks and gratitude to LANE EvANs of the committee whose hard work and true dedication on this issue over a period of years enabled this comprimise to be worked out. I know that this and other issues on the committee have faced difficult times in the past. and it is through the dedication of individuals like LANE EvANs and their willingness to work out the specifics on the part of the chairman and his staff that the bill has finally come forward. and I want to congratulate both of them for the work that they have done. Let me say that I fully support H.R. 556. the Agent Orange Act. The bill will provide disability compensation for. what I think. are the two disabilities that cause the most concern to Vietnam veteransnonHodgkins lymphoma and soft tissue sarcoma. But the most important aspect of this bill is the fact that a system will be set up. so that the National Academy of Sciences will be able to make recommendations to the Department of Veterans Affairs for compensation of other disabilities. I think this bill is an important first step in resolving an injustice that has affected so many Vietnam veterans. Passage of this legislation will set an important precedence not only for Vietnam veterans but for the veterans of the current war in the gulf who could potentially be exposed to God only knows what kind of chemicals. I would like to commend again Congressman LAxE EVANS for championing this and other tough issues and again thank Chairman MONTGOMERY and the ranking minority member BOB STUMP for bringing this bill to a vote. I urge my colleagues to vote yes for H.R. 556.
Date: 1991-02-21
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to submit for printing in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD pursuant to the rules of the House a copy of the Rules of the Committee on Agriculture. which were adopted at the organizational meeting on February 7. 1991. The rules were agreed to by a unanimous voice vote.