macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-11-16
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1714) congratulating the engineers. scientists. psychologists. and staff of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for helping to successfully rescue 33 trapped Chilean miners from a collapsed mine near Copiapo. Chile.
Date: 2010-11-16
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 1714. the resolution now under consideration.
Date: 2010-11-16
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to urge my colleagues to support this resolution now under consideration. While we often think of NASAs inspiring achievements in launching humans into space. assem bling and operating the international space station. and deploying probes that deliver stunning images of the Earth. our Sun. planetary systems. and the universe. NASAs role in assisting the Chilean Government in the successful rescue of 33 miners trapped underground in northern Chile shows us a different side of NASAs greatness. It shows us the contributions of NASAs skills and technologies to benefiting people back here on Earthwhether here in the United States or around the world. Based on NASAs extensive experience in working with extreme isolation. analog missions. undersea environments. and spaceflight. the Chilean Government sought guidance from NASA in addressing this task of rescuing 33 miners trapped over 2.000 feet undergroundparticularly on the nutritional and behavioral health of the trapped miners. which was extremely challenging. A team of NASA personnel from the Johnson Space Center in Texas and the Langley Research Center was assembled. including two medical doctors. a psychologist. and an engineer. who traveled to Chile to support the Chilean Governments rescue efforts. The NASA team worked diligently and tirelessly to provide input and information that could help preserve the health and wellbeing of the 33 trapped miners during and after their confinement as well as aid in their rescue. Mr. Speaker. when called to help the Chilean Government. the NASA team responded with unwavering excellence and commitment. This enthusiasm is characteristic of the NASA workforce at the Johnson Center and at each of the other centers. The support of NASA and its team to the Government of Chile and the successful rescue of the 33 trapped miners is just the latest example of NASAs accomplishments in applying space technology. scientific knowledge. and operational and other skills to enrich the lives of Americans and people across the world. Those accomplishments include the use of NASAdeveloped research and rescue technologies to identify distressed ships and sailors at sea. the use of NASA air and spacebased imagery to provide details on the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. and the application of software developed to process Earth science imagery to the diagnostic interpretation of medical imagery. The United States investment in our space program and its workforce has farreaching benefits for our economy. our national security. our international relations. and our humanity at large. NASAs contribution to the Chilean Governments rescue operation demonstrates the importance of ensuring a robust future for NASA as a multimission agency. NASA continues to provide the United States strong leadership in science. aeronautics. human spaceflight. and exploration. and that preserves and nurtures the worldclass talent.
Date: 2010-11-17
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. with the excitement of this years FIFA World Cup competition in South Africa and the achievements of the U.S. Mens National Team still fresh in our minds. I rise to support efforts to bring the worlds most popular sporting eventthe FIFA World Cup competitionback to our country. In 1994. our nation hosted the FIFA World Cup tournament. That tournament still holds the record for the highest attendance in history. with an overall attendance of 3.6 million. It also spurred the development and popularity of soccer in this country. leading to the creation of Major League Soccer. the United States national first division professional soccer league. Building upon this countrys enormous success in hosting the FIFA World Cup in 1994. the US Soccer Federationthrough the USA Bid Committeehas submitted a very strong bid to host the 2022 competition. Bringing the FIFA World Cup tournament back to the United States will both contribute to the further growth of soccer in America and stimulate the economies of dozens of cities and states that hope to serve as hosts to national teams and spectators from around the world. Eighteen communities across the country. including Washington. DC. and Baltimore. MD. are working with the USA Bid Committee to serve as potential hosts for the games during the monthlong competition. I want to thank Chairman BERMAN and Ranking Member ROSLEHTINEN as well as my fellow cochairs of the Congressional Soccer CaucusGEORGE MILLER. DAVE REICHERT. and MARY BONO MACKfor their support of this important resolution. Mr. Speaker. the United States faces formidable competition in hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament from several countries in Asia and Australia. but with Congressional encouragement and support for USA Bid Committees effort in advance of FIFAs decision on December 2nd. it would send an important message to FIFA at this critical time. I urge my colleagues to support this timely resolution.
Date: 2010-11-17
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the distinguished gentleman of the Ways and Means Committee. and I thank the Ways and Means Committee for the very fine leadership that it has exhibited. particularly tonight. by bringing to the floor legislation sponsored by a very good friend. Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker. I chair the Congressional Childrens Caucus. and I really wanted to rise and speak from the heart. for Mr. MCDERMOTT shared with us. as the minority manager as well. some of the pain that goes with children who need to be adopted. Some years ago. I chaired the Foster Parent Task Force for Harris County. and I had the privilege of chairing it with one of our former colleagues. Congressman Mike Andrews. We chaired that task force to recruit. to restore. to rejuvenate foster parents. and to encourage them in their parenting and in their loving of foster children. In the course of that task. I learned of aging outchildren who were in the foster care system and not adopted. Therefore. at the end of the foster care timeframe. they were aged out without any parental jurisdiction. love. affection. or nurturing. I met many of those children on the streets of Houston. I imagine. if I were to travel from the east coast to the west coast. I would meet children like that. children of America who deserve better lives. So I rise to support this legislation. I applaud Mr. OBERSTAR. the Ways and Means Committee. Mr. MCDERMOTT. and of course the staff who saw fit to acknowledge that this is National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month. because. if there is anything precious in our sightsand for those whose faiths point them to a higher authorityit is that about children. Adoption is an honorable and welcomed next step for a child in foster care. a child who is abused and possibly. if you will. unloved. I ask my colleagues to support this enthusiastically because we need to end the pain in the eyes of the children and in their hearts by allowing them and hoping for them to be adopted.
Date: 2010-11-17
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of S. 3774. which would extend the deadline for Social Services Block Grant expenditures of supplemental funds appropriated following disasters occurring in The FY2009 Supplemental Appropriation included funding for disasters that occurred in 2008. This included $600 million in Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funding eligible to be used for a wide variety of social services to assist in disaster recovery. In the wake of Hurricane Ike. a total of 734.000 Texans had registered with FEMA for individual assistance and 17.000 homes in Harris County were destroyed. Due to the magnitude of Ike. the State of Texas received $219 million in recovery funds under the Social Services Block Grant program from the Department of Health and Human Services. Under federal law. these SSBG funds must be spent by September 30. 2010. Any money not spent by that time must be returned to the federal Treasury. Texas currently has $44 million in funding that will revert back to the federal government. Many entities and local governments in Texas have expressed difficulty in meeting the September 30. 2010 deadline and are requesting a one year extension to September 30. 2011. Although there have been significant successes through the recovery process. significant needs remain. In the Greater Houston area. more than 2.500 families in case management still cite needs in the area of home repair and/or unmet needs. It is important to note that Texas is not the only state that would lose access to these funds16 other states have remaining funds and an extension would assist those states as well. A similar extension was granted by Congress for Hurricane Katrina SSBG disaster recovery funds. It is also important to note that this bill involves no new spending. The SSBG grant funds were released and dispersed to the states over a year ago. This bill will only give those who need it. extra time to expend these needed funds as they continue to recover from Hurricane Ike. Senator CORNYNs legislation. S. 3774. passed out of the Senate on a unanimous consent. It would extend the deadline for Social Services Block Grant expenditures of supplemental funds appropriated following disasters occurring in 2008 for one year from September 30. 2010 to September 30. 2011. Before the House recessed on September 29 we tried to bring up this legislation. but it came over from the Senate very late and we were unable to come to an agreement to bring up the legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to allow the states impacted by disasters that occurred in 2008.
Date: 2010-11-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I have a series of Thanksgiving wishes. wishes that many in this country will provide the opportunity to extend unemployment benefits. but because of the stalling and the delay of those opposition kings and queens. we may not extend unemployment benefits so that many of the vulnerable in this country will have an opportunity to be thankful and to sit with their families and be able to celebrate. These are hardworking Americans who have given their best to this country. How dare we not provide an extension of unemployment benefits? We must do it now. I heard this morning someone indicate. what are we doing for small businesses? I dont know why our information does not translate to all of you hardworking small businesses. But we have given you in this Congress with this Democratic majority 16 tax cuts that you will be able to utilize and $30 billion right now in the banks of America for you to access credit because we believe in you. You are the job creator. Then my wishes for the City Wide Clubs in Houston. Texas. to be able to feed the 25.000 that are needing to be fed in Houston this Thanksgiving. They need help and they need to have resources.
Date: 2010-11-18
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. as a representative of a district with a large number of Federal employees. I rise in strong support of H.R. 1722. The Telework Improvements Act. I want to thank Chairmen TOWNS and LYNCH and Representative SARBANES for their leadership in crafting this important bipartisan bill. The Telework Improvements Act makes administrative. fiscal and environmental sense. If passed. the measure will save money for the American taxpayers. make government operations more efficient. and put the Federal Government on equal footing with many private sector employers and State governments which allow their employees to perform many of their duties and responsibilities from home or at another work site. Passing this bill will help attract more workers to government service. There is an effort under way to encourage more young people to work for the Federal Government to offset the growing number of older employees who are retiring. Offering prospective employees the option to telework increases the possibility that those employees with families will join the Federal workforce. Passing this bill is smart fiscal policy. According to the Office of Personnel Management. during the blizzard that hit Washington. DC last winter. the government lost tens of millions of dollars worth of productivity for each day it remained closed. This number might have been far larger had some Federal workers not had the opportunity to work from home. The bill will also reduce costs for taxpayers by lowering absenteeism. Passing this bill makes environmental sense. Increasing teleworking opportunities for employees of the countrys largest employer means fewer cars on the roads and lower carbon emissions. According to the Telework Exchange. if 20 percent of Americans teleworked. we could eliminate 67 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually and reduce Persian Gulf oil imports by 40 percent. Madam Speaker. passing The Telework Improvements Act will save money for the taxpayer. help ease pressure on the environment and make the government run more efficiently. The bill is also PAYGO compliant. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill and I urge its immediate passage.
Date: 2010-11-18
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of this important legislation to extend unemployment benefits through February 2011. We must continue to help families who are struggling to make ends meet. While we are continuing to see encouraging signs of economic recovery. the unemployment rate remains too high. If we do not extend emergency unemployment benefits. approximately two million Americansincluding 14.600 Marylanderswill lose those benefits by the end of February. Many Americans remain out of work through no fault of their own. Ending emergency unemployment assistance will not only be devastating for these individuals and their families. but it will also hurt the economy as a whole by undermining consumer confidence and demand. If individuals are unable to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. the entire economy could slip back into recession. In fact. the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office recently found that because unemployment benefits increase consumer demand and spending. previous extensions of unemployment insurance benefits increased both employment and job retention more than what it would have been otherwise in 2009. The President and Congress have been working together to bring our economy back from the brink. However. there is much more work to do to create jobs and help put Americans back to work. Madam Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this muchneeded legislation.
Date: 2010-11-18
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Madam Speaker. I strongly support the extension of unemployment compensation. Indeed. there is no issue more important to our Nation right now than job creation. At a time when over 11 percent of Florida residents are desperately searching for employment and struggling to survive. it is simply mind blowing that we are not extending these benefits. Never before has America turned its back on millions of American families as they struggled to make ends meet with this high level of unemployment. Yet the same Republicans. who want to increase our deficit by extending massive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. were willing to leave average Americans to fend for themselves and vote against this bill. Certainly. extending unemployment benefits is not only good for the unemployed. it is also one of the best and fastest ways to stimulate the economy. According to the Economic Policy Institute. unemployment benefits were responsible for creating more than 1 million jobs since the recession started. and adding almost 2 percent to the gross domestic product.
Date: 2010-11-18
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Madam Speaker. during debate on H.R. 1722. H.R. 6419 and S. 3774. I was unavoidably detained. and unable to make the votes. Had I been present. I would have voted the following: rollcall No. 578. "yes". rollcall 579. "yes". rollcall 580. "yes."
Date: 2010-11-29
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I thank Mr. PALLONE for his constant leadership on health care matters. and the Energy Committee and its full complement of members. as well as Mr. STARK for his continued strength on the issues of providing fairness and balance in the health care system of America. To the managers. my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. I appreciate the recognition that we have a bipartisan crisis and that we all have to address the pending concern of a potential cut as we move forward into 2011. But during the Thanksgiving holiday as I was in my district. I saw a table of doctors in a restaurant who felt compelled to come and ask me to support what is called the doctor fix. the Medicare fix. I had to assure them that Members of Congress were equally concerned about the providers of health care. the implementers of good health for America having to face this kind of dastardly crisis. In the State of Texas it is crucial. a State that has the highest number of uninsured and a rising number of impoverished who do not have access to health care. this kind of disaster would be more than a hurricane. And so I rise today to support this legislation to acknowledge the fact that doctors and Medicare go together and they equal good health for our constituents. Seniors have to go to doctors and expect good health care. Doctors are in fact those who take the oath to ensure that they care for the sick and the feeble. The Houston Chronicle reported that more than 300 Texas doctors have dropped the Medicare program in the last 2 years. 50 in the first 3 months of 2010. because of this crisis. Many people think of doctors as rich and able. but many of our doctors are in rural areas and inner city areas and their goal is to serve patients who are in need. many without any other means other than Medicare and Medicaid. According to Dr. Susan Bailey. president of the Texas Medical Association. the Medicare system has to be fixed and action must be taken to ensure that Medicare payments to physicians are not drastically cut. It is a shame to say. doctors have overhead. they have offices. they have nurses. they have equipment that they have to pay for. and that is part of good health care. And so I think it is important that we look at this legislation as it comes to us. and that the final physician rule. the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. modify the MPPR policy to apply a 25 percent reduction rather than the proposed 50 percent reduction to physician Medicare payments. However. I think the reduction in itself is an oxymoron because the question is what are the needs of the patients and how can the doctors care for them and how do we ensure that doctors and Medicare work together to make sure that good health is promoted across America.
Date: 2010-11-29
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise in support of legislation that would avert a 23 percent payment cut for Medicare physicians and continue to provide them with a 2.2 percent update through December 31. 2010. While I would like to see a permanent. longterm solution to the flawed Medicare physician payment formula. this stopgap legislation is necessary so that Medicare beneficiaries can continue to see their doctor of choice and have access to the care they need. However. a longterm solution to this problem is needed to provide stability for physicians who provide services under Medicare so that their practices can adequately plan for the expenses they incur for treating Medicare beneficiaries. In fact. the House passed legislation this Congress that would have permanently fixed the Medicare physician payment formula. Unfortunately. it was blocked in the Senate. Madam Speaker. I hope our Republican colleagues will join us in finding a longterm solution to this problem. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Date: 2010-11-29
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

(during the Special Order of Mr. CARTER). from the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. submitted a privileged report (Rept. No. 111661) on the resolution (H. Res. 1737) in the matter of Representative CHARLES B. RANGEL of New York. which was referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.