macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-19
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to be here this evening to discuss how well we treated the veterans in this budget. Since Republicans took control of Congress in 1995. we have made great strides in improving the benefits for our Nations veterans. During that period. total spending on veterans has increased from $38 billion to $60 billion. That is a 58 percent increase compared with only a 36 percent increase during the previous 10 years when the Democrats were in control. And since 1995. payments per veteran have actually risen by 79 percent. Let us take a moment to review some of the most important improvements. For example. in veterans medical care. the Republican Congress has expanded eligibility for medical care in 1996 and 1999. As a result. the number of veterans using the VA medical care has increased from 2.5 million in 1995 to almost 4.7 million today. Since 1995. the total spending on veterans medical care has increased from $16.2 billion to. $28.3 billion this year alone. That is a 75 percent increase. In veterans educational benefits. since 1995 monthly education benefit levels under the MontgomeryGI bill increased from $405 to $985. a 143 percent increase. This compares with only a 35 percent increase during the time that the Democrats had control. And under the 40 years of Democrat control prior to us taking control. there was no progress made whatsoever on concurrent receipt. We are very fortunate now that military retirees who are injured in combat or while training for combat or wh6 are 50 percent or greater service disabled are eligible for the first time to receive retirement benefits concurrent with their veterans disability compensation. There is no doubt that the Republicans have helped the veterans in this budget.
Date: 2004-05-19
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor Sophie R. Hoffman for over two decades of dedicated service to the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington. including 2 years as their president. Sophie R. Hoffman has worked tirelessly on behalf of the Jewish community. advocating Jewish interests. strengthening public support for Israel. building ties with other faith. minor-" ity. and ethnic groups and establishing a framework for social action. While serving the Jewish community. Ms. Hoffman has enhanced the quality of life for those around her. She played a key role in securing over $2 million in grants for Jewish social service agencies. which provide for vulnerable citizens throughout Greater Washington. For years. Ms. Hoffman has committed herself to strengthening public support for Israel. Her duties included presenting Cardinal McCarrick with a menorah to honor the heroes and martyrs of the Holocaust. This was then permanently pla~ed on the campus of the Catholic University of America. Furthermore.. the Council has established and developed public school literacy programs under Ms. Hoffmans guidance. She has also been incredibly involved in preserving the principles of religious freedom in public schools and working to nurture a positive environment for the children. Her remarkable organization efforts have helped tocreate a framework for social action. Throughout her accomplished career as a dedicated public servant. Ms. Hoffman has continuously demonstrated her vitality and commitment towards the Greater Washington community. Due to her contributions of time and talent. the diverse society is able to maintain its beauty while evolving to keep pace with the rapidly changing region. Mr. Speaker. in closing. I would like to extend my best wishes to Ms. Hoffman on her retirement from the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington.. Her significant contributions are much appreciated and greatly admired. I congratulate her on a job well done. I call upon my colleagues to join me in honoring Ms. Hoffman and in wishing her the best of luck in all future endeavors.
Date: 2004-05-20
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. as a member of the House Committee on Armed Services. I stand in strong support of the BRAC provision in the committee report. and I oppose the Kennedy amendment because it is the wrong time. It sends the wrong message to our men and women in uniform to close bases at a time when we are at war. When this round of BRAC was signed. Congress had no idea that we would be fighting a war against terrorism. and our Armed Forces need our support now more than ever. My colleagues who offered this amendment have said we need it to save money. But the estimated cost to implement BRAC is somewhere between 10 and $20 billion. and any savings would not be seen until after 2011. We are at war right now. Our men and women need the money now. And we are not even sure what those savings would be. The GAO report completed on Monday on the need for a BRAC found that while the potential exists for substantial savings from the upcoming round. it is difficult to conclusively project the expected magnitude of the savings because there are too many unknowns at this time. I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and to support our men and women in uniform today. Vote "no" on the Kennedy amendment.
Date: 2004-05-20
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this rule and for the underlying bill. the Child Credit Preservation and Expansion Act. If we do not pass this bill. the child tax credit. which is currently $1.000. will go down to $700 next year and then fall to $500 in 2011. In other words. if we do not act on this bill. taxes will increase for 30 million taxpayers. This bill makes the $1.000 tax credit permanent and raises the eligibility limits for those who can claim the credit to include more middleincome parents so that more people can keep more of their own money. Americans deserve to keep more of their hardearned money. For many families. $1.000 goes a very long way. Parents could invest the money for their childs education. This bill also helps more of our men and women in uniform become eligible to receive the child tax credit. It would allow nontaxable combat pay to be taken into account when calculating the refundable portion of the tax credit. Currently. combat pay is excluded from calculating eligibility for the credit. This bill would allow lowincome families to receive more of the child tax credit and. to keep more of their own money. I wholeheartedly support tax credits. however. I think we all need to remember whose money It is in the first place. It is not the government giving back its money to the people. It is the American taxpayers money and they should be able to keep more of it. whether it is in the form of a tax credit or lower taxes. Mr. Speaker. we have all seen firsthand in the past few years how much tax cuts have stimulated the economy. The American economy grew at a strong annual pace of 4.2 percent during the first quarter of 2004. well above the historical average. In fact. economic growth over the last three quarters has grown the fastest in nearly 20 years. Tax relief has helped drive the economic recovery forward. putting more money in the pockets of Americas families and creating more jobs. Mr. Speaker. as a former businesswoman and realtor before I came to Congress. I know firsthand the impact that tax cuts have on businesses. And as a mother. I know how far $1.000 can go towards a childs education or for immediate needs like food. diapers. clothing. et cetera. I urge all of my colleagues to support Americas families and vote "yes" on the rule and on the underlying bill.
Date: 2004-05-20
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I rise to pay homage to all of our fallen heroes in arms that have defended our Nation from despotism. nazism. fascism. communism and terrorism. The life we live has been shaped by those we honor today. Each answered Libertys call to duty in defense of their country. Our Nation owes an immeasurable debt of gratitude for their service. Our humble words can never adequately put into perspective their overwhelming contribution to freedom. We cannot forget the last full measure ofdevotion they gave us. Not for fame or fortune. but for a love of country. with determination. courage and honor. the men and women of our armed services have dedicated their lives to the defense of our democratic ideals. We honor their memory. The freedoms we enjoy today because of their valor are their eternal legacy to us and our posterity. I join a grateful nation in sending my thoughts and prayers to all the bereaved families who have lost loved ones who served to protect our sacred liberty.
Date: 2004-06-01
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 612. which recognizes and honors the firefighters. police. public servants. civilians. and private businesses who responded to the devastating fire in Richmond. Virginia. on March 26. 2004. On March 26. 2004. a destructive fire swept through Virginia Commonwealth University and the Carver Community of Richmond. Virginia. The size of this blaze quickly grew out of control such that local Richmond firefighters called for assistance from fire stations throughout the region. The quick response and valiant united effort of firefighters. police. public servants. and civilians extinguished the blaze and averted further destruction of property. Additionally. public. private and civic organizations provided shelter. food and comfort to those affected by the fire. This is a further example of the amazing courage and perseverance required on a daily basis by fire and rescue personnel across the country. These citizens don the uniforms of service to protect and provide for our communities and for our Nation. Mr. Speaker. this resolution honors the firefighters. police. public servants and private. businesses who responded to this emergency with swiftness and courage. working together to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution.
Date: 2004-06-01
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I would like to share with the Chamber an email I received from a constituent last week. The subject line of the email was "Gratitude" and the email reads as follows: "Dear Ginny. H3567" "Warmest regards to you. your family and staff. "Out of the 50plus emails youve received so far from me. heres one youll genuinely enjoy reading. I suspect. "Gratitude is the subject of my email to you today. Today. I was approved by Medicare for the $600peryear lowincome credit with relation to the Medicare prescription drug bill. Thank you. the President. and the Republicans for assisting Americas poor and disabled in this way. "Others merely want your attention. We. however. need your attention. We thank you for your hard work and long. hours assisting us." Mr. Speaker. I want to point out that over 21.000 lowincome seniors qualify for this $600 exemption in my district alone. This constituents correspondence is one example of the seniors who are celebrating nationwide the ability to have this program in effect this week.
Date: 2004-06-02
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise once again as a member of the Washington Waste Watchers. Mr. Speaker. as a result of Republican efforts. House committees spent a great deal of time last year finding wastes of taxpayer funds in Federal programs. Those efforts. as a matter of fact. highlighted over $85 billion in .potential savings to the taxpayer. This year. the gentlerpan from Iowa (Chairman NuSSLE) passed a budget resolution in the Committee on the Budget that goes a long way toward reducing and actually eliminating some of the most outrageous examples of waste. fraud. and abuse. By the way. I have to also applaud President Bush for working on implementing the Presidents Management Agenda. a performancebased system that seeks to reduce waste. fraud. and abuse. Mr. Speaker. we need to continue to work to eliminate waste. fraud. and abuse. because there is a lot more work that can be done. Let us just look at a couple of examples. Let us look at the Environmental -Protection Agency. for example. where. again. hardearned taxpayer dollars are sent to ensure that our environment is protected. Yet a recent EPA Inspector General report found that an environmental advocacy group received nearly $5 million in educational grants that it used to lobby the EPA between 1998 and 2001. despite .the fact that that is illegal. it is illegal to use those funds to lobby. Another EPA audit found that they awarded a $700.000 grant without any knowledge of the work that the recipient was supposed to perform. They did not even know what it was for. Yet another audit found that for almost half of the grants reviewed. and this is a quote. the EPA did not even attempt to measure the projects outcomes. Yet the Democrats want to raise hardworking Americans taxes to do more of this. The Inspector General also found that the EPA awarded a contract to an engineering firm that used some of those funds to host a golf day. but the Democrats want to raise your taxes to do more of this. As a matter of fact. last year. the Democrats offered alternatives to major . legislation that would have added almost $1 trillion to the deficit. Let us make this very clear. The Democrat alternatives. all of their budget alternatives massively increased taxes. One of them increased taxes by $119 billion. the other one by $165 billion. and the third one by. again. a little bit over $165 billion in increased taxes on the hardworking Americans to do more of this. That is the difference. Mr. Speaker. While the Washington Waste Watchers. while the President. while the Republican majority is trying to root out waste. fraud. and abuse. the Democrats are trying to pile on. and they have this love affair with increased taxes. So. Mr-. Speaker. while our friends. the Democrats. continue their love affair and continue to try to raise the taxes of the American people. those of us in the Washington Waste Watchers will continue to work with the President to try to root out that waste. fraud. and abuse and eliminate it as soon as possible.
Date: 2004-06-08
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor a man who I believe to be the greatest President of the 20th Century. President Ronald Reagan succeeded in defeating the most powerful and dangerous military empire in the history of humanity. without firing a single shot. Reagan knew instinctively that. despite the imperfections inherent in every human enterprise. the United States of America represents good and communism represents evil. President Reagan never wavered in his conviction that freedom is the birthright of all mankind. His firm belief that freedom is the inalienable right of all people changed the worid. and is his most enduring legacy. However he also realized the liberties we hold sacred must be constantly protected against the forces of tyranny and oppression. President Reagan proved that when one fights for justice. for human rights. and for the liberty of those suffering under repression. one must persevere in spite of the strength of the opposition and .the apparent magnitude of the obstacles one must confront. The enemies of the United States never forgave him for his firmness. for his character. for his faith in the people of the United States and in the cause of liberty. Even in his death they continue to attack him. This hatred is evidenced by the declaration made by the tyrannical regime in Havana yesterday. "He. who never should have been born. has died." That monstrous statement illustrates the ultimate evil of the tyrant who has enslaved the Cuban people for over 45 years. President Reagan knew that Castro. and every Communist tyranny. represents the antithesis of liberty. freedom and human dignity. At home. Ronald Reagan forever changed the political landscape of America. He was a union leader. In fact. he was the only president in the history of the United States to have been a union leader. He was also at first a member of the Democratic Party. having campaigned for Franklin Roosevelt and .Harry Truman. However. ideas and times change. When he became a Republican at the age of 52. he convinced millions of members of his former party that the superior ideas and the better reforms of our age belonged to the Republican Party. Inspired by his leadership and his example. my brother. Congressman MARIO DIAZBALART and I proudly became Republicans. May Ronald Wilson Reagan. apostle of freedom. democracy and human rights. rest in peace..
Date: 2004-06-09
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I am here to really just first express my sorrow and my gratitude to the Reagan family. Through President Reagans optimism and courage and strength. he carried this country from a state of what some people said was a state of malaise to further greatness. He understood and never apologized for his understanding that the United States was a source of good around the world. a source of freedom around the world. I recall when he said his famous remark about the evil empire how all of the experts said he could not say that. that he was wrong. that they were not bad. Well. he -was right. and he tried and fought hard and worked hard to spread freedom across the globe. to strengthen the United States and. therefore. also strengthen our allies to spread freedom. He succeeded by tearing down the Berlin Wall. by tearing down the evil empire. by spreading freedom to millions of people around the globe. Mr. Speaker. I am here again in awe of the life of President Ronald Reagan. his achievements. his success in spreading freedom. his success in making this country what it is today. The greatness that we have achieved today. in great part. is due to the optimism. the greatness. the spirit of Ronald Reagan. We 1an never thank him enough.
Date: 2004-06-09
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) for the time. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor a man who I believe to be the greatest American President of the 20th century. President Ronald Reagan defeated the most powerful and dangerous military empire in the history of the world without firing a single shot. President Reagan knew instinctively that America represents good. and he knew that communism represents evil. He never wavered in his conviction that freedom is the birthright -of all mankind. The enemies of the United States never forgave him for his firmness. for his character. for his faith in the people of the United States and his faith in the cause of liberty. Even in his death. they continue to attack him. His hatred is evidenced by the declaration made by the tyrannical regime in Havana a few hours ago: "He. who never should have been born. has died." That monstrous statement illustrates the ultimate evil of the tyrant who has enslaved the Cuban people for over 45 years. President Reagan knew that the Cuban tyrant and that Communist tyrants everywhere have represented and represent the antithesis of liberty. freedom and human dignity. I think he was an extraordinary leader. Mr. Speaker. someone who inspired us all. changed America for the better and saved the world from tyranny. May Ronald Wilson Reagan. apostle of freedom. democracy and human rights. rest in peace. E0 12i5
Date: 2004-06-09
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to add my voice to the chorus extolling the life of President Ronald Reagan. On a similar occasion. over a century ago. Lincoln said of Washington. "How do you add glory to the sun?" I was at President Reagans inauguration. and when he said. "It is time for us to realize that we are too great a Nation to limit ourselves to small dreams." my spine stiffened. and so did that of so many people in the crowd. I got goosebumps when he called out that "peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it. sacrifice for it. we will not surrender for it. now or ever." From that day on. I knew America was back. You see. many people speak of the Reagan Revolution. I like to think of it as the Reagan restoration. Reagan restored our optimism. our belief in our ability to create. and the belief that God put man on this Earth to be free and that he made America to prove it. President Ronald Reagan changed the paradigm. He changed Americas foreign policy from one of benign containment to active confrontation. And for the first time since communism began extending its sinister reach. we saw its hand pushed back. Our sympathies certainly go to the entire Reagan family.
Date: 2004-06-09
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Califomia

Mr. Speaker. President Ronald Reagan will be remembered in the annals of history as one of the greatest leaders of the United States. His deeds and words.will echo in time as the foundation for a smaller. more efficient govemment. a fairer tax system and the liberation of millions of oppressed people throughout the world. Ronald Reagan was known as the Great Communicator. His words brought hope to those in need. comfort to those who suffered and optimism to an entire Nation trampled by economic and governmental insecurity. Yet President Reagans ability to communicate went beyond the words that he spoke. -He reached out to the nation and the world using not only his voice. but his strength of spirit and supreme character. President Reagans passing is mourned by each of us. But his legacy will continue througl the ideals he aspired for America. A grateful Nation thanks Ronald Reagan. a true American Hero.
Date: 2004-06-14
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to praise the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team. coaches and staff as 20032004 champions of the National Hockey League. One week ago today. the "Ning" skated to a game seven victory and won the coveted. 112yearold championship trophy: "Lord Stanleys Cup." Id also like to recognize the outstanding. devoted fans of the Tampa Bay area. This years team showed the spirit. work ethic. tenacity and sportsmanship that is illustrative of the Central Florida community they live in. The players. coaches and staff not only provide the fans with a great sense of community by uniting them and providing entertainment. many of them give back to the community by volunteering in schools. hospitals and other community centers. On behalf of the thousands of loyal Lightning fans I represent in the suburbs north of Tampa. I am delighted to recognize the Tampa Bay Lightning for winning the Stanley Cup last week.
Date: 2004-06-16
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. by direction of the Committee on Rules. I call up House ResolutiQn 675 and ask for its immediate consideration.
Date: 2004-06-16
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.