macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-23
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1911. the Smarter Solutions for Students Act. I was displeased that the House Committee on Rules decided late last night to consider this bill under a closed rule and would not consider any amendments submitted to H.R. 1911. My amendment would have extended Pay As You Earn in order to give past borrowers the same benefits afforded to new borrowers. Pay As You Earn. created under the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. reduces the monthly payment under Income Based Repayment. IBR. by a third. from 15 percent of discretionary income to 10 percent of discretionary income. and accelerates the loan forgiveness from 25 years to 20 years. However. it is only effective for new borrowers of new loans on or after July 1. We need to protect students from high interest rates on these loans so they are not financially paralyzed for simply pursuing an education. In a global economy. putting a college education within reach for every American has never been more important. But its also never been more expensive. On July 1. the interest rate on subsidized Stafford student loans will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent if Congress does nothing. increasing college costs for over 7 million students by $1.000 per student. per loan. Unfortunately. this bill does not adequately provide the assistance our students need and instead exacerbates the college debt crisis. According to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office. interest rates under H.R. 1911 will be higher than current fixed rates for millions of borrowers seven of the next ten years. Even more troubling. H.R. 1911 also includes provisions the will provide $3.4 billion in debt reduction. It will be a sad day in American history if should the Congress decide to further burden struggling students to reduce a national debt they will already be paying for throughout the course of their lives. In Texas and all across the country. students and recent college graduates are now facing the highest unemployment rate of any other group. By 2018. 63 percent of all American job openings will require some sort of postsecondary education. In order for our country to remain competitive. we need to make college more affordable and accessible. Political gimmicks such as H.R. 1911 will only discourage our Nations students from pursuing an education. With the cost of higher education continuing to skyrocket. I simply cannot support a measure that will increase the financial burden for millions of students and their families. If Americans fail to address this issue now. we will default on commitment to a better future for our children. We owe it to our young people to provide the opportunities that will allow them to become successful and productive adults.
Date: 2013-05-23
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I want to congratulate the gentlewoman for offering this motion to recommit. I think she goes right to the heart of the matter. and that is the uncertainty that is being presented by the legislation on the floor today. Other Members tried to deal with this issue of uncertainty. Mr. HECK from Nevada tried to deal with this uncertainty by providing an incentive for those students who borrowed money and were able to pay 4 years on steady payments to give them incentive to continue to do that. Mr. RICE of South Carolina sought to have a lower rate. This lower rate isnt chiseled in granite. This isnt the market rate. This is a choice of the Republican Members of the committee to choose these rates.
Date: 2013-05-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. as we leave here today. many of us will anxiously return to our constituency to be able to celebrate and pay tribute to soldiers. those who have fallen. and of course those who are now veterans. As I look outand will look outinto the vast audience at the Houston veterans cemetery. I can tell you that I will see an array of America. families who have come to say thank you to the fallen. Those who have no relatives at that particular site are just being Americans. And as we. as Members of Congress. are sent to the podium to say thank you and to talk about the work we have done. the beautiful sunshine will shine on those faces. and we will feel that America is a country that really understands the love and affection for our soldiers and those who are on the battlefield. I want to thank the city of Jacinto City. which will be placing flags to honor our soldiers. And I want to thank the community of Heights. where I will go later and place flags at the World War II memorial and draw the community together. It is a day when we bond together as Americans because we are not of any party. of any region. of any political persuasion. We are simply Americans saying thank you to the soldiers. God bless you to America. For those who have fallen. we will never. never forget you. never any day of our lives.
Date: 2013-06-03
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I. along with fellow Members of the Texas and Harris County delegation. stand together to honor and recognize the sacrifice of four fallen firefighters who died last Friday. May 31. 2013. in the city of Houston serving in the line of duty. We offer our heartfelt sympathy to the families and fellow firefighters of those who died and those who were injured. We are united with the city of Houston in grief over the deaths of Captain EMT Matthew Renaud. Engineer Operator EMT Robert Bebee. Firefighter EMT Robert Garner. and Probationary Firefighter Anne Sullivan. who died last Friday while searching a blazing hotel and restaurant for possible trapped victims. In the 118year history of the Houston City Fire Department. this was the greatest loss of life of their members while on duty. Their heroism will not be soon forgotten nor their sacrifice dimmed by time. In the Firemens Creed. these words are heard loudly: But. above all. our proudest endeavor is to save lives of men. the work of God. Himself. We ask that our colleagues join us now in a moment of silence in their memory. Mr. Speaker. we wish all firefighters injured last Friday a speedy recovery. Mr. Speaker. I along with fellow members of the Harris County Delegation stand together to honor and recognize the sacrifice of four fallen Firefighters who died last Friday. May 31. 2013 in the City of Houston. Texas serving in the line of duty. We offer our heartfelt sympathy to the families and fellow firefighters of those who died. We are united with the City of Houston in grief over the deaths of Captain EMT Matthew Renaud. Engineer Operator EMT Robert Bebee. Firefighter EMT Robert Garner and Probationary Firefighter Anne Sullivan who died on Friday. while searching a blazing hotel and restaurant for possible trapped victims. In the 118 year history of the Houston City Fire Department this was the greatest loss of life of their members while on duty. Their heroism will not be soon forgotten nor their sacrifice dimmed by time.
Date: 2013-06-03
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to discuss the ongoing crisis of poverty in some of the most vulnerable communities in our country. In the United States. one out of every three African American children lives in poverty. which is three times higher than the rate of white American children living in poverty. Over 30 percent of African American children suffer from food insecuritymore than twice the rate of food insecurity among white children. At the same time. residents of predominantly black or Hispanic neighborhoods have access to about half as many social services as residents of predominantly white neighborhoods. These disparities are unacceptable. Every American deserves enough food to eat and an equal opportunity to get a quality education. a good job. and safe housing. Our Nations basic social safety net improves access to affordable housing. childhood education. and adequate nutrition. and serves as a lifeline for millions of Americans. Providing a helping hand to the nearly 50 million Americans who are living in poverty should be at the forefront of Congress priorities. Instead. we are still living with the sequester. which has delivered devastating cuts to many of our essential safety net programs. I call on my colleagues to prioritize our most vulnerable communities and replace the sequester with an agreement that protects vital safety net programs. In particular. the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. or SNAP. helps lowincome families across the country put food on the table. Of the 47 million Americans who rely on SNAP for access to nutritious food. nearly half are children. Even more strikingly. nearly half of all American children will receive SNAP benefits at some point in their lives. SNAP is one of our Nations most effective antipoverty programs. helping families get back on their feet while providing an economic stimulus to the local economy. We must not balance our budget on the backs of children and families struggling to make ends meet. With our economy still recovering. it is time to invest in Americans and in our Nations future. by supporting important programs like SNAP.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. today I rise to honor the Houston firefighters who lost their lives and were injured battling a deadly fivealarm blaze. Every year. our Houston Firefighters Pension Board holds a memorial service to honor all firefighters. but especially those who gave their lives in the service as firefighters. I have attended many of those services over the years. Last Friday. May 31. the deadliest fire in the 118year history of the Houston Fire Department broke out in southwest Houston. Unfortunately. four brave firefighters lost their lives performing their duties. Captain Matthew Renaud. Engineer Operator Robert Bebee. Firefighter Robert Garner. and Firefighter Anne Sullivan tragically fell during the fire. Many firefighters were injured. including Engineer Operator Anthony Livesay. EMT Robert Yarbrough. EMT Foster Santos. Engineer Operator and Paramedic Marcus Hernandez. and Captain William Dowling. These firefighters were injured and died trying to save people in a motel unit. Our hearts and our prayers go out to their families and friends. Being the grandson and nephew of a family of Houston firefighters. I understand the sacrifice their loved ones made. We shall never forget their heroic efforts to keep us safe.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I am a strong advocate for the First Amendment and for the freedom of the press. I believe that there is no question of the sanctity of that provision. even to the extent of being a strong supporter of the SHIELD Act so many years ago. and now joining my colleagues. Congressmen TED POE and JOHN CONYERS and others. on legislation to provide that armor. But I will not stand by while malicious and unsubstantiated attacks go against a very fine and outstanding public servant. and that is the Attorney General of the United States of America. Eric Holder. I was in the Judiciary Committee when he was asked a question about whether or not he had prosecuted or intended to prosecute anyone in the press. And his words were very clear: We have a long way to go to prosecute the press. Youve got to go a long way. With regard to the potential prosecution of the press for the disclosure of material. that is not something I have been involved in or heard of or would think would be wise to do. That is what Holder said in the hearing. Holder did not have anything to do with prosecuting anyone. and that particular affidavit or subpoena was in 2010. The Justice Department has not charged or prosecuted anybody in the press. Stop the malicious attacks on Eric Holder and the President of the United States of America. Enough is enough.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: NEGRETE MCLEOD (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you. Ranking Member MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker. today. I rise in support of H.R. 671. the Ruth Moore Act of 2013. This bill specifies military sexual trauma as a type of stressor for posttraumatic stress disorder. This is an important step forward in assuring that the VA gives full consideration for disability claims originating from sexual violence committed against military personnel while they serve our country. As a cosponsor of H.R. 671 and as a member of the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus. I believe we must support our veterans who may confront challenges upon returning to civilian life. This includes obtaining compensation for violence committed by a fellow servicemember.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

whos sitting here. doesnt want the sequester. and hes tried to offer amendments to obviate the sequester and hasnt been allowed to have those amendments on the floor. I tell my friend on the Rules Committee. And I congratulate him for his position. but he ought to allow the Van Hollen amendment so the House can. in fact. work its will. so that we can. in fact. have a process that will work.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

As I said. Mr. Speaker. I find it especially cynical that we would use a good bill to provide spending and support to our veterans as the vehicle to impose this scheme on the Congress which will have terrible. negative effects on other parts of the budget. Do you know that while this Congress was away. I dont know if people saw it. but down in Fort Bragg. the home of the 82nd Airborne. they just said that teachers who were going to teach the kids of our servicemen and -women are going to be furloughed for 5 days this fallfor 5 days this fall. So we want to replace the sequester. Lets go to conference and get it done. I urge my colleagues who said they want a transparent process to vote for our measure.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

My colleague. what I know are the facts. which is just today. as I said on the floor. the chairwoman of the Senate Budget Committee. for the llth time. said to Mr. RYAN. Lets go to conference so we can work out these differences in a public way. And she was blocked over here just like weve been blocked over here.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Im not questioning the integrity of the chairman of the Budget Committee. This is not just about process. As I indicated. you adopt this rule and youre essentially applying a 20 percent cut below sequester to the part of the budget that deals with our kids education and science and research. So this is way beyond process. So this is way beyond process.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I just want to know why youre afraid to go to conference. Why is that? Thats what this is about.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I just have a simple question. which is: How is it that we are going to get agreement from the House and the Senate in a conference committee if the Speaker of the House continues to refuse to go to conference? How are we going to get that agreement? The reason we dont have a conference committee budget report and you have to use this device is that there is no conference. and the reason there is no conference is that our Republican colleagues in the House refuse to appoint conferees. which is why we want to pass this amendment and let the Members vote on whether or not we go to conference.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the distinguished ranking member and distinguished chairman. and I know that they have worked collaboratively together on behalf of our veterans. so I rise in recognition of the important work that they have done and to compliment them for the work that involves fully funding the military construction and certainly something that rises every moment that Im amongst veterans. Just recently. as I was in a town hall meeting and had the Veterans Affairs Department represented. the question came up about benefits. I was glad that the initiative that has been offered. all of us embraced it. All of us have been fighting to stop this backlog and to move this backlog forward. And now we see the funding of this initiative. and it is most important. I am also glad that theres a focus on jobs for veterans. I will say that we need to do more. because when you talk to our veterans of various wars. particularly the Vietnam War. theres always the sense of lack of employment. along with those who come in from Iraq and Afghanistan. But I do want to raise the point of what we have deemed ourselves into. Weve deemed ourselves into a Ryan budget that causes a great deal of suffering: a cap of $967 billion versus the mark of $1.58 billion that would be more helpful that was produced by the consensus during the Budget Control Act. Basically. we are ignoring the suffering of the middle class. and were allowing the sequestration to run rampant over those who are in need. I can particularly say to you that teachers and schools in Texas are losing $67.8 million in education for children with disabilities. $51 million for 620 teachers. Head Start is going kaput with 4.800 children losing their seat. Military readiness is being challenged in Texas with 52.000 civilian Department of Defense employees furloughed. In law enforcement and public safety funds. Texas will lose $1.103 million. And then when we look at the United States. we go far and beyond that. Were looking at the fires in the West. the devastation of what happened in West. Texas. and the tornadoes. And we see. for the Coast Guard. theres a 25 percent reduction. This is a crisis.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

This is a crisis not only in the making. Madam Chair. but it is a crisis that is going forward. Whether were talking about the National Institutes of Health or the Centers for Disease Control. my main concern is that the middle class is suffering from the sequestration. The Ryan budget cannot be deemed the appropriations cap as we go through this process of appropriations. There is a desperate need of responding to the middle class. allowing for the continuation of job creation. making sure that we do not lose 125.000 in section 8 vouchers. rural rental assistance. or the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
Date: 2013-06-04
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. on Tuesday afternoon. June 4. 2013. I was required to return to my congressional district in Houston. Texas. in order to attend a memorial service for four members of the Houston Fire Department who lost their lives in the line of duty on Friday. May 31. 2013. This tragedy was the deadliest incident in terms of the numbers of firefighters lost in the history of the Houston Fire Department. As the senior Member of the Houston congressional delegation and a senior Member of the Committee on Homeland Security. attending the memorial service was directly related to my representational. legislative. and committee responsibilities. Because of this excused absence I was not present for rollcall votes 188 through 193. Had I been present I would have voted as follows: 1. On rollcall No. 188. I would have voted "no." Broun Amendment. which eliminates funding for an ongoing NATO headquarters project (a cut of $38.513.000) and applies the savings to the spending reduction account. 2. On rollcall No. 189. I would have voted "no." Amodei Amendment. which takes overtime funding from 41 VA regional offices and concentrates it in the 15 offices with the worst backlog. 3. On rollcall No. 190. I would have voted "aye." Moran Amendment. which language prohibiting the use of funds to construct. renovate or expand any facility in the United States to house any individual detained at United States Naval Station. Guantanamo Bay. Cuba. for the purposes of detention or imprisonment. 4. On rollcall No. 191. I would have voted "no." King (IA) Amendment. which prohibits the use of funds to implement. administer. or enforce the DavisBacon Act. which requires federal contractors to pay locally prevailing wages 5. On rollcall No. 192. I would have voted "aye." Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 2216. 6. On rollcall No. 193. I would have voted "aye." Final Passage of H.R. 2216. Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year
Date: 2013-06-05
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. today I was unavoidably detained and missed the following votes. I ask for unanimous consent to have the following inserted into the RECORD: 1. Moore Amendment to H.R. 2217Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Had I been present. I would have voted "yes" on this bill. 2. Polis/Chu/Cirdenas Amendment to H.R. 2217Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Had I been present. I would have voted "yes" on this bill. 3. Heck/Horsford Amendment to H.R. 2217Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Had I been present. I would have voted "no" on this bill. 4. Garcia Amendment to H.R. 2217Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Had I been present. I would have voted "yes" on this bill. 5. Deutch/Foster Amendment to H.R. 2217Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Had I been present. I would have voted "yes" on this bill.
Date: 2013-06-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Texas is recognized for 5 minutes.
Date: 2013-06-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Im not sure of the full intent of the gentlemans amendment. but I will say that Im concerned if we are going to deny funding to cities that have established rules that may be determined that they are sanctuary cities and. in fact. they are not. Many cities have a process in their own jurisdiction where law enforcement wants to ensure that. in the enforcement of their local laws. that all communities be considered engaged in the law enforcement process. I dont know whether the gentleman determines that that is a sanctuary city. where chiefs of police wish to hear from communities that are bilingual and. therefore. do not want to have a structure that intimidates them and. therefore. inhibits the prosecution of laws or inhibits the elimination of crime. So I would only make the argument that I know that the Association of Chiefs of Police have argued that it is important to ensure that immigrant communities feel free enough to communicate with their law enforcement officers. I dont know if that is the interpretation of the gentlemans sanctuary cities. I know that he is going under the law. But I certainly hope those cities will not be biased or discriminated against with respect to Federal funding on homeland security. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-06-05
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.