macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-10-01
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3034. the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry Reauthorization Act. Today we are able to prolong hope for so many individuals waiting for a match to their bone marrow by reauthorizing the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry for another five years. For many people waiting for a transplant due to various illnesses. the task of finding a donor Is a long and costly process. Each year twothirds of patients awaiting bone marrow transplants are unsuccessful in finding a match within their family. This is why the establishment of a national registry was crucial. About seventy percent of leukemia and other blood disorder patients do not find a match within their family. A match would be someone with certain white blood cells. called antigens. which are similar or identical to the patients. These transplants enable patients the opportunity to live a full life. whereas without the transplant they would have little or no chance of survival. From the organization of a donor registry through the United States Navy in 1986 to this current extension of the National Registry. it is clear that Congress takes this issue to heart. Each member of this House has someone in their district who has been touched by one of the debilitating diseases that need a bone marrow transplant. often as a last option. Mr. Speaker. in closing. I would like to thank Chairman YOUNG for his leadership on the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry Reauthorization Act. Because of his familys own experience with the seriousness of bone marrow transplants. he has emerged as a leader in the issue and is committed to the cause. I urge all my colleagues to support this important reauthorization.
Date: 2003-10-02
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the rule and I urge my colleagues to again support the PartialBirth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. I am pleased to stand here today on the brink of passage of this critical piece of legislation. In doing so. we reaffirm that partialbirth abortion is a heinous and unnecessary procedure that has aleady claimed the lives of too many innocent preborn victims. We already know in statements. such as those of former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. that a "partialbirth abortion is never medically necessary to protect a mothers health." Why then. Mr. Speaker. is there any question at all that this procedure needs to be banned? We must stop victimizing the women and children of America through paltialbirth abortion. Mr. Speaker. the insanity of legalized murder will end with the passage of this longawaited law. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and pass the partialbirth abortion ban.
Date: 2003-10-07
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H: Res. 234. a resolution that calls for the condemnation of prejudice and violence against ArabAmericans. MuslimAmericans. South AsianAmericans. and SikhAmericans. and which recognizes the contributions that these groups have made to American society. The resolution also calls upon Federal. State and local law enforcement agencies to work to prevent biasmotivated crimes and to Investigate and prosecute such crimes vigorously. Shortly after the events of September 11. 2001. I introduced a similar resolution with Congressman David Bonior. H. Con. Res. 227 condemned bigotry and violence against ArabAmericans. MuslimAmericans. and South Asian:Americans. and declared that the civil liberties of these and all other Americans should be protected during our efforts to bring the perpetrators and sponsors of the terrorist acts to justice. I commend Representative DARRELL ISSA for introducing H. Res. 234. This resolution sends a strong and clear message that we will not condone prejudiced and violent crimes against any Americans. We must remember that many individuals in the Arab. Muslim. South Asian and SikhAmerican communities came to the United States seeking freedom and democracy. and they fled oppressive regimes that lack freedom of speech and religion and in some cases support terrorism. I am pleased that the House of Representatives is once again taking a firm stand on this issue. which is so important to all Americans. I strongly support H. Res. 234 and encourage my colleagues in the House to vote in favor of this important resolution.
Date: 2003-10-08
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to state my support of H.R. 2297. Coming from the First District of Virginia. where roughly 100.000 military veterans live. it goes without saying that this legislation Is of enormous importance. For that reason. I want to commend Chairman CHRIS SMITH. Ranking Member LANE EVANS. and their hardworking colleagues and staff on the House Veterans Affairs Committee for getting this bill to us on the floor today. I would also like to share some observations about a few aspects of the bill. I am pleased that H.R. 2297 restores the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefit to those who wish to remarry after 55 years of age. As many of my constituents know. DIC is a monthly benefit paid to surviving spouses of uniformed service members who die either in the line of duty or from a serviceconnected disability. Until this bill reaches the President for enactment. eligible survivors who remarry after 55 will continue to lose this benefit. I am also pleased that H.R. 2297 restores some equity In education benefits for those National Guard members who are eligible for Title 38 survivors and dependents education benefits. bringing them In line with their Reserve counterparts. Presently. only Title 38eligible Reservists. who have been activated post9/11. have the end date of their eligibility extended by a period equal to the length of the callup period plus 4 months. H.R. 2297 offers the same extension to eligible members of the Guard. Finally. I want to commend the committee for expanding Montgomery GI Bill education benefits for selfemployment training for veterans and disabled veterans. H.R. 2297 would authorize educational assistance benefits for onjob training of less than six months in specified selfemployment training programs. Under the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act (Public Law 10650). Federal agencies are required to support selfemployment for veterans directly and through partnerships with the private sector. H.R. 2297 would improve access to related training benefits. In the present atmosphere. in which many members are having the sincerity of their commitment to fairness for veterans questioned. It is reassuring to see that dedicated people like my colleagues. Chairman SMITH and Ranking Member EVANS. are bringing their efforts to bear on behalf of veterans in a way that should clearly have a positive impact. I now look forward to the Senate acting on this legislation to expedite its passage.
Date: 2003-10-08
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to require Federal agencies to develop and implement plans to protect the security and privacy of government computer systems from the risks posed by peertopeer file sharing. as amended.
Date: 2003-10-08
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3159.
Date: 2003-10-08
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to amend the Policemen and Firemens Retirement and DisabilitI Act to permit military service previously performed by members and former members of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. the Fire Department of the District of Columbia. the United States Park Police. and the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division to count as creditable service for purposes of calculating retirement annuities payable to such members upon payment of a contribution by such members. and for other purposes. as amended.
Date: 2003-10-08
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3054.
Date: 2003-10-08
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 3054. the District of Columbia Military Retirement Equity Act of 2003 is bipartisan legislation that will allow current and former police officers. firefighters. U.S. Park Police officers. and United States Secret Service employees in the District of Columbia to essentially buy back military service time to avoid costly reductions in their monthly benefit payment. Under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. the Department of the Treasury and the District of Columbia share responsibility for the D.C. police officers and firefighters retirement plan. In conjunction with the District. the Treasury Department proceeded to audit the program and discovered a mistake in which individuals were concurrently receiving credit for their post1956 military service while being eligible for Social Security. Treasury was then forced to reduce hundreds of annuitants monthly benefits. Through no fault of their own. hundreds of retirees find themselves in the precarious position of having to buy back the military time or have a dramatic reduction in their annuity. This reality is clearly unfair. was unintended. and must be corrected. I believe this House has an obligation to right this wrong for the benefit of those who selflessly protect our Nations capital city. and this legislation gives us an opportunity to do just that. The D.C. Military Retirement Equity Act provides a fair mechanism for active duty retirees and retirees to buy back their military service time while it preserves their planned monthly annuity. This legislation parallels the Civil Service Retirement Act. Federal eraployces who retired under the Civil Service Retirement Act were made aware of the post1956 law and were permitted to buy the service credit by making payments equal to 7 percent of the military basic pay for the period in question. If the employee elected to buy back the service credit. it continued to be counted after the employee became eligible for Social Security. The current and former officers covered under this bill who have served our country not once but twice deserve the same opportunity. Mr. Speaker. I urge all Members to support H.R. 3054. I thank and congratulate my colleagues. the distinguished cosponsors of this legislation. the gentleman from Maryland and the gentleman from Pennsylvania . for their efforts on this bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2003-10-08
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank my friend for his remarks. Let me say that even today. our police officers and firefighters in the District of Columbia. our Secret Service agents put their lives on the line and one never knows what is around the corner in a job like this. It is difficult recruiting and retaining the best and the brightest for these positions. and to some extent. they look at how we treat current retirees when they decide to sign up and for retention or to join the Department in the first place. In this particular case. a grave mistake was made at the time of the Balanced Budget Act. It had ramifications of basically taking thousands of dollars away from people who over the last generation laid their lives on the line for the safety of the citizens who run our Nations capital. our law makers and government institutions. This legislation is. I think. a modest attempt to try to right that wrong. and I hope that current officers and those that are thinking of going into this understand the high regard In which this Congress holds these individuals and honors the service that they gave this city and this government during their tenure. That is what this equity act is all about. That is why it has strong bipartisan support. and that is why I urge our colleagues in the House to support tll s legislation today. Mr. Speaker. I have no other speakers at this point. and I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2003-10-08
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from California for his leadership and again the gentleman from Maryland . who is a cosponsor with me. the gentleman from Pennsylvania . of course our distinguished Delegate from the District of Columbia . We thank all of them for helping to put this together as we hopefully pass this today. send this to the other body for what we hope will be fast consideration and a signature oil the Presidents desk.
Date: 2003-10-15
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speaker In favor of H.R. 1442. the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center Act. I am very proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation which authorizes the design and construction of a visitors center to enhance the experience of visitors to the Vietnam Memorial. I will not ever forget the impact that the wall had on me when it was first commemorated in 1982. At that time the sacrifices made by American soldiers. Marines. Navy. and Air Force in Vietnam were so fresh on everyones conscience. However. as years pass. the Vietnam War becomes the subject of a history text book rather than a reality of life. The sacrifices made by Vietnam veterans must not simply fade into the past. We owe much more to the soldiers who answered the call to duty and who sacrificed for our freedom. Today. most of the visitors to the wall were not alive during the Vietnam era. Many do not fully understanding tle message on the wall. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitors Center will ensure that Americans now and also future generations will learn and understand the true history of the Vietnam War. I want to thank the gentleman from California for his leadership on this matter so that we can continue to honor the sacrifices made by our many brave Americans.
Date: 2003-10-15
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of this important bipartisan legislation. the Syrian Accountability Act. It will authorize new sanctions against Syria until it meets certain conditions. Although the Department of State lists Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism. fewer sanctions apply to this country than to any other nation on this list. We know that Syria provides a safe haven and support to several terrorist groups including Hezbollah. Hamas. and the* Palestinian Islamic Jihad. to name only a few. Secretary Rumsfeld has asserted that bus loads of Syrian fighters entered Iraq with thousands of dollars and leaflets offering rewards for dead American soldiers. Syria deserves the same sanctions and loss of diplomatic relations as any other nation that sponsors terrorism overseas or against Americans. It is absolutely critical that this renegade nation be held accountable for its actions once and for all. I urge my colleagues to support this bill which the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. RosLEHTINEN) proudly sponsors.
Date: 2003-10-15
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 1828. a resolution that calls for an end to Syrias support for terrorism and an end to its occupation of Lebanon. In his 2003 State of the Union address. President Bush stated that the gravest danger facing the United States in the war on terrorism is the acquisition by other countries of weapons of mass destruction. and that we must confront this danger. A senior Administration official recently testified before the Committee on International Relations that Syria remains a security concern as a supporter of international terrorism and weapons of mass destruction proliferation. I commend the Administrations efforts to reach a diplomatic solution with Syria. President Bush has consistently called on Syria to close Its terrorist camps and to expel terrorist organizations. Secretary Powell has worked diligently with the Syrian government towards ending its occupation of Lebanon. Since 1990. the U.S. Congress has passed seven resolutions calling on the withdrawal of Syrian armed forces from Lebanon. Many members of Congressncluding myselfhave been to Syria and urged the Syrian government to work with the United States In the war against terrorism. And despite our diplomatic efforts. Syria has not fulfilled its pledge to work with us. Mr. Speaker. we know that Syria continues to offer protection to terrorist groups such as Hizballah. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Recently. Syria conducted efforts to acquire technology that could be applied to a nuclear weapons program. Syria has also undermined coalition efforts to bring stability to Iraq by allowing volunteers to cross the border and fight our service members. And as we all know. Syria has ignored numerous United Nations resolutions calling on Syria to end its occupation of Lebanon. a sovereign nation. H.R. 1828 would hold Syria accountable for the serious international security problems it has caused in the Middle East. This resolution would instruct the President to impose economic sanctions on Syria until the Department of State determines that Syria ceases to provide support to international terrorist groups. ceases the development and deployment of weapons. and withdraws all military forces from Lebanon. Mr. Speaker. despite our many attempts to reach a diplomatic solution. Syria continues to obstruct our efforts In the war against terrorism. I support H.R. 1828 and encourage my colleagues in the House to vote in favor of this important resolution.
Date: 2003-10-15
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of this supplemental. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of this supplemental appropriations legislation as a necessary component in our efforts to liberate the nation of Iraq and continue our successful fight against terrorism. Mr. Chairman. over the past month. the American people have been bombarded by a very negative portrayal of our efforts in Iraq. However. as we have heard from so many of our colleagues who have recently visited Iraq. these media portrayals are far from the truth. We are winning the war on terror. and we are setting people free. America is building a free Iraq. and this supplemental funding measure Is part of Americas exit strategy. A strategy that will see a new Iraq (founded on freedom and democracy) flourish in the Middle East. Mr. Chairman. I am a fiscal conservative. and the thought on spending $87 billion on anything gives me pause. The concept of turning some of this funding into a loan appears to be a sound one. but one we will have time to discuss as this debate continues. However. this spending measure is an investment in the peace and stability of our world. We cannot put a price tag on peace. and we cannot turn our back on freedom. Our own American history should be the book we study from. When President Harry Truman came to Congress with his Marshall Plan proposal. the price tag. for the times. was staggering indeed. However. it was not the price tag that Congress finally looked atit was the mission at hand that drove support for this plan. It was the rebuilding of the post World War II world. in an effort to restore peace to the planet. that drove Congress to support this measure. Mr. Chairman. this Congress has a similar opportunity. to rebuild a nation that will represent freedom and democracy while bringing stability to a very tumultuous and dangerous part of the world. We have a very unique opportunity in front of us. We have the opportunity to invest in freedom. and to set men free. Most importantly. we can take proactive steps necessary to stabilize a region that presents a great danger to our Nation. and the wellbeing of our people. Mr. Chairman. we will be making history with this vote. We will be sending a message to terrorists that America has no intention of allowing the fight against terrorism to be fought on our streets and in our neighborhoods. We will also be sending a message to the world that we are a nation of peace. and Iraqi liberation in the pursuit of freedom is a component of our democratic principles. Congress has a responsibility to protect our people. and to promote freedom and democracy worldwide. This supplemental helps move these responsibilities forward. and it is our duty to approve this legislation.
Date: 2003-10-16
Speaker: GREG THELMANN (republican)
Chamber: S

I had a couple of initial reactions. Then I had aa more mature reaction. II think my conclusion now is that its probably one of the low points in his long and distinguished service to the nation. PELLEY. At the end of the speech. the United Nations and the American people had been misinformed. in your opinion?
Date: 2003-10-16
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. as part of the Washington Waste Watchers. I want to highlight. once again. the waste in the Federal Government. Over the last 4 years the Department of Agriculture spent over $5 billion in food stamp improper payments. This could have paid for over a year of food stamps for over 3 million lowincome Americans. Improper payments alone last year could have paid for a year of food stamps for close to 800.000 lowincome Americans. Mr. Speaker. And yet our friends the Democrats still want to raise your taxes to pay for more of this? Mr. Speaker. Democrats are worried about spending more money to protect our troops and to provide for Americas longterm security. but they have no problem in spending money to give benefits to ineligible recipients. We have to get our priorities right. Mr. Speaker. Let us fight waste. fraud. and abuse. We ask our friends in the other party to help us in our long term security and not do anything to not fund our troops abroad.
Date: 2003-10-16
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. if we go out and we go back to our Districts and talk to the constituents. what they are saying is while our school districts have to apply for loans to build schools. it is only fair that the people of Iraq will eventually pay back to the American public part of this as a loan. The Pence amendment says grant first. loan next. We have to remember that this is a very oil rich country. and they will someday be able to repay us. I think we owe it to our .taxpayers to show some responsibility and some accountability here and to support the Pence amendment. Remember. loan second. grant first.
Date: 2003-10-16
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I fully support the supplemental for the conflict in Iraq and would wholeheartedly have voted in favor of the Pence amendment to grant half the funds for reconstruction and loan the balance once an Iraqi government was In place next year. Unfortunately this amendment was ruled out of order. I thank the gentleman from Indiana for his efforts.