macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-11-13
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 1534. the Mercury Export Ban of 2007. This bill is a bipartisan effort that will effectively reduce the amount of elemental mercury in the atmosphere. Mercury is a neurotoxin that is very harmful to children. fetuses. and pregnant women. It took us many years to realize there are negative health effects associated with mercury. Once the true health effects of mercury were realized in the US its use for manufacturing and products was decreased. The decrease in the use of mercury has left us burdened with reserves of commercial mercury that is being sold to recyclers who have no means of disposing of the mercury. The recyclers sell this mercury to brokers who distribute this mercury on the global market. Once on the global market this mercury is used by small scale gold miners who unknowingly allow their miners to unsafely expose themselves to mercury. Once the mercury is released into the atmosphere or water we are allowing other countries to contribute to a global mercury contamination problem. We essentially are selling mercury to other countries in an attempt to get rid of it only to have the mercury come back to us in the form of contamination. This bill would ban exporting elemental mercury by 2010 and the sale. distribution. or transfer of elemental mercury between state and local government. Federal agency. or private entity except for storage purposes. It would also require the EPA issue a report to Congress one year after the ban to address the issue of mercury in the U.S. and create an Excess Mercury Storage Committee so that we can address the storage and health issues related to elemental mercury in the U.S. This is a good bill and I strongly- urge my colleagues to support it.
Date: 2007-11-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. .3845) to establish a Special Counsel for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction within the Office of the Deputy Attorney General. to improve the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. to increase resources for regional computer forensic labs. and to make other improvements to increase the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute child predators. as amended.
Date: 2007-11-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and in: dlude extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
Date: 2007-11-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. at this time I yield as much time as he may consume to the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Mr. CONYERS.
Date: 2007-11-13
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Just in response to Mr. GOODLATTE regarding the Special Counsel. I appreciate the comments of the gentleman from Texas . Special Counsel is an essential element to this legislation because right now you have no less than eight different entities and agencies that have something to do with the grants and the coordination and the prosecution and the pursuit of child exploitation crimes and particu-. larly child pornography. It is imperative that we have a single goto entity. a single leadership position in the Department of Justice to ensure that there is someone who is responsible to Congress for the accountability. for the coordination. to make sure that it is elevated to the highest level of priority at the Department of Justice where clearly right now it is not. And I again want to thank my colleague Mr. BARTON for working with us on this legislation. This is an issue that transcends party. It is an issue that transcends process. When you have 500.000 known individuals out there pursuing our children online. Internet predators. any of our children could fall victim just by a click of the computer. Mr. Speaker. I can tell you I have a 4yearold who goes online with the most basic of Web sites. and you just never know. and we need to make sure that we have a massive effort to coordinate and put resources into going after child exploitation and child predators.
Date: 2007-11-13
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I join in the recognition of San Jose State on its 150th anniversary. I am proud that San Jose State is located in the 16th Congressional District which I represent in San Jose. California. as has been mentioned. It is the Silicon Valley university. More than 300.000 graduates of San Jose State have gone into Silicon Valley. and it is the largest source of engineering talent. of computer science and business graduates. for Silicon Valley. San Jose State is ranked eighth among the top ten colleges and universities offering bachelors and masters degrees in the western region. with its 134 programs. It is also known for its innovative partnerships. including a firstever. I think in the country. partnership with the City of San Jose to have a joint universitycity public library. a joint venture with the National Hispanic University for joint degrees. and most recently a joint venture with a historically black college in Mississippi for joint issuance of Ph.D.s in engineering. I am proud to represent San Jose State. We had to decide who would introduce this resolution. And although the university is in the 16th District. the author. my friend. Congressman MIKE HONDA. is an alumni of the university. so we deferred to him to take the lead on this introduction. I want to thank him for doing so. This is an important event for those of us in Silicon Valley. and especially the ftth District.
Date: 2007-11-13
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to increase the insurance limitations on Federal insurance for bonds issued by the designated bonding authority for Historically Black Colleges and Universities capital financing.
Date: 2007-11-13
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert material relevant to H.R. 4154 into the RECORD.
Date: 2007-11-13
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina . the majority whip of the House. who has worked .and moved all might here to get this legislation to the floor.
Date: 2007-11-14
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

peaker. it is I thank the gentleman. and I thank lifornia dele- him for taking this time. t the passing As one who had the honor of serving to say today under Gus Hawkins when he was Chair and celebrate of the Education and Labor Coindistinguished mittee. I rwould just like to say to my d last Satur- colleague that this was a man of great igustus Free- vision for young people. for students. ear career in and for working families. I knew Gus efly want to long before I Game to the Congress. I accomplish- knew him as a young man when he and my father served together in the State was born in legislature and they were engaged in 1 August 31. the great civil rights battles at that my dad was time. the great battles over education ioved to Los and school quality. Gus died when he to the State was 100. but he was thinking about .s elected to things 120 years from now because rved here 28 thats the way he always was. Gus was always looking over the hoservice. he rizon for new opportunities and new [ministration ideas and new ways of doing things. He .e Committee was a great pioneer. but he was also a a whole host great visionary and he honored us with ting. the Li- his service in this body. cided not to I thank the gentleman for taking I. But among this time. its. and Gus Mr. STARK. I would like to yield. if tate and Fed- I may. to the gentlewoman from Caliwhat he will fornia who now represents the district ik. is author- that our friend Gus Hawkins rep1 Rights Act resented. Opportunity Ms. WATERS. Thank you very mhch. I would like to join with the head of mber of the our delegation. Representative STARK. .us. He spon- and others. in paying tribute to an exd will be re- traordinary man. Gus Hawkins was one of the most profound public policymakers that ever served in this House. You heard PETE STARK allude to some of that legislation. That legislation has been good for America. its been good for African Americans. its been good for this House. I am so proud that when Gus Hawkins decided that he was not going "to stand for reelection in 1990. he called me and he. said. "Im calling you first because I believe that you would do well representing this district by serving as a Member of Congress." And so I have tried to live up to -his legacy. Gus Hawkins. however. was very. very strong. He understood how government works. He was understated. He got along with everybody. He made a lot of friends in this House. And people responded to him in a terrific manner. And so I am standing here in great sympathy and in pain. because I know that we wanted to get him up here one more time when we focused on the HawkinsHumphrey Act with BARNEY FRANK in the Financial Services Committee. We were not .able to do that. And so all that we can do now is honor him with this tribute and say. "Rest well. Gus." I would request a moment of silence. please. before we resume our schedule.
Date: 2007-11-14
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. Head Start is a critical part of this countrys effort tocombat the effects of poverty and ensure that all of our children have the opportunity and skills they need to thrive. Since its creation in 1965. it has proven to be our most valuable school readiness program in the history of this countryespecially. now that we know more about the importance of earlychildhood education. Study after study demonstrates that by age 6. a childs capacity to learn is largely formed. and time after time. we have seen reports that prove students who attend Head Start perform better than those who dont. By doing this. Head Start is helping to close the achievement gap between students of differing socioeconomic status across our country. and helping the children in our communities by providing opportunities that they might not otherwise have. Additionally. people often forget the wonderful things that this program does for the parents. The key to Head Starts approach is its level of actively involving parents and the community in all aspects of the programand this .reauthorization would further this goal. Parents are a childs first teachers. and Head Start helps build and foster a persons parenting skills in various ways. Parents are also urged to improve their literacy skills. obtain adult basic education. and make their homes a place where reading is part of everyday life. Head Start also tackles a wide range of poverty issues through its family and community partnerships. including: substance abuse. violence. HIV. homelessness. singleparent households. inadequate child care. unemployment. and numerous other stressors that challenge families resources. This program is clearly instrumental to our country. The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 will reinvigorate Head Start and help more children arrive at kindergartenready to succeed. I urge my colleagues to support this report.
Date: 2007-11-14
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act. to strengthen and expand Head Start programs across the country. Last Spring. we held a National Summit on Americas Children here at the Capitol. We heard from leading experts on child development and neuroscience. who emphasized the vital importance of early childhood education. Early interventions can dramatically increase a childs chances for future success. Head Start is based on this idea and it works. For more than 40 years. it has been helping to close the achievement gap and teach our children that they can succeed. regardless of background or family income. More than 20 million children and families have benefited from its services. With this bill today. we will open the door to more children to enter both Head Start and Early Head Start and will ensure that they are better prepared for kindergarten and elementary school.
Date: 2007-11-14
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I am proud to support the Conference Report on H.R. 1429. the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007. This bipartisan legislation takes significant steps to strengthen the Head Start program so that children will be better prepared and ready to succeed when they begin kindergarten. H.R. 1429 increases funds targeted at improving teacher quality and provides additional support for the programs extensive monitoring process and the comprehensive services offered to the students families. In addition. it expands access to Head Start for more children. increases coordination efforts with State and local programs. and eliminates any further development of the cbntroversial -and ineffective National Reporting System. For over 40 years. the Head Start program has worked to break the cycle of poverty by providing access to early childhood education for lowincome children and families. In the House budget for FY 2008. the State of Texas is estimated to receive approximately $490 million in Head Start funding which will go towards providing services for over 68.000 students. Since it first began in 1965. the program has served more than 20 million children. and it continues to play a major role in our Nations efforts to close the achievement gap. reduce poverty. and ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed. Studies have shown that students with a high quality preKindergarten edication enjoy greater success in academics as well as their overall lives. The Head Start program goes a long way in addressing educational inequity by aiding low income children in their social and cognitive development. I am a firm supporter of this program and the lifelong benefits it provides. It is only by addressing this critical need that we will be able to ensure a better future for all our Nations children.
Date: 2007-11-14
Speaker: LINCOLN DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Speaker. I rise on behalf of this bill and the effort by this Congress to bring accountability to the war in Iraq. This war is in desperate need of a new direction. For nearly 5 years. our brave men and women have valiantly toed the line for this administration. and Im proud to say that they have had great successes in their mission. We have seen aterrible dictator overthrown. tried and put to death. and in his place the people of Iraq carried out free and open elections. For all of this. we owe our soldiers and their families a debt of thanks. But todays debate is not about the purpose of this war. We are here to make a decision on how best to bring accountability to this engagement. Todays legislation will keep soldiers on the ground to oversee diplomatic missions. protect U.S. citizens. equip and train Iraqis to stand on their own and continue to engage in targeted attacks on terrorists as we seek them out. This is a responsible strategy that worked for Eisenhower in South Korea when troops remained to oversee the DMZ after major operations had ended. and it can work for America today in Iraq. However. I have long felt that it is time to remove our men and women from the kill zones of Iraq. Our soldiers are trained to do the job ofthe United States military. not the job of policeonthebeat for the nation of Iraq. We need to redeploy our troops so they can continue to carry out the work of defending America from terrorist threats around the globe. It is time for the Iraqis to occupy their own country with their own military and police force. This bill begins the redeployment of our combat troops. while continuing to fund initiatives for our men and women that protect them from IEDs. traumatic brain injury and more. But the days of a blank check from this Congress must come to an end. The American people deserve a new direction in Iraq. and this legislation is an important step. I would like to add that I bristle when I hear the other side talk of "cut and run" Democrats. The legacy of the Democratic Party is one of great wartime leaders. Andrew Jackson may have done the cutting at the Battle of New Orleans. but it was Colonel Packingham who did the running. It was President Wilson who convinced the American people to take on the oppressors in the First World War. It was President Roosevelt who said "we -have nothing to fear but fear itself before leading the charge into the battlefields of Asia and Nazi Germany. And it was President Truman who ended that war by dropping a nuclear weapon. I am a member of a Democratic Party that has never cut and run. but has been responsible with our men and women in regard to their safety and families. as well as our national security. We need a change in Iraq and a change in course. This must happen.
Date: 2007-11-14
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the Iraq Redeployment Act which sets forth a realistic strategy for the responsible redeployment of our combat. troops in Iraq. The Bush Administration has requested another $200 billion dollar blank check for the war in Iraq to pursue a flawed strategy that has -no end in sight and which continually puts our brave men and women in the armed services in the middle of Iraqs civil war. The indefinite presence of American forces in Iraq has allowed the different factions there to postpone making the difficult compromises necessary to achieve stability and political reconciliation. Our intelligence community has publicly concluded that the political situation in Iraq is getting worse. not better. We cannot ask our troops to remain in Iraq when the different Iraqi factions have refused to take the steps necessary to achieve a greater stability. We must embark on a new direction in Iraq. Thats what this legislation will do. It allocates $50 billion for the purpose of beginning to responsibly redeploy our combat forces out of Iraq by the target date of December 15. 2008. The troops that would remain in Iraq beyond that date would focus on the more limited missions of training Iraqi security forces. providing logistical and intelligence support for the Iraqi security forces. and engaging in targeted counterterrorist operations against AIQaeda and affiliated groups. As the legislation states. "the primary purpose -of funds made available by the Act should be to transition the mission of the United States Armed Forces in Iraq and undertake their redeployment. and not to extend or prolong the war." This bill also states that .the reduction of our armed forces in Iraq "shall be implemented in conjunction with a comprehensive diplomatic. political and economic strategy that includes sustained engagement with Iraqs neighbors and the international community for the purpose of working collectively to bring stability to lraq"-a strategy recommended by the bipartisan Iraq StudyGroup that the Administration has failed to pursue with any vigor or urgency. This legislation also prohibits the deployment of any troops not fully equipped or trained. and extends to all U.S. Government agencies and personnel the limitations in the U.S. Army Field Manual on permissible interrogation techniques. We must send a strong message to the world that we do not support or condone torture. We are on the wrong path in Iraq. This bill provides a much needed change in direction that will strengthen our national security. improve our position in the region and bring our men and women safely home.
Date: 2007-11-14
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. Thirty years ago. I was in law school studying. among other things. the Constitution and deepening my passion for freedom under law. With me at Santa Clara Law School was Munir Malik. That small Jesuit institution instilled in me a sense of duty to stand for principle that led me to this House. That same sense of duty led Malik to leave behind- a lucrative career as a CPA and lawyer to return to Pakistan. Last year. he was named president of Pakistans Supreme Court Bar Association. This May. he was the target of an assassination attempt. And. this month. he was arrested by our ally. Our ally? President Musharraf. - His crime? Standing up for the rule of law. Musharraf is liberating al Qaeda members in the western territories while arresting judges and lawyers who believe in law. Pakistan is using our money to do it. Its time for Pakistan to tell us where Malik and the other lawyers are. Time for Pakistan to set them free. Time for Pakistan to stop being a dictatorship. I include for the RECORD a letter from the faculty at Santa Clara Law Tiahrt Tiberi Turner Upton Walberg Walden (OR) Wamp Weldon (FL) Westmoreland Whitfield Wicker Wilson (NM) Wilson (SC) Wolf Young (AK) Young (FL) Bono Carson Cubin Doyle
Date: 2007-11-14
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you so much. Mr. ALTMIRE. It is a pleasure again to join my colleagues in the 30Something Working Group. And Im so glad that our newest members of the Working Group. Mr. MURPHY and
Date: 2007-11-14
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

to go into a little bit more detail. H.R. 4156 requires the redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq to begin within 30 days of enactment with a target for completion of December 15. 2008. It requires transition in the mission of U.S. forces in Iraq from primarily combat to force protection and diplomatic protection. limited support to Iraqi security forces and targeted counterterrorism operations. The bill prohibits deployment of any U.S. troops not fully equipped and trained. Is there anybody who can disagree with that? Waivable with a presidential national security certification. So it gives the President the ability to waive that requirement if he feels it is necessary. It extends to all U.S. Government agencies and personnel the limitations of the Army Field Manual on permissible interrogation techniques.. That means no torture. something that this House has voted on in the past. It is in the Army manual today. It just says you have to abide by what is in the Army Field Manual as it is currently written. And finally. as we discussed. it provides $50 billion to meet the needs of the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan but defers the consideration of the remainder of the Presidents nearly $200 billion request. So this is a responsible course of action. The House passed it today. I will yield to the gentlewoman from Florida at this point to give her views on this issue.