macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-23
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. JUANITA MILLENDERMCDONALD touched our lives in different ways. I chair the California Democratic delegation. and I can tell you that our delegation ia literally heartbroken over the loss of JUANITA. We meet every Wednesday as a delegation to sort through the issues that face us not just as a Congress but as a State. And although we know JUANITA for her leadership in the Nation. those of us in California are very proud of the special things she did for our State. E0 1945 There will be an empty spot at our meeting every Wednesday. She was a trail blazer. as has been mentioned. a first so often: the first California African American woman to chair two committees in the California Assembly. the chairperson of the House Administration Committee. But when I think of JUANITA. I think of someone who had tremendous dignity. tremendous style. tremendous poise. She knew that she was a first. and it was important to her that she accomplish these firsts with an eye to being a role model for young people around the country and. indeed. around the world. As Chair of the Committee on House Administration. where I also serve. she worked so diligently to make sure that every vote would be counted. that all Americans would be treated fairly and without discrimination. and she was so happy to provide that leadership as chairwoman of the committee. It is so unfair that we have lost her from that position so prematurely. Today. we mourn the passing of a great American. but we also celebrate the legacy of public service that she leaves behind. JUANITA MILLENDERMCDONALD left this Chamber as she entered it. with poise and spirit. fighting for those who could not fight for themselves. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her husband. her five children. her grandchildren. and we mourn her passing. not just today but every day.
Date: 2007-04-23
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. it is with sadness that I join my colleagues here on the floor this evening to pay tribute to a colleague who we lost far too soon. I was saddened to hear the news yesterday of Congresswoman JUANITA MILLENDERMCDONALDS passing. JUANITA was really a woman of many firsts. who broke down countless barriers for women and for African Americans. While the history books no doubt will list the numerous accomplishments of her long career. I will remember her best as a champion for economic opportunity and empowerment for the people of Long Beach and Los Angeles. I was pleased to- have had the opportunity to work with her on many issues important to the communities shared by our adjacent districts. When workers. for example. in our communities who assembled the C17 aircraft. faced the prospect of their assembly plant shutting down and losing their jobs. JUANITA led the fight to make sure that those jobs were not lost. And she succeeded. and hundreds of peoples lives are better off today thanks to her hard work. When I first -joined Congress. JUANITA took the time and made a special effort to introduce me to many of the local leaders in the AfricanAmerican communities that straddle our districts. This was very thoughtful of her and I will always be in her debt for it. We here in Congress will certainly miss her insight. her experience. and her energy. And. I will most certainly miss her beautiful smile and her unforgettable style because she truly is an unforgettable woman. I am sure that her constituents will miss her tireless advocacy on their behalf. They and we have lost a fine public servant. and we have lost a tremendously fine colleague. But most of all. my thoughts tonight are with her husband. their children and grandchildren. and their extended family. I wish them all the strength during this difficult time. and I want them to know that JUANITA is truly an incredible woman who shall not be forgotten.
Date: 2007-04-23
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Madam Speaker. I thank my colleague from California. JUANITA MILLENDERMcDONALD was my friend. I used to love coming into the Chamber and sitting down next to her and asking. "Whats up. whats going on." because JUANITA knew. She knew what was going on in the Congress. She was the mayor of Congress. if you will. being the chairwoman of the House Administration Committee. And JUANITA knew what was going on back in California. When I first decided to run for Congress and nobody knew. JUANITA called me up and said. "Im stuck on the freeway. but Im coming down to walk precincts with you. So lets hope the sun stays up and we get to go and walk together." And we did. and that is how I met JUANITA MILLENDERMCDONALD. When I first came to the Congress. and coming as a young woman which. quite frankly. 12 years ago there werent a lot of us. it was always very difficult and hard to be accepted. It is always hard to find your way in the Congress. But JUANITA was right there. She was like a touchstone. She was somebody that I could talk to and tell her my frustrations or .the happy points here. She really is what I would call a friend. and to many of us here she was a friend. She is a friend back in her district. I wish the people of the United States really understood the work that JUANITA did. The Alameda Corridor was her dream. It was her project. This was the project to move goods that come to this country from the port across and through L.A. and out into the rest of the United States. When you think of the fact that 50 percent of everything that comes into the United States comes through the ports that were right there at JUANITAS side. you would understand how important it was to each and every American. You see. if that cargo didnt leave L.A.. if you were an auto worker in Tennessee. building a car. and you were waiting for inventory just in time. it wouldnt get there in time if it hadnt been for JUANITA. And last year on the very last day of the 109th Congress. we passed the Safe Port Act. That really was JUANITAS legislation. She will be remembered for a long time in this country and in this Congress. JUANITA. and to her family. I love her.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. first allow me to please say amen to the words of the Honorable MAXINE WATERS. Mr. Speaker. I rise to celebrate the superlative life of a superb woman. the Honorable Juanita MillenderMcDonald. Indeed. she was a devoted wife. a loving mother. a superior scholar. a preeminent educator. and a powerful legislator. Notwithstanding all of this. Mr. Speaker. she had a positive air and a special flair. She was a pillar of probity. Her integrity was beyond reproach. She was a repository of respect. Her mere presence commanded respect. She was the queen of selfesteem. She was comely. courtly and stately with a positive personality. We were truly blessed to have her among us. she will surely be missed by us. and I thank God for her.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise to address my concerns for the 5.4 million Texans who are without health insurance. Nearly 25 percent of Texans are uninsured. Thats the highest rate in the entire country. The irony is that Dallas and other cities have great health care networks. The problem is that of access to care. In Dallas. there are many examples of health care excellence. including Parkland Memorial Hospital. Baylor University Medical Center. Methodist Medical Center. UT Southwestern Medical School. the Dallas Veterans Administration Medical Center. and others. However. the price of insurance is robbing Texans of access to the appropriate medical care. Emergency rooms are overcrowded. Only half of Texas children are covered by employmentbased insurance. We must fix the problem of the uninsured. Affordable. accessible health care coverage should be available to every American. Health care should not be a cash cow for the insurance companies.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. let me thank our leaders on the committee. This is a very important bill. It is most especially for me. because for the last 15 years that I have been here. I have been preaching about this. So I rise in strong support of H.R. 362 for 10.000 Teachers. 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act. The Committee on Science and Technology has worked to produce legislation to act upon the recommendations of the "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" report which was published by the National Academy of Sciences. This bill addresses the issues that they recommended to improve the quality and number of math and science teachers across the Nation. Of particular interest to me is the Noyce teacher scholarship program. This program provides grants to universities to give scholarships to math. science and engineering students who become math and science teachers. Original law stated that for every 1 year the scholarship was awarded. new teachers must spend 2 years teaching in a highneeds school. This highneeds school requirement was softened by H.R. 362. but I am pleased that the chairman agreed to modify the bill in conference to restore incentives for teachers to serve in highneed schools. We are losing so many students because they are are from poor communities. The new design will provide more money per scholarship for students who agree to teach in underserved classrooms. This incentive will hopefully entice passionate and highquality Noyce scholars to share their talents with students most in need. I want to commend the chairmans sensitivity to the great disparities that exist in availability of highly qualified math and science teachers in schools across the country. As a matter of fact. in my district we have the number one high school in the country in this area. but not without a great deal of effort. The subcommittee chair. where I was ranking member for about 6 years. Mr. BAIRD. and ranking member. Mr. GINGREY. of the Research and Science Education Subcommittee have been great advocates for lessening the achievement gap as well. H.R. 362 also contains a laboratory science partnership pilot program that I have worked on with Mr. HINOJOSA from Texas. and he -has been a strong advocate because many Qf these schools dont have equipment. Overall. this legislation is designed to strengthen our Nations scientific competitiveness by producing thousands of talented and welleducated - math and science teachers. That is the only way we are going to remain competitive in this country. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 362.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me proceed to thank my colleagues for bringing this rule to the House so that we can rise above the gathering storm. Mr. Speaker. this is. not to insult anyone. I know what it feels like not to be given the opportunity to offer an amendment. I truly do. But this is a wellsubstantiated reason because we are in a crisis in this Nation. and we must rise to the occasion. We are moving backwards right now. or standing still. The measure is an investment in Americas future. and we must move it. We must support our American scholars so that we can get the leadership and the thoughts we need to convey to other young people. Our young scholars are not getting the support they need now. They really need more. because they are the future. The alternative to this bill is to become a Third World nation with all the lowpaying jobs. because all of the other ones will leave this country to go where the talent is. We must move fast. We are in a crisis. and I would hope that we would accept this rule as it is.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. let me thank Mr. GORDON. Mr. HALL. and our subcommittee chair as well as the ranking member. I rise in strong support of H.R. 362. It is an essential measure to world competitiveness for this country. We are in the storm. We cannot accomplish rising above until we invest in our teachers. teachers that are qualified. Many of our teachers love teaching and they are trying hard. but they simply do not have the background needed. A lot of it has to do with pay. because the people who are wellqualified in these areas simply do not come to the classroom because they do not pay enough. I support the Noyce teacher scholarships. and I know that the storm of need is sure and it is now. It takes efforts and investment to deal with this issue. There are now more and more highneed schools which means we have more and more students that need special attention. and we cannot have a positive future until we include them in this education. This is caled the investment in Americas future. We are depending on the home people to be prepared because the HlB visas are causing us to brain drain other countries. This is a global need. and we must be ready to prepare our own. We will be left with no possible preparation in this area. and we will move right into a Third World nation. We must remedy this. Implementing the provisions of H.R. 362 will go a long way in remedying this problem. and I firmly believe that with proper resources we know our young people can do it. There is a school in my district with some of the poorest kids. but they are doing it because they have the proper resources.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of this bill. America is still the number one economy in the world. and we can keep that leadership. But we can only do so with a level of determination and commitment that we have not shown in almost half a century. Other countries are making aggressive investments in a competitiye workforce. We must exceed those efforts. That is whynearly 2 years agothenMinority Leader NANCY PELOSI laid down a challenge to Congress and the President to invest in innovation in order to create vibrant industries. a strong economy. and good jobs here at home. Now. with Speaker PELOSI at the helm and Democrats determining the agenda before Congress. we are acting on that challenge. Working with leaders from the hitech and biotech industries. venture capitalists. and academics. Democrats laid out a plan to boost Americas competitiveness. We made it clear to the American people that we take this challenge seriously. Today. we are taking the next steps on our commitment. The bill before the House today is an important step for Americas future economic strength and the strength of Americas middle. class.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to support these important bills4he 10.000 Teachers. 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act and the Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Actand to keep our Nation competitive in an era of global economic and scientific competition. Now. more than ever. we must ensure that America remains at the forefront of discovery and innovation. To do that. we must engage our young people and encourage more of them to pursue careers in science. math. and engineering. These two bills accomplish that by fostering student potential in K12 classrooms and by investing in longterm scientific research to keep more young scientists in our Nations laboratories. The 10.000 Teachers. 10 Million Minds Science Math Scholarship Act would increase the number of scholarships for students majoring in the field of science. technology. engineering. and math who want to teach and would strengthen the skills of current STEM teachers by expanding professional development. These teachers would be better equipped to excite and engage students in math and science. The Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act would increase our investment in longterm scientific research and provide grants to young researchers. It would encourage our brightest young minds to think innovatively and push the boundaries of current research. Also. it will encourage young scientists to continue their study in U.S. institutions. Mr. Chairman. these bills will help stimulate exciting research and increase the number of students entering the fields of math and science. They are an essential part of our competitiveness agenda. and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for them today.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. let me thank Mr. EHLERS as well as Mr. GORDON for accepting this amendment. and I fully support it and I fully support the bill.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. thank you for our committee leadership. Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 363. the Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act. This legislation was based on policy recommendations from the "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" report to Congress by the National Academy of Sciences. One of the greatest challenges new researchers face is getting grant funding for their research. In Dallas. the University of Texas Southwest Medical School has four Nobel laureates. where they earned them right there. and UTDallas has at least one. Baylor University and others are stellar research institutions. and they compete at the national level for grants and perform awardwinning scientific research. nl 1730 These universities depend on Federal research -funding. When new faculty are hired at research universities in Texas and elsewhere. they are expected to be able to write grant proposals and successfully win funding from Federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. National Science Foundation. Department of Energy. and others. According to NIH. the average age at which the investigator first obtains RO1 major grant funding is age 42. If students are earning Ph.D.s in their late twenties. that means there are many years of struggle before they can establish themselves and eventually become full professors at these universities. As a result. many scientists. have dropped out of science. It is too hard to get funding. The stress level is too high. Mr. Chairman. grant support targeted at new investigators is an important step toward resolving this problem. If Congress would fund Federal research as vigorously as our competitors overseas are doing. we wouldnt have such a problem. H.R. 363 targets young investigator grant support at the National Science Foundation. Department of Energy. .and other scientific research agencies under the purview of the Committee on Science and technology. This is a good bill and I encourage my colleagues to support it.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: LINCOLN DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

You have to invite me to come out to your home sometime. I invite you to my home in Pall Mall. but I have got to visit more with your. family. As I learn more and more. I realize the quality of people that we have here serving. It was such a wonderful yield. the comments you made during that period of time. It is certainly good to be on the floor with you. But as I talk about that tiemocracy that we fought for. that we fought for. I realize that there has never been a time that a democracy in any country has ever been imposed from without. It has always been from within. the French Revolution. the startings of the Magna Carta where we said we are no longer going to give taxes if you are basically going to squander it on your parties. Mr. KING. When Israel established a nation in the Middle East. what type was it? It was a democracy. My fear is that we can keep our soldiers. our young men and women in the battlefields in Iraq for a long. long time. and we can never force a democracy on the people of Iraq or anywhere else. We went into Iraq. ahd Iraq especially. without realizing the national customs. the traditions. the faith. their family values that are totally different in many cases than ours. I think everyone loves liberty and freedom. I just believe as we engage that we ought to realize that we cannot impose our will on anyone unless we do it with a much larger force than what we have today. Let me stay on Iraq for a moment.
Date: 2007-04-24
Speaker: LINCOLN DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

As we move now. I want to move briefly to the accusing tone we often hear that Democrats are big government. When Bill Clinton became President in 1992. and was sworn in 1993. the government had grown to 22.4 percent of gross domestic income. When he became the President. working with the Republican Congress in 1995. we saw a government decrease of 18.1 percent ofgross domestic income. We saw over a 4 percent decrease in spending during the 8 years that a Democratic President was in office. It had grown to a little more than 22 percent under Reagan and Bush and had receded to 18.1 percent under Bill Clinton. It has now grown over the last 5 years. 6 years. to over 21 percent. How can anyone in this Chamber talk about being conservatives or blaming anyone for growth? The growth periods actually have occurred under Reagan. Bush. decreased under Clinton. and increased under this Bush administration. low do you call that being conservative? I just think that it is time that the American people realized that they are being told a lot of things on this floor that arent true. I used to see a truth squad. I really wish they were telling the truth on a lot of issues that they were talking about. I thank you for allowing me to come visit with you tonight.
Date: 2007-04-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic information with respect to health insurance and employment. as amended.
Date: 2007-04-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. -1 request 5 legislative days in which Members may insert material relevant to H.R. 493 in the RECORD.
Date: 2007-04-25
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I am pleased that the House will take up H.R. 493. the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007. This legislation is sponsored by two of my distinguished colleagues. Congresswoman LOUISE SLAUGHTER. who has been waiting 10 years to debate this bill on the floor of the House of Representatives. and Congresswoman JUDY BIGGERT. who has been a member of the committee which I chair. the Committee on Education and Labor. and I commend the sponsors for their hard work and for their perseverance. This bill is long overdue. The Human Genome Project started the revolution in science and medicine nearly 20 years ago by identifying the specific chromosomes within the genes that make up the human body. Once the scientists identified and understood these genetic building blocks. they developed tests that identified genetic markers for diseases that could. but may never. occur. We understand that this scientific revolution can and will save lives. -It can save children from devastating illnesses. and once these tests and treatments become more widely available. they will help us live longer lives with less debilitating diseases. The key to unlocking this scientific revolution is to assure individuals of genetic privacy and nondiscrimination when they undergo genetic testing and counseling. Many Americans already forgo testing for fear of losing their jobs and their health insurance. In a 2003 National Institutes of Health study. 39 percent of the individuals surveyed cited fear of losing their health insurance as the most distressing issues related to genetic testing. There is a clear need for us to pass this law to protect genetic information from discriminatory uses. We all suffer if fears of lost jobs or health insurance stifle these. scientific advances. That is why 41 States have passed laws to prohibit discrimination in the individual health insurance market. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.