macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-06-30
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Chairman. the previous speaker asked as to the relevance of the fact. that the dictator had summarily executed three young black Cubans 2 years ago. It is quite relevant and it is quite consistent with the fact that the dictator has consistently embarked on policies of hatred against the Cuban people. especially the black people of Cuba. which should not surprise anyone. because at the end of the 19th century. his father was sent to Cuba as a member of the Spanish Army that was fighting against Cuba. He is. in effect. the historical revenge of Spanish colonialism. And. yes. the prisons are full of young men and women. especially young black men. that he summarily rounds up and puts under preventive detention. This is a very relevant issue. Mr. Chairman. It is very relevant. The oppression of the Cuban people and the hatred of the dictator against the Cuban people. especially the black people. it is very relevant. Mr. Chairman. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey .
Date: 2005-06-30
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

First of all. we should understand that the companies that are at issue here pay -American taxes. They pay taxes on all of the income that is derived from Federal contracts that they are performing and on work done in the United States. Many of these companies are multinational corporations. and they may be headquartered in Panama or Bermuda for other reasons. and maybe how they treat their global income. but their American income is all fully taxed. We should not force companies to reincorporate in the United States. and. in the case of a company just mentioned here. it was never incorporated in the United States. They just happened. as a multinational partnership. when they decided to go as a corporation. to locate their headquarters outside the United States. but they employ tens of thousands of Americans who are paying taxes every day. Why do you want to put them out of business. particularly if they are providing. a service to the American Government that is the best value for the American taxpayers? Why. if a company provides the best body armor or provides the best mechanics or the best service. are we excluding them and making the American taxpayer pay a higher rate for the same service that .may be inferior? That is what this does. E 1315 Our procurement system should be based on getting the best value for the American taxpayer. If you do not like the tax system. let us go back to the Tax Code. And as the chairman said. Congress addressed -this issue of corporate inversion in the JOBS Act. The JOBS Act added a new section to the Tax Code which treats U.S. companies that complete inversion transactions as domestic. U.S. corporations for tax purposes. This amendment is not going to produce any more jobs. but it will produce higher costs for American taxpayers that buy goods and services. It will produce less of a marketplace that we can go out and shop and get the best value for our troops in the field and for government services. And for that reason it ought to be voted down. This is outdated in a global economy. I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment..
Date: 2005-06-30
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Res. 344. which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a Chinese government acquisition of a critical United States energy company could impair our national security and therefore justifies a comprehensive review. As a member of the Congressional China Caucus. I would like to commend Chairman POMBO for his hard work to ensure our country and its resources are protected. The bid by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). whose majority owner is the Chinese government. to acquire Unocal Corporation is Chinas first attempt to secure energy resources in the United States and must be thoroughly evaluated. Unocal is one of Americas leading independent natural gas and crude oil exploration and production companies. It is the countrys ninth largest oil company. producing 159.060 barrels of oil and more than 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. The Chinese oil companys plan to buy Californiabased Unocal poses serious questions about national security. In addition. this acquisition could mean less energy for the United States. In a free market economy. mergers and acquisitions are a common way to enter foreign markets. However. China does not yet comprehend laissez faire . economic principles. While our economy promotes competition for the sake of consumers. Chinas economy is easily influenced by political forces. As a stateowned corporation with ties to Chinese government leaders. I am worried that CNOOCs motivation is aligned to political and nationalistic goals. Specifically. I am troubled that CNOOC may use. Unocals technology to advance Chinas military. As is evidenced by passage of the Energy Policy Act in the House and the Senate. I know that all Members of Congress understand the critical need to secure the future availability of energy resources for American consumers. I fearoChina is attempting to buy Unocal not as an investment. but to use the companys vast reserves. especially its natural gas fields. for its own benefit at the cost of the U.S. economy. For these reasons. Congress must ensure the Chinese companys bid is carefully reviewed by all of the relevant agencies.. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to demonstrate that we will not let China damage our economy or compromise our national security through hostile acquisitions of oil and natural gas resources.
Date: 2005-06-30
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I certainly thank the chairman for yielding me this time. I rise today in very strong support of the Veterans Health Care Supplemental Appropriations Act. We are here tonight because the VA needs $975 million for the remaining 3 months of fiscal year 2005. Earlier today. Secretary Niclholson made it clear that the shortfall resulted from faulty. outdated and. quite honestly. unrealistic forecasting models. I represent the highest number of veterans of any Member of this body. I have very often taken on my own party to fight for increased veterans funding. And do you know what? They responded. We have consistently provided more than what the VA has requested over the 3 brief years that I have been here. This side of the aisle has recognized the problem. and we are acting swiftly to resolve it by passing the supplemental today. I commend the Republican leadership for their speedy response to a real need. Mr. Speaker. I urge the other side of the aisle to stop the petty bickering and mudslinging and ask everyone to support this very important bill. Republicans have increased veterans funding over 43 percent since 2001. We will continue to fight to meet the needs of veterans health care and other veterans needs. because we provide solutions and action. not useless fingerpointing. Mr. Speaker. earlier today. another Member from Florida engaged in some political diatribe in committee and said she could not understand why veterans vote for Republicans. Clearly. they vote for Republicans because we are very quick to respond to a need and that we produce solutions. not just useless rhetoric.
Date: 2005-07-11
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. the gentleman from Texas made some excellent pointsiabout the bravery of the Iraqi people in going to the polls. You know. we will go to the polls. we may have to wait a little while to get in. It is nowhere near the long lines that they experienced in Iraq. And we have to remember that we are free to go to the polls. We do not face the kind of intimidation that the Iraqi women faced. Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to have been joined by the gentlewoman from Illinois . who actually has traveled and can tell us some information about the women that she met. and we look forward to hearing from you.
Date: 2005-07-11
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. I appreciate the gentlewoman from Illinois telling us first hand your mentoring project with some female candidates. and also some supporters who just want to make sure that women are playing an active role in both the Jordanian Government and the Iraqi Government.
Date: 2005-07-11
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. I found that also when I traveled to Iraq: do not leave us. I wanted to remind you and the other Members of Congress that a week from this Thurs.day. on July 21. we are again hosting Some Iraqi women who will tell us of the progress that they have made in Iraq. both for womens rights and for human rights in general. and their view of what is going on in Iraq. We all know that. unfortunately. the media does not always portray the good things that are happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. and this will be a great opportunity for us to glean some information from the Iraqi women who are here for us to also take back to our constituents. . Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased that we have been joined this evening by the gentlewoman from Tennessee . Welcome.
Date: 2005-07-11
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee. I think anyone who has had any exposure to the Iraqi women know how.very. very brave they are. Just this afternoon. Mr. Speaker. in this House of Representatives. we debated a resolution honoring Kuwait on the recent efforts to give women the right to vote. As is the case with many Middle Eastern nations. women are nowhere near equal to men when it comes. to basic freedoms and rights that we take for granted every day. However. Kuwaits leaders have recognized that denying half of your population the right to vote and participating in the business of the nation is wrong. As Secretary of State Condoleesa Rice has said. half a democracy is not a democracy. While Kuwait is not a democracy. giving only half the population a voice in their government is not a policy this Congress should support and one that I am glad that Kuwaits leaders are changing. I certainly applaud the House leadership for bringing this resolution to the floor and for recognizing the significant changes made for womens rights in the Middle East. If women are not allowed to participate in the decisionmaking process. if women are denied the right to run for and seek elective office. if women are barred from determining their own future. then those women will suffer oppression and human rights violations. When given the chance. women have proven they will participate in the electoral process. In Iraq. during the first free and fair elections in several decades. it was the women of many towns who led the surge to the polling booths. Women showed that they were not afraid to take their fate in their own hands and show the world what it truly means to be free. Now. I would like to recognize my colleague. the gentleman from Georgia
Date: 2005-07-12
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. when my constituents find out that Congress has been spending Social Security money on programs other than Social Security. they are mad. That is why I am working to put an end to this immoral practice. In the past. Congress has not had the discipline to keep its hand out of the Social Security cookie jar. Our proposal says that future Congresses cannot get their hands on the money in the first place. My commonsense solution is simple: make sure that Congress spends Social Security taxes on Social Security. When workers can save part of their Social Security money in a personal retirement account with their name on it. Congress will have to cut spending from other bloated programs. Our bill. the Growing Real Ownership for Workers Accounts Act. grows accounts and is an achievable first step toward sending the Social Security surplus back where it belongs. in the pockets of hardworking Americans. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this bill today.
Date: 2005-07-12
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. my district is the fifth congressional district of Florida. and the area is commonly referred to as the "Nature Coast." Residents of this area. most of them are not owners of beachfront property. they live on what previously were pristine. swampy wetlands that were filled in. We certainly have a beautiful view and. unfortunately. while it is the Nature Coast. it also has historically been the area where many hurricanes have hit. While this last hurricane. Dennis. did not directly hit our area. we had residual effects of the hurricane. We had storm surges. and a lot of areas were under water. Suddenly. residents thought they owned waterfront property. because right out front of their homes. waterfront existed. I am very. very glad to see that we are looking at revising the national flood maps so people who previously were denied flood insurance now. once we revise those flood maps. they will be able also to be able to purchase flood insurance.
Date: 2005-07-12
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank. on behalf of my constituents. many of whom have to have flood insurance. I would like to thank the gentleman from Louisiana for introducing H.R. 804. As we all know from watching the television. hurricane season has arrived again. Residents of the Gulf and east coast face familiar anxieties associated with the hurricane season. They begin to cross their fingers and hope their home will not be devastated by natures wrath and that their belongings will not be washed away. What residents should not have to be crossing their fingers over is whether the government is going to hit them with additional liabilities after they receive help. Yet. under the National Flood Insurance Program today. that is exactly what happens. The IRS considers NFIP grants as income which means any person on meanstested assistance loses. Residents who accept NFIP grants after their homes are destroyed by floods are then slapped with reduced government benefits such as health care. education or even nutrition assistance. I commend the gentleman from Louisiana for introducing this legislation that prevents agencies other than the IRS from considering NFIP grants as income and I implore my colleagues to support this bill. Those who have been hit by floods should not have to choose between NFIP assistance and food stamps.
Date: 2005-07-12
Speaker: SM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I want to express my support for the legislation introduced today by my colleague from Georgia. I am a cosponsor of all four of these bills on the floor today. and I believe they will improve the workplace safety level. the playing field for small business. and ensure that employers and employees are treated fairly. H.R. 742 encourages OSHA to really look at the merits of the case before it brings unnecessary enforcement actions to court against small businesses. Current law already does allow small business owners to recover attorneys fees if they successfully challenge a citation. but in the real world of OSHA. it simply does not work for small businesses. Case in point: in the last 24 years. small business owners have been able to recover costs from OSHA only 38 times. In 2004. only three employers were awarded attorneys fees. despite more than 86.000 citations issued by OSHA. H.R. 742 also limits its scope to small businesses with less than 100 employees or less than $7 million in net worth. This assures targeted and meaningful relief to those businesses that are least able to cope with these hefty and ongoing litigation costs. This reform is necessary for the vitality of Americas small businesses and the job security of Americas workforce. As chairman of the Subcommittee on EmployerEmployee Relations. I have seen these bills through the committee and the full House in the past. and I look forward to their passing again today. . Again. I applaud my colleague from Georgia for his hard work on behalf of American small business owners and their employees. I
Date: 2005-07-13
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my condolences to Floridians jn the wake of Hurricane Dennis. Hurricane Dennis blasted into Florida as a category 3 storm and is estimated to have caused about $1 billion worth of damage and the loss of seven lives. I share my fellow Floridians anguish over their losses. This hurricane unfortunately is just the first of many that will assail Floridas coasts. Last year. FEMA bungled cleanupefl forts in the aftermath of four terrifying hurricanes by refusing to pay for debris removal on private roads. slow reimbursement. and exorbitant overpayments in the MiamiDade area. I urge FEMA to respond quickly to this latest hurricane so that the 2004 debacle is not repeated.
Date: 2005-07-13
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the Veterans. Compensation CostofLiving Adjustment Act of 2005. H.R. 1220. as amended. would provide a costofliving adjustment. in the same amount as given to Social Security recipients. to disabled veterans and their surviving spouses. .Veterans who receive disability compensation and survivors. of certain veterans would receive a full COLA beginning on December 1 of this year. Congress has provided for these increases every fiscal year since 1976. This bill would also codify the current amounts of disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation. More than 2.6 million American veterans are receiving serviceconnected disability compensation. Many of them reside in my Congressional District. These benefits are paid monthly and range from $108 per month for a 10 percent disability to $2.299 for a 100 percent disability. Additional monetary benefits are available for our most severely disabled veterans as well as those with dependents. Spouses of veterans who died on active duty or as a result of a serviceconnected disability likewise are entitled to monetary compensation. Additional amounts are paid to survivors who are housebound or in need of aid and attendance or who have minor children. Currently. more than 336.000 surviving spouses and children are receiving survivor benefits. Theadministrations fiscal year 2006 budget projects a 2.3 percent costofliving increase. but it may be higher or lower. depending on changes in the Consumer Price Index. The exact percentage will be calculated as of September 30 of this year. I certainly want tO thank the subcommittees chairman and ranking member. the gentleman from Florida
Date: 2005-07-14
Speaker: GARY G. MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of H.R. 2864. the Water Resources Development Act of 2005. This important legislation is long overdue in addressing the needs of our Nations water resources infrastructure. I commend the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman YOUNG) and the gentleman frofii Tennessee (Chairman DUNCAN) for their hard work and dedication in drafting a water infrastructure policy that sets our Nation on the course to an economically and environmentally sustainable future. The dependability of our Nations water infrastructure could not be more vital to the health. safety. and overall quality of life of every American. As a Representative from Southern California. where we face significant water supply challenges. a safe and reliable water supply infrastructure system is particularly important to me. The work to implement needed flood control measures is critical to preventing loss of life and property to our Nations communities. This bill is critical to accommodating the many more flood control projects awaiting authorization. In addition. this bill streamlines the feasibility. study process and enforces policies that are based on sound science. The enactment of this bill is of critical importance to the Nations environmental and economic wellbeing. For every $1 billion spent on water resources development activities. approximately 40.000 jobs are created. In addition. an estimated $706 billion in damages has been prevented through flood reduction projects. representing a 6to1 return on investment. Congress must commit to infrastructure investments now to leave behind a legacy of economic security and opportunity for future generations. This bill provides a Federal commitment to such infrastructure investments. leaving behind a legacy of safe and reliable water infrastructure systems. I urge my colleagues to vote for this important bill to ensure our Nation has an economically and environmentally sound water resources infrastructure.
Date: 2005-07-14
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 355) celebrating Walt Disneys contributions to our Nation. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 2005-07-14
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I would also like to support H. Res. 355. which celebrates Walt Disneys contributions to our Nation. I want to thank my distinguished colleague. the gentlewoman from California. for sponsoring and spearheading this resolution. As 2005 marks the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. now is an appropriate time to recognize the outstanding contributions of its founder. Walt Disney. to our Nation. Like so many American success stories. Walt Disney was a selfmade man. In the 1920s he began by independently producing a series of animated comedies. starting with Alices Wonderland in 1923. In 1928 Walt Disney figuratively struck gold when he created Mickey Mouse. Since then. he went on to create countless other memorable characters. too numerous to list here. In the process. he won 32 Academy Awards for his work. Nevertheless. the highest praise for Disney may lie in the sustained delight his creations have inspired in millions of Americans. young and old. for more than 70 years. Not content with just his screen creations. Walt Disney was inspired by his daughters to create a special place where adults and children could have fun together. In 1955. he realized this dream with the opening of Disneyland in Anaheim. California. In the parks formal dedication. he expressed his hope that Disneyland would be "a source of joy and inspiration to the world." It is no exaggeration to say that his dream has become a reality. Now. millions of people around the world benefit from his inspiration at Disneyland and the many other familyoriented Disney theme parks. cruise lines. and resorts. Much like his movies. a visit to Disneyland is a cherished memory of countless childhoods. Walt Disney was an unrivaled imaginative visionary. Through his gifted imagination. he has touched nearly all of us and left our culture far richer than he found it. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Date: 2005-07-14
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

(dpring the reading). Mr. Speaker. I ask. unanimous consent that the amendment to the preamble be considered as read and printed in the RECORD.
Date: 2005-07-14
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H

of Florida): H. Con. Res. 209. Concurrent resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and expressing the sense of Congress that Congress should raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating effects on families. to the Committee on Government Reform. By Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself. Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. PICKERING. Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. WATT. and Mr. WICKER):