macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. in a time when most students graduate with at least $20.000 in debt. it is more important than ever that students can find loans with low interest rates that are easy to pay back. In the best case. students can get federal financial aid. However. more and more students have maxed out that aid and are tuming to the private market. Many schools recommend lenders to help students and their families find loans. Now. most schools do work in the best interest of their students. and choose preferred lenders based on the benefits they can give students. But. as we have seen. some unscrupulous lenders have schemed with certain unscrupulous staff of college loan offices to serve their own special interests rather than the interests of students and their families. . What is worse. the Department of Education knew about these cozy relationships between student loan officials and lenders and did nothing about it. This is indicative of the lack of oversight that has persisted at the Department of Education for the last six years. Some of us in Congress. a few years ago. worked to close a loophole in the federal student loan program that was costing taxpayers millions of dollars. We had to pass a law to force the Department of Education to actthey had refused to issue emergency regulations to stop the subsidy and save money for taxpayers and students. And now. again. the Department of Education. when faced with a clear conflict of interest between lenders and schools. has failed to respond adequately. Congress must step in to make the rules clear. This bill does just that. It clarifies appropriate conduct for schools. It encourages private loans to be _competitive with federal loans. It makes students more aware of their options by making the student loan market less confusing and more transparent. Perhaps most importantly. this bill will restore trust between students and their colleges. Students need to be able to trust that their school officials are giving them the best advice in the confusing worid of student loans. The provisions of this bill. by requiring schools to disclose exactly how their preferred lenders are chosen. will reassure students and parents that schools are looking out for their best interests. This bill wll help students and parents get the best deal for their money. I encourage my colleagues to vote yes on the Student Loan Sunshine Act. and put in place a system that looks after students interests. and is not plagued by special interests.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I urge the House to pass H.R. 890: as amended. and I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I compliment you for the outstanding job that you have done in bringing this bill to the floor. I also thank the ranking member for the support that has been shown. Mr. Chairman. this bill contains $39.8 billion for Homeland Security. It is worthy of noting that this is $2.1 billion more than the President has requested and that it restores some of the numerous cuts made by the President. This bill provides accountability. This bill has a strong means by which our homeland will begin to move in the direction of getting the kind of support that it needs to be secure. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill..
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 1684. the Department of Homeland Security Fiscal Year �2008 Authorization bill. As the Vice Chair of the Homeland Security Committee I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this important.. bipartisan authorization bill that will provide much needed guidance to and oversight of the Department of Homeland Security. and will be the first DHS Authorization bill voted on by the House. H.R. 1684 contains many key provisions that will improve the Departments long range planning. accountability. personnel development. It will also provide longneglected authorization for critical programs at the Department. This legislation authorizes an Undersecretary for Policy and a Comprehensive Homeland Security Review at the start of each new Presidential Administration. These provisions will help ensure that the Department is looking beyond the crisis at hand. planning for the future. and keeping its resources aligned with its mission and the National Strategy for Homeland Security. In addition. I am pleased that this legislation includes a sense of the Congress that the consolidation of the Departments headquarters on the West campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital should move forward rapidly. I believe the establishment of this headquarters will have a positive effect on the efficiency. operations. and morale of the Department. In terms of accountability. H.R. 1684 requires enhanced. oversight of large contracts under the Departments Secure Border Initiative. Personnel development is a major issue for the Department. This legislation authorizes expanded procurement training for acquisition employees. and enhanced incentives for the recruitment and retention of Border Patrol agents. The bill also addresses several key policy areas. These include requiring the Department to plan for the implementation of the biometric exit component of the USVISIT program. This is an essential border security issue that will enable us to knowwho is in the country. and to better track people overstaying their visas. In addition this legislation provides five year authorization of the Metropolitan Medical Response System. a critical program to ensure response capabilities for allhazards mass casualty events. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1684. and in working together to have a Homeland Security Authorization bill signed into law this year for the first time ever.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Califomia

Mr. Chairman. congratulations to Chairman BENNIE THOMPSON for getting the DHS Authorization bill to tt~e floor.for the first time in" 2 years. This authorization bill is the result of countless hours of negotiation and I would like to recognize- Chairman THOMPSON and his staff for all their hard -work. H.R. 1684 addresses the difficulties the Department of Homeland Security has faced in contracting. procurement. the morale of employees. management. and oversight. We cannot continue to sit idly by while the Department which is charged with leading the unified national effort to secure America is not operating effectively. Again. congratulations to my good friend Chairman THOMPSON on this accomplishment.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman. and I commend her for bringing this amendment to the floor. This amendment is going to accord the kind of protection that tourists deserve and should receive in highden. sity areas. It is odd that L as Vegas. Orlando and San Diego were not adequately considered. We are talking about $746.9 million that will be allocated to 46 urban areas. I strongly support the amendment. It will provide the protection that tourists richly deserve.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: . Florida

Mr. Chairman. I am asking that the ranking member on the other side yield 1 minute to Ms. BERKLEY because I think I am out of time. The Acting -CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from New York has already yielded back the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from Florida At the end of title XI. insert the following:
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

The Secretary shallMr. Chairman. I yield 28 seconds to the .(1) study select foreign rail security practices. and the cost and feasibility of implegentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. BERK- menting selected best practices that are not LEY). currently used in the United States. includ-
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment. However. I do not oppose the amendment.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. -I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to. if I may. extend. my greatest appreciation to Mr. CASTLE for bringing this amendment to the floor. It is very thoughtful. and it is very timely. Mr. Speaker. we must learn from the experiences of others. This amendment will provide us an opportunity to study the best practices available and to benefit from these practices by implementing policies and procedures within our country that will help to secure our rail system. This is a good amendment. and I strongly urge my colleagues to support it. And again. I commend the gentleman for bringing it to the floor. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr Chairman. I would like to commend Mr. STUPAK for this outstanding amendment. This amendment is one of our best bets. and. hence. I think IBET is a great way to style the team that will be working. This amendment will accord us an opportunity to have Customs enforcement. the Coast Guard. the immigration authority. Border Patrol. the Royal Canadian Mounted Police all work together to help thwart and hopefully end any human trafficking. drug trafficking. and crossborder terrorist activities that may take place. This is a very thoughtful amendment. It provides an opportunity for our countries. Canada and the United States. to work together in the best effort possible to secure the northern border.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I would like to claimetime in opposition to the amendment. However. I do not oppose it and. in fact. would like to say a word. if I might. in support of it.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I think this is an appropriate amendment that Mr. HASTINGS has brought to the attention of the House. It is most appropriate that we have a strategic plan that would provide some leverage such that the expertise of the national lab can be properly utilized. This is a national plan. It is one that is most appropriate. and we support it. We commend the gentleman for bringing it to the attention of the House.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. however. I do not oppose the amendment and would support it.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. let me say simply that I thank the Member for bringing this amendment to the attention of the floor of the House and would encourage my colleagues to support it. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairman. let me start by commending Chairman THOMPSON. Ranking Member KING and the Homeland Security Committee on a bipartisan basis for their good work on this piece of legislation. I have an amendment that I hope will be agreeable to all sides. In January of this year. the TSA launched a Web site. Some of you may have seen it. It was called the Traveler Verification Identification Program. and it was designed to allow those passengers who were wrongfully identified on the nofly lists or the selectee lists. the opportunity to start the process of getting their names removed from that list. The way you did that was you go and you log on to the TSA Web site and submit sensitive security information and personal information. like your Social Security number. the place and date of birth. your drivers license number and other personal identification numbers in order to demonstrate and prove to TSA that you were not a "person of concern" on their list. That was an important step forward. a positive NOT VOTINGll Johnson. E. B. Moran (KS) Larson (CT) Renzi MoMorris Souder Rodgers Tiahrt list. I think we have all heard the stories about individuals who were wrongfully places1 on that list or whose identifications were mistaken for somebody else. So that was a good way to start to get people off the list. But right after the -launch of that program. they had to shut it down. The TSA had to shut down the site because. as was reported in The Washington Post and the hightech magazine Wired. it was determined that the information that individuals were entering onto the TSA Web site was not secure. very personal types of information. Security experts found that the site lacked many of the basic measures necessary to protect personal information. no encryption devices. no other safeguards. and that the data being transferred to TSA wasessentially vulnerable to being taken and used for identity. theft and other purposes. After these concerns were brought to the attention of TSA. they had to bring down the Web site. They put up another Web site and program in February called the Travelers Redress Inquiry Program. Now. the TSA has said that it has made the -necessary adjustments to protect this very personal and confidential information from exposure and theft. but it is not clear that they have taken all the measures that are necessary. especially in light of the fact that only last week we found out that a hard drive containing the personal data of almost 100.000 TSA employees disappeared. Data security does not seem to have been taken seriously enough by the TSA. This amendment is designed to focus greater attention on that issue. This amendment is very simple. It requires TSA to take the necessary steps required to protect the personal information submitted online by passengers. by our constituents. when they are seeking to remove their names from the nofly list. the selectee list or other related lists. It is designed to get at a very specific problem that has arisen in recent months. and I urge its adoption.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chairman. I thank the gentleman. and I appreciate the point you are raising. As it says. such sums as may be necessary to address this issue. I wouldnt expect it to be a very large sum. TSA is telling us they have addressed this issue. I am not sure we are totally convinced. If we could get this amendment passed. obviously as we go through the process. if there is some claim that this is going to cost billions of dollars. I wouldnt expect it would. but I would be happy to work with the gentleman.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. this amendment is a bad idea. In 1996. I think it was Congressman SENSENBRENNER who proposed the USVISIT system. That was 11 years ago. and the USVISIT is not yet fully implemented. That system is to biometrically check aliens who are entering the United States. I believe that to divert Homeland Security from that mission at this point would put our governmeilt at further risk. We are promised by Homeland that USVISIT will be completely implemented at airports by the end of this year. Land ports. theyre not implementing. So I think it would be a huge mistake to start some new system when we havent even implemented the Sensenbrenner plan from 1996. Id like to note further that in the body of the motion to recommit it suggests that it is true that the 9/11 hijackers were not admissible to the United States when they were admitted. But the inspectors at the airport didnt know that. not because of the biometric system. It was because the reasons for their inadmissibility lay in paper files on microfiche in a box in Florida. We are about to receive a technology upgrade plan from USCIS. In fact. we have been told it is sitting at OMB today. What we need to do is to implement USVISIT. integrate it with the new technology plan that is about to be brought online. It will be a dreadful mistake for the Congress to defera Department that is not terrifically functional as is from this vital mission by creating still another program that will not actually do its job.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

No. I will not. That will not actually do its job because we have failed to do the screening of aliens. I would thank the chairman of the committee for yielding this brief time. and I would urge my colleagues not to divert the Departmerit from the vital mission of implementing USVISIT.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you so much. Mr. ALTMIRE. I have to tell you what a pleasure it. is to have the reinforcements in you and Mr. MURPHY and a number of other Members. you. Madam Speaker. to have been elected on November 7 to bolster the efforts of the 30Something Working Group. Because we hung in there for the last couple of cycles and took to the floor every night to talk to the American people and to our colleagues on this floor about the issues that we believed were important to them that were not being addressed by our colleagues and good friends on the other side of the aisle when they were in charge. I want to follow up on what you and
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I just want to talk for a minute. I know we really want to talk about some domestic issues here. but I want to talk about some of the stress we have put on our forces here at home. Because I have to tell you. as we watched some of the tragedies unfold in the Midwest. in Kansas. and we saw the inability of our National Guard in that State to respond. unfortunately. it took that incident for a lot people to finally wake up to the notion that our Reserve units and our National Guard units. the very troops that we relied on for years. decades. to provide us with security when tragedy befell our compatriots here at home. arent there any longer. We heard it from Governors in Iowa. Minnesota and. of course. now in Kansas. The administration. as usual. seems to be more interested in throwing around blame than they seem to be interested in actually solving the problem. When the Governor of Kansas came out and said. listen. here you see it. we dont have the resources to respond to this devastating crisis because our National Guard units have been deployed over and over again overseas in a way that we never asked our National Guard and Reserve units to be deployed in the past. the White House came back and said. well. you know what? That is not our fault. That is the Governors fault for not telling us that she had problems. If she had just told us she had problems. we would have done something about it. Well. guess what? She did. Last year. quoted in the New York times. the Governor of Kansas said. we are not only missing National Guard personnel. we are also missing a lot of the equipment that is used to deal with situations at home. day in and day out. Well. you know. we have heard a lot about how folks in the White House dont read newspapers with the rigor that some of us do. They certainly did not read The New York Times that day when the Governor of Kansas almost a year ago sounded the bell and said. if we dont start replenishing our units here at home. we are going to be in big trouble. And we are.
Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I am really glad that you touched on that. because you read my mind. I am obviously from a State where the National Guard and its readiness is imperative. We are approaching June 1st. which is the beginning of hurricane season. It runs all the way through to the end of November. I know from conversations that I have had with our Guard leadership in Florida that a good amount of our equipment is over in Iraq still. And to make matters worse is that the equipment that has come back is in such horrendous shape that it is almost unusable. When I had a meeting in my district office with the head of our National Guard. with the commander. this was over a year ago. he expressed that concern to me over a year ago. We cant deal with the lack of readiness in Kansas but certainly not in a State like Florida where we are in the middle of hurricane alley. And we have already had the first main storm today. three weeks before the hurricane season even begins. So we are not just talking about the foreign policy impact. the perception of our Nation across the world or the impact on our troops. There is a domestic impact. a significant detrimental domestic impact to our inability to address where we are in this war. and when it is going to end. We have got to make sure that the Iraqi government and the Iraqi troops are in a position to stand on their own so that we can bring our troops home and deal with the domestic needs that we have in this country.
Date: 2007-05-10
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to support H.R. 2237 with certain reservations. Very few bills that pass this House are written exactly as each of us would like. My own plan for the redeployment of U.S. forces would not take this exact form. However. the general thrust of this plan is in the right direction. It establishes a timetable to extricate U.S. forces from a bloody. sectarian civil war while providing the flexibility to carry out other missions both inside and outside Iraq for the purpose of going after al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations with global reach. It also provides for U.S. forces to train and equip the Iraqi Security Forces. and to protect the U.S. Embassy and diplomatic missions. Mr. Speaker. I preferred the approach taken by the House: in the Supplemental Appropriations bill we recently passed. Unfortunately. the President vetoed that measure. He wants the funds without any accountability. We cannot give the President a blank check. While I do not agree with every provision in this bill. it sends the right messageit is time to end the Presidents failed policies in Iraq and change direction.
Date: 2007-05-10
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. due to unforeseen circumstances I failed to vote on rollcall No. 330. which provided for the redeployment of United States Armed Forces and defense contractors from I raq. Had I been able to vote. I would have voted "yea."
Date: 2007-05-14
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. during the first ever AmeriCorps week I would like to extend my support to the oranization and all of the great things that its members have done. Since AmeriCorps was created in 1994. Texas has benefited from over 22.000 young people serving a year or more in our communities. Nearly 72 AmeriCorps volunteers have tutored 691 youths in the State of Texas including the Dallas Habitat for Humanities and the YMCA of Dallas Oak Cliff Branch. In Texas. as in other States. AmeriCorps volunteers provide d host of services including building affordable housing. teaching computer skills to youth and seniors. and managing afterschool programs aimed at youngsters who might otherwise drop out of school. Through programs such as the "National Civilian Community Corps" or "City Year." AmeriCorps volunteers address critical Texas needs in education. public safety. disaster response and recovery. and environment preservation. These programs serve an important role as they provide an outlet for people to serve their country in a manner that they previously had not be afforded. The AmeriCorps program has done great things for Texas and the country as a whole. as the Corps members promise to do in the pledge they take every day. they "get things done." Mr. Speaker. we will not find common ground or reach higher ground if we turn national service into a partisan playground. I will continue to work hard and do eve.rything I can to strengthen this program. and I ask my House colleagues to do everything as well.