macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-17
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. today I rise in support of this important resolution. It has been almost a year now since our brave men and women in uniform liberated the Iraqi people from the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein. In doing so. our Armed Forces brought individual freedom to a people who have for decades only known persecution. Now they are proving just as impressive at rebuilding the country. Mr. Speaker. several of the previous speakers have said that the Bush administration falsely claimed that the threat posed by Iraq was imminent. The threat was not imminent. The administration made no such claim. The threat was it needed to be dealt with before the issue became imminent. Saddams regime continued to try to kill our American and British air crews patrolling the no fly zone. people like the gentleman from Illinois . who flew those missions as a naval reservist. The United States could not keep a potential invasion force on station near Iraq indefinitely. nor would we want our soldiers to have to fight at the height of the summer. With the ousting of Hussein from power. we have discovered the true horror and atrocities of this regime. As we look at the unearthed mass graves and reflect on the countless human rights abuses. how can we possibly question the legitimacy of this decision? The world is a safer place with the liberation of Iraq. particularly for the 25 million Iraqis who no longer have to live in fear of a brutal tyrant. We entered Iraq to free its people andplant the seeds of a democratic government. and that is precisely what we are doing. If a few years ago. one would have told someone. anyone. that in the year 2004 the Iraqi people would be creating a constitution founded on democratic principles. I daresay that no one. no one. would have objected. Consequently. that is just what our decision has done. I commend the diligence of our Armed Forces in the reconstruction effort. and I am pleased with the rapid progress that is being made. The road is certainly not an easy one. but Iremain confident in the ability of the Iraqi people. with the cooperation of the coalition. to rebuild their country and to create a secure and stable sovereign nation. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Date: 2004-03-17
Speaker: C UNNINGHAM (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I. on this side of the aisle. I am also saddened. I have the greatest respect for the gentleman from Pennsylvania . the gentleman from Missouri
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. todays report on the Social Security trust fund says that in 2018. current taxes will no longer pay for benefits. That means digging into our Federal Treasury. This is just another wakeup call. We ought to use it to provide momentum to reform and improve Social Security. The best way to do that is to increase the rate of return by creating personal accounts for young people. Let us be clear. Social Security will be there for current and near retirees. It is the younger generations who need the most help when it comes to saving for retirement. Personal accounts definitely represent the best option. An election year is the perfect time to showcase the differences between parties and ideas. Democrats want to demagogue and tax and spend their way to a Social Security solution. Republicans want to increase the rate of return through personal responsibility and conservative values. The choice is clear. It is my hope we can move forward next year on real reform when politics will not stifle the debate.
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 328 and urge my colleagues to do so as well. Throughout the course of American history. nearly 48 million men and women have dedicated their lives to. the defense of our land. our people and our principles as members of the Armed Forces. The strength of the United States is a direct result of their courageous. patriotic and dedicated service. Last year. I introduced this important resolution to recognize and honor both those who have served throughout our history and those serving around the world today. and to support the goals and objectives of National Military Appreciation Month. This resolution is a followon effort to Senate Resolution 33. introduced by Senator McCAIN in the 106th Congress and unanimously passed by the Senate on April 30. 1999. While we always appreciate the men and women of the military. it is fitting that we set aside time to do so publicly. National Military Appreciation Month seeks to coordinate and provide a framework to do so by capitalizing on the various observations throughout the month of May. including Loyalty Day. the National day of Prayer. Military Spouses Day. Victory in Europe Day. Armed Forces Day. and Memorial Day. Many groups are already supporting these efforts through various means. and they should be applauded. With passage of this resolution we call on federal. state and local entities. civic and fraternal organizations. places of worship. schools. businesses. the media and all Americans to commemorate and celebrate the men and women of our Armed Forces. It is exactly what a grateful nation should do. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this important resolution.
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Having worked with the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman NUssLE). I can tell you he is a very calm person. but a very effective person. and somebody who fights very hard for homeland security and also for education. I would like to speak about the opportunity that we have in this budget for the No Child Left Behind program. Before I got to Congress. this House voted on a bipartisan basis for the No Child Left Behind law because it creates testing and accountability measures intended to improve academic achievement of all of the Nations children. The law mandates testing similar to what we did in Florida for all of the students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and math. This first chart shows how. since No Child Left Behind began. how much more funding we have added. and this year we are adding over $1 billion to the No Child Left Behind Act. That bar is not on there. but in the 2005 budget. we will be adding additional funding for the No Child Left Behind Act by restructuring some funds within the existing Education Department. I am an educator and I teach college Let me tell my colleagues. I have had to apologize to so many students who came to me who could not write a complete sentence. who had very little ability to read a paragraph and understand exactly what that paragraph said. They got a piece of paper okay. they got a diploma. But that diploma whs virtually useless. Many States have remedial reading programs that students who enter into community college need in order just to keep up with community college level work. which means that we have been giving students a diploma. they have this piece of paper. and they really believe they graduated and that they have a high school diploma. Well. guess what. folks? It was a bogus diploma until we actually had accountability. until we said. you are going to be tested in these grades. and that is one of the reasons why the chairman and the members of the committee fought to add an additional $1 billion to No Child Left Behind. Mr. Chairman. there are those who argue that even with this additional $1 billion in funding that that is insufficient. yet the Secretary of Education recently cited the results of a study that found that schools are. in fact. currently receiving sufficient Federal funds under the No Child Left Behind Act to successfully implement the law. including its testing and accountability requirements. Are some people afraid that we actually are having testing and accountability? This law is a very good law. it needs to be funded. The Secretary of Education is saying that this is adequate as well as many of the States. State education departments that I have been in touch with.
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia for notdrelling. The *chairman of the Committee on the Budget asked a few minutes ago why our Democratic colleagues keep yelling. and I think they hope that all their yelling will drown out how wrong they are on the facts. But let us talk about what those facts actually are. This Republican budget is a fiscally responsible budget. It has no tax increases over the next 5 years. It makes the current tax cuts permanent on the American working people. and it cuts the deficit in half over the next 4 years. But what we hear from the Democrat side is doubletalk. talking from both sides of their mouths. And sometimes you even hear talking from both sides of the mouth from the same individual on the same issue. Let me give you some examples of that. The very talented Democratic whip. the gentlerhan from Maryland said. "The Republicans are spending like theres no tomorrow." But then he also. same person. mind you. again. the distinguished. talented Democratic whip then says as a reaction to the gentleman from Iowas alternative proposal to cut 1 percent in waste. fraud and abuse. he says. again. I repeat. cutting 1 percent of waste. fraud and abuse would be "senseless and irresponsible." Same human being. same issue. Let us look at what the Democrats have proposed. and I think it is important. the facts. Again. that is why I am not screaming. because we have the facts on our side of the issue. Last year Democrats proposed alternatives to major pieces of legislation that would have added almost a trillion dollars to the deficit. and yet America just heard the other side. the Democrats complaining about too much spending in some areas. But they propose almost a trillion dollars to the deficit. increase to the deficit. They then this year. now the facts are that in the Committee on the Budget they proposed increased spending. These are actual amendments. these are facts. Look it up. it is easy to find. increased spending of $28.6 billion in just fiscal year 2005. And here is the kicker: They proposed raising taxes on the hardworking American people by $28.9 billion. That is more than half the entire budget of the State of Florida. That is this year in committee alone. and yet then they say that we are spending too much money or the deficit is too large. That is why they scream. because the facts are what they are trying to drown out. Democrats amendments would have increased spending by almost $36 billion and increased taxes by $53.6 billion over the next 5 years. These are the facts that when you cut through all the loud yelling and screaming of the Democrats. good rhetoric. the facts are. the bottom line is. that they are tryang to increase taxes massively on tre.American people. They .are drastically trying to increase the taxes on every single American person in this country. hardworking people. The budget that we have in front of us has tax cuts. does not increase taxes. makes them permanent. Those are the facts.
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. I had a point to make. but I just heard the distinguished gentleman right now complain about the size of the debt. and this is what I was saying a little while ago. Just last week he voted. along with his colleagues. to increase the debt that he is complaining about by billions and billions and billions of dollars. Hey. which one is it? They cannot have it both ways. Mr. Chairman. what I wanted to bring up was that we just heard a little while ago a Member from the Democratic Party talk about. I guess my colleagues pretty much heard on the floor. he agreed that the Alternative Minimum Tax increase the Democrats gave us years ago was a mistake because they said it was a tax on the rich. Now we know that it is not. and yet they continue to do the same thing. They complain. They are saying that they only want to raise taxes on the rich. Let me give my colleagues an idea. The facts are that they want to raise taxes on 52.000 farms. Those are not rich. 230.000 partnerships under S Corporations. which are small businesses. by the way. the job creators in this country. those are not the rich. Seven hundred thirteen thousand who pay selfemployment tax and then from that they pay salaries because they have the business. they are sole proprietors of their business. Just like they were wrong when they said the Alternative Minimum Tax was for the rich. now when they say that they only want to increase taxes on the rich. It is not true. They once again want to increase taxes on every single living American.
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: MARIO DIAZ7BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. there is a huge difference. It is true that we are in control. but the difference is that when the Republicans bring up ways to cut waste. fraud and abuse. leaders of your party say that that is irresponsible. I mentioned that quote a little while ago. The difference is that when we see waste. fraud and abuse. we try eliminate it. we try to cut it. That is what this budget does. The difference is that when you see waste. fraud and abuse. you want to stack on top. you want to pile on. and you want to increase taxes on every single hardworking American. That is the difference.
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. absolutely. When you look at the Senate budget and you look at the potential that they have there for an offset. an unknown offset. I do not know what that is. I cannot go home and tell my veterans that in the Senate budget that offset would not increase fees. because I do not know. when that is a budgetary process that they have in the other body which makes it appear. I believe. as if they have more funding. We do not have that required offset in our budget in the House. and I commend the gentleman for the transparency of the budget. In both the Senate and the House budget. we removed the Presidents proposal to establish a $250 user fee for Priority levels 7 and 8 veterans. or to increase prescription drug plans. That language is included in there. and that is a commitment we made. I have. as we used to say in New York. now I am from Florida. "agada" over the unknown. I wanted to make sure that the figures that are being portrayed in the Senate as being higher is not a process where they could actually be perhaps in the future including some fees in there. which would be totally unacceptable to us.
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. obviously Secretary Principi has in a Committee on the Budget hearing that I questioned him extensively on. said this is what he needs to meet the needs of every veteran seeking services. and this should be the number that we honor. Ours is a clear $1.2 billion. without some offsets. which I am still trying to pursue. definitions of "those offsets."
Date: 2004-03-24
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I wanted to take a moment to report on the progress of women in Iraq. I am the vicechair of the Congressional Womens Caucus. and it gives me great pleasure to tell about the progress that we have made. Iraqi women greeted the capture of Saddam Hussein on December 13 with joyful relief. As one woman reported from an Iraqi womens conference taking place in Jordan. Almost all broke into tears and sobs that the man who had managed to reach into every individuals personal life and rip it apart by killing their husbands. sons. and fathers. and raping and maiming their daughters. their mothers. and very often themselves. was brought to justice. The United States is working with women in Iraq on programs that will broaden their political and economic opportunities and increase womens and young girls access to education and health care. In early 2003. the United States Goveminent committed approximately $2.5 billion in humanitarian and reconstruction aid to Iraq. and women were and still are full partners in this process. However. womens involvement in politics in Iraq actually is nothing new. Women have a long history of being involved in their countrys development. Prior to the Baathist regime. Iraqi women were the vanguard of women in Islam. I would note that the first womans organization in Iraq was actually formed in 1924. The signing of an Iraqi interim Constitution on March 8 marks the beginning of a new role for women in the country. The Coalition Provisional Authority. or CPA. and the Iraqi Governing Council agreed to a process to restore Iraqis sovereignty beginning with a fundamental law leading to a permanent Constitution. They agreed that a Bill of Rights would ensure equal rights for all Iraqis. regardless of gender. sect. or ethnicity. Let us talk about the womens role in the new government. Three Iraqi women who are members of the new Governing Council are fully engaged in promoting the involvement of women in Iraqs future. An esteemed former female Iraqi judge in the Ministry of Justice is undertaking a review of all laws. legal practices. and the legal profession in Iraq for ways to increase equality and participation of women. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has adopted a policy of equal access to services and benefits for all of those who are eligible. And this policy will ultimately expand services as well for a larger quantity of Iraqi women. Quotas restricting the entry of women into certain university courses have been raised or lifted altogether. Iraqi womens organizations are being created to expand opportunity for women to improve their lives and those of their families. Let me talk more specifically about what kinds of activities are taking place and what kind of progress is actually being made. After the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Iraqi women were among the first demonstrators and have steadfastly sought equal rights. On a very brief trip that I took to Iraq. I spoke to many women and they are indeed very. very happy with American action.
Date: 2004-03-29
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise this evening be.cause many of my elderly constituents in Florida have been misled about the new Medicare law. They have been misinformed because of the distortions spread by some of the liberal special interest groups and. quite honestly. some bitter Democrat politicians. These insincere groups have even tried to smear the AARP. an organization that seniors have trusted for over 45 years. They have tried to discredit AARP along with 300 other health care organizations. AARP supports the health care law that Democrats quite honestly wish that they could take credit for. Unlike what appears on TV. the biggest supporters of this bill are not the pharmaceutical companies. They are patients rights groups. senior advocacy groups. nurses and other health care professionals who have made quality health care and services their priority. Mr. Speaker. I ask. are 300 nonpartisan organizations interested only in health care all wrong. while a handful of politically motivated Democrat Interest groups are right? The answer is absolutely not.
Date: 2004-03-30
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. when .a woman is attacked and her child is killed. there is presently no penalty for the death of the child. Until now. Just last week. the Senate passed the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. also known as Laci and Conners Law. It is on its way to the Presidents desk. Laci and Conners Law declares that in an assault on a pregnant woman when a child is injured or killed. there are two victims. It makes the killing of an unborn child a prosecutable offense while specifically exempting abortions that are currently protected under Roe v. Wade. The overwhelming majority. 80 percent of Americans. support the idea this law represents. They believe there are two victims. and they are right. Criminals are getting away with killing children. in many cases just days before delivery. This new law will put America back on record as valuing the lives of its children. I want to again thank President Bush for his unwavering leadership on protecting and educating all of Americas children.
Date: 2004-03-31
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. only in America is a penny saved a penny taxed. Perhaps that is why we have singledigit savings rates in this country. That is just wrong. To get America back on the road to savings. today Senator CRAIG THOMAS of Wyoming and I will introduce legislation to create lifetime savings accounts. In a lifetime savings account. people could save up to $5.000 a year free from tax on interest earned. Money could be spent for any reason. with no minimum holding period. One could spend this money for a new transmission. school. kids braces. home improvements. rainy day. or any of their needs. wants. and dreams. You name it. The point Is. people will not be taxed for saving. I am honored to say that Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Bodman will join us at the press conference to share the administrations support of this new proposal. We will be working as a team to help get America saving again. taxfree.
Date: 2004-03-31
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. pursuant to House Resolution 585. I call up the resolution (H. Res. 581) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding rates of compensation for civilian employees and members of the uniformed services of the United States. and ask for its immediate consideration.
Date: 2004-03-31
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to control 20 minutes. the gentleman from Illinois would control 20 minutes. and the gentleman from Oklahoma would control 20 minutes.
Date: 2004-03-31
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 and to include extraneous material on the resolution now under consideration.
Date: 2004-03-31
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the issue today is of the utmost importance to our Federal employees. the Federal Government. and the American taxpayer. The Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act. FEPCA. *of 1990. Public Law 101509. sought to help achieve comparability through annual pay adjustments based upon the change in private sector wages and salaries. Despite our efforts. the Bureau of Labor Statistics currently estimates a 32 percent pay gap and a 10 percent gap between the military and the private sector. In order to deliver what was promised. the Federal Salary Council recommends a 25 percent locality pay for 2005. There is clearly much work to do to fulfill the intent of Congress. and the resolution here before us is a step in that direction. Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia . my colleague and coauthor of this resolution. along with the gentleman from Maryland and myself.
Date: 2004-03-31
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I include in the RECORD a letter addressed to me from Steven Strobridge. who is a colonel. U.S. Air Force. retired. and director of Government Relations for the Military Officers Association of America. supporting this.