macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-22
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

You have to ask yourself. what are they doing to the security of this Nation when they will not allow us to go in and to secure these weapons of mass destruction? Ladies and gentlemen. we are on Orange Alert. We are on Orange Alert as a Nation. and as a Nation and as a Congress we will not be allowed to debate the reductiod of these weapons.
Date: 2003-05-22
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. it is my intention to vote for the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2004 now before the House. The brave men and women risking their lives in Iraq deserve the support of the United States Congress and we have a responsibility to provide the military with the means to protect all of us. However. I am deeply troubled by portions of the Act that have the potential to undermine Americas standing in the world. decrease our security. undermine the protections guaranteed under current law for civil servants working in the Department of Defense. and endanger our environment. Earlier today an important amendment failed to be included in the final version of the Act that we are now being asked to vote on. The Tauscher Amendment would have transferred money from the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator to a conventional weapon system meant to defeat hardened and deeply buried targets. The development and possible use of such a bunkerbusting nuclear weapon is a dangerous step for this Congress to authorize. Such weapons would disperse deadly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere. could lead to the resumption of nuclear testing and would undercut US efforts to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We were also denied the opportunity even to cast a vote on the other amendments. An amendment I proposed with
Date: 2003-05-22
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. this administration should be referred to as the administration of hard knocks. It is simply amazing that George W. Bush. who has been in office for only 2 years after being selected by the Supreme Court. has led this country into one of the worst economic downturns in our Nations history. 2 years. selected by the Supreme Court. and he has led this country into one of the worst economic downturns in the Nations history. We have lost over 2 million jobs in the last 2 years and as many as 500.000 Jobs in the last 3 months alone. The only answer the Republicans have to our economic problems is tax cuts. tax cuts. and more tax cuts. This is supposed to be the Peoples House. not a House that just represents the country club buddies of the Republican Party. On this weekend before Memorial Day we have an unemployment package before the House. and once again the Republican Party is playing politics with the American people. They again block the Democratic proposal. which would have given workers an additional 13 weeks to find a job in these difficult markets. Watch out. Republicans. They can fool some of the people some of the time. but they cannot fool all of the people all of the time. The 1 million people left out in the cold are paying attention and will remember them on Election Day.
Date: 2003-06-02
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. as the ink is now drying on the tax bill of 2 weeks ago. and as the President and the Republican Party were looting the Treasury and the Social Security System of this Nation on behalf of the wealthiest people in this Nation. we now see there is a monumental defect in this bill in terms of its unfairness and its greed. and that is that millions of working families making wages between $10.500 a year and $26.000 a year will not get to participate in the increase and in the child tax credit. That means they will not get their $400 increase this summer that families with children are entitled to get under the tax bill. Why Because Republicans simply decided that these people were not worthy of that tax cut. as though it was less expensive to raise their children or their children were not equal to the children of people making over $30.000 a year. An incredible act. An incredible act of greed. An incredible act of unfairness to hardworking families in this country.
Date: 2003-06-02
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise to pay tribute to former Texas State Representative. Irma Rangel. who passed away after a long battle with cancer on March 18. 2003. at the age of 71. Throughout her caroer. Irma Rangel was a trailblazer among MexicanAmerican women. Born in Kingsville. TX. in 1931. Irma was a pioneer advocating for women. minorities. and the poor. ensuring a voice for those who might otherwise remain voiceless. Continuing on her path of breaking down barriers. Irma became one of the first Hispanic female law clerks for Federal District Judge Adrian Spears. In 1976. after 14 years of teaching in Texas and graduated from St. Marys Law School. Irma became the first Mexican American woman to serve In the Texas House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker. this great leader spent much of her time in the Texas state house fighting for equal opportunity in education. In her fourth term. Irma joined the House Higher Education Committee. focusing on higher education because it was not guaranteed by the Texas Constitution. She once said her proudest moment was passing legislation in 2001. to establish a pharmacy school at Texas A&M UniversityKingsville. In 1997. after the controversial Hopwood decision. the case that .struck down affirmative action In college admission at the University of Texas. Irma passed legislation to allow all students in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class automatic admission to any of the States colleges or universities. Mr. Speaker. Irma fought tirelessly to the end of her life for improved education. Despite her illness. she waited an hour and a half to testify before a House Appropriations Committee hearing over proposed funding cuts for South Texas universities and community colleges. I would like to especially thank my colleague and fellow Texan RUBN HINOJOSA for leading a special order in honor of Irma Rangel. Irma Rangel was a trailblazer and champion of Texas. Irma was not just a leader In Texas politics but also inspiration to all of us in .he Texas delegation. I am certainly proud to have had an opportunity to serve with her and learn from her example. Irma was absolutely delightful. which made our working relationship so wonderful. I will miss her bubbly and cheerful spirit. The people of Texas and her constituents in Kingsville will miss her and her colleagues will fondly remember her courage. determination. humility. and devotion to public service.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to voice my concerns over the FCCs decision to relax media ownership rules. The new regulations would allow a single company to own 45 percent of media that reaches United States households. instead of the current 35 percent. As it stands now. there are only a handful of media companies that we. get to see. that we see. that we hear. and that we can read. When we do this. there will be an even smaller number of media companies owning a larger share of the media market. And that moves us dangerously close to a monopolylike situation in the mass media business. One of the greatest things about our country is freedom of press and freedom of speech. That is what our Constitution has in it. Under these new regulations. we are moving toward limiting the information that citizens get to see because there will be fewer points of "view brought forward because there are fewer companies. Congress should take a closer look at this.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I want to join my colleague. the gentlewoman from Cornecticut . in saying that it would be unconscionable for the House to continue to do business as usual when the voices and the needs of millions of hardworking American families have been closed out of the peoples House. Without being able to. participate in the final negotiations over the tax bill. with Vice President CHENEY in the room. the Republican leaders of the Senate. the Republican leaders of the House. they decided to simply exclude some 6 million families. some 12 million children who would be entitled to the $400 increase in the child tax credit. That means that this summer those families on behalf of their children. those families that go to work every day would not get a $400 check as will millions of other American families on behalf of their children. But this administration and this Congress closed those voices out of the debate on the taxbill. They have quietly cut a bill to exclude the Senate amendment that was there to protect those families and to protect their children. and to help them educate their children and provide health care for their children. No. we cannot continue to do business as usual when this Republican leadership and the administration cuts millions of Americans out of the Democratic system.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time. and I thank her for presenting this bill on the floor. And this bill has been properly represented. It is a matter of sorting out the equities between Indian water right users and nonIndian water right users. the needs for wetlands development and to protect the sacred rights of the lands of the Zuni people. That is what the legislative process is supposed to be about. but that is not what it was about 2 weeks ago when we passed a tax bill. We could talk about balancing the equities of the Zuni people and the water rights of this bill.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. that I am. We are talking about a bill that has gone through many. many years of negotiation and a bill that is designed to balance the equities. We spent considerable time on a tax bill.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. once again. I would say that this bill is about a legislative process where all sides have been heard. agreement has come. That is why this bill is on suspension. And yet we have seen that that legislative process has not worked for millions of American families and their children when the tax bill left out their equitable claim. as the Zunis claim an equitable claim for their traditional water rights. for the historic water rights. these people were making an equitable claim on behalf of their children. They were making an equitable claim that their children. their family. should get the same $400 that millions of other American families got. but in designing the tax bill. the Republicans simply left out those wage earners. those people who go to work who earn $10.000 to $26.000 a year. some 12 million children who will not get the benefit of the child tax credit. The Zunis would argue. if we simply cut them out of the water development rights. if we simply cut them out of their historic water rights and we gave It to nonIndians for use in development or we protected the wetlands and we did not take care of their sacred lands. they would argue it is not fair. I am simply presenting that the arguments that are presented here today on behalf of the Zunis. which are very reasonable. very fair. were never presented on behalf of millions of Americans when they were cut out of a tax bill. and they will now not receive their check this summer as will others.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

The gentleman from California would say to the Chair. I think there is a very strong nexus being maintained here. It is about equity and it is about justice. and it is about economic Justice. It is about historic claims. The child tax credit is not new. It is an old claim before this Congress. where the Congress decided the children of the Zuni tribe would be entitled to a tax credit if their parents worked. Many Zunis. I suspect. are eligible fbr that tax credit. but they are not under this tax bill because of the difficulty in finding the kind of wages that would pay what would make them eligible for that kind of tax credit. The nexus is here. The nexus is clear. The nexus is about an abuse of the legislative process. unlike the one which we are going through here. That is why my colleague from Connecticut said that we should not operate business as usual. The ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means suggested the same thing. and I would just say that I think they are correct.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I supported the bill. I just do not support business as usual right now. as the gentlewoman understands.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I have a followup question for the gentlewoman from Wyoming. Does she support improving the child tax credit so that millions of American families can get a tax credit. many in the gentlewomans State that have been cut out of the tax bill?
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Colloquies are twoway conversations. Would the gentlewoman support the unanimous consent request to bring up the fixing of the tax bill?
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. This is an important ill. These lands that were given to the State of Wyoming by the Federal Government were for the purposes of educating their children. It was an effort by the Federal Government to try to put resources into their hands so that the resources would be there for the State to provide for that education. That is what we do with the child tax credit. we try to put resources into the hands of parents so that they will have the money to provide for the health and welfare of their children and for the expenses of holding their families together in difficult economic times. recognizing that we want our children properly cared for. That Is what the State of Wyoming has done with these State lands. That is what the Federal Government did when it transferred the lands to the State of Wyoming. and it is for a very. very good purpose. Now we have the opportunity to transfer those lands to keep them out of other development within the boundaries of the national park to make sure the park can be consistent in its mission. It is one of thegreat parks in the world. It Is one of the great ecosystems in the world with its diversity and with its habitat that it protects and provides for. That possibly is now under threat from development from what the gentlewoman from Wyoming described as the ultra-. ultrawealthy who might build homes there. It sounds a little like class warfare. I do not think that is what is going on here. but since we opened up the subject of the classes here In the discussion of this bill. I want to raise the prospects of those indlyiduals. Because not only is this a great national park in terms of its environment and ecosystems and its beauty and its importance in terms of the protections of surrounding areas and watersheds. It is also a huge economic engine. Because of its beauty. because of Its importance. it drives millions of people from all over the world to come and visit the Tetons and come and visit Jackson and to experience the bounty of this country. To service those people. we have people working in the service industry. They work for the concessionaires and the parks. they work for the restaurants and the hotels and the tourism industry. They work as guides for fishermen. they work as guides for people who want to hike the Tetofts. they run climbing schools. At the end of the year. they do not make very much money. but they have families. They have children. And today they get a child tax credit if they have children. They file it like everyone else. And in the tax bill 2 weeks ago. we increased that tax credit for Americans. families with children. an additional $400.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

The gentleman from California would say to the Chair that I am focusing on the employees of the Grand Teton National Park. which is the subject matter of this legislation. And the reason these lands are being given is to try to maintain the integrity of that park which provides so many economic benefits to the State of Wyoming and to our country through international tourism. And the welfare of those workers ought to be of as much concern to us as the integrity of the land base.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Granted. If it is required by the Chair. I would be glad to put a map down on the table and talk about this in terms of the map of the Grand Teton National Park. This is about a nexus. This is about whether or not people are going to be able to afford to take those jobs in that park that tourism generates. a very. very important part of the western economy in this country. a part of our economy that is in serious trouble. There is a story today In the newspapers. I do not know if it is in The New York Times or the L.A. Times. that the national parks are suffering. that tourism is not only down from 911. it was down before 911. So what are the national parks trying to do? What are the concessionaires trying to do? What are the people who are on the perimeter of the park who run the ho.tels. run the lodging systems. the guide systems trying to do? They are trying to increase service to attract Americans and international visitors back to the national parks. But if their employees cannot sustain themselves with the jobs that are offered. then it is not going to work. One of the things we do to help these people who are working in these jobs where the wages are not very good is we provide a child tax credit for those people who are working and have families. But somehow last week the Republican leadership decided that that tax credit would not go to the employees of the Grand Teton National Park. the subject matter which we are talking about.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank the Chair for the admonition. and I take it seriously. I have counted my words and I have talked about the Grand Teton National Park and the State land transfer and the employees of the park. I think ona ratio of about 12 to 1 to the tax credit. which those employees will be denied. as will some 34.000 other children in Wyoming who will not be eligible for the tax credit because of the actions of the Republicans. But my ratio of nexus to this bill far exceeds my discussion of the tax bill. I have been .doing this for many years. And because we do not have an opportunity. and we did not have an opportunity. to discuss a substitute to the tax bill. we have to find ourselves in a situation where we have to talk about it on other matters as they are presented to the House. always closely keeping the nexus between the matter at hand and the subject matter that is far more important to the American people. and especially for those families with those 12 million children who will not get the tax credits this summer because Republicans simply decided that lowincome hardworking American families were not entitled to it.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. my father served in World War II and when I look at the American flag I see the sacrifices he and our nations troops and veterans have made for us -to be able to live freely. An important part of that freedom is the ability of our citizens to express themselves in any way that does not infringe on the rights of others. That is what sets the United States apart from so many other nations. Our constitutionally assured freedom of speech serves as a check against government oppression and Injustice. The Supreme court has held in several important First Amendment cases that a person may desecrate a flag. so long as a danger is not created. In 1989. the Supreme Court stated In Texas V. Johnson that any speech. particularly such intentionally expressive and overtly political speech as the burning of the flag. is protected. it is within the realm of liberties which our constitution guarantees us. Our government cannot dictate how we express ourselves politically. so long as we do not endaner or violate the rights of others. While I personally find the desecration of this countrys flag to be reprehensible. even more important than the flag itself Is the freedom and liberty it represents. It is a sad day when. in the name of patriotism. we limit the freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment of the constitution. The flag is a symbol. of the principles and freedoms that make our country great. When we encroach upon those freedoms. we risk doing far more harm to our nation than any flag bumer could ever do.
Date: 2003-06-03
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. let me just remind the Members of this House that Just 74 short days ago in this same room we stood in the Peoples House and stripped the veterans budget by about $30 billion. That is $30 billion. We cut 20.000 VA nurses. Where was the patriotism when we lost 6.6 million outpatient visits? Where were you waving your flag as you voted to drop over 160.000 veterans from the VA health care? Mr. Speaker. we can talk the talk. we need to walk the walk. Let us support the veterans. not with our discussion of the flag. but with service to our VA veterans.
Date: 2003-06-04
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to our Nations National Guard and Reserve. These brave Americans voluntarily leave behind families and their civilian duties to serve in our Nations military for the sake of protecting our Nation. And how do we repay them? By requiring long terms of duty and often paying them less salary than they would earn by staying at home. Today. the House will consider House Resolution 201. paying tribute to private companies who have been willing to support these troops in part by filling in this pay gap for some of our reservists. However. just last month. when my colleagues and I tried to introduce amendments to the Defense authorization bill that would have ended all pay gaps for reservists. they were not only defeated by my Republican counterparts. but they were not.even allowed to be debated on this House floor. It is time that Congress does more for the reservists than just pay accolades to private industry. To truly give tribute to our national reservists we must pass legislation so that all of these iridividuals who risk their lives for our country will not risk financial disaster.
Date: 2003-06-04
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. listen carefully. the growing sound and the roar we hear from the Senate is the sound of Republican Senators rushing to change their position on the child tax credit. What we hear is them now recognizing the incredible injustice they did to hardworking families with children who earned under $26.000 a year who will not get that $400 check for each of their children like other families this summer. The Republicans have recognized the injustice. but the gentleman from Texas . the leader of the Republicans in the House-