macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-03-17
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I respect my President. our President. I thank the previous speaker for his service. I thank all of the United States military. at home and abroad. for their brave and courageous service. I beg to differ. The Constitution indicates that the Congress can declare war. which has not been so declared. I would make the argument that we have shed our blood in Afghanistan. and my hat is off to those families who have lost their loved ones. and certainly those who fight on the front lines today. I believe it is important for Congress to be engaged in this effort because this is the peoples House. A few months ago. a year ago. I may not have supported this move. But here we are again. facing the same obstacles. This amendment or resolution says within 30 days. but up to December 31. if necessary. It is time now to push the Kabul government to be able to negotiate and engage. It is time to use smart power. It is time to let girls go to school. let leaders lead. and for our combat troops and others to come home. It is time to recognize that our resources are needed around the world. Libya is in need. But it is time for us to end with Afghanistan and to push them to be a sovereign nation. and to work with them on diplomacy and to be able to save lives. I support this resolution. I wish that it would pass now.
Date: 2011-03-17
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise to support H. Con. Res. 28. a resolution requiring the removal of all United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan. I believe it is time to bring the United States Militarys involvement in Afghanistan to a close. Since the beginning of the Afghanistan War. the United States and Coalition Forces have lost 2.347 service men and women. Tens of thousands have suffered from other disabilities or psychological harm. With thousands of Texas Guardsmen currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I will never forget their bravery in fighting for the freedoms. liberties. aid human dignity of the Afghanistan people. Our nations economic and national security interests are not served by a policy of an openended war in Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker. our soldiers have fought for us. now its time for us to fight for them. I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution and help bring our soldiers home.
Date: 2011-03-17
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 1076. a bill to Prohibit Federal funding of National Public Radio and the use of Federal funds to acquire radio content. NPR is a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization that provides independent and nonpartisan news and education to approximately 27 million Americans each week. This is a politically motivated bill that would hurt over 900 local radio stations across America that rely on NPR for fact based news content and the millions of Americans who listen to NPR for their daily news. NPR enjoys very strong support from the American public as nearly 70 percent voiced their opposition to eliminating funding for public broadcasting according to recent polling. Constituents in my home of Dallas. Texas have contacted my office by the hundreds. making phone calls. sending emails and faxes to express how important NPR is to them. This bill will do nothing to create jobs or improve our economy. In fact. the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has stated that this bill would produce zero savings to the taxpayer. and do nothing to reduce the deficit. Families with low incomes. families living in rural areas. and minorities would be especially hurt by this legislation. Smaller radio stations in rural America rely on NPR more than large cities for radio content so they would be more greatly impaired by the bills prohibition against using federal funding to local radio stations to pay for any content from any source. depriving them of hours of programming every day. At a time when our national news is driven more and more by commercial interests and obsession with viewing ratings. its more important than ever for Americans to have an objective and unbiased source of news and national commentary that is based on facts and reporting. I also object to the process that the Republican Leadership has brought this bill under consideration today. The Republican Leadership have reversed themselves on their own promise to for every bill to undergo 72 hours of review. The American people have not heard a single hearing on this bill nor have they heard a single minute of testimony from any expert witness on the merits of this bill. Not only was this bill rushed to floor of the House without sufficient review and scrutiny by the public. but the Republican Leadership has brought this bill to the floor that prohibits any opportunity for any other Representative in this House to offer a single amendment to improve it. This is not the way to run the peoples House. This legislation is pure political posturing and is distraction from what we should be doing today. which is working to create jobs and improve our economy. I urge all of my colleagues to stand with me today in voting "no" on this bill.
Date: 2011-03-17
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise to urge my colleagues to vote to against H.R. 1076 which would prohibit federal funding for NPR and the use of federal funds to acquire radio content. Todays Republican attempts to defund NPR will affect stations all across the country. In my district alone. KTSU and KPFT will have to cope with the aftermath of the Republican proposal. These two stations serve predominately poor. minority populations in my district. and the House Republicans are attempting to eliminate their opportunity to provide National Public Radio to their listeners. If this bill were to become law. radio stations in my district would no longer qualify to receive over $743.000 in Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants. and prohibiting the use of these funds to purchase popular NPR programming will make it difficult for stations to attract local listeners and raise funds for the production of local content and station operations. Hundreds of stations rely on public broadcasting funding as a major source of funding. especially rural and minority stations. Some people in my district exclusively listen to these stations. These two stations in Houston and hundreds across the country do not have the money to compete with big corporate stations. and they cannot compete with conservative talk shows because they do not spew out biased. partisan. uncomplimentary. critical messages. They are just reporting the news and bringing it from all over the world. Further. I think it is shameless that once again the Republicans have violated their so called promises of transparent government by refusing to allow this bill to go through normal committee processes. There have been no hearings or expert testimony for Members to review. There has only been politically charged rhetoric and lies about the impact of public radio.
Date: 2011-03-17
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to voice my strong opposition to HR 1076. a bill to eliminate federal funding for NPR and prohibit local public radio stations from using federal funds to acquire programming content. Mr. Speaker. National Public Radio provides 27 million Americans with access to highquality. noncommercial programming every week. In many cases. NPRs network of 900 local public radio stations is the only way Americans can access this kind of news and information. For that reason. public opinion polls routinely show large majorities of American in support of federal funding for NPRand that breadth of support is consistently strong across the political spectrum. So what are we doing here today? Creating jobs? Exactly the opposite. Enactment of this bill would endanger 9000 jobs at local public radio stations in communities across the country. Reducing the deficit? Hardly. CBO says this bill produces no savings. Honoring the majoritys commitment to 72 hours notice and transparent governance? Mr. Speaker. this bill was introduced on Tuesday and is now being rushed to the floor 48 hours later without a single hearing. Mr. Speaker. this is not the peoples business. and it is no way to run this House. It wont create a single job. It doesnt reduce the deficit. The American people havent asked for it. and they dont want it. I urge a "no" vote.
Date: 2011-03-29
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chair. todays bill represents the fourth piece of legislation we have considered in as many weeks to withdraw assistance from struggling homeowners. worsen the foreclosure crisis and further weaken the middle class. Specifically. H.R. 839 proposes to terminate the Home Affordable Modification Program. or HAMP. HAMP is a voluntary program with strict and sensible guidelines that has already provided permanent loan modifications to 600.000 American households. including over 17.000 in my home state of Marylandand is expected to help another 30.000 Americans stay in their homes every month through the end of next year. Furthermore. HAMPs standards have now been largely adopted and standardized across the mortgage industry. thereby benefiting millions of additional homeowners outside the program itself. HAMP is not a silver bullet. and it will not help everyone. For example. it is not available for mortgages over $729.750. for second homes. for investment properties or for vacant houses. Additionally. HAMP is not for homeowners who can afford to pay their mortgages without government assistanceor for homeowners who could not afford to pay their mortgages even with government assistance. But for the estimated 1.4 million Americans who are eligible for the program. HAMP is a lifeline that can make all the difference. Mr. Chair. as we struggle to pull ourselves out of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. it makes little sense to terminate a targeted and effective foreclosure prevention program like HAMP when so many of our fellow Americans still face completely avoidable foreclosure. I urge a no vote.
Date: 2011-03-29
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Add at the end the following new section:
Date: 2011-03-30
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. Members: Ignoring the facts. the experts. political reality. and the best interests of the American people. the Republican leadership continues to embrace a spending plan already rejected by the Senate that would destroy 700.000 jobs and derail the economic recovery. The Republican spending plan is a doctrine of misplaced priorities. They want to lay off teachers. cut Pell Grants. slash programs for homeless veterans. and reduce Head Start. among other shortsighted and harmful cuts. Incomes and consumer spending increased in February. helping to expand the Nations economy. First time jobless claims decreased by 5.000 a week. The total number of people receiving benefits fell to the lowest level in 3 years. due. in part. to increased hiring. The February jobs report shows a gain of 192.000 jobs. a significant employment increase that marks the 12th straight month of private sector growth and a drop in the unemployment rate to 8.9 percent. the lowest level in almost 2 years. Lets dont hurt our fragile recovery by the Republican majority shutting down the government.
Date: 2011-03-30
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I ask the American people to wake up from the malaise of this debate about the deficit and raising the debt ceiling. You have lost your way. Let me just ask you to raise your voices against the issue of a broken government and the potential of a shutdown on the question of. what do you want for your children. As we go back to our districts and our school districts and our States. parents are standing in lines at school board meetings crying about 60seat classrooms and teachers being laid off. Dont you understand that it starts right here in Washington? You need to be speaking to our friends on the other side of the aisle. It is time to invest and grow the economy. It is time to recognize that consumer spending has increased. that jobs have been created. and that it is important to invest in this economy. If you dont get in the way and get in the mix. I can tell you that the rise that we have of 192.000 jobs being created. the unemployment going down. economists saying we should invest now. you are going to lose it. tied up with those who have views that are only selfcentered. our friends that are in the tea party. It is time for people to put education first and realize that if you let us fall on the spear here in Washington on the grounds of mislabeled politics and not worry about your children. you are going to lose. Wake up. America. It is time to get in the fight. Fight for your children. Invest and grow the economy now.
Date: 2011-03-30
Speaker: HOLMES NORTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

who speaks for them but tragically does not have the right to vote on their behalf. She should have that right. But beyond that. what are we doing? This is a time when Americans are struggling and suffering and losing their homes. What we should be doing is coming together. Republicans and Democrats. on this floor to create an environment where entrepreneurs and small businesses can create jobs for the American people. We have a proposal on the floor right now that would say the following: Lets stop China from unfairly manipulating its currency that puts American manufacturers at a disadvantage. It is estimated that 1 million manufacturing jobs could be added in this country if the Chinese were made to stop their unfair practice of discriminating and manipulating currency. Now. you may think thats a good idea or a bad idea. I think its a good idea. But why dont we take a vote on that instead of how to run the District of Columbia Public Schools? Thats a question that the voters of the District of Columbia should decide for themselves. What we ought to decide is to get our act together and get Americans back to work.
Date: 2011-03-30
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

A great deal is made about the choice of these parents. Its to be honored and respected. What about the choice of the parents of Head Start students that made a choice to put their children into Head Start. in an effective program that makes a difference when they leave that program on whether or not they are school ready. whether or not theyre prepared to proceed at fourth grade and eighth grade and tenth grade. those critical points when a student decides to drop out of school. Those parents who are making the choice about effective education for their children. they get cut. a quarter of a million of them. But if you make an ineffective choice and its consistent with the ideology. you get funded. Thats just not the way we should do business here. and thats not the way to do business in terms of school reform. Thats not the way to help these children. and thats not the way to incentivize the other schools that are struggling to achieve better results. to achieve better success for their students. If youre going to say. Well fund them. whether its successful or not. well put a $100 million into it because it comports with our view of the constellations. thats just the wrong way to proceed in this effort for these children and for other children who will follow them.
Date: 2011-03-30
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to H.R. 471. Todays vote comes just weeks after House Republicans brought a Continuing Resolution to the floor to slash billions from public education programslegislation that would cut Head Start slots. reduce critical support to thousands of schools. and decrease afterschool services at highpoverty and lowperforming schools. My colleagues across the aisle argued that we simply cannot afford these investments in our nations children. But today. the Majority brings to the floor a bill to provide private school vouchers in the District of Columbia. This bill adds $300 million to the deficit. a violation of their own new "CutGo" rule that requires offsets for all new spending. Mr. Speaker. I support investments in education. We all want our children to have the opportunity to succeed. But we should be using public funds to improve our public schools first. And it is totally hypocritical to have a vote one month to cut public school funding under the guise of deficit reduction and vote the next month to increase the deficit to support some schools over all others. I urge my colleagues oppose this bill.
Date: 2011-03-30
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

The point of this amendment is. if youre going to spend this money in violation of the rule and youre going to create additional deficit. you at least ought to spend it on something thats effective and that works for the children and improves their educational opportunity. Investing in the D.C. voucher program that has now run over a period of years by every study that has been done on it says that these students are doing no better than when they left the school. but were spending $100 million to educate them. They statistically are not improved over the performance of the school that they left. but we continue to spend the money on the myth that somehow this is a model program that you would replicate all over the country. Why would you replicate a program that is so inefficient and does not provide an educational advantage for the students participating in it? I understand their parents who chose them to participate in the voucher program feel they made a good decision. but thats not a mark of whether or not theyre getting the educational opportunity that theyre entitled to. With Mr. CUMMINGS amendment. you can invest in what is working. You can invest in the public schools where African American high school students have seen doubledigit gains in reading and math. and the percentage of high school students that have achieved advance status in reading and math has more than doubled. The percentage of special education students achieving proficient status has more than doubled. These schools. public and public charter schools. are working for the children of D.C. But the Republicans would have you insist that what you really ought to do is take $100 billion in new deficit spending and park it in this voucher program because of their commitment on an ideological basis. but not on programs that work. We ought to choose the programs that work for the children of the District of Columbia.
Date: 2011-03-31
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. I rise today to recognize an amazing woman. a woman from the city of Anaheim in my district. Mrs. Maria T. SolisMartinez. in honor of Womens History Month. Mrs. SolisMartinez is a retired United States Air Force Master Sergeant who served during the Vietnam era from 1960 to 1967. In 1974. she joined the California Air National Guard and continued her commitment to serving our country in the 261st and the 222nd Combat Communications Squadrons. Im truly proud to have such an extraordinary woman in my hometown. She is a mentor and a friend. and shes always working for the community. For over 10 years. she has been an active member sponsor of the Latino Advocates for Education. Inc.. an organization that brings awareness and recognition to the contributions of Latino military veterans in all the wars fought by the United States. She continues to devote endless hours volunteering with the Girl Scouts Council of Orange County. North Orange County YWCA Youth Employment Service. and so many other organizations. mentoring young girls to become talented. distinguished women. As we honor Womens History Month and Women in the Military History Week. I proudly recognize Mrs. Maria SolisMartinez for her incredible leadership and for being such a great role model.
Date: 2011-03-31
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I stand today to ask my colleagues to help American families and children. I join my good friend Congressman Luis GUTIERREZ on acknowledging the many children. the talented children that are in our schools that deserve the best education. along with all of our children who happen to have been in this country most of their lives but theyre undocumented. They are called the DREAM Act children. the children who are our future engineers and doctors. teachers and train workers. bus workerspeople who help build America. It is time now to support comprehensive immigration reform. Its time now to distinguish between the bad guys. whom all of us want to be see deported. versus these young children who are valedictorians and salutatorians. who are athletes. who are men and women in the United States military. who are seeking to be part of the pillars of this community. I want to join in standing alongside these American families and children. not to break up families who are raising wonderful Americans but yet are not statused because of the way their families came to seek an opportunity. Comprehensive immigration reform is the answer. but we must protect the DREAM Act children.
Date: 2011-03-31
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Let me applaud the work of this committee. and particularly Mr. RAHALL and Mr. COSTELLO. whom we work very closely with. I serve as a ranking member on the Transportation Security Committee. and I cant imagine a more perfect fit than the question of safety and security for our traveling public. and I thank the chairman of the full committee and others associated with this legislation. however disappointed I am in having to come to the floor and raise questions about our next steps. And I am particularly devastated about the cuts in the FAAs Next Generation Air Traffic System. the NextGen. Whenever you think of air traffic controllers. I want you to think of them as first responders. of which I will discuss in an amendment that I have regarding the issue of ensuring the kind of staffing needs necessary to engage in security. But further. since I have one of the largest airports in the country. Bush Intercontinental Airport. of which we were proud to name. I am disappointed that the FAA Improvement Program has been cut and. therefore. construction improving runways. taxiways. terminals. Theres one thing about getting up and getting in the air and having that beautiful feeling. But what about coming down and not being able to work? The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Date: 2011-03-31
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

And let me say I am disappointed that we would have a Shuster amendment that would really put a dent in the pilot fatigue rulemaking. That is very important. And then of course the issue dealing with the CostelloLaTourette amendment. which I support. How can you win by 70.000. then you count the people who didnt vote. and you lose by 150.000? Lets be fair. Lets have a bill that responds to the needs of all.